MUSIC VIDEOS AND ITS INFLUENCE IN ELECTORATES SELECTION OF CANDIDATES (A STUDY OF DELTA ELECTORATES)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Communication has always been a central and essential aspect of human life. Humans cannot live without contact and it is the only way for thoughts and information to be transmitted on from one generation to the next. According to Baran (2014), contact is the transfer of knowledge from a transmitter to a recipient. “Communication has been variously described as the exchanging of thoughts, the passing of knowledge, or the method of creating a commonness or oneness of thought between a sender and a receiver.” Belch and Belch (2003, p. 139)

Communication has many purposes, including knowledge dissemination, schooling, and entertainment. These main roles are unavoidably present in our everyday lives. Individuals want further knowledge and education regarding the society in which we live, and a need to disconnect from the necessities of existence leads to the usage of content such as films, novels, comics, computer games, and so on.

Defining music is a difficult challenge since there are several meanings and none are identical. Many people have taken deliberate attempts to add sense to music in the manner that best fits them. As a result, scholars have provided their own description of music in attempts to establish a common definition. Music, as described by Levinson (1990), as cited in Davies (2015), is an art that involves a person creating sounds for the soul with the goal of strengthening experience through active interaction such as dancing, listening, and performing.

Music videos are an important part of the most important developing cultural framework of western rituals. Pop videos have had a profound influence on fashion, youth culture, and music, as well as the processes and frameworks that exist through film, advertisement, and television, but critics have previously dismissed the structure's unique existence and cultural heritage. Music videos are an important form of communicating, either to raise knowledge of a certain issue or to inspire viewers to respond in a certain manner. They provide audiences with entertainment by involving them in audio and visual material that draws and maintains their focus on what is being watched. While they might not seem to be so, music videos are an extremely powerful tool for disseminating knowledge and reminding viewers about different important events or happenings.

According to Hogan, Bar-on, and Strasburger (2009), music videos are appealing to people, especially young audiences. Given that music videos combine two types of media that appeal to youth people, television and mainstream music, it is critical to research their impact on young audiences to be concerned with the ideas these music videos promote. Music videos have received a lot of attention. They are divided into many groups, the most common of which are idea or performance images. In the case of a music recording, a specific artist or a group of musicians is filmed during a performance, typically a concert. If design videos show a plot to the listener, the album has the potential to create a story. This tale may often add content to the lyrics and have a clear meaning that is repeated every time a person hears the music.

According to Frith, Goodwin, and Grossberg (2005), while seeing a music film, the visual section normally automatically occupies our focus, simply by arresting and individuals' eyes by being on screen. Television seems to absorb the musical matrix irreversibly and without effort through its visual field. Simply by putting itself in the location of what it depicts, a music video draws our focus both to and away from the album. According to Vernallis (2004), the music arrives first, the album is made before the recording, and the producer creates photos using the song as a reference. However, the song's video would promote the song; therefore, it is accountable to the song from the standpoint of the artiste and record label. Following an album in a music video may be done in a variety of forms. They sometimes mirror a song's structure and pick up on specific musical features such as harmony, timbre, and rhythm. The picture can also mimic the fade and flow of a tone, as well as its unknown limits. Videographers have developed a series of techniques for setting picture to music in which the image relinquishes its autonomy and abandons some of its modes.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Music videos are a powerful means of disseminating information. This medium as powerful as it is, is one of the most neglected when it comes to political campaigns.  Based on research by Ezewegu, Etukudo and Akpan (2015), not every political elite that exist today employs mass mediums such as music videos. Only a few have used music as a means such as Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Politicians often utilize this platform to talk about their past accomplishments and projects in progress.

There is a paucity of research that have examined music videos and the electorate’s choice of candidate in Nigeria. Therefore, this study sought to find out the extent to which music videos can influence electorates in Delta state to vote for a particular candidate.

This study seeks to examine the extent to which music videos can influence the Delta electorates’ selection of candidate.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The primary aim of this study is to examine the extent to which music videos can influence the Delta electorates’ selection of candidate. Thus, the following objectives;

1. To investigate whether music videos can be a good medium to reach out to electorates.

2. To determine the extent to which music videos can influence the Delta state electorates’ choice of candidate.

3. To investigate whether music videos can influence Delta state electorates’ choice of candidate.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions guide this study;

1. Can music videos be a good medium to reach out to electorates?

2. To what extent can music videos influence the Delta electorates’ choice of candidate?

3. Can music videos influence the Delta state electorates in any way?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be significant as it will bring to the fore an awareness on the imbued prowess of music videos in inculcating a push in electorates to vote for a particular candidate. It will be relevant to the government as it will allow for them to take the necessary steps to campaign using the right mediums. It will also be significant to other researchers as it would serve as relevant material to be inputted in their research. It will also be an addition to literature as there has not been works written in this topic.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will only cover music videos and its imbued prowess in influencing the Delta state electorates’ choice of candidate.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

During the course of this study the only constraints the researcher faced was financial.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.   MUSIC: Vocal and instrumental sounds are combined in such a way that they establish rhythm, harmony, and emotional speech.

2.   MUSIC VIDEO: A short film that puts together a song with images and is fashioned for promotional or creative purposes.

3.      ELECTORATE: Constitutes all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election.

CANDIDATE: A person who applies for or is nominated for a position. In this study, candidate refers to an individual who has been nominated for an election.

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