Student filmmaker Tyler Cullen recently embarked on the streets of New York City to ask pedestrians wearing headphones a simple question: "What song are you listening to?" The results are as varied as New Yorkers themselves; respondents listened to everything from Lil' Wayne and The Black Keys to The Bee Gees, Keni Burke, Frank Sinatra and Britney Spears.
Many city-dwellers use headphones and portable music players to create an invisible barrier between ourselves and those around us. This odd social habit makes Cullen's ability to break down that wall even more special. I especially love the diverse pool of pedestrians he picked for the short film.
Tyler Cullen currently attends the School of Visual Arts. If this short film is any indication, he's in for quite a successful career after graduation.
Guerrilla City Soundtracks
Tyler Cullen Asks New Yorkers What Song They're Listening To
Trend Themes
1. Personal Music Curation - The trend of using portable music players and headphones to curate personalized soundtracks creates opportunities for innovative music curation platforms.
2. Public Music Discovery - The trend of asking pedestrians about the songs they are listening to in public spaces presents opportunities for disruptive music recommendation services that connect people based on similar music interests.
3. Breaking Social Barriers - The trend of breaking down the invisible barriers created by headphones in public spaces opens up opportunities for social engagement and community-building initiatives that foster connections among city-dwellers.
Industry Implications
1. Music Streaming Platforms - The music streaming industry can capitalize on personal music curation trends to develop advanced playlists and recommendation algorithms that cater to individual preferences.
2. Social Networking - The social networking industry can leverage the public music discovery trend to create platforms that facilitate music-related conversations and connections between users.
3. Community Engagement - The community engagement industry can seize the opportunity presented by breaking social barriers to design initiatives that encourage interaction and collaboration among city-dwellers.