Music Generations in the Digital Age: Social Practices of Listening and Idols in Japan

What do we do when we listen? The act of engagement with music in everyday life may seem simple on the surface but participation, interpretation, circulation and cultural production in the digital age are more complex and entangled than ever before. It is especially so in Japan, with its vast multimedia idol and vocaloid industries. This unique ethnographic work at the intersection of cultural, media and music studies covers a wide spectrum of music-related activities embedded in the daily lives of two Japanese cohorts. The varied case studies, including teen idol groups and virtual idols, aid the detailed examination of the relation between music, generation, and society.

Rafal Zaborowski is Lecturer in Digital Culture at King’s College London. In his research, Rafal investigates the intersections of media audiences, texts and producers, focusing on the role played by media in people’s everyday lives. Rafal has also published on issues of voice and media framing of crises as well as new forms of televised manipulation. Rafal has served as an expert on mediation of migration for numerous European bodies and frequently discussed issues of media representation, democracy and participation in international media. Rafal holds a PhD in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an MA in Media and Cultural Studies from Tohoku University, and a BA in Sociology from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan.