Cornwall

This summer I spent a week in the beautiful Cornwall with my family and I didn't put my camera down! It was my first time there and I couldn't believe how much there was to take in. I tried to capture most of it in photograph form, both on my SLR and film. 

We spent the majority of  the week travelling around Cornwall to different spots such as St. Ives, Penzance and St Michael's Mount. Despite the terrible weather this year, we managed to hit the jackpot and got a glorious week of sunshine. Perfect!

The rumours about Cornwall are definitely true. It's really that beautiful. I could easily have spent the whole of summer there (and longer) exploring and taking an infinite number of photos. Fingers crossed I can persuade my family to go there again soon! It was well worth the 6-hour journey. 

I've finally uploaded a small selection of my photos to Flickr so if you want to see a glimpse of what I got  to experience from Cornwall then take a peek here!

Here's a little preview:

This set features some more shots from St Michael's Mount, Penzance, Land's End and the little village I called home for the week, Treen.

I'm slowly but surely working my way through the photos so hopefully I can put another batch up soon, however university work is priority this year so forgive me if I take a while!

I hope you enjoy the pictures, any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I'm still here.

It's about time that I apologise for my absence recently! 

In the last month I have moved from my hometown in Wales back to Birmingham to take on my third (and final!) year at Birmingham City University. It's an exciting time but also a very busy time. I am going to be calling on all my organisation skills for this year. 

My modules of choice this year are focused upon the music industry and PR. On the music front I will be studying the production module, Music Industry Enterprise and the theory module, Popular Music Culture. My third chosen module is Communications Management. I'm going into my third week back at university now and I an certainly happy with my decision to study these. The hands-on approach means it's going to be a semester of hard work but worth it in the long run! 

Of course, on top of my choices I have the two big modules. Like most third year students I will be working on my dissertation throughout the whole year. My question is based around representations, popular music and feminism. However, that's not all! I also have a production project to work on. It's only in the early stages at the moment but keep an eye out as I will definitely be updating you on it in the near future.

I will try to keep the blog up to date with my media work throughout the next few months but if you don't see me for a while it's probably because I either have my head in a book or I'm busy typing away at my assignments!

I'd also just like to take this time to thank everyone who reads my blog. I really appreciate it! Don't forget I'd love to read your thoughts on my posts so feel free comment. 

An interview with Kids in Glass Houses

Sadly the Merthyr Rock weekend has now come to a close and we'll have to wait a whole year for our next instalment of festival fun and great music from the Welsh town. However, to keep the blues away or to catch up with what the MRockers got up to, you can head to welovemerthyrrock.tumblr.com for posts and pictures of the fans' experiences.

But if that's not enough... then take a peak at my interview with Welsh rockers, Kids in Glass Houses! 

Ahead of their headline show, which saw Merthyr Rock out with a bang, KIGH took time out of rehearing for an exclusive on the MRock fan blog. Find out what front-man Aled Phillips had to say before the weekend about the festival, the future and the stuff in-between! 

How are you guys feeling about headlining Merthyr Rock this year?

Excited and a bit nervous.

Does it feel extra special to headline a festival in Wales?

Any show in Wales is special so headlining a festival adds that little bit extra.

Who are you looking forward to seeing this year at Merthyr Rock and why?

Future Of The Left. A hugely underrated band who deserve to be loved.

You guys curated one of the stages last year, how was that? How did you got about choosing the acts for the stage?

It was fun and challenging. We just looked at bands who don’t always get the breaks they deserve and tried to help in a small way.

So you did a gig at Le Pub recently – how was that? Why was it so important to you to help out?

It was great. It’s difficult being a small venue, making enough money to keep going and the gig world needs these small venues. Remember kids, small is beautiful.

What do you think of the impact that Merthyr Rock has had on bringing awareness to great Welsh music? 

Anything that gets Wales and it’s music into the national consciousness is important. Merthyr Rock is just the sort of thing that makes that happen.

The Smart Casual vinyls are looking awesome! You must be proud of them? Was it something you always wanted to do?

Most bands want a ‘record deal’, not a ‘CD deal’. Vinyl is great.

How has it been playing Smart Casual around the UK again? Any particular highlights?

It’s nice to re-visit songs that we rarely play these days.

Do you have any pre-gig or pre-going-on-stage rituals?

Nothing. That sort of things a bit naff.

Have KIGH got anything big coming up in the next few months/2013 that the fans should look out for? 

Album number four.

What have you guys been up to this summer? 

A few shows and a few holidays. Some drinking and some fornicating.

If you could create your own ultimate festival, which bands/artists would you have playing (dead or alive)?

Prince and Michael Jackson. Anything else would be filler.

What are (or would be) your favourite songs to get you pumped to go on stage or on a night out?

‘Nothing Compares To You’. Sinead O’Conner’s version.

What are your personal favourite gigs that you’ve been to?

The good ones that you can’t remember the next day.

What are Kids in Glass Houses’ five festival essentials?

Prophylactics, johnnies, alcohol, condoms and booze.

You can find the interview and much more on the Merthyr Rock fan blog!

Music Journalism Workshop - Merthyr Rock

On Saturday I had the fantastic opportunity to help run a music journalism workshop put on by Merthyr Rock. The workshop invited youngsters from around Merthyr to learn about the tricks of the trade and put their own skills in music journalism to the test. 

The workshop offered perspectives from two individuals at different stages in their career and working on different types of music journalism. The session was run by Rhys Milsom, music editor and sub-editor for various review sites in the online world, and he was joined by Arts Correspondent for Media Wales and Wales Online, David Owens. 

With participants ranging from 14 to 21, the workshop got them thinking about the sort of music career they'd like to go into, the music they enjoy followed by a hands on section which saw them writing about music that many had not heard previously. Rhys Milsom offered some great techniques for getting them to think about how you can write about the different elements of music and how to put it together into a review. 

Milsom and Owens offered valuable insights into their own career paths and how they got into the industry, along with some encouraging words for the group to inspire them to pursue their dreams. 

It was an excellent opportunity for aspiring music industry professionals and a worthwhile way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

On a personal note it was great to see people getting stuck in and getting over their initial nerves to take part in something productive and fun. I'd love to see more of these workshops about, I would have loved to get involved in something similar when I was younger. It's excellent to be a part of a festival that does much more than just put on some great music but gets people involved in so many ways! 

If you're heading to Merthyr Rock this weekend then make sure you check out the workshops and other opportunities they have on offer. Get involved, you won't regret it! 

Have you ever been to or helped out at a similar workshop?
How did you find it? I would recommend getting involved with something so worthwhile and interesting either helping out or attending!

Merthyr Rock - Kids in Glass Houses Interview

The countdown to the Merthyr Rock weekend has well and truly begun!

I've loved being involved with Merthyr Rock again this year as their blogger and had some great fun re-doing the blog and jazzing it up for the second year of the festival. If you've been following or checking up on the blog (I hope you have!) there's being a variety of news, updates, competitions and great music being posted and creating more excitement for the big event. 

But I also have some really exciting news about an upcoming piece I will be doing on the blog...

an interview with Welsh rockers, Kids in Glass Houses! 

Not only will this be a great piece for the fans following welovemerthyrrock but it is a fantastic opportunity for me to test my interview writing skills. Although my interviews have been very varied throughout the past with the likes of popular fashion bloggers, lecturers, campaigners and more, I haven't done as much work as I'd like to with bands... and where better to start than with one of my own personal favourites and Merthyr Rock's Saturday headliners? 

It's made even better by the fact that we want KIGH's fans to get involved too, so if you fall into this large bracket or even if you just have an interesting question then we'd love to hear it!

Check out the blog post here! 

MRock want YOU to message us (on the Tumblr) with the questions you've always wanted to ask Kids in Glass Houses or if you think you've got an interesting question that they'll never have been asked before then ask away! I'll be picking some of the best to go alongside my own interview with the boys.

Please check out the interview once it's posted up on the blog!

Merthyr Rock 2012

I'm really happy to be able to say I'll be working with the Merthyr Rock team again this year!

If you didn't know (...which rock have you been hiding under!) Merthyr Rock is a new Welsh rock festival in Merthyr (surprise surprise) and after a successful first year featuring headliners Ocean Colour Scene and The Blackout, they are back for a second year with big names such as Razorlight, Kids in Glass Houses and Skindred.

After my internship with them last year, I was eager to get involved for the second year of the Welsh Rock Festival. Of course, when I was offered the chance to run the official festival blog again (after setting it up and running it last year) I jumped at the opportunity! If you would like to find out about my experience last year as Crew Member, you can read about it here. Back to the blog...

Here it is, all fresh and updated for 2012!

I'll be frequently updating the site with news, information, interviews, features, competitions and fan posts/submissions!

I'm really excited to get stuck in with making the blog as interesting as possible so please take a look and tell me what you'd like to see on there. Make sure you get yourself to the festival too, I promise you will not regret it. There will be an amazing atmosphere, awesome selection of bands and an all-round fantastic weekend on offer.

Alpha She - Studio shoot

I mentioned in a recent post that I was hoping to be involved in another band photoshoot and as promised I'll share my photos and experiences with you! 

The girl band, Alpha She, were great fun to work with - which is always a bonus! Up until now I haven't had the pleasure of working with female 'models' (other than on my Richard Avedon inspired shoot in which, with a little persuasion, I got my friends involved with) so this was a great opportunity to do some work with females.  

The style of the shoot was based around an updated 60's theme... meaning big hair, classic poses and neutral colours. The main focus was to take separate images of each member of the trio in order to create a sequence. The final images are going to be used in the girls' promotional material so I wanted to get a good selection of images that would work well together but also be strong stand-alone images too. I also took the chance to try out a variety of different lighting set-ups and styles to get a wide variety of shots, which you will hopefully notice in the selection of photos here!

I use my trusty Canon EOS 550D on photoshoots and in this I used both dark grey and standard white backdrops in order to get some variation, to compliment the different poses and styles of images and to work with the 60s style. I personally love the grey background for studio work and after researching I noticed a lot of 60s photography features a black and white effect so thought grey would work well in this instance for updating the look.

If you'd like to see more of the shoot then head over to my flickr page - you'll also find lots more including my other studio work and different styles of photography so feel free to check those out too! If you do, let me know what you think. I'd love to get some feedback or constructive criticism! I'm still in the process of learning about lighting and improving my knowledge regarding studio work. Hopefully the more work I do, the better I will get! 

The shoot was great fun and I shall hopefully be doing more photography work with London Calling Management (the team I arranged this and the previous studio shoot with) later this year and next year so keep your eyes peeled for more!

Marina and the Diamonds

Cardiff, The Coal Exchange – 27^th June 2012

The Lonely Hearts Club tour hit Cardiff last week with all the pink, plastic and pizazz that would be expected of Miss Marina Diamandis. The half Greek, half Welsh popstar headed home to celebrate the successful release of her newest album, Electra Heart, which bagged her a number 1 ranking and a top 10 single.

Amongst the backdrop of the impressive venue, the stage was a small affair but made up for it in set-up. With a silk nightgown floating, purple chaise lounge waiting and 70’s style TV buzzing, the stage promised nothing less than a spectacle of typical Marina-style. Like a florescent halo, the words Electra Heart hovered over the stage letting the fans know that the newest album of the 26-year old star was ready to be showcased. The Diamonds were ready and waiting for their Queen to take to the stage.

Kicking things off was supporting act, Meredith Sheldon. It’s easy to see that the vocals and thought-provoking style was in-keeping with Marina’s, however Meredith failed to completely engage with the excited audience. Sheldon exuded an effortless air of cool as she took to the stage in a ripped up t-shirt and rock ‘n’ roll appearance but with little connection to the audience her set was a personal and somber affair.

Anticipation soars as the lights go down; the crowd erupt as the Abergavenny-girl floats on-stage in a plastic-pink dress and a white veil. Light floods the stage as Marina’s hauntingly sweet vocals burst into ‘Homewrecker’, provoking an explosion of confetti from her hands. The fans’ expectations are certainly met in the impressive opening and the room bounces their way through the first track.

Removing her veil, the faux-bride turns to her heart-shaped glasses and moves on to ‘Oh No’, which sees her move around the stage in a playful, whirlwind manner; setting the tone for the rest of the show. This certainly isn’t just a gig, it’s obvious that Marina has considered every song and every outfit – that’s right, the star makes 2 outfit changes throughout the set, as well as incorporating a few extra minor changes to boot.

   

The next dress is a baby pink, glittery knee-length number. Ready for a theatrical performance of ‘Power and Control’, Marina begins the song from her damsel in distress position on her purple chaise lounge. But once up again, Marina bursts back into her cheeky interaction with the crowd.

Marina played the role of everyone’s friend as she chatted with the crowd, particularly highlighting the overwhelming heat which saw everyone agree that inside the venue was ‘our summer’. The one-of-a-kind queen of thought-provoking pop gave a shout-out to her family who were hidden amongst the fans in the crowd and responded warmly to the constant calls of “we love you Marina!” with “I love you too!”.

Playing a host of songs from the number 1, Electra Heart and her 2010 debut studio album, Family Jewels, Marina took time to showcase her vocal talents without the pomp and glamour that EH calls for. Taking to the keyboard, she sang both ‘Obsessions’ and ‘Teen Idle’, reminding every fan just why Marina is a diamond. Her voice resonated around the hall and the goosebumps could be felt all around.

The set enthusiastically draws to an end with the single, ‘Primadonna’ and finishes with the euphoric ‘Radioactive’ which sees the venue turn momentarily into a club as the crowd jumps along with Marina.

Leaving the stage, the crowd begin chanting for the encore. Murmurs ripple through the crowd as fans wonder what she’ll return with. A majestic-styled Marina returns in a silky green dress. But of course, Marina has to sprinkle her own signature flair over everything she does and falling across the dress is a sash reading ‘Teen Idle’ – of course leading to the track.

The finale was always going to leave the fans wanting more, what else would you expect from Miss Diamandis? The giant burger and cheerleader pom pom come out to accompany the hit track Hollywood, which ends the night on an incredible high.

Marina’s enthusiastic engagement with the Coal Exchange saw her not only bring Electra Heart alive with stunning vocals and glittering glamour but made the night a memorable spectacle for all her diamonds. With her Lonely Hearts Club tour, Marina brought home a slice of summer with her cheerful nature and passionate on-stage performance! 

(*Photo taken by myself)

Bella Diem - The Campaign

I mentioned a while ago that I was working on a campaign for the quirky and talented Bella Diem. The project with Epigraph PR has now come to a close and so I'd like to share some of my work on the campaign.

Our campaign was based upon their up-coming EP release on the 10th June 2012. Our focus was therefore promotion of the EP and the band through online and physical promotion, but also through the distribution of press materials. Alongside this focus we aimed to update Bella Diem's appearance and give them more structure and direction as a band. We did this through creating a professional, focal website to draw together all their material, producing professional photographs that portrayed their unique style and dream-like quality and through producing a range of visual materials such as posters, cards and video flyers. All our material focused on strong branding, Bella Diem's signature style and consideration of their audiences needs. We tied all the aspect of the promotion in with updating them as a band generally.

Within Epigraph PR, I took on the role of Press Management which involved producing the press release for the EP, the band's biography and the emails to the targeted media outlets. Alongside this I developed a selection of promotional materials for the campaign based on the band's EP release such as a promotional Facebook banner, a balloon 'flyer' and a 'bundle' competition for the fans.

Here is the press release I produced for the EP Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BELLA DIEM PREPARE TO MELT HEARTS WITH THEIR NEW EP

Bella Diem are like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. Floating around in the indie genre, this quintet have formed their own unique take on music, placing you right in the middle of their dream-like world.  Bella Diem have crafted a sound packed with catchy melodies, haunting harmonies and heartfelt lyrics that will have you humming for days.

Birmingham’s Alternative Indie-Pop 5-piece, Bella Diem will be setting free their sultry sound in their highly-awaited studio recorded EP released on the June 10^th 2012. Drawing inspiration from all corners of the musical spectrum, the self-titled EP promises a diverse range but always with Bella Diem’s notable signature style firmly in place. Not only born from a host of musical influences, Bella Diem attribute their sound to a passion of “nature, space, movies and animé” – just a hint of the eclectic sounds you can expect to hear. 

The EP “Bella Diem” will be available on iTunes and the band’s Bandcamp. The double a-side will feature two original songs by the band, ‘An Hours’ Time’ and ‘Easily’. Soon to follow will be the band’s first feature video.

The band offers something fresh in the form of two vocalists, Lucy Dines and Stuart Killick. With such soul-soothing tones and harmonies, it seems the duo were fated to combine their blissful vocals. Hannah Maiden on bass, Russ Vale on lead guitar and James Bird on drums; these three offer the perfect backdrop for the marriage of sweet, sad and starry-eyed vocals with their clear-cut rhythms infused with dance-along beats.

So be prepared on June 10^th 2012. The two-track triumph will fill your ears with an offering of musical delight s that will melt your heart, kiss your ears and leave you in Bella Diem’s signature whirl.

Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Bella.diem.music

Website: http://belladiem.wordpress.com/

Bandcamp: http://belladiem.bandcamp.com/

 For more information, please contact:

PR Manager at Epigraph Promotions
Hannah Durham - hdurham@Epigraph.com

Notes for editor:

The band will be showcasing their new EP around England with their upcoming live dates:

-          Maze, Nottingham  -
June 28th 

-          The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham-
 June 15th, July 27th, September 7th, October 19th and November 29th 

ENDS

Here is the Facebook banner idea produced by myself and realised through Carlie Hare's photography and Ash Dhindsa's visual production skills: 

Also, this was the prototype for the balloon 'flyer' idea. I created these to mirror the band's quirky and dream-like image but to maintain also the strong branding. The tag line ties in to the release of 'An Hours Time' and the mysterious nature invites the audience to visit the new website we produced for the band. 

I thoroughly enjoyed working with Epigraph PR on such an interesting campaign with a theme. I have more promotional worked planned for the future as I am in the process of setting up a major music project and so the skills develop within this campaign will certainly come in to play!

What do you think of the campaign? Have you listened to Bella Diem? Let me know what you think!

Capturing real life on film

Sorry for the absence recently! I have had numerous project deadlines coming up so my focus has been on working on these.

However, I am back with some new material. I have uploaded new photos on to my Flickr - some images from my Easter break back home in Wales and some film images from the summer of 2011. 

The SLR images are from a sunny day in Porthcawl - I went wandering with my camera and ended up in the dunes. I found some wonderful flowers, plants and scenery. It was great to get back out with my camera. 

Here's one of my favourites from the day:

Also, I have uploaded some film images. They were taken on a standard disposable camera but I love the effect and gritty reality that film produces. I plan to do much more photography over the summer with different types of film camera to capture for raw, real life images. I have done no editing to the film images as I prefer to leave them as natural as possible.

The first is from Hereford and the second is on the seafront in Porthcawl. After seeing the result I realised how much I enjoy the quality and style of film and can't wait to try it out further. 

I hope you enjoy the images! 

Which do you prefer using; film or SLR cameras? This summer is going to be a great opportunity for me to get much use out of both, so expect much more photography in the near future! 

I have another band studio shoot lined up for the end of the month so if everything goes to plan I'll be able to share those images with you. 

However, in the meantime, please check out my Flickr to see more of the images from these sets and my other photography work. 

Photography: plans and favourite styles

One of my main goals currently is to build up my portfolio of photography. I've been extremely busy recently with the campaign for Bella Diem and working on my investigations, however I have a few projects planned or ideas that I'm hoping to get started in the next few weeks and months.

One of my particular favourite styles, alongside studio work, is landscape photography. I have done numerous landscape projects and will be adding more examples to my portfolio soon. Additionally, I will be returning home to South Wales in a week so I shall be taking advantage of the wonderful areas surrounding my home town to add to my collection of work. I simply love taking my camera out with me on a walk and getting lost somewhere taking photos to my heart's content. 

I also have plans to do some more work on my music photography, including live and promotional shots. Working on the promotional shots with FTW (for their debut single release) was great fun and hopefully I will be gaining some more work with them in the near future. However I certainly want to get to grips with live photography and also to try location shoots with bands so that's my next target!  

Following that, I'm planning on setting up some studio shoots with female models to test out some concepts and ideas I have, particularly with lighting and styling so I look forward to pursuing that.

Here's a few of my personal favourite landscape images from one of my more recent projects:

Please feel free to take a further look at my photography portfolio which includes more of my landscape work and various studio projects. I welcome any feedback on my work. I will also be updating my portfolio in the following days and weeks with a variety of new and old work so keep checking the site! 

[Note: Interview piece: written and performed for a radio news project in 2011] 

[Intro] - 

That was Riot City Saints hitting us with some rock and roll this morning! Today our week long Unsigned Stars hunt is targeting the South of Wales! If you guys have missed this item all week, then what have you been doing!? We’ve been scouring the U.K for those hidden gems of talent and bringing them to you for some new, fresh entertainment! So listen up.

In the studio today we have guitarist Ryan Williams to tell us a little more about Welsh rockers, Riot City Saints and their musical influences, style and achievements!

Ryan: Hey guys!

Hannah: Hey Ryan, so you guys describe yourself as ‘hard rock and southern metal’ - This is a sound a lot of our listeners may not have heard of before, who would you say you sound like and what’re the bands musical influences?

Ryan: Riot City Saints -laugh- but seriously, through playing shows we’ve realised that there’s few bands that sound like us. We’ve played alongside really heavy bands, really poppy bands, really punk bands… it’s great because we get to play to a wide range of people, but we’re definitely a lone wolf sort of band in terms of sound. I could count bands from South Wales at least who sound similar to us, on one hand. I guess it has a lot to do with the current scene not matching our many, many influences. We‘ve got loads: a lot of modern day rock n’ roll like Bullets & Octane, Backyard Babies… the southern edge comes from Skynyrd and Maylene & The Sons of Disaster. Then the classics of course: the Stones, Motley Crüe, GN’R…

Hannah: Those are some big names, should we expect big things of you guys? What’ve you been up to this past year? I heard you guys played Birmingham at the beginning of the year, how was that?

Ryan: Always expect the unexpected with RCS - for better or worse, no show is exactly the same. Over the past year we’ve done a whole load of stuff - played shows across the UK, recorded a bunch of songs and met some great people. Almost all of it is down to our fan base - as small as it is, these people are the ones who’ve made it all happen. Without them, we’d not have been up to Glasgow, played the Millennium Stadium or a whole bunch of other stuff. We owe a hell of a lot to them. And yeah, Birmingham was a blast - it was a pretty intimate show so we had some fun with it.

Hannah: Sounds like you guys have been busy! So, what’s next for Riot City Saints?

Ryan: Writing, recording and playing as many shows as possible! We love writing and being in the studio, but when we get to tear up the stage, it brings all that to life and we absolutely love it!

Hannah: Well thanks, Ryan! It’s been great having you on the show and guys get listening to Riot City Saints. You can find more of their music and live videos on Myspace, Youtube and Facebook - We’ll tweet you the links and you’ll find them on our website!

2 mins 4 secs (including music)

Sorry, could you repeat that?

[Note: Opinion piece originally written for a news project in December 2011]

Walking down any high street you can guarantee the air will be illuminated with hundreds of sparkling phone screens as people eagerly text back their friends, ‘BBM’ (straight out of Blackberry’s own dictionary) their mates or quickly send an email to so and so. Isn’t technology great? Just over ten years ago it would have seemed alien to us that such a small device could do so many wonderful things; how long until a mobile can make us a cup of tea? (I can tell you now, I am impatiently awaiting that day - it‘s only a matter of time!)

My gripe is not with technology. No, technology can be marvellous and mind-boggling, producing information creations that I could never understand. Technology is awesome. But this isn’t an ode to technology; this is a warning to you. Yeah you, the one with their head so engrossed in their phone that you’re almost a part of the little electrical currents running through it. Oh hello, so you can hear me!

That’s right; my problem is with those people who appear so attached to their gadgets and gizmos that they’re part robot, so lost without technology that they may as well glue their hand to it and eliminate all risk of ever being apart from their beloved.

It’s one thing to be in touch with people via mobile, I do it myself, but when technology takes over and you no longer communicate with the people you’re with in reality (that strange place that many people seem to have lost touch with), there’s definitely something wrong.

There have been many times when what started out as a conversation turns into an awkward laugh when I realise the attention of a friend has been diverted to a phone rather than their company. I’m sure many of you have faced the uncomfortable silence when a phone has taken priority over your charming and witty analysis of the meaning of life. (Well, you can always pretend; after all, they didn’t hear you anyway).

Take this as a warning, all you part-mobile iPeople: you and your phone can be disconnected. Life will go on! Look around and you’ll realise the real world is just as interesting, if not more! Take notice before all your real friends get fed up of talking to the human equivalent of a brick wall. Oh, and just in case you missed what the meaning of life was during an ignored conversation, I can tell you now…

Oh wait, you’re replying to a text. 

One Direction making music history!

The power of the internet has really been proven in the case of One Direction.

Reading in the Media Guardian today I came across the story of how One Direction have made transatlantic pop history with their US No.1 album. They are the first act to top the American chart with their debut album.

Now, topping the chart in America is incredible and a highly sought after spot in any instance but to be able to say you got there with your very first album is another thing altogether! Although One Direction don't exactly cater to my personal taste in music, I am amazed by their whirlwind career. Who knew that this collection of boys thrown together by the X Factor would turn out to be a winning combination!

Personally, from a media and PR perspective, this story is so interesting as it highlights how, when used effectively, the internet can be an incredible tool of promotion. As you may remember, I am currently working on a campaign for artist Bella Diem and one of our core objectives is to utilise the internet and the online fan-base in creating a focal point for the band but also to create a community through the fans and to get them involved. When talking about music promotion on the internet, the issue of over-saturation often crops up. When every man (and woman!) and his dog can use social networking site as a form of promotion, this tool is hardly 'groundbreaking' any more. However, One Direction have proved that the internet still has a firm place in promotion and when used effectively it can have great outcomes. As Irish member, Niall Horan, pointed out

"[Social media] is the main thing that we're about."

"If you ask our fans where they found out about us it's always Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Facebook: it's the most powerful thing we have."

This is a promising revival of the power of internet promotion.

Update on Investigations

The final piece for our investigation into the worth of a degree was recently posted and you can read it here! Throughout our research we uncovered some interesting and shocking information regarding the current state of student internships and the truth about how little of the student loans will actually be repaid. We believe this is a very important subject so please read our findings and let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

Moving on, we have now started on our next project: an investigation into student prostitution. We are on the path to uncovering the extent of students prostitution. Is it truth or myth? Expect to see interesting interviews with those at the very core of the investigation and we will be highlighting the real problems of student in the sex trade.

We are very eager to hear your thoughts so please check out our investigation and let us know your opinions and views.

Critical Reflection and My Future Goals and Plans

As the end of my second year at university draws near, it is time to reflect and consider where the skills I have developed and experiences I've had so far can take me in the future.

In my time at University I have studied the industry and its needs closely and worked hard to produce professional media texts. I feel through doing this I have learnt so much about the industry but also the extent of my own abilities. Attending university has not only extended and developed my skills but has given me greater confidence in what I can achieve and do. Through studying Music, Photography, Journalism and Public Relations I have developed  and improved skills in creativity, team-working, communication, various styles of writing, promotion, leadership, organisation, camera/lighting/Photoshop, events management,  time-keeping, organisation and many more. I hope to continue to build on these not only through university but also in my career. I believe through securing various work experiences, internships and employment I have put my skills and knowledge to the test and proved that I am capable, enthusiastic and hardworking - skills and qualities that are so important in this industry!

Although I have already learnt so much, I am continually working to improve myself and enjoy learning new things so I have set myself goals to help me achieve as much as I can to prepare myself for my future within the industry.

My short term goals for the next six months are to, of course, pass the second year with at least a 2:1 and I am paving the way to achieve that goal already! I aim to work hard for the rest of the year and take advantage of any opportunities that are available.

My specific short terms goals include:

• Build up my photography portfolio with more studio work and a variety of other fields of photography - particularly live music photography.
• Apply for and secure more work experience
• Conclude the important research within my role in the student academic partnership and to help in the improvement of the School of Media at Birmingham City Uni
• Continue to build on my skills and confidence in my abilities through my studies and experiences
• Build up my professional portfolio ready to enter the working world
• To work hard on my dissertation and to have a successful media production project

These short term goals will hopefully prove to be a helpful motivator and guide for the rest of my time at university. As I only have a full academic year left I aim to make the most out of it!

Looking to the future, I am not completely certain on what career path I would like to take as I enjoy a variety of areas of the media and would love to try as much as possible. However I am certain that a career in the media is for me. My ideal job would include all four of the areas I am interested in and have been building up a skills base within - Music, Photography and Journalism. I am passionate about each of these aspects of the media and will continue to pursue them. In order to achieve my desired career (and to improve my personal and professional skills and attributes) my 3 year goals include:

• Get involved with as many media related experience as possible, the more the better! 
• Take advantage of the access to a photography studio while I can and do more work with models and music artists
• Continue to build up a portfolio of a variety of work within the field
• Develop and maintain more media contacts
• Graduate from Birmingham City University with at least a 2:1 but ideally a first
• Secure a job within the media industry! 
• Travel and do some travel photography

I'm sure I will be continually adding to my goals as the weeks, months and years go on but I highly recommend you take note of your personal and professional goals to motivate and encourage you to succeed!