MUSI 3041 Assignment 1

 

MUSI 3041 Assignment 1

Chong Tsz Yen Hayley (3035805497)


On 15th September, an early Thursday afternoon, I took a trip to Lee Gardens in Causeway Bay. The Lee Gardens area consists of a few connecting malls under the same management and is a hub for luxury items and premium lifestyle content. After roaming around the mall for two hours, enjoying the soundscapes of a high-end retail area on a quiet afternoon, I have found a few interesting examples of the different uses of programmed music.


#1 THE MAIN CORRIDORS




The main corridors of all Lee Gardens shopping malls all have consistent loop piano jazz programme music, as heard in the above video. There are white speakers camouflaged on the white ceiling gently blasting the music, which could also be seen in the above video. Although the speakers are irregularly placed on the ceiling, upbeat yet soothing jazz music can be heard in every corner. The jazz played was smooth with a hint of playfulness at times, embodying spontaneity and modernity, a perfect combination that embodies the Lee Gardens concept. Although Lee Gardens is concentrated with designer stores such as Hermes and Chanel, which appeals to a more mature demographic, the mall does not limit itself to a premium retail destination. By bringing in modern eateries and design stores, Lee Gardens is becoming more appealing to a younger audience, attracting them with trendy experiences and innovative products. Just like the jazz music played, Lee Gardens is high-class yet a la mode. 


#2 FEATHER & BONE




It was the gradual silence of piano jazz in the main corridors that caught my attention, as I turned to my left there was an escalator going to a basement floor. On the escalator ride, the whole atmosphere shifted, from soothing jazz to loud funk, R&B music. That was when I reached Lee Gardens' new addition, Feather & Bone, a premium grocery store and deli. 


 I did not know the song that was playing so I used Shazam to detect it, such 80s upbeat funk music puts grocery shoppers in a happy mood. I see some shoppers nodding their heads to the beat, creating an enjoyable atmosphere for shopping would help retain them, causing them to spend more time at the store looking at the different products the shop sells. 


#3 THE LAVATORY




Lee Garden lavatories are known for their luxurious interior design and mirror selfie spots, this might be the reason why, to my surprise, it was not smooth piano jazz playing like in the corridors, but loud brassy jazz music. They were all very fast-paced and extremely different from what you would hear in the main corridors. Normally instruments such as strings and keyboards would be used to create a calming atmosphere, but the loud saxophone jazz solo really stood out to me when I was there. I believe that unlike the jazz music you hear in the corridors, which is more of a background sound, the jazz in the lavatories is intended to be foreground music acting as stimulus progression. Indeed, the lavatories are very beautiful with seating areas, the mall does not want people to stay inside for too long. The fast tempo and loud brass are used to pick up visitor movement and urge people to leave. 


#4 MOTHERCARE






As aforementioned, Lee Gardens also focus on premium lifestyle retail, and one of their focuses is infant products. Mothercare is one of the shops that sell baby products, a lot of mothers carrying their children entered the store to shop while I was there. As you can hear from the above video, very soft LoFi programme music was being played. Unobstructed music was chosen for the store as they did not want to negatively affect infants and young children's emotions, LoFi can also have relaxation effects that can calm the children down, allowing the mother to have an unobstructed shopping experience.


#5 THEORY




Theory is one of the high-end fashion retail stores in Lee Gardens, selling modern smart casual clothing items. As seen in the video, their style of fashion is vibrant yet minimalistic, with a perfect balance between modernity and conventionalism. Pop dance music is played as programme music in the background, matching the modern theme of the store and its fashion. Most of their customers are of a mature demographic, this type of music would make them think that they are shopping for more youthful, energetic and trendy work clothes. This would encourage Theory's target audience to shop more as the environment of the store and their designs appeal to what they are looking for. 






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