Finding Your Audience

All writers before actually writing their content must think about what kind of direct audience which they are trying to reach. If you were writing a new scientific theory, scientists and researchers would be the direct audience. If you were to write about making a change in schools, the direct audience would be school board members, teachers, staff, and the school's students.

Although most audiences are quite obvious, sometimes the direct audience is not always one exact person or group mentioned within the text. Some people may want their work to reach everyone as an audience.

Most song writers have the tendency to write about what they are feeling at a particular moment, or in a time from the past. This is actually a great way for song writers to find their audience. Rather than thinking of an age group or certain listeners, they talk about common emotions that make their songs popular because people enjoy listening to people that are able to relate to them, especially in music.

You might be thinking there isn't any way for them to want to have an audience, but of course they do! They want YOU to listen to their music, like it, and buy it; therefore, they are going to write about anything that could be real, or it could just be they are trying to suck you in to liking their work.

The following song is a perfect example of a little bit of both. This songwriter is writing about emotions and trying to get people that way, but she also discusses an actual age group. In this song, we are able to see how famous pop/country singer and songwriter, Taylor Swift, writes her music. Since her directed audience are those who are concerned with emotions, feelings, and are young teenagers similar to herself, she reaches out to them by writing about teenagers and high school, and feelings those of that age may experience.

"Fifteen" by Taylor Swift

Lyrics:

You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors
It's the morning of your very first day
And you say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while
Try and stay out of everybody's way

It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here
For the next four years in this town
Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say
"You know, I haven't seen you around before"

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen feeling like there's nothing to figure out
Well, count to ten, take it in
This is life before you know who you're gonna be
Fifteen

You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail
And soon enough you're best friends
Laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool
We'll be outta here as soon as we can

And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car
And you're feeling like flying
And you're momma's waiting up and you're thinking he's the one
And you're dancing 'round your room when the night ends
When the night ends

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
When you're fifteen and your first kiss
Makes your head spin 'round
But in your life you'll do things greater than
Dating the boy on the football team
But I didn't know it at fifteen

When all you wanted was to be wanted
Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now

Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday
But I realized some bigger dreams of mine
And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy
Who changed his mind and we both cried

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall
I've found time can heal most anything
And you just might find who you're supposed to be
I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen

Your very first day
Take a deep breath girl
Take a deep breath as you walk through the doors

To view this song go to the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb-K2tXWK4w

-Amanda Bonbrisco