Benjamin Stevens, “Finding Harmony: Crafting an Aesthetic Brand to Reflect Your Musical Personality as a CCM Musician in the Milwaukee Gigging Scene through Sound and Place”
Mentor: Colleen Brooks, Music
Poster #20
Contemporary commercial music (CCM), also referred to as “pop” music, is an ever-changing industry. Crafting a musical and personal brand honest to yourself as a performer is imperative to possessing a career in this line of work. In order to better understand how to craft a musical brand, I am attending twenty CCM performances in the Milwaukee area and analyzing the following: (1) whether the visual marketing provided seems appropriate for the sound and message the band conveys and (2) whether the artist’s brand seems appropriate for the venue it’s being performed in. Before each event, a marketing and sound observation form will be completed. After each event, a performance/venue form will be completed including observations from the performance. Results and trends will be shared with the public as social media posts on UWM’s COCArts Instagram page. In addition, I will be composing two original song compositions which reflect the aesthetics and brand of the group with which I am currently performing, and I will create the marketing materials for our upcoming performance, which will feature the new compositions. While research is still in progress, noticeable trends thus far point to (1) marketing choices that accurately reflect elements of musical style or are more creative in nature tend to be more successful in drawing a larger audience and (2) any style of music can play any venue. If designs are disorganized, cluttered, poorly colored, or simply unoriginal, there will likely be less people in attendance, and whether a venue feels appropriate, depends most on the commitment of the band and the engagement of the audience. These findings highlight the importance of originality and energized performances. Emerging artists in the Milwaukee community can be mindful of these trends when marketing and seeking performances of their own.