Full Draft - Comment Version

Source: http://www.atcofficial.com/photo/

Definitions Figured World A figured world is a large social area that has its own rules and conventions relevant for its setting. These rules and conventions allow for appropriate behaviour to happen is this specific figured world that may be different to elsewhere in other figured worlds. An example of a figured world is the one I am observing. It is how Against the Current have grown and developed over time, or as I call it, Current Evolutions. Actors An actor is somebody who has a specific role that they play when they are inside a figured world in order to achieve a relevant purpose. An example of an actor is Chrissy Costanza. She is playing the role of being the lead singer in Against the Current. Artefacts Artefacts are either physical objects, emotions or ideas that have explicit meaning within a figured world therefore they cannot be random. Unless it has cultural significance for that definitive figured world it is not an artefact. An example of an artefact could be the microphone that the band members are using because it has explicit meaning as it is needed for the atmosphere of the concert.

Communities of Practice - A community of practice can be formed within an organisation, social group or other group of people. People do not have to decide they are going to create a community of practice for one to exist, they can form naturally. It is where a group of people meet either in person or online to discuss issues or topics about a certain subject. An example of this could be a group of people who all like a certain computer game meeting up in their school canteen to discuss them. This could be to achieve aspects like solving problems to learn how to get onto the next level within the game. An example of a community of practice is some Against the Current fans all discussing the bands upcoming album in an online forum. Domain - A domain is an area that communities of practice can use to carry out their discussions. It can be a physical space, such as a class room or a virtual location such as a video conference. Everyone within the domain must all have the interest they are discussing in common. Everyone in the domain will have access to the same collection of data and information as every other member. An example of a domain is a virtual video conference where a group of people are discussing Against the Current. Practices of the Community - Practices of the community are roles that people in a group that have the same interests play in order to make some kind of change happen. This could be something such as meeting up once a week in a video conference to discuss how to solve a problem. The people involved do not necessary have to interact with one and other on a daily basis. There might be a set format that everyone has to follow when sharing information within a domain and/ or community of practice. One practice of the community might be tweeting about the band. Literacy Practices Literacy practices are ways that actors communicate with other actors inside their figured world. They do not just have to be written message on paper but instead can include methods such as texting, spoken words, emails, blogging, commenting on content, videos and more. An example of a literacy practice could be the band tweeting about their upcoming album.

Actors Chrissy Costanza Costanza was born on the 23rd of August 1995 in New Jersey. Costanza joined Against the Current in 2011 when she was cast after auditioning. Costanza today, and in this observation, plays the role of being the lead singer of the band and also takes the role of leading the concert. She has a high level of confidence which allows her to sing in front of large crowds with passion and emotion. Costanza comes across as a friendly person who genuinely wants to get to know her fans and interact with them. She appreciates her fans and puts in momentous amounts of effort when writing songs and performing them. She is also a pretty young women who is not full of herself as she is always looking for constructive feedback from others. This comes across to her fans and the audiences for these observations as sweet and makes her very charismatic and likable.

Comment [1]: I like all of the in-depth background information you give in the Actors Description. You give the reader a lot of information that tells you their background. it also helps the reader understand the group better by telling them the instruments played and the motivation and drive of each person. After reading these descriptions you feel like you know these actors. - Jeremy Comment [2]: You did a good job describing the actors from the Band. Not only do I now have a better understanding of who they are, but I also understand their roles in the band. And I like that you have a visual with each actor. -Ryann

Source: https://twitter.com/ChrissyCostanza/media

Will Ferri Ferri was born on the 25th of April 1996 in New York. Ferri is Against the Currents lead drummer however, in the first observation, he is playing an acoustic guitar. Ferri has been a member of Against the Current since 2011 when he met his fellow band members, Costanza and Gow, through a collective friend. Up until 2014 when he graduated, Ferri attended Arlington High school. Throughout all the observations I have executed and what I have seen from him in my other research, Ferri comes across as fairly apprehensive. Although he certainly adores performing on stage, he does not like to be the centre of attention. This can be seen through the fact that he often lets Costanza lead the talking however, he will still contribute when it is necessary. This has contributed to his success and the bands success because his personality is relatable to.

Source: https://twitter.com/WillFerri/media

Daniel Gow Gow was born in LaGrange, Georgia on the 8th of December 1993 and throughout his life he has been members of several low key bands. Today he is a member of Against the Current and has been for approximately four years. His role in Against the Current is being the lead guitarist. Similar to Ferri, Gow also takes a more disciplined approach when doing performances or public interactions such as interview however does contribute valid opinions and necessary skills for Against the Current to succeed. He is often known for making entertaining jokes. The audience find this whimsical and appreciate Gow for it. He makes Against the Currents performances and interviews more entertaining.

Source: https://twitter.com/DanielGow/media

Audience The audience, in this figured world, are the people sitting at home watching the concert over the live online broadcast. Although the audience cannot physically be seen in this observation they still play an important role because they are interacting with the band through the literacy practice whether it be posting comments, tweeting about the show and/ or using other forms of social media. In general, the audience are all fans of Against the Current and started following the ban at different points in time. Some of the audience will likely of found Against the Current before they had any significant success and others later on after they have become more well know. The audience are vital because without them the concert would be pointless as there would be nobody to preform to and consequently we would not have a concert.

Artefacts Microphones - These are important because they allow the audience to actually hear what the band is saying. They are also significant whilst Costanza is because they allow her to do hand gestures that portray her emotion and passion whilst she is singing. Costanzas microphone also allows Costanza to gain the rock/ pop look when she is performing which makes the concerts I have observed more interesting. The microphones can also be pointed at the audience in order to encourage them to get involved and sing along.

Comment [3]: I like how descriptive you were when explaining the purpose of the artifacts in the figured world. I like how well thought out your sentences were. It gave me knowledge needed to understand your observations more. Christina Cao

Guitars - The guitars used are Guild acoustic guitars. These are vital for the show because they are played which generates the music that the audience hear. Music is very powerful and can also be used to set the atmosphere of the concerts I have observed for example, the fact acoustic guitars are used in my first observation means that the concert is not focusing as much on rock/ pop music and instead is focusing more on audience interaction through answering questions. Laptop Although this artefact is not actually visible in the show it is vital for its success. This is because it is the main interaction that the band members have with the audience at home. It allows the audience to post instant feedback as well as asking questions. It provides a more personal and enjoyable experience for the audience and consequently improves their happiness.

Domain Against the Currents Knowledge Against the Current and the audience/ fans have asymmetric information. Undoubtedly Against the Current know more about their plans for the future for example plans for upcoming tours, albums, EPs, meet and greets and all that kind of stuff than the audience do. This is important as it builds suspense for the audience which encourages them to interact and ask questions. The audience/ fans get excited about what Against the Current will be doing in the future. Part of their success is down to this apprehension and releasing the right volumes of information at the right time to keep their fans engaged in what is occurring. It would be extremely hard for a third party to join this domain. Audiences Feedback This domain potentially has an unlimited amount of contributors due to the fact anyone could theoretically become a fan of Against the Current at any time. This domain operates in several ways whether it be people using social media, such as Twitter, to share their thoughts and speculations on what they have seen from Against the Current. This feedback can lead to discussions with other members in this domain and also Against the Currents reaction to the feedback. This domain can help build the fan base of Against the Current and also allow Against the Current to improve their production and create music that this domain wants to hear.

Practices of the Community Writing Songs In order for Against the Current to be successful it is vital that the write and produce songs to perform. This practice of the community is where all the band members meet up and discuss song ideas and then turn them into a song. The majority of the songs Against the Current write have a rock/ pop/ alternative vibe to them and are about song kind of romance or other kind of emotions. The lyrics often reflect real life events that have happened to one or all of the band members. Discussing the Band Fans of Against the Current often like to discuss the band and what they have produce. This is especially true when new music is released or the band, straight before and after concerts and when the band make official announcements. People consider what they like and dislike about what Against the Current are producing for example

Comment [4]: I like how you include this social aspect of the band outside of the performances. I think you should be more specific as to how they interact with the fans. I would like to know more about what kinds of websites, blogs, social media do they use? You could also include links to these. - Jeremy

a new song that they might like the chorus of. People also debate what they are most excited for seeing the band do for example what their favourite song was they saw on tour.

Communities of Practice Concerts and Livestreams Against the Currents concerts/ livestreams are communities of practice because a people meet up together, many of whom attend multiple concerts/ livestreams. Every member in this community of practice enjoys Against the Currents music and believe that they are an enjoyable band to listen to. Twitter Twitter is a digital space where Against the Currents fans can congregate naturally to share with others their impressions of Against the Current for example their thoughts about their music. Interactions can also be made with the bands members through their official Twitter accounts for example asking questions. On Twitter people can also reply to other peoples Tweets to engage in discussions. This community of practice is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year because Twitter is always available and consequently peoples posts can always be seen and replied to.

Literacy Practices Singing Singing is the most vital literacy practice used in the concerts I have observed. This is because people are watching the concert in order to see the band play music and hear Costanza sing. Singing is a very powerful literacy practice as it is a way of sharing emotions through expression and in a way that has considered meaning because song writing takes time and is usually done whilst the person writing the song is feeling the emotions they write about. Comments Section Commenting on Against the Currents live streams is a literacy practice because it is physically exchanging information through typing between the audience watching the concert and the band members. This literacy practice is important because it allows Against the Current to interact and engage the audience in order to build their fan base and to get feedback for how they can improve their shows in the future. Speech In all my observations the band members, usually lead by Costanza, use speech to accord their audience valuable information about what the band are currently doing and what their future plans are. This helps Against the Current to keep their fans as it builds up suspense that makes the audience excited and wanting to follow Against the Current.

Rules and Conventions Obviously a concert, whether it be in a physical area or online, has different rules and conventions to everyday life. One of the rules is that Against the Currents band members cannot swear when on stage at certain venues. This is because quite a lot of their songs appeal to a range of people including a younger audience. Also, in some cultures where Against the Current perform, it is not socially acceptable to swear like it is in America. As Against the Current do not want to offend anyone, as this is not in the best interest as they do not want to lose fans, they follow the rule of not swearing. Another rule that is in place applies to my

Comment [5]: As a vital literacy practice it might be helpful, if you gave some examples of song lyrics by the band. In addition to adding lyrics if you could find some background information about the lyrics that would be really deep. This would also make it more interesting for the reader. - Jeremy

Comment [6]: I found these rules and conventions very interesting. These rules are something I would never really think about. I also like how you link these back to the actual observations. - Jeremy

second observation. Here members of the audience are not allowed to approach Against the Current on stage as this would put them at threat of being attacked and also would likely ruin the show for other members as it would impair their view. Some conventions that are involved with an Against the Current is that it is socially acceptable for them to ask for tips during their online concerts (Mainly Observations One and Three). This also applies to it being acceptable for Against the Current to ask their fans to buy their merchandise. In other real life situations, such as being at a restaurant, it would not be acceptable for the waiter to ask for a tip directly. This could come across as inappropriate and rude as people should not be put under pressure to tip in these situations. Another convention is that its acceptable for the audience, who have never met the band, to ask personal questions to a certain extent even though they have never met the band. On a day to day basis people could not go up to someone they have never met before in real life, even if they have heard about them, and start asking random questions this would come across as sinister and weird. The same principal applies to taking photos with the band members. In a concert situation it would be acceptable for a stranger to the band members to ask for a photo with them or for them to sign something.

Interview For the interview portion of this assignment I used Skype to interview my friend Sam DeWitt. I asked him ten questions about Against the Current which he answered in detail. After I recorded the interview I edited it and converted it into a video which can be watched. The purpose of this was to make the interview more entertaining and to help give the viewer a better understanding of what we were discussing. The interview can be found here as an unlisted video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4w4NKpUVFUU. The interview is where I tried the hardest to go above and beyond.

Observation One 27/05/2014 This observation is observing one of Against the Currents early online shows done on a service called StageIt. It was initially broadcast live on the 26th of April 2014 about a month before their debut EP was released on the 27th of May that year. The observation takes place for the first section of the show and is everything up to the encore section. It lasts for approximately 30 minutes. The live stream was broadcast from a living room in New Jersey. The location does not change for the whole live stream broadcast. 0:00: The concert starts with the three band members Chrissy Costanza (Centre), Dan Gow (Left) and Will Ferri (Right) located in Ferris mothers living room. In the environment there is a fireplace, built out of stone, with a large presence in the background. To both sides of the fireplace there are windows that span up to the roof letting in large amounts of natural light making the set bright. On the floor there is a rug that has a classic red pattern. There is also a microphone for each of the band members broadcast their voice to the audience. Gow and Ferri are both sat down holding acoustic guitars and Costanza is stood in the centre preparing

Comment [7]: I like how you included a recording for you interview, it makes your assignment different. But, I think Ashlyn said it was required we write out the interview. I would just write out what your interviewer said. Christina Cao Comment [8]: This interview is great. I appreciate the effort you put into finding someone to interview.I enjoy the video format a lot but I believe Including a typed version of the interview might be a good idea as a backup. The way you incorporated the music videos and voice brings a greater feel of professionalism and it definitely doesn't go unnoticed. - Jeremy Comment [9]: I think that it's cool that you recorded your interview. But maybe you should type it out too. So that if youtube is down, readers will still have access to it. Ryann Comment [10]: You have such great detail about the band during your observation. Maybe you should add some of their performances to your website. I think it would make your observations more interesting. Ryann

to sing. The outfits the band are wearing are fairly casual with all members wearing long trousers and simple T-Shirts. As the concert opens there is a fairly informal atmosphere whilst the first two minutes are used to test if people watching at home can hear the audio properly. Communication is made from the band in the form of spoken dialogue and feedback is given from the audience by typing in the live comments section. At one minute Costanza decides she is going to take a picture using her iPhone to show the audience the side of the room that they cannot see from the main camera. There are strummings of guitar as Gow and Ferri warm up ready to play and the band members, led by Costanza, read some of the comments/ questions in real time from the comments including ones about people noticing how they have improved their setup from last time as they are no longer in a basement and instead are in a pleasant living room. 2:00: After two minutes Gow says they should probably play a song and consequently Ferri introduces the first song of the concert by saying This ones called Thinking. Gow and Ferri then start playing the song on their guitars and Costanza sings the main lyrics whilst Gow is contributing some backup vocals. The song is played in an acoustic style rather than its normal pop/ rock vibe that can be heard on their single. Whilst the song is being played Ferri taps his foot reputably to the beat and Costanza sings with a lot of passion in her voice whilst doing relevant hand gestures and occasionally closing her eyes. 5:00: At this point the band opens up into conversation and give their mothers shout outs despite the fact Ferri realises that he has forgotten to set the live stream up for his mother and consequently think she will be annoyed. Costanza then discusses what the band have been engaging in recently informing the audience that they have just got back from Georgia and that they have finished recording their first EP, Infinity. Costanza goes on to state that it is currently being mixed and mastered and maybe part of it is mixed already and stuff. Costanza goes on to say that they are going to be releasing one of the songs off of it soon. Costanza seems to be a little nervous when talking about the EP especially when she says mixed already and stuff. Gow and Ferri then state that they are both playing Guild guitars that they just picked up the other day. They then do a small description about the guitars before playing another acoustic version of their song called Infinity. Throughout this whole section, all band members made reference to the fact that their Livestream was lagging. Some jokes are made such as Lagtoseintolerant and Lagtastic. 8:50: Whilst Infinity is being sung and played, the same pattern from the first song is being followed including the passionate expression in Costanzas voice. It is important to note that Costanza does hand gestures that are relevant to the lyrics she is singing for example, swaying her right arm. She also gives meticulous facial expressions relevant to the lyrics especially towards the end of each chorus. The expression and passion in her voice shows that she is emotional and furthermore you can tell that the song has a great deal of personal meaning to her. This makes it effortless for the audience to relate with. Gow and Ferri nod and shake their heads in sync with the rhythm whilst they are playing the song in a way that is almost like they are dancing.

Comment [11]: You are really good at putting detail in your work. But at this moment you have completely lost me. Maybe cut this part to avoid confusion. Ryann

11:40: Costanza reminds the audience that the song they just played is one of the new songs off their upcoming EP and that they will be releasing a complementary lyric video shortly. Costanza then inquires for feedback from the audience. Gow and Ferri then introduce a competition where one of the prizes is obtaining the official version of Infinity for download 5 days before its official release. Costanza then lists all the prizes that the top tippers can win including signed posters, concert tickets and guest list passes. The way the completion works is that the audience can tip a certain amount of tokens that have a monetary value. The top three tippers will win prizes. Throughout this segment the band members are not really looking at the camera until Ferri reminds them to at 14:40. Ferri then mentions the old band members Joe Simmons and Jeremy Rompala and conveys that the decided to part ways but that they are all still really good friends and it should stay that way. Other questions are answered by all the band members in this section including if they have plans to visit the UK and they respond by saying hopefully soon. 17:00: Costanza publicises that the next song they are going to play is the one recently published to their YouTube channel and recommends that if people have not seen it they should go and check it out. The song is called She Looks So Prefect and is originally by the Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer. About half way through the song Ferri tries to interact with the viewers by telling them to do virtual claps at home. He himself then starts clapping briefly before returning to playing his guitar, when the bridge of the song finishes. As the song closes all of the band members cheer. 20:45: Costanza starts to interact with the audience by questioning if anyone owns any American Apparel underwear, which is a reference to the song they just sung. Ferri then answers her question saying that he used to only wear it until he realised that it was stupid, expensive and that he did not like it. Following this Costanza drinks some water, which is likely to help with her vocals after singing. Costanza then reminds the audience about what the prizes are for the top tippers. These include signed exclusive posters and concert tickets and guest list passes. Gow and Ferri then introduce their next song, which they named on the spot, called Something You Need. We know this because Costanza questions the name and describes that she has been calling it You. The song is played in an acoustic style with similar qualities with all the others including semi dancing. 26:40: All the band members say that they hope the audience liked their new song. Gow states that they will fit in another song in the encore and immediately after, Costanza questions whether they should have informed the audience about the encore. Gow warns the audience that he is not sure if people can tip during the encore therefore, if people want to take part in the competition they should do so as soon as possible. Costanza then lists out the top 3 potential winners before announcing that someone just came out of nowhere and stole first place. At 29 minutes the band, led by Costanza, say that they will see everyone in the encore which is then automatically transitioned into. Costanza is disappointed that the software being used to broadcast the show does not have any dramatic fading on and off as the encore starts and consequently walks out of the shot momentarily to simulate this.

Meanwhile, Gow and Ferri continue discussing their old band memories from third and fourth grade. The band then go on to play the encore which means my observation has ended.

Observation Two 11/09/2015 For this observation I am observing a performance Against the Current did just 2 weeks ago, from writing this paper, on the 11th of September 2015. This world tour has stops in over 15 different countries and will have performances in over 45 venues. This particular show took place in MacPherson Stadium, Hong Kong. Please note that, for this observation, whenever I make reference to stage positions I am doing it based on if you were in the audience looking at the stage rather than being stood on the stage. 0:00 The concert opens up by the lights fading onto a blue colour eliminating the stage from what was previously darkness. Ferri is sat at the back of centre stage in a raised area with a drum kit. Gow is position to the front right of the stage holding an electric guitar. There are three other members on stage, two of whom are also holding guitars/ bases and one of which has a camera. The stage is also filled with artefacts, such as speakers, which are used to amplify the music to the audience. The stage is lit with blue lights which are projecting their blue colour down from the ceiling. The video I am observing from was filmed fairly far back in the crowd which allows me to see what the majority of the audience are doing. At the start many of them are using their phones to record what is about to happen. As the music starts to play Costanza hops onto the stage holding a wireless microphone with a spotlight following her around the stage. All of the members on stage are wearing black clothing including Costanza who is wearing a crop top and tight black trousers. The opening song is called Closer Faster and is from Against the Currents original EP released on May 27th, 2014. The instruments predominantly involved in the playing of the song are the drums, played by Ferri and Guitar lead by Gow as well as being played by two other members. Costanza immediately starts singing the song whilst dancing and running around the centre of the stage. She continuously does hand gestures that relate to the song and the length of the notes she is singing. The other members on stage also nod their heads to the music and show lots of energy whilst playing their instruments. The lighting flashes between predominately blue lights however containing a mixture of white and red lights that flash on and off to fit the music and atmosphere for the concert. When the song reaches the course Costanza frequently points and/ or points the mic at the audience after singing a line to engage them with audience interaction signalling that the audience should sing the next line. Towards the end of the song Gow starts backup singing especially for the final chorus. 2:45 Costanza starts speaking to the audience to inform them that the band is about to play the first song we ever released as a band. Instantly Ferri kicks in with playing the drum beat for this song and the other members with instruments start playing shortly after in time to the music. Costanza goes on to say This ones called Thinking. Here a few members of the audience start to cheer and the lights change to flashing mainly orange in colour. Before

Comment [12]: I like how you added a little note/background information. It help set the setting when reading your observations. Also, helped with letting the reader know what perspective you are reading the concert from. Like for example, you stated you were observing the concert as if you were in the audience. Christina Cao

Costanza starts to sing she spins around a few times in centre stage. Whilst this song is being performed Costanza starts to dance as well as travel around the stage in order to gaze out at the audience. The camera takes a long preceramic shot of the audience where you can see lots of people recording the show with mobile phones and to the back right you can see people with green glow sticks waving them to the beat of the song. Everyone looks like they are happy and having an excellent time. 5:00 The music for the song breaks down into a bridge and quietens down slightly in order to allow Costanza to speak for the next 10 seconds or so before she returns to singing. During this period she starts off by screaming Hong Kong to the audience who then all begin to cheer and wave their hands in the air with excitement. She then welcomes everyone to Against the Currents very first headlining tour and announces that it is called the Gravity World Tour which is then followed by loud screams from the audience. The fact that Thinking is played whilst she introduces the Gravity World tour is symbolic because it shows how far the band have come since releasing their first ever song. This makes the audience feel proud and happy to be watching the concert. This is amazing, Costanza proclaimed as the song ends. She goes on to announce that there are over double the amount of people present than last time Against the Current played this venue. This is links to the symbolism of showing how much Against the Current have achieved. 6:40 The crowd is lit up by bright white lights, due Ferris request. The crowd begin to cheer and wave their phones, also with lights and arms up in the air. Costanza goes on to interact with the audience by asking how many of you guys were here last time and approximately half the crowd cheer to answer her question. Costanza thanks them for coming back by saying it means the world to us. Ferri discloses that this concert is the biggest show of the tour so far and that he finds that crazy. For the rest of this section all the band members share their appreciation for the fans as well as Ferri eating some fruit. Costanza also publish the fact that the band have brought some merch to give away to the audience and then introduces, in a humorous way, the other members on stage. Ferri then asks Gow to talk before Costanza indicates that Gow is the shy one. The audience can relate to this and potentially find it cute. 9:30 Against the Current play a cover of Christina Aguilera Since You've Been Gone for the first time. The lights do not flash as much on stage during this song. Instead they just stay a red colour to reflect the mood of the song however, some white beams of light do navigate over the audience. Costanza and the band present themselves in the same way I described for the first two songs they played. After the song finishes the stage lighting goes a neutral colour and the audience applaud. 12:50 Costanza sings Dreaming Alone which is an original song from their Gravity EP. The song is usually a duet therefore Costanza interacts with the audience by asking them to sing alone. Ferri does not play drums until approximately 1 minute into this song. The lighting does not travel around as much in this song and stays a neutral yellow/ orange colour. The song is much slower than the other songs that have been played in order to better

Comment [13]: I would be more descriptive with her emotions. Write about how her body language show why she thought it as amazing. For example, you could say she was smiling, jumping up and down in excitement and joy, or if she ran up to their band mates and showed how happy they look. Christina Cao

Comment [14]: Maybe be a little more descriptive in this part of the observation. Write about how the audience is reacting to the song. Also, since the song is more emotional and have deeper meaning than the previous song, add how her body language has changed. For example, her movement could be slower and calmer than the upbeat songs. Christina Cao

reflect the meaning and emotion of the lyrics. The audience sing along for the majority of this song and some members even sway with the music especially towards the end. 16:00 Costanza breaks into dialog in order to provide the audience with some information about what has happened in the last year since they performed in Hong Kong. Costanza explained that Against the Current are now signed to the record label Fueled By Ramen who gave them the opportunity to go and record their first full album which they have recently finished recording. Costanza announces that it will be out soon before collaborating with the audience by trying to say I love Hong Kong in Chinese, one of Hong Kongs official languages. This is appreciated by the audience as shown by their cheers. The band then go on to sing Outsiders which is a not yet released song from their new album. It is important to note that there was fitting backing music played by the band throughout this whole segment. 22:00 Costanza discloses that the new song is called Outsiders before Against the Current play Gravity which is the headlining song for the Gravity world tour. Whilst this song is played the audience interact by jumping up and down to the beat of the song as well as singing along when requested. Costanza also joins the front of the audience for part of this song by climbing off the stage to their level. For the slower bridge of the song the lighting turns green. As the concert approaches 27 minutes this ends my observation. For the rest of the concert Against the Current go on to play more of their original songs for the audience.

Observation Three 11/07/2013 For my third and final observation I will be observing Against the Currents first ever online concert that was hosted using the StageIt service which was used in observation one. This broadcast came live from a basement in New Jersey that the band use to practice songs in. In the background there is a line of instruments, mainly guitars. Four band members are present. Gow is seated to the left playing an acoustic guitar, Ferri is back centre playing the Cajon, Jeremy Rompala who is playing guitar to the right (Please note that he is no longer a member of Against the Current) and Costanza seated in the front centre. Gow and Costanza have microphones as they are the ones doing the singing. Costanza and Rompala are wearing official merchandise T-Shirts for Against the Current. 2:00 Two minutes in and Against the Current have fixed all of their technical problems including but not limited to Costanza turning on her microphone and consequently are ready to open up their show by playing a song called Closer Faster. The male members of the band nod their heads in the background whilst playing the instrumental music for Costanza to sing over. Gow also provides backing lyrics for Costanza. Costanza touches her hair a lot whilst singing this song as well as putting her hands on her heart for the lyric youre the one Ive been dreaming of. The song is played in a happy acoustic style and delivered by Costanza with a powerful voice containing empathy and feeling. After the song Costanza acknowledges the fact that she and Rompala are wearing official Against the Current T-Shirts and describes them to the audience as well as educating the audience how they can purchase them.

6:00 Against the Current cover Brokenhearted by Karmin. Costanza holds, and occasionally uses, her phone whilst delivering this song. Against the Current have given this song their own style to the official single version. This is because it is played in Acoustic style and Costanzas voice is very different. All the band members are smiling whilst playing this song. Gow, again, provides backup vocals. 10:00 Costanza shows the other band members an inspirational text that she has received without reading it out to the audience. She then goes on to inform the audience that the song they just played is not their own original song and instead is a cover of one of Karmins songs, who Costanza also announces, also started out on YouTube. Gow then asks the audience to interact with the band by posting their questions. The band then start to answer all these questions including what makes of guitar the band are using, where the band name came from, who would win in a fight and what they are excited about for tour including their favourite parts of touring. 15:00 Against the Current decide to play Thinking. This song has a 15 second introduction powered by guitar and the Cajon before Costanza starts to sing. The band members do not look at the camera that much whilst playing this song. They all seem to be in their own zone. This would suggest that the song means a lot to all of the band members. You can also hear this from the expression in Costanzas voice for how she sings the lyrics. The band do nod their heads to the fast pace of the music and look like they are highly enjoying playing the song. Towards the end of the song Costanza really starts to wave her arms and subtly dance to the music. 18:15 The male band members use their instruments to play part of a song that Ferri casually sings along to although you can hardly hear him due to the fact he does not have a microphone. Costanza then jokingly says that Ferri is actually the best singer in the band. Costanza then reads out some questions and answers them for the audience. One of the questions is What would be a good song to crowd surf on. Gow then asked if the person meant of their songs and Costanza jokingly answers All of them. The band then break into a semi cover of Not Over You originally by Gavin DeGeaw. Costanza then goes on to question if this is the song they covered with Alex Goot who is another singer who started out on YouTube. The answer is yes they did. 22:50 Gow, Ferri and Rompala start to play 22 by Taylor Swift on their instruments. Costanza then sings along. About a minute in to this song Costanza makes a mistake with the lyrics however manages to recover after apologising and carries straight on. Costanza signs this song in a higher octave than what Taylor Swift uses in the original especially for the chorus. 25:00 Against the Current spend the rest of the period that I observed reading questions and answering them in a humours way. This allows the audience to interact through the comment section literacy practice. The audience seem to be liking this section because it allows them to learn more about the band and relate to them better. This also increases the chance of the audience recommending and sharing Against the Current with their friends which will help Against the Current to become more successful and grow their audience in the future. Comment [15]: Overall, I enjoyed reading your observations. They are very specific and informative.

You really go into detail and I like that a lot. It can just be confusing at times. Ryann

Observation Comparison Overall the main difference between all these observations is that over time Against the Current have become more sophisticate when doing concerts. There online concerts have progressed so that they now have better equipment and take place in an improved setting. The actual physical concerts have also improved as they are playing bigger venues with more people. However, on the other hand some aspects have stayed similar for example, they still have high levels of audience interaction with the crowd, Gow and Ferri still play the same instruments and Costanza is still the lead singer. I think that in the future Against the Current will become more successful and more people will hear about them especially now they have signed to a popular record label.