Choosing a Genre

There are many genres used to classify music. Within the publishing industry there are magazines that promote and evaluate most genres and have a consistently recurring audience. 

Deciding which genre to focus my magazine on is the initial choice that will determine the conventions, tone and images I incorporate into my work. But with so many to choose from, I need to consider how accurately and plausibly I can present a convincing portrayal of that genre. For example, if I wanted to imitate the rap genre, I would need the fashion choice and maybe even the racial diversity in order to depict the social background of rap's origins in a convincing manner. 

The main factor that should be considered is accessibility. At this point I am torn between two genres; country and rock. Below I have listed my reasons for wanting to choose each one. 

Rock

• Rock has a very distinctive image, with colours and connotations that are often very random, Gothic and chaotic. This would enable me to express my creativity and imagination. 
• Rock has a larger audience presently and so there are more recent examples to draw from.
• The lyrics for the songs tend to be aggressive and make statements about political, social or cultural issues. This gives me some broad topic areas to write about on my double-page spread.  
• The layout of rock magazines are very vibrant and imposing, so I would be able to include lots of features in my work. 

Country

• The obvious reason for choosing the Country genre is that I already have an interest in it from an audience's perspective. Songs from the country genre are included as soundtracks to popular TV shows such as The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy, which enhances their emotional appeal. 
• Secondly, the rural setting to most Western country music could be replicated in the fields or downs of my local community. I have access to lots of local woodland and trails which could serve as an appropriate mise en scene to take photos. 
• I have a guitar at home, the crucial instrument used in creating the rhythm to most tracks. Using this as part of the mise en scene would express familiarity and confidence in the genre.
• With an interest in this genre, I also have some prior knowledge to artists and conventions and so I feel like I can more accurately capture the tone and style of the text itself. 

Upon reflection, I think that I have come to the conclusion that the country genre will best serve my abilities both as a photographer and as a writer. Furthermore my interest in the topic should hopefully encourage a vivid and creative piece of work. Although many examples of country magazines are not as visually enticing as rock due to the lack of memorable costumes, this means that I will have to focus mainly on symbolism and connotations in order to evoke a passionate interpretation.