Questionnaire Conclusions

What I Found and Learnt From My Research


Big Question #1: Why Do We Enjoy Music

• When asked the question: 'why do you listen to music?', most, if not all participants gave responses which led me to believe that the main reason for listening to music, was escapism. Answers included things like blocking out certain thoughts and people, relaxing and forgetting certain things and occasionally to avoid boredom. All of these reasons suggest that people listen to music so that they can get away from something that is currently their in their lives and imagine being somewhere other than their current place. 
• We can also draw the conclusion that no matter what type of music a person prefers to listen to, the reasons are all very similar. I asked the question 'What type of music would you typically listen to?' and my results revealed that collectively an extensively wide range of music was listened to and enjoyed, from classical and gospel music, to Rock and Grime. So even though there are lots of different people, listening to lots of different types of music, all these musical genres are enjoyed for similar reasons. They provide a form of relaxation and escapism for each listener through different types of sounds.

Big Question #2: Does The Visual Image Supporting and Promoting an Artist, Influence its Audience?

• All of the participants within the questionnaire said that the visual image of an artist definitely has a great lot of input in the selling and promoting of an artist. This can be shown through the fact that every single person who took part in the questionnaire responded with a 'yes' when asked if an artist's image 'aids in the decision of buying into an artists music or not'. Therefore suggesting that the visual image an artists uses to portrays themselves is a big influence in promoting the music.
• I also found that about 50% of the participants felt that the image an artist they listen to conveys, strongly reflects their values and beliefs and in-turn influences the way the audience would like to be seen as for their values and beliefs. However this was much more common in teenagers and more specifically in young males. 

This research has helped me in planning my final digipak design, as I now understand that the main reason people enjoy music is due to the escapism factor and the type of escapism an artist's music has to offer. If my artist is a rapper, then I might convey this idea of a fantasy life of the rich and the famous that my audience may dream to obtain. However if my artist is a pop/rock band, I may choose to promote a type of escapism that promotes changes for the better of society. 

Furthermore I also now know that the physical appearance of an artist or their promotional image is a key element in selling an artist and their music. Without an attention-grabbing image that supports the values and beliefs of my artist, my artist may not be as successful in its feasibility as it would not be targeting its true target audience.