2. S: Yeah, but I can’t listen to like upbeat music when I’m doing homework. Cuz then I just start like, I can’t concentrate [serious throughout].
3. R: Yeah, does it help you study better or help you do your homework better?
4. S: Uhm, I don’t study when, I don’t listen to music when I study. But I listen to music when I like write things or when I’m doing something else [serious throughout].
5. R: How do you listen to it? Do you listen to it over like headphones
6. S: Usually, I have it playing on my computer [serious].
7. R: Do you listen to music while you write?
8. S: [laugh]Yeah. I do.
9. R: and its
10. S: yeah, but not all the time.
2 S: Yeah, but I can’t listen to like upbeat music when I’m doing homework. Cuz then I just start like, I can’t concentrate [serious throughout].-->Conflict with upbeat music and homework. S admits to doing homework to music; however, the music can't be upbeat because it stifles her concentration.
4 S: Uhm, I don’t study when, I don’t listen to music when I study. But I listen to music when I like write things or when I’m doing something else [serious throughout].--> After S finds her words, she is straight forward with the answer about listening to music while studying: she doesn't do it. However, she switches the subject to writing to music. This switch indicates an area she is more comfortable with and more willing to talk about. In line 8 after I ask her about writing to music, she responds by laughing. This is further indicative of S being comfortable with the subject.
R: Do you remember when you started listening to music when you were writing or you always done that?
S: Uhm, no I didn’t always do that. I think once I started college. I don’t think I wrote a lot in like high school. I stopped [serious throughout].
R: So, when you listen to music now, you listen over the speakers of the computer while you are on a notepad?
S: Yeah. I have it like open next to me.
R: There’s no tv on or nothing else.
S: Mmhmm
*I put this in because I want to ask her why there was such a difference between high school writing and college writing. I think this would be pertinent to the analysis.
1. R: So tell me story about a time you wrote while listening to music?
2. S: Oh, I wrote this story about how. Actually I wrote it on the train about my journey into the city. Uhm, and I had, actually, I was listening to my headphones. I wasn’t listening to my computer when I wrote that [serious throughout].
3. R: And you were really into it?
4. S: Mmhmm. And I was on the train. And then i was, cuz I was in a bad mood. I was writing about how going into the city sucked. And it was like a little short story. And it was kinda funny. I liked it [serious throughout].
5. R: What were you listening to? Do you remember? John Mayer again?
6. S: Uhm, no I think I just had it on shuffle [serious].
7. R: Uhm, how do you think it effected your writing? Were you more creative? Do you think it affected you at all while you were writing?
8. S: Well, yeah. I like, well it helps me like zone, zone out from everyone else, I guess. And, uhm, I think actually, wow this is making me think, actually I think its better if I don’t listen to the same songs over and over again. Cuz like each song kind like, cuz each song makes you think like a kind a way [serious throughout].
9. R: So, but you try not to listen to the lyrics? Just the beat?
10. S: Mmhmm.
11. R: Or the rhythm?
12. S: Yeah. but sometimes, uhm, I am listening to a song and then I get an idea.
13. R: Okay. What do you mean by that? You get an idea?
14. S: Like I’ll be in a train and I’ve been listening to a lot more music now because I commute so much and I like don’t like conversing with people. So, I’ll like listen to music and then I’ll be listening to music, then I always have like my teen vogue pad with me [serious tone until she mentions the teen vogue] and then I’ll like write, cuz I listen to a certain song [serious tone].
In this excerpt S was very engaging. She told the story as if she was there experiencing it right then.
2 S: Oh, I wrote this story about how. Actually I wrote it on the train about my journey into the city. Uhm, and I had, actually, I was listening to my headphones. I wasn’t listening to my computer when I wrote that [serious throughout].-->Initially the story starts as backtracking; however, once S remembers her story she tells it as if she was experiencing the event right then.
4 S: Mmhmm. And I was on the train. And then i was, cuz I was in a bad mood. I was writing about how going into the city sucked. And it was like a little short story. And it was kinda funny. I liked it [serious throughout].------>S's language is negative when she talks about the atmosphere she was in: "I was in a bad mood. I was writing about how going into the city sucked." She then changes to a happier tone when she discusses her story. She says, "It was kinda funny. I liked it." In this quote you can see the influence of the atmosphere on S.
8 S: Well, yeah. I like, well it helps me like zone, zone out from everyone else, I guess. And, uhm, I think actually, wow this is making me think, actually I think its better if I don’t listen to the same songs over and over again. Cuz like each song kind like, cuz each song makes you think like a kind a way [serious throughout].
-->Her music helped her zone out and think and create a short story.
In this case, S's music and her circumstance created a productive atmosphere in which S was able to write freely.
1. R: Do you think that music affects your brainstorming and drafting and revising, like have you ever listened to a different set of music when your brainstorming to when you’re actually writing, to where your revision process and your actually draft. Do you listen to different music then also? *1300
2. S: Uhm, I guess its different because when i’m brainstorming or coming up with ideas its like just random songs that like make me think. And I guess when I already have an idea and I’m writing, I’ll like listen to something more like John Mayer. Something that I’m used to [serious].
3. R: Is it because its something soothing?
4. S: Yeah. I think so.
5. R: That’s what it sounds like to me.
6. S: And then, uhm, and then, actually when i revise, I like read out loud a lot to myself. So, I don’t think I listen to music when I do that. Cuz I think I read the same over and and over and over again, like out loud. And people might think, I’m [serious throughout]
7. R: Crazy?
8. S: And my mom walks by and she’s like ‘what are you doing?’
I chose this excerpt because it shows what S does during her writing process (i.e. brainstorming, drafting, and revising).
2 S: Uhm, I guess its different because when i’m brainstorming or coming up with ideas its like just random songs that like make me think. And I guess when I already have an idea and I’m writing, I’ll like listen to something more like John Mayer. Something that I’m used to [serious].-->S listens to random songs when she is brainstorming. After brainstorming is complete, S plays something familiar, something soothing to kept that mind set.
6 S: And then, uhm, and then, actually when i revise, I like read out loud a lot to myself. So, I don’t think I listen to music when I do that. Cuz I think I read the same over and and over and over again, like out loud. And people might think, I’m [serious throughout]-->S turns off the music during revision.
For both answers, S is again retelling her experience as if she was there. She tells us about listening to random songs on her iTunes for an idea; however, once she has an idea she switches to something soothing (i.e. John Mayer). When she revises, she turns off her music to listen out loud.
1. R: How about tell me a story about a time when you wrote without music. Was it any different than writing with music?
2. S: Uhm, well I wrote a paper like on Tuesday without music. And it was like kinda like. I didn’t like what I was writing. It was boring. I don’t know. I have to be comfortable when I’m writing. And like at least like when I can zone out, but like if I’m like comfortable or not like in my usual. I can’t do it [serious throughout].
2 S: Uhm, well I wrote a paper like on Tuesday without music. And it was like kinda like. I didn’t like what I was writing. It was boring. I don’t know. I have to be comfortable when I’m writing. And like at least like when I can zone out, but like if I’m like comfortable or not like in my usual. I can’t do it [serious throughout].
S is reliving this experience when she talks. She even gives me the day on which she wrote the paper without music. This narrative is negative in tone. She writes, "I didn't like what I was writing. It was boring." Then she says, "I don't know." This "I don't know" indicates that S is uncomfortable with the topic. She even finishes her answer by saying she is uncomfortable unless she can "zone out."
1. R: Do you remember the grade you got on that?
2. S: I didn’t get it back yet.
3. R: Do you remember any other time when you had write like in class, for in-class essays.
4. S: Oh, I hate them. Yeah, I don’t like them. I can’t concentrate [serious throughout].
5. R: Why is that? The pressure of the teacher but is there anything else?
6. S: Uhm, well, yeah, cuz in class essays are hard but I guess cuz you have no other stimulation. You’re just kinda like there. I don’t know. There’s nothing to look at. There’s nothing to like like listen to [serious throughout].
4 S: Oh, I hate them. Yeah, I don’t like them. I can’t concentrate [serious throughout].-->S is very blunt and negative when the topic of in-class essays comes up.
6 S: Uhm, well, yeah, cuz in class essays are hard but I guess cuz you have no other stimulation. You’re just kinda like there. I don’t know. There’s nothing to look at. There’s nothing to like like listen to [serious throughout].-->This shows conflict and uneasiness in S's language. Conflict="Yeah, cuz, in class essays are hard but..." Uneasiness="I don't know." S shuts down her thoughts on in-class essays. But, then, S's tone turns aggressive when she finishes her answer. "There's nothing to look at. There's nothing to like like listen to."
1. R: Yeah. Uhm, have you ever turned off the music while you were writing?
2. S: Hmm...have I? I feel like I have. Oh, yeah, I did. Just recently. What was I writing? I think I was writing my, uhm, an article that was due in like an hour. And like all these bad songs just kept coming on in my itunes and I was getting annoyed. So, I just shut it off. It was like not my songs. And I was over John Mayer that day. I listened to him too much [serious].
3. R: So if you had John Mayer, it would have helped you? Or actually, you listened to him too much. If you had something else to listen to, would it help you? Something
4. S: Like nothing was like hitting the spot.
5. R: How do you think your essay came out, or your paper?
6. S: It sucked.
7. R: It sucked?
8. S: Yeah, like really bad.
9. R: No creative influence?
10. S: no
2 S: Hmm...have I? I feel like I have. Oh, yeah, I did. Just recently. What was I writing? I think I was writing my, uhm, an article that was due in like an hour. And like all these bad songs just kept coming on in my itunes and I was getting annoyed. So, I just shut it off. It was like not my songs. And I was over John Mayer that day. I listened to him too much [serious].-->Again S is reliving the event as she is telling it. The tone of S's answer was negative. She says, "And like all these bad songs just kept coming on in my itunes and I was getting annoyed. So, I just shut it off. It was like not my songs. And I was over John Mayer that day. I listened to him too much."
4 S: Like nothing was like hitting the spot.-->The music wasn't helping her write this paper.
6 S: It sucked.-->S is blunt and negative when asked about how she think the paper turned out.
*What I have started noticing in doing this research is that music, familiar and unfamiliar, may not be the only thing influencing students. There also seems to be a connection between music and the environment in which the writer is in.
No comments:
Post a Comment