“Unplugged” My magazine proposal

- Genre - The genre that Unplugged will be based around is acoustic music, with the main focus being upon artists performing acoustic sets The reasoning behind this being that I have a personal connection with this genre of music, I own my own acoustic guitar and I have been teaching myself for a while now. Acoustic music is, in my opinion, one of the rare joys of our modern lives; a refined, passionate, emotional style that delivers music in its purest form... And I want to capture this in a new magazine, but presenting it in a way that will appeal to the younger generation, as some people may regard acoustic music as a bit old-fashioned, or purely associate it with folk and country music...

- Unplugged - The term ‘unplugged’ is used to describe a set that has been stripped down to its basic shell. No instruments that require electricity and no synthesisers, just the raw earthy sounds of acoustic instruments and the singers voice... Pure, simple and very effective at conveying a certain emotion So the title of the magazine will reflect its design and content: no flashy gimmicks, in your face fonts or extravagant colour schemes, just a natural, well informed magazine that will contain all the essentials that an acoustic enthusiast requires...And set in a contemporary, professional way that will appeal to a wider audience of music lovers

- Magazine front covers of interest - The problem with this front cover is that an older man is the main image, which could put younger readers off as they are unable to relate to it in the same way as a magazine such as Kerrang! However the positioning of the figure in proportion to the text is close to what I would like to achieve with Unplugged, I also think the ripped effect at the bottom of the page is effective at creating an interesting and layered front cover

The earthy colours of the main image help to create an outdoorsy, naturalistic theme, which is nicely complimented by the white font and soft background... Including the acoustic guitar within the image is helpful in conveying to the reader its importance to the magazine and the artist who is carrying the instrument. This front cover is appealing as it is not overcrowded with unnecessary information, and with the use of black and white and a minimalistic colour scheme, the cover implies a sense of intrigue. This is achieved simplistically but stylishly...

- Planned content - Here are just a few of the ideas I would like to incorporate into the content of my magazine: Latest music headlines Album and artist reviews Feature band, and their exclusive Unplugged set Top 10 Unplugged chart with inclusive download discount code, exclusive to Unplugged Popular songs with chords and tab provided, ranging from beginner to challenging difficulties Guitar lessons and chord practice sequences to help improve your playing Interviews with up and coming acoustic artists Latest guitar model tests and reviews... And more...

- Unique selling point - Unlike the main rival acoustic magazine, Unplugged will be designed to appeal to a much younger audience, with the aim of modernising this genre of music and bringing acoustic music to the attention of teenagers. With artists such as Ed Sheeran and James Morrison, for example, bringing acoustic music into the charts, I feel it is necessary to carry on their work and produce a magazine that younger people can relate to, by including popular bands such as The Arctic Monkeys, Florence & The Machine and Coldplay for instance, and allowing them to play acoustically, in an ‘Unplugged’ set. Other unique features that Unplugged will include are special discount codes to allow readers to purchase acoustic songs for a much lower price, the chords for popular chart songs for the readers to try out, competitions to win guitar equipment and tickets to gigs...

- Typical reader profile - Young male sixth form student, 17 years of age, has a part time job and is studying A levels in English, History and Media. Music is a big part of his life, he has been teaching himself acoustic guitar for a year now, and when he isn't studying, he trawls through countless guitar websites to find new songs to play. He spent his early years listening to his parents music choices, classics such as the early Coldplay albums, Radiohead, Oasis… Now he is revisiting these bands by looking through their songs and trying to teach himself some of the chords. He regularly purchases songs off iTunes and enjoys reading gig reviews, however does not have the funds to buy tickets at the moment. Now that his studies are taking up more and more of his time, he fears that he will not be able to carry on with his guitar practice and will lose touch with the world of music… He needs something that incorporates everything he needs to keep up to date with music headlines, provide him with tutorials and chords to his favorite songs and give him exclusive access to cheaper music and tickets, all in one handy magazine…

- Editorial Mission statement - With the magazine “Unplugged”, the aim is to bring acoustic music up to date, revolutionising this genre and allowing it to spread by providing tutorials, downloads and tickets... Unplugged “The Home of Pure Music”