Tarja Rautiainen-Keskustalo

Docent, Popular music researcher

Current position:

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow / Academy of Finland
University of Tampere, Department of Music Anthropology

Research interests:

Commodification of music, new technologies and music culture (wireless services, music and mobile phones), youth culture and consumption of music.

Contact Information:

Postal Address: FIN-33014 University of Tampere
Tel. +358 50 3845 307
Email: Tarja.Rautiainen@uta.fi

Current research project:

TRAP (2008)

Recent publications:

Rautiainen-Keskustalo, Tarja 2008. On the Articulations of the Popular Music and Creative Economy in Late Modern Culture. Popular Musicology Online Link to the article
Rautiainen-Keskustalo, Tarja 2007. Kun taloudesta tuli rock'n' rollia - populaarin ja talouden artikulaatioista elämysyhteiskunnassa (Economy that rocks - on the articulations between economic life and popular music culture). Kulttuurintutkimus 1/2007, 3-12. English abstract
Rautiainen-Keskustalo, Tarja 2006. Kun tunteista tuli brändi - Idols-kilpailu ja populaarimusiikin affektimaailma (Emotions as a Brand - Idols-competition and Affects in Popular Music). Teoksessa Kasvattajan brändikirja (toim. Hanna Lehtimäki & Juha Suoranta). Helsinki: Finn Lectura, 174-191.
Rautiainen-Keskustalo, Tarja 2005. Hybridituotteet ja uusi teknologia muovaavat musiikkikulttuuria. ( PDF ) Aamulehti 22.4.2005. (Aamulehden alakerta -artikkeli)
Rautiainen-Keskustalo, Tarja 2004. Affektien vallassa? - kulturisoituminen, elämismaailmat ja kuluttajuus 2000-luvun musiikkikulttuurissa. ( PDF ) Musiikin Suunta 4/2004, 23-35.
Rautiainen, Tarja 2003. Laulettu historia suomalaisuus ja affektit populaarimusiikissa. Lähikuva 3/2003, 8-18.
Rautiainen, Tarja 2003. Laulukilpailusta tuli liioiteltu näytös. Aamulehti 17.11. 2003. (Aamulehden alakerta -artikkeli)

See also Research database of the University of Tampere

Earlier research projects:

Commodification and the Politics of Mediation: Perspectives on the Contexts of Popular and Folk Music in Finnish Music Culture of the 21st Century (2004-2007) (Academy of Finland)

The object of the study is the process of commodification in Finnish music culture in the 21st century. Commodification signifies the process by which music as an immaterial object is marketed as a commodity regulated by the music industry. In the 21st century the question about the commodification of music culture is especially complex. If traditionally "music as a commodity" has been a starting point for criticism towards music industry, today the process of commodification has invaded nearly every corner of everyday-life of citizens. It has been followed by some ideological changes, which can be called culturization of citizenship. It means that, first, political and economic power is justified by cultural values. Secondly, consumption is put in the first place; how is consumed is more important than what is consumed. Third, media accentuates affects and emotions. In current research the commodification of music is debated from various angles. First, the subject area is considered theoretically: what are the historical, social and economic contexts of musical commodities and on what kind of ideological implications they are grounded. Secondly the analysis will focus on three empirical case studies: (i) new media fictions in popular music and their local interpretation (reality TV-format Idols- as the principal case), (ii) commodification in folk music genres (iii) the changes of music consumption in grass-root level.

Keywords: commodification and music culture, media and music research, popular music studies, Pop-Idol, consumerism and music, folk music in 21st century

Further information available upon request (email: tarja.rautiainen@uta.fi)

Other interest areas:

-history of Finnish popular music
-Afro-Cuban music

Updated: Oct 7 2004.