Journal Entry 4: What is EDM

Why EDM? What is EDM?

This week I was out in Muir at the coffee shop with my friend Amanda. She works at the Muir coffee shop and she said that I could hang around her with her and we could try and make small talk with customers about EDM.

I stuck around for three hours and I was able to interview 5 random people. **

Allison: "I listen to EDM, primarily trance music because I can connect to it. Theres something about the music that I can connect to." I then asked her if she used any drugs while listening to EDM and she said no comment.

Jake: "I love EDM music. I started listening to EDM about five years ago before it started to become mainstream. I listen to EDM primarily while I am doing homework. It helps me focus while studying. EDM to me is the best type of music there is."

Sam: "I do not like EDM at all. Whenever I hear EDM all I think about is drunk frat boys dancing around and being annoying. I hate it! People just listen to EDM to do drugs."

Mary: "EDM. My favorite part of SunGod. I am so excited for the dance tent. EDM just makes you feel good. It is like you can be a part of the music. Its something that you either do or do not like."

Eric: "I am indifferent about EDM. I have times where I like it and times when I do not like it. I can listen to it primarily when I am in a good mood and ready to party."


**I recorded these short interviews on my iPhone**


Next Journal: EDM History/EDM Changes lately

Journal Entry 3 : EDM and Drugs

     I interviewed my friend "Molly"on Friday of April 19 to ask him a bit about EDM. He told me that he started listening to EDM music about four years ago and has been going to raves since his Junior year of high school. (He is now a sophomore at UCSD)  He told me about his experiences with MDMA which is now by its street name ecstasy. He told me how MDMA enhanced his experiences with EDM and how it adds another dimension to the enjoyment of the music.
     He described how he felt while on ecstasy step by step but said it's something like no other. It is something that you have to experience yourself. He mentioned that when he took it for his first time he was in the car on the way to his first rave.  "Molly" mentioned that he felt this "tingling sensation that traveled from the bottom of his feet slowly up his body until it got to his head". He said that when he got to the rave he felt like he was friends with everybody. He said he could talk to everybody at the event and that everyone was his friend.
     After hearing that MDMA enhanced his experience listening to EDM I began to question if this was a big thing and if this drug actually made people feel "spiritually connected" to music like my friend Gabe mentioned. I went on google and started researching ecstasy and its effects with music. What I found was actually really interesting. It is scientifically proven that ecstasy effects are enhanced with music. "The drug produces feelings of euphoria and energy, and a desire to socialize". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4716500.stm Maybe this is what my friend "Molly" was describing to me.

Final Project Decision

     After giving it thought and researching about EDM I know that this is a topic that I want to continue researching. When I first began to think of potential musical genres that are "big" in San Diego to research, EDM was something that one of my friends said I should look into. After looking into EDM a bit and seeing all the different emotions it brings out of people I was sold that this was a genre that I wanted to learn more about.
     Im not a very big fan of EDM which is why I am excited to research why people love it so much and where it originated and how it has changed since then. I will be attending 2 EDM concerts (both being held at UCSD) and will hopefully be interviewing a few people at the event that I completely don't know, and some of my friends that are EDM junkies to get as much information from them as possible.
     My friend Andrea Hseuh is running the SunGod Festival this year, and I asked her if there was a way that I could talk to some of the performers and she is still trying to get back to me on that. If possible, I would like to get a Video interview with these DJ's to talk about EDM and how they have seen it change from their perspective.
     Currently most of my research has been done online. Some of the things I have found are below.

EDM History:
http://www.focusmusic.co.uk/
http://www.indiana.edu/~emusic/elechist.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMUhZEuqroo

EDM Blogs/New Music
http://www.edmsauce.com/
http://www.gottadancedirty.com/category/interviews-2/

Open Blog Forums
http://forum.anjunabeats.com/topic/49252-how-has-edm-music-changed/

The Video that made me want to research EDM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fB-5D5mxBk

Journal Entry 1

When given this assignment in class I was completely clueless as to what I was going to be researching. I was sitting in MOM (Middle of Muir) with a blank piece of paper in front of me and my friend Sherri asked me what I was doing. I turned to her and said, Im thinking of potential musical genres/scenes in the San Diego area that I could look into and learn a bit more about. When I told her that I saw a smirk in her face and she told me, "Im currently buying my ticket to an EDM event that is going to be held here at RIMAC. One of the best EDM DJ's in the world is going to be performing here."After hearing that I knew this was what I wanted to research, EDM. Can't wait to find out a bit more about EDM and why people are so attracted to this musical scene. The search for questions and answers not begins!