Listening Journal 17/01/11

This week, I listened to Desert Island Discs (Radio 4). In this episode, presenter Kirsty Young was joined by the leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond. The premise of the programme is to have the guest list the eight pieces of music that they would take with them to a desert island. This device is used to get the guest talking about different aspects of their life, and the actual songs take a back seat to the stories that they tell. I think that the programme works so well because it the format makes it much more sonically interesting than a straight interview and the relaxed nature makes the guest open up more than they normally would. As a researcher, I would contact the guest first to discuss their musical choices and get them to talk to me how they relate to their lives. I would then pass these notes on to the presenter.