Week 10

For my mini-ethnography I will be organizing my pages in a very common way. My beginning will be a normal introduction and probably include some general information about bands and marching bands. By this I mean describing things that most people would assume obvious such as exactly what the bands purpose at games is and distinguishing things between bands and marching bands. Although these are obvious I feel like you can not just assume the reader will know anything. I am then going to divide my pages in several ways. I'll probably move on in order starting with my place in the subculture. It seems like a good place to begin in order to state exactly where I started and how I moved along throughout the semester. The rest of the paper will probably be organized simply by the different aspects of the paper. Including different interviews, time spent in the subculture, history of the subculture, and several others. I will end the paper with a summary of the whole thing. This seems to me to be the best way to organize my paper because it keeps the areas of research with the other areas that are similar. With this included I will be able to transition between the different parts of the paper easily and let the reader know about everything I have done.

Progress So Far

The research process so far has been a slightly difficult but interesting one. One of the hardest things has been to find books on my topic. Although they are out there it is very slim and the internet has proven to be a much better source for my topic. The easiest thing has been exploring my field site. It is very easy to go to a basketball game and watch how the band behaves and acts. Since I normally go to a lot of athletic events anyway it is especially one of the easiest things to do. If I could start over I probably would have began looking for print sources much earlier. I think I procrastinated a little too long on searching for those types of sources and it might hurt me a little now. Also, I may have spent a little more time on figuring out my topic. It was kind of a struggle for me so I ended up with one that isn't one of my main interests. The blog has helped me by making me think about things I would not normally think about. It also forces me to stay in track with the class rather than just kind of forget about it and then show up every day. As far as helping me with the mini-ethnography, I believe I will be able to look back on blog postings and look at my thought process along the way. It will be interesting to see how my views and ideas about my topic have changed throughout the semester.

In-class questions

Why will my readers care about this issue?
-The world of bands and marching bands in college is one easily ignored. Their main venue is the typical athletic event in which the band is underplayed. My readers will care because they will finally realize the importance of the band being in these athletic venues.

What will my readers want or need to know about this issue?
-There is a lot my readers need to know. Some things may include the history of bands, the importance of bands, the reason bands play athletic events, or even why they choose the music they do.

What do my readers already know about this issue?
-My readers probably will not know much more than the fact that bands play at sporting events. After that they probably haven't even considered the details or anything else about the issue.

What do I want my readers to learn about the issue?
-I want my readers to learn more in-depth information about the issue. They will learn how to go to an athletic event and show support to not only the team, but the band as well.

If I am trying to persuade my readers of something, how easily will they be persuaded?
-It will probably be difficult to persuade my readers. Because many people have seen so many bands in events throughout highschool and college, they feel as though they already know about the issue. Most people do not like to be told about something they feel that they know about.

What will my readers use my writing for?
-When my final piece is together I feel as though it will be a good piece for research. There isn't a lot of sites that I could find that are putting everything about bands and marching bands into one site. It will be very helpful for anyone wanting a lot of information about a smaller subject

Week 8

The main theme I see through my research would have to be simply a love for music. Many of the people I have talked to enjoy many aspects of being in a college band. There are many things that go along with this. Many of the members of the band believe that they are in it for the people and the environment that comes along with it, but all of that circles around to a love for music. The people get along because they share it and the environment is something they fall in love with because they fill it with the music. This is how the love for music fills the field site completely. My place in the field site is probably exactly where it was eight weeks ago. Although I have learned a little more and have talked to members of the site, I have not moved up in the area at all. I believe in the field site, the closest I will be is a fan. Although I will still just be a fan of the athletic team, I have changed slightly as now I am also a fan of the band. I notice them playing more often during the games even if I am not there just to do research. My total outlook as completely changed in that sense and its definitely changed for the better.