So far, I have interviewed two subjects for my ethnographic documentary on the music-making practices of Emory students. The artists define their respective genres of music as "experimental electronic" and "new wave R&B."
So far, the most difficult aspect of the interviews has been figuring out the right questions to ask the subjects in order to get the relevant/desired response or content. As much as I would like the subjects to make a profound statement about the connection between their identities and their music making, I cannot force the answer if the idea is not already in their minds (or if there isn't one). It's interesting to note the opinions that I have about this topic, and to consider the impact that my bias has on the outcomes of the interviews, and ultimately the documentary. Normally I consider documentaries to be mostly objective, in the sense that the creator is searching for information or insight about the topic without injecting him/herself. But now that I think about it more, it seems like a lot of documentaries do, overall, lean towards one position or another.
Since I have already completed two of my interviews, it's been interesting to note the similarities and differences in the two musician's opinions about identity and music making. Surprisingly, when asked which aspect of their identity they found to be most salient in day to day life and in music making, they answered in a similar manner (that I won't reveal yet as to not ruin the surprise!). Their answers also surprised me because they did not define identity in any way that I had previously thought about - i.e. race, SES, gender, religion, etc. It's really interesting to see how this documentary is opening my eyes and exposing me to new ideas. I guess that's the beauty of an auto-ethnographic approach. The creator has room to grow and explore as well.
So far, the most difficult aspect of the interviews has been figuring out the right questions to ask the subjects in order to get the relevant/desired response or content. As much as I would like the subjects to make a profound statement about the connection between their identities and their music making, I cannot force the answer if the idea is not already in their minds (or if there isn't one). It's interesting to note the opinions that I have about this topic, and to consider the impact that my bias has on the outcomes of the interviews, and ultimately the documentary. Normally I consider documentaries to be mostly objective, in the sense that the creator is searching for information or insight about the topic without injecting him/herself. But now that I think about it more, it seems like a lot of documentaries do, overall, lean towards one position or another.
Since I have already completed two of my interviews, it's been interesting to note the similarities and differences in the two musician's opinions about identity and music making. Surprisingly, when asked which aspect of their identity they found to be most salient in day to day life and in music making, they answered in a similar manner (that I won't reveal yet as to not ruin the surprise!). Their answers also surprised me because they did not define identity in any way that I had previously thought about - i.e. race, SES, gender, religion, etc. It's really interesting to see how this documentary is opening my eyes and exposing me to new ideas. I guess that's the beauty of an auto-ethnographic approach. The creator has room to grow and explore as well.