Development of Taylor Swift

Development of Taylor Swift Taylor Swift: Pinnacle of the Music Industry Billboard, a popular news source for music, interviewed the successful singer Sam Smith and he gave his opinion on another artist he has become quite fond of; he says, â€Å" Taylor Swift is amazing†¦ Shes a role model. I really respect her. And she manages to sell a lot of records and make a lot of people happy financially, but also to keep that soulfulness, that honesty (‘Sam Smith: Taylor Swift Is Amazing’). Taylor Swift was raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania where she had discovered her passion for music and started her music career at the age of 14 after moving to Nashville. She is currently a 25-year-old singer-songwriter who is famous for country and pop music. Having only been in the music industry for a short 10 years, Taylor Swift was able to frequently top the charts with her new songs and in 2010 and at the age of 20, became the youngest artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Currently holding the title of top-selling digital a rtist in music history, Taylor Swift’s rise to fame is credited to not only her incredible music but also to her successful business tactics. Although some critics may say, â€Å"I don’t really care for Taylor Swift†¦ [She] has a very dull public personaâ€Å" (Juzwiak). Taylor Swift is a successful businesswoman, her ability to target her audience very well with her songs has allowed her to consistently become a hit artist, and her public actions has made her a favorite among fans. Being a successful and popular artist in today’s culture is a difficult task. It no longer depends on solely musical talent but also on other factors. Barbara A. Stremikis, the author of â€Å"The Personal Characteristics and Environmental Circumstances of Successful Women Musicians† presents data that analyzes the qualities and factors that many successful musicians have. â€Å"Results of the study indicate that in addition to family support of musical talent, women who are to become successful musicians must be highly motivated, self-directed, and single minded in their determination to achieve their goal. They must be independent thinkers who are unconcerned about conforming to gender stereotypes and able to withstand difficult experiences related to gender and their career† (Stremikis). The results of this study coincide with Taylor Swift’s background and qualities. Also to note in the study, â€Å"Probabilistic Diffusion Tractography Reveals Improvem ent Of Structural Network In Musicians that correlates improved brain activity in musicians, â€Å"in long-term musical training and performance may contribute to the improved efficiency of communication between brain regions with sensory, motor, and emotional functions† (Li). Taylor Swift’s motivation for music is evident in the early years of her musical career. She has consistently shown persistence, ingenuity, and intelligence starting at a young age. Being taught how to play the guitar at the age of 12, Taylor Swift quickly fell in love with music and had started to write her own pieces. Following that, she had started playing at small venues and her family, showing support for her musical aspiration, moved to Nashville, Tennessee where 14-year-old Taylor Swift started her quick journey to the top. Taylor Swift has shown that she is an independent thinker unconcerned about conforming to gender stereotypes by being open about personal aspects of her own life that a re revealed through her songs and unafraid of criticism. Taylor Swift continually releases songs that empower individuals and creates an atmosphere of acceptance towards those who are independent and encourages individuality. For example, her song â€Å"Shake It Off† is about how one shouldn’t let bullies get the best of them and that they should always be themselves no matter the obstacles they face. Taylor Swift has made many bright business decisions that has allowed her to further succeed in her career. Taylor Swift made a bold statement to one of the biggest music streaming giants by removing her music from Spotify. â€Å"Taylor Swift has broken up with someone else this time with one of the music industrys largest players, Spotify† (SPOTI-FIRED! Swift Yanks Her Work From Streaming Giant†). This decision was bred out of the framework that music-streaming services do not compensate artists enough. This action was a smart business endeavor because it shows that she is not allowing herself to be taken advantage of financially. She is setting an example for future artists to rethink their participation in streaming services, as they will become more prevalent in today’s music culture. Another advantageous business decision was the decision to trademark her popular phrase ‘Shake It Off’, among others. She chose to make the decision so that third p arties would not be able to benefit monetarily off of her success. â€Å"’What she is trying to do is to protect individual phrases within her lyrics where those lyrics have become catchphrases’ explains Alexander Ross, a partner at law firm Wiggin who specializes in music. ‘Once you have a trademarked phrase you have the right to stop someone else using it on things like merchandising’ (Forde). Not only has Taylor Swift had and will continue to have successful business endeavors, but she also has perfected the ability to successfully target her audience. How successfully one is able to accurately relate their music to their audience is a good indication of how successful that artist will become. Taylor Swift is an artist who knows how to target her audience. Her music becomes something any listener can relate to. Ranging from topics of bullying to heartbreak, everyone knows someone who has personally gone through this or has gone through it himself or herself. One of her songs ‘Blank Space’ is about an unsuccessful relationship, a topic all can understand. Her talent for making her music become more of a ‘us’ or ‘I’ kind of story rather than a ‘her’ story has allowed her music to appeal to a wide variety of the population. Taylor Swift is one of the few artists in today’s culture that has frequently been able to have most of her songs that are released make it to the top charts. This is due to her not her music being catchy and upbeat, but also relatable to many. Another exam ple of her talent is her recent top-charter ‘Shake It Off.’ This song has reached millions due to the message that it is okay to be yourself. This is something that many young fans can relate to, which has become a huge portion of her fan base. Some critics may say that Taylor Swift has a dull public persona. Although many have bashed upon Taylor Swift’s public persona, her public actions show differently: â€Å"When a heartbroken teenager named Kasey was dumped by her boyfriend via text, she reached out to someone she knew had experience with breakups: Taylor Swift. Kasey, who was clearly unable to sleep, posted a plaintive note on her Tumblr account at 2:09 a.m. Tuesday. (Girl, weve all been there.) ‘Taylor Swift, I hope you see this,’ she wrote to the Style singer. ‘Weve been together for four months. He just texted me and told me he was done with me. Gave me no reason and kept trying to get me to do irrational things to get him back. Now hes calling me names and I just feel crumbled. I dont know what to do.’ Within hours, Swift, 25, left her first comment. ‘He ended it, just like that?’ she wrote incredulously† (Helling). The conversation had lasted hours more and Swift was able to not only give advice to this girl that she has accumulated over the years, but was also generous enough to make a break-up playlist for this young fan in need of advice. Knowing that social media is a big contributor to today’s communication: â€Å"Swift has become a social-media maven, taking full advantage of the Taylor-made outlet for mixing and mingling with millennials. ‘The younger generation is very good at communicating about themselves,’ Catanach said. ‘My students are starting to see that theyre very good with the me stories and not so much with the we stories. ‘I think what makes Taylor so successful on social media is the fact that she is the me and the we story. She is her own brand. Shes very generous with fans and very inclusive. Fans feels like theyre included in the world.’† (Fassnacht). Taylor Swift has used social media to make fans feel like they are a part of her world. While many other celebrities personally manage their social media, Taylor Swift is able to personally respond to many further aiding in her positive public persona that she continues to uphold. Taylor Swift is the pinnacle of successful artists of this generation. Through 10 years of being in the music industry, Taylor has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with. With a popular status, a positive public persona, a great business sense, and the ability to target an audience successfully, Taylor Swift has become one of the most successful singers of all time. Her journey to the top was one of perseverance, strategy, and individuality. Works Cited Fassnacht, Jon. Taylor Swift, Renaissance Woman. Editorial. Reading Eagle. Reading Eagle Company, 08 Dec. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2015 Forde, Eammon. Taylor Swifts This Sick Beat May Be the Worlds First Trademarked Lyric. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Helling, Steve. Taylor Swift Gives Breakup Advice to a Teenage Fan – and Its Awesome. People. Time Inc., 12 Feb. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Juzwiak, Rich. â€Å"Taylor Swift’s New Album Hurts My Ears.† Gawker. Kinja, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Li, Jianfu, et al. Probabilistic Diffusion Tractography Reveals Improvement Of Structural Network In Musicians. Plos ONE 9.8 (2014): 1-10. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Mar. 2015. Sam Smith: Taylor Swift Is Amazing' Billboard. Billboard, 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. SPOTI-FIRED! Swift Yanks Her Work From Streaming Giant. Daily News. n.p., 4 Nov. 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2015 Stremikis, Barbara A. The Personal Characteristics And Environmental Circumstances Of Successful Women Musicians. Creativity Research Journal 14.1 (2002): 85-92. Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.

Economics and Global Business Essay

A) Elasticity of demand is describes as the degree of percentage change in demand for a good or service due to variation in price. Elasticity measurements can be expressed by three types of demand; inelastic demand, unit elastic demand, or relatively elastic demand. To determine the percentage of change in demand for a product or service the price elasticity equation and coefficient are used. The coefficient Ed is defined as â€Å"the percentage change in quantity demanded of product divided by the percentage change in price of product X† (McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 2012, pg. 76) The three expressions of Ed are Elastic, Inelastic, and Unit Elasticity. Elastic demand occurs â€Å"if a specific percentage change in price results in a larger percentage change in quantity demanded† (McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 2012, pg. 77). For a product with inelastic demand Ed < 1. An example of elastic demand is when there is a 2% decrease in the price of chocolate that results in a 6% increase in quantity. Ed= .06/.02 = 3 Inelastic demand occurs â€Å"if a specific percentage change in price produces a smaller percentage change in quantity demanded.†(McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 2012, pg. 77) For products with inelastic demand Ed 0 .Inferior goods are goods that yield a negative income elasticity, Ei < 0. As consumer incomes increase, demand and purchases of these foods decrease. Examples of inferior goods are bus tickets, consignment clothing, and retreaded tires to list a few. D) Demand of a product will be elastic when there is a higher number of substitute available. This happens because consumers can easily swap one product for the other based on price. An example can be the purchase of soda. A consumer can go to the store to buy Pepsi but arrive and find a sale on Coke and buy Coke instead. The variety of soda a consumer can chose, makes the demand for Pepsi highly elastic. The same rule applies for inelastic demand of a product. If there is a limited number of substitute goods available the product or service is highly inelastic. An example would  be medical procedures or surgery. The alternative to surgery are very few, making medical procedures or surgery inelastic. E) The proportion of Income devoted to a good or service effects the elasticity of demand for that good or service. For goods that are of a higher proportion of income, a 15% increase in price would make the good highly elastic. But for goods that are of a lower proportion of income, a 15% increase in price would only slightly change the demand, making them lower in elasticity. An example would be a car priced at $13,000. If there is an increase by 15% the car now costs $14,950. This increase in price requires more of the consumer’s income making them highly elastic. Another example of how proportion of income devoted to a good effects elasticity of demand, is a pair shoes that cost $20.00. If there is a 15% price increase on the shoes, they now cost $23.00. The increase in the price of the shoes requires about the same proportion of income that the original price required. The lack of major proportional change to income makes the shoes elastic. F) Time is a factor that effects consumers demand elasticity of a product. â€Å"Short-run† demand for a product is often more inelastic than â€Å"long-run† demand since consumer have less time to find an alternative and normally don’t feel the effects of a price increase until â€Å"long-run.† An example would be an increase in the price of salmon. â€Å"Short-run† demand of Salmon is more inelastic since the effect if the price increase hasn’t been felt drastically by consumers. But, in the â€Å"long-run† demand for salmon will decrease making it more elastic as consumers find alternative to salmon. G) 1) Elastic demand range occurs when total revenue can be increased by decreasing price. The range for elastic demand on the graph is between $80 and $50. Total revenue increases as the price decrease. 2). Inelastic demand range occurs when total revenue can be increased by increasing price. The range for inelastic demand on the graph is between $40 and $0. Total revenue is decreasing as the price decreases. 3). Unit elastic range occurs when a  percentage change in price results in the exact same percentage change in quantity. When the price changes it does not affect total revenue on the graph. The unit elastic range for the given graph is $50-$40. References McConnell, Campbell R., Stanley L. Brue, and Sean Masaki Flynn. â€Å"Elasticity.† Economics: principles, problems, and policies. 19th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2012. 76-77. Print.

Four factors that affect an organisations approach to talent

Economic environment: whilst the economy is on a down turn and there are a large amount of unemployed the company may have more than normal candidates to choose from and the possibility of taking on employees at a higher level, however once the economy takes an upturn and the job market improves the employees may move on unless the company provides a competitive salary/benefits package or prospects for development.Benefits: a benefits package is added value to an employee, if flexibility is offered within the package, to reflect the age, family needs and life style of a candidate this will attract a wider range of applicants and help to retain existing employees.Training and Development: will attract more candidates who are looking to expand their skills and better their careers; this will also help to retain staff within the company as they will be encouraged to apply for promotions or move within the company.Location of the place of work: if it is out of town with no public transpo rt links or good road networks to the location the company would attract fewer candidates. A lot of employees don’t like to travel too far to work and prefer to work nearer home. In a less populated area a company would have to look further a field as the job skills may not be available in the area.Three benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforceIncrease in profit: Companies can use their employees to help with their understanding of the needs of our multicultural society. As an example: within a retail employees could advise the company on specialised products to sell, in turn this could encourage more sales within the store and potentially increase profit.Increased levels of customer service: A diverse workforce will increase the levels of customer service; it can provide help with language barriers and the understanding of different needs within cultures. Age is also a factor, older customers do not always relate well to younger employees in a service environ ment and vice versa. A diverse work force will encourage a diverse customer base in turn a higher customer service level will increase the amount of customers.Increases the talent pool within a company: employees are often encouraged to apply to and work for a company with a diverse workforce, candidates/employees who have experienced a diversity in their every day lives or whilst in education will apply, this increases the talent pool available to the company and increases the chance of finding the best candidate for the job.Three factors that affect an organisations approach to recruitmentCost: Recruitment can be costly to a company and if the talent pool is not directly available they may have to pay for recruitment for example by using an employment agency. If a vacancy is not filled within the required time scale the company may use agency staff to cover the work load with additional costs incurred in comparison to a company employee.Time Scales: If a vacancy is for a specialis ed position, the company may have to look further a field for the ideal candidate. This can result in additional time taken for recruitment this in turn could put extra stress on the existing work force whilst they have to carry out additional work and customer service levels could be affected as a result. The company could also hurry the process to avoid this and result in the wrong person being employed hence the process could need to be repeated in the near future.Type of Role: A vacancy that doesn’t require definitive skills could result in a high level of candidates applying which in turn can make the recruitment process longer by having to sift through all of the applications or can result in fewer applications depending on the geographical economy. Recommendation to the company by existing employees can help, saving time and resulting in the ideal candidate for the job.Recruitment methods.Local career/recruitment fairs: The Company has a stand at the fair to advertise the job vacancies with recruitment material i.e. application forms, job descriptions etc, representatives from the Company such as Human resources and department managers speak directly to the potential candidates giving details of the company and vacancies available. Applications/CV’s, or details from the candidates are taken at the point of contact.Job centres: Job vacancies are advertised through the job centre at no cost. The company has a online account with the job centre details, of the vacancy are uploaded onto the online system the vacancy will then be advertised not only in the local job centre but also on line therefore the vacancy will have a wider geographical audience.Company website: the company advertises their vacancies on their own website with a job description etc. A section of the site is linked to the main page and the candidate completes a generic form for personal details this is then linked to the application form or a link to upload a CV. It can also be linked to a company’s online recruitment system.Selection methodsStructured Interview: Is developed from the traditional interview process, rather than asking questions based on the candidate’s application form questions are asked to allow the candidate to demonstrate certain competencies for example, â€Å"can you tell us about a situation when you updated a process and why?† The same questions and standardised score sheet are used for each applicant therefore allowing a fare process.Assessment centre: a selection of the following: Interview Psychometric test Role play In- tray exercise Group exercise Presentation Social sideThis process is used to give a good overview of all the candidates their strengths and weaknesses. A selection panel assesses the candidates as they complete each task by marking paper exercises which have an exact required outcome or rating by observations with a defined marking system, once the marks are collated the panel then discus s as a whole before a final decision is reached.Psychometric Test: through a company such as the McQuaig institute, the tests can be used for all levels of staff from senior management to semiskilled staff and can consist of one of or both of the following; an aptitude test consisting of a english, numeric, 3 dimentional thought and job/subject specific tests. Secondly a personality test which is aimed at finding types, there is no right or wrong answer. The company can use the information provided by a report as to whether the candidate has the potential, the right temperament or other criteria required to suit the needs of the job.Purpose of induction and benefits:The induction process is aimed at giving the employee a clear out line of the job requirements, with details of the company’s structure showing how the employee will fit into the team and outlines the function and aims of the company. The new recruit will be integrated into the company easier giving them confidenc e and a feeling of belonging; it keeps the them busy in the initial stages of employment allowing them to have a structured and easier settling in period, as well as providing valuable information. It creates a good impression of the company, helps to retain employees, giving a return on the time and money invested.

The Movie Juice - 2147 Words

In the film Juice, there were four black teenage boys named Que, Raheem, Steals, and Bishop. They lived in Harlem, New York, were poverty has been an issue the past few decades. In Harlem there was a lot of crime, gang activity, drug abuse, shooting, and homicides among the black community. Each of the young men were living in a single parent household in a worn down neighborhood where they faced conflict with other local gang members from different racial backgrounds. Que was a local disc jockey trying to become known in the music industry. He and his friends would frequently skip school and go to a local hang-out spot where criminal activity took place. All four young men were involved in some form of petty/property crime around Harlem. They so much as skipped class to steal music albums from a small record store in their neighborhood. Bishop is one of Que’s best friends; they were so close people knew them as brothers around the hood. Out of all the four men, Bishop was th e only one with two parents in the household. Even with both parents, Bishop was mostly involved in crime. He did not have a very strong bond with his father which took a toll on his relationship with other people. Bishop used his time at the hang-out spot to sell drugs; he made sure to carry a weapon and was always fighting with other gang members, he had a hard time fitting into society. In the movie Bishop stated, â€Å"I’m tired of running from police, I’m tired running from Chris (whichShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Movie Juice 880 Words   |  4 Pagessystematic concept of logic touched upon ethics. As an illustration, in the movie â€Å"Juice,† some of Aristotle’s beliefs and principles on friendship, character, and happiness are heavily portrayed throughout the film. The movie â€Å"Juice,† is a story of four male teenage friends from Harlem. They’re causing trouble around the neighborhood and running away from their responsibilities to gain respect; or what some may call â€Å"the juice.† Earlier in the film, a group of males confronted them on the street withRead MoreAnalysis Of Dont Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood799 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood† was directed and released by Paris Barclay in 1996. â€Å"Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood† is an American comedy that tells the story of how Ashtray moved in with his father in the inner city of Los Angeles. Once he is settled in, he is reunited with his pot smoking grandmother and his nuclear armed cousin, Loc Dog. 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In this movie there is a scene where Kelly, Turbo and Ozone go to a party with the purpose of persuading rich p eople to support their upcoming street jazz shows. Most of the people attending the party are upper-class white people who are not completely aware ofRead MoreCompare and Contrast Life of Pi book and movie Essay1100 Words   |  5 Pageswith our brains? This was a question that always kept readers of the book and viewers of the movie perplexed about which story was the accurate one and is what made it such a success. In the movie, Ang Lee directs the story with his own take on a vast variety of visual details. The book however has many contrasting ideas and themes with the movie. 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While some details remained the same, the Life of Pi book and movie represent the meaning of Pi’s story differently. But altogether the movie did not effectively adapt the book, in my mind. One example of the differences in the movie than the book is that in the movie, Richard Parker and Pi’s relationship is portrayed differentlyRead MoreAfrican Male Humanity And Authenticity Is Disoriented By Using A Lesson Plan1057 Words   |  5 Pagesteaching new generation by using a lesson plan. However, it is hard to eliminate racial discrimination completely when we still see it every day. The media is one of the main sources of racism. We see ambiguous scenes of people and believe that what the movie portrays is true. The depiction of black male in films is distorted and usually engaged in aggression, gangster, masculinity, drugs, and murder. 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She believes it is â€Å"fair virtue’s force† but it is actually the love juice. This is also confusion in that Titania no longer likes who she really does, the young Indian boy. Another example of confusion in the story is when both Demetrius and Lysander is anointed and loves