By Marisa Pjerrou
The Music of Your Life web site (http://www.musicofyourlife.com)
is a 24-hour on line version of a radio network program specializing
in "adult pop standards" that is specifically targeted to
and marketed at adults 50+ - the "modern mature market."
Not a live broadcast but a pre-recorded program, Music of Your Life
prides itself on being a nationally recognized "brand name"
type of franchise that can be heard at over 175 radio stations across
the U.S. In addition to offering the same taped programming heard
on radio stations, the web site has several other features (not all
of which are functioning yet) such as: information on the program's
popular recording artists (i.e., Glenn Miller, Linda Ronstadt, Tony
Bennett, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Patti Page, Rosemary Clooney,
etc); a schedule of the on-air personalities and the music program;
a "lifestyles" section with computer, cooking, and financial
advice; a travel section that seems to specialize in cruises; and
a link to a video and CD merchandise site endorsed by Pat Boone.
To some the programming at www.musicofyourlife.com
may be described as muzak, to others perhaps "easy listening."
Still I was surprised at the relative diversity of artists chosen;
at the different times that I tuned into the site I heard some great
songs by Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Patti Page, Willie Nelson
and Louis Armstrong, Jr. Interspersed between the songs is commentary
by several "on-air personalities," or hosts (they're not
really deejays since they're not broadcasting live), who for the most
part are middle-aged Caucasian men. Only one woman host is mentioned
at a very early time slot on the schedule. Sometimes there is non-musical
programming, such as a brief reminiscence on TV's classic The Ed Sullivan
Show. The programming had a relaxing, seamless quality to it to which
www.musicofyourlife.com already had an amusing prepared statement:
the programming apparently makes use of a "matched-flow sequencing
technique" in which "the songs are arranged for style and
fit, the same way a composer might think of how notes go together
for maximum enjoyment." I'd be curious to ask senior citizens
how they feel about the choice to use predominantly all male hosts
at Music of Your Life; the patriarchal overtones of this programming
decision are a little hard to miss, but perhaps indicate a preference
towards more traditional gender roles in the target audience. The
four "star" on-air personalities - Charlie Tuna, Gary Owens,
Wink Martindale and Chuck Southcott - garner the broadcast's prime
time hours and have their photos prominently displayed at the web
site. Interestingly enough, an album released by host Wink Martindale,
Winking at Life: God, Country, Mom and Apple Pie received a great
deal of audio and print promotion (I am assuming it sounds as bad
as it looks). I have a hard time believing all individuals fifty and
over would fall for this kind of stuff. I am certain that for every
50- or 60-year old individual who might find Music of Your Life appealing,
there is another 50- or 60-year old who loves Led Zeppelin and would
never set foot on a cruise ship.
I did not find www.musicofyourlife.com
to be too well designed in consideration of senior citizens' possible
challenges to computer/web use. While the print on the main body of
the text was easy for me to read, I think the size of the font could
have been made bigger for an older person's eyes. Strangely, there
are two big blank spaces on either side of the main body of the text,
forcing the user to have to scroll up and down; a better design decision
would have been to spread out the text and layout horizontally so
that most or all of the main body is viewable without having to scroll
up and down. Another feature squishing the main body down even more
is a radio image at the top of the screen which serves as the site's
button menu; print that is far too small is used to label these buttons.
In addition, seniors might have a problem when they first use the
site and want to set-up the Yahoo! Radio in order to access the broadcast,
a somewhat confusing process that involves many questions and steps
before installation is possible. While Music of Your Life wisely did
not put in any distracting ads at its site (the Pat Boone link was
the once exception, but it is pretty non-descript), it probably has
no control over what Yahoo! Radio advertises. A contest to win a trip
to a Chris Isaak concert in Hawaii, the latest album by rock group
Weezer, and the opportunity to buy Gladiator for 49 cents from Columbia
House were the three blaring ads featured at Yahoo! Radio whenever
I wanted to listen to Music of Your Life.
Ultimately, I am not sure that what Music of Your Life offers at its
web site is enough of a lure to get its target audience to tune in
on line. The features such as the travel service, musician information,
etc. don't seem to be attractive enough to justify a Music of Your
Life fan wanting to use the web site. Unless there are senior citizens
who are into burning CDs of the broadcast, or who may care about listening
in digital sound, turning on a radio seems to be a much easier task.