Week 3 Blog 1

What research have you started thus far for this project? In other words, have you already interviewed possible informants? If so, describe that interaction and what transpired. If you have not held any interviews, what questions will you ask when you do and why do you feel those questions are important? Have you already visited your cultural site? If so, describe some of your observations and what questions those observations might have raised. If you have not been to your cultural site, when do you intend on doing so and what new questions or expectations might you have after some of our in-class discussions and exercises? Have you attempted some basic "academic" research (i.e. Internet, books, periodicals, etc.)? And lastly, do you consider there to be a difference between "academic" and non-academic" research? List some examples.

So far, I have been to my field site several times, I know every member of my band, and I have asked my guitarist, and boyfriend, to do an interview with me. I haven't devised exact questions to ask yet, but I think I am going to focus on setting up and an average jam session. I feel that these questions are super important because you can't play without setting up and writing takes a while if you don't just do it together, i.e. jam. Our practice space is in Coatesville, IN, in my boyfriend's basement. We usually practice on Friday nights when Chris, lead guitar, and I, singer, get home. The band room looks like your typical basement...There is a pool table, an air hockey table, and a huge stuffed bear, which the dog likes to "play" with. The first weekend of February will be the next time I go home, so we will also be playing with the band. I have not done any academic research, because, as you might have guessed, my band is not famous. The most information that I can give you is going to be from my perspective, which, in light that I am the singer, is going to be pretty in depth. I think there is a huge difference between academic and non-academic research. Non-academic research, to me, seems a lot more hands-on, like people learn more from doing than reading about something someone else has done. In my life, nothing is G-rated, including my band. But, you, the reader, wouldn't know that unless I told you what's really there. Someone watching our band play a show, for example, wouldn't know what happened at practice the night before.