In interviews and focus groups, I talked casually with interviewees while also using a list of prepared questions to insure that each participant addressed core topics (Babbie 2005; Taylor and Bogdan 1998). I encouraged participants to talk about the kinds of events they are involved in and enjoy, discuss audience and venue preference, neighborhood development and describe the scenes they engage (see Appendix A). Since the goal of this project is to discover what these participants deem important, interview questions were altered in the course of the interaction (Holstein & Gubrium 1995; Jorgensen 1989). For example, if interviewees talked about what the scene looked like ten years ago, I encouraged that person to elaborate even though that was not included on my interview template.
One-on-one interviews allowed me to find out how individuals interpret scenes, and decipher where cultural producers overlap and differ in their meaning making process. They also gave me an opportunity to inquire about an individual’s level of involvement and why they activate scenes. Interviews lasted approximately one hour in order to establish rapport, address a range of issues and be short enough to be interview friendly (Crang & Cook 2007). I loosely guided participants through topics while being mindful to ask for elaboration and clarification of responses (Babbie 2005: 300). I encouraged participants to pose new topics. I also followed up some of the formal interviews with informal conversation and inquiry.
When I contacted participants for an interview, I found that most of us live in adjoining neighborhoods, making a mutually accessible meeting place easy. I asked participants to pick a location of their choice where coffee or tea might be available and reminded each that the interview will be recorded anonymously, last approximately one hour and run more like an informal conversation than a question and answer session. Of the 8 one-on-one interviews, 63%
(5) participants chose to meet at the Quiet Storm, a vegetarian coffeehouse on the East End of Pittsburgh, in Garfield. Through the course of my research, I came to understand that the Quiet Storm coffeehouse and restaurant is a networking space for many grassroots music and arts scenes. Of the remaining three participants, one picked the brillobox bar, a recognized East End grassroots music and arts scene hang out, one picked the locally-owned Crazy Mocha coffee shop, and one asked me to do the interview at his house as we had become friends prior to the interview. Other than this one participant, I was not personally acquainted with any of my interviewees prior to interviews.
I conducted two focus groups with 47% (7) of my interview sample, comprised of two already existing groups of women who were in a band together. Already existing groups gave me the opportunity to understand how issues are “normally” talked about in homogenous groups while also giving me insight as to what issues and interpretations are contested within a tight-knit group (Crang & Cook 2007). For the focus groups, I spearheaded the discussion by asking the band members to say how they all met, began playing together, whether or not they play often, and how easy it is to get shows in Pittsburgh. From there, I let the conversation unfold in the direction participants took it but at times returned to the foundational questions I posed during one-on-one interviews regarding scenes. Realizing that focus groups must be conducted and interpreted in regards to group dynamics, the focus groups tended to be more open-ended than
the one-on-one interviews (Taylor & Bogdan 1998). When I asked the groups via email where they preferred to hold the focus group, both bands requested that the interview occur in one of the band member’s home. Both focus groups lasted approximately one hour in the home of one of the band members.
In addition to interviews, I specifically sought out events in which interview participants organized and participated. I conducted 22 participant observations at grassroots music and arts events (Appendix B) that my research participants either organized or in which they directly participated. I observed local independently produced rock shows, “outsider” art exhibits, fundraisers, dance parties, and poetry readings. All events featured at least one music
performance such as a band, singer/songwriter or DJ. I entered the field in July of 2007 when I attended my first “queer live music show” and observed an average of three scene events per month until March 2008. I occasionally still attend live music shows and dance parties in Pittsburgh’s East End for my own enjoyment. While conducting my field research, I recorded observations in a notebook when appropriate but most of the time I wrote extensive reflective field notes once returning home. In these notes, I highlighted the demographics of event
participants in addition to the activities and social atmosphere of the event. On many occasions I was able to remember prominent quotes or situations.
Realizing that researchers bring “characteristics, a history, a gender, class, race, and social attributes” into the research setting (Olesen 2003: 350), I was reflexive about my
standpoint as a 30 year old white woman who advocates feminist politics, enjoys Indie and punk rock music, and lives in the East End of Pittsburgh. I believe my characteristics in the field were best suited for gaining “insider” status because my age, race and semi-countercultural look reflect many of the people who participated in this project.
Content analysis is the third piece to the triangulation model mentioned earlier. I
collected materials produced by or about cultural producers for content analysis purposes. When available, I collected brochures, pamphlets, and flyers that were distributed at scene events. I also purchased CDs of the bands that participated in this project in order to better comprehend the band’s content and sound. Due to the original artwork on CD covers, these purchases were also important pieces of textual analysis. Websites, list serves, and newspaper articles were also analyzed as they pertained to the scenes and arts development in Pittsburgh’s East End (Babbie 2005). Conducting content analysis allowed me to examine emerging themes of cultural
production and the cultural producers’ target audiences (Babbie 2005).