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David Gracon Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Office: 1814 - Coleman Hall
Phone: 217-581-2016
Fax: 217-581-5718
Email: dgracon@eiu.edu

David Gracon Ph.D.'s Vita

Dr. David Gracon completed his Ph.D. in “Communication and Society” at the University of Oregon in the fall of 2010 and is currently seeking a publisher for his dissertation titled: Exiled Records and Over-the-Counter-Culture — A Cultural Political Economic Analysis of the Independent Record Store.  He recently completed his first feature length documentary video titled: Walls of Sound: A Look Inside The House of Records (63 min, 2012), which is a collection of oral histories regarding the House of Records, an independent record store based in Eugene, Oregon.  He took this film on tour in the Pacific Northwest in October, 2012.  His research and teaching interests include Political Economy of Communication (in particular, the music industry), critical cultural studies, alternative media, media/music based subcultures, DIY cultural production, tactical media, video, documentary and experimental media production.  David is a native of Buffalo, NY and has been invested in post-punk, indie, experimental music scenes, zine communities and college radio; as well as activist orientated experimental film, video and documentary communities and collectives since the mid 90’s.

David also has international teaching experience.  He was a participant of the JET Program (Japanese Exchange and Teaching) and taught English in China, Poland and Lithuania via Bridges for Education, a non-profit organization based in Buffalo, NY. 

He was the recipient of the 2011-2012 Michael R. Hoardley Instructional Technology Award (for the innovative use of technology in the classroom). 

Dr. Gracon is the honors coordinator for Communication Studies.  Please visit his office hours if you would like to learn more about the departmental honors program. 
 

Spring 2013 Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 2-3 pm and Tuesday 9-11 am (or by appointment).

Frequently Taught Courses

Undergraduate: CMN 2575 Field Production, CMN 4500 Documentary Production, CMN 3500 Electronic Media Relations, CMN 4770 Television Criticism, CMN 4030 Alternative Media, CMN 3570 History of Documentary Film.

Graduate: CMN 5160 Seminar in Mass Media: "Media, Commodity and Spectacle", CMN 5610 Media Criticism, CMN 5160 Seminar in Mass Media: "Alternative Media".

Education

Ph.D, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.  Communication and Society.  The School of Journalism and Communication.  September 2010. Dissertation Title: Exiled Records and Over-the-Counter-Culture — A Cultural Political Economic Analysis of the Independent Record Store 

M.A, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY).  Humanities (the merging of Media Studies (experimental media/documentary video) and Sociology (Critical theory).  September 2001. Thesis Title: Imperial Tourism: Documentary Video (29 min) and a discursive component: A Critical Discussion of Subjectivity, Representation and Experimental Ethnography

B.A, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY).  Double major in Sociology and Media Studies (Documentary video/experimental media).  May 1999.

Professional Organizations

Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS)
American Culture Association/Popular Culture Association (ACA/PCA)
Union for Democratic Communication (UDC)
Allied Media Conference
Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
WEFT Community Radio (Champaign)
Squeaky Wheel, Buffalo Media Resources

Research

Political Economy of Media, Critical Cultural Studies, Alternative Media, Media Based Subcultures, DIY/Radical Media, The Music Industry, New Media, Visual Studies, Documentary Video and Experimental Film and Video.

Link to Walls of Sound — A Look Inside the House of Records trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L_YoaQLoZk

Publications

Gracon, D. (2010). Exiled Records and Over-the-Counter-Culture — A Cultural Political Economic Analysis of the Independent Record Store.  Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Oregon.

Gracon, D. (2009) The Independent Record Store as a Site of Cultural Resistance and Anti-McDonaldization — A Case Study of The House of Records in Robert C. Sickels (Ed.) The Business of Entertainment: Popular Music, Volume 2. Praeger Publishers. 

Conference Presentations

Fucked Up: The Political Economy of Punk National American Culture Association/Popular Culture Association, Boston, MA. April 2012.

Notes from the ‘Tuff Stuff from the Buff’ Film and Video Tour (Co-authored with Marc Moscato and Julie Perini).  Ineffably Urban Symposium (in conjunction with SUNY Buffalo Arts Management and Humanities Institute).  Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center.  Buffalo, NY.  April 2011

See my CV for a complete listing of my conference presentations.

My film and video work has been screened at the following (See CV for a complete listing): Chicago Underground Film Festival, Seattle Underground Film Festival, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center (Buffalo, NY), Squeaky Wheel: Buffalo Media Resources, Pacific Cinematheque (Vancouver, Canada), Sarah Lawerence College Experimental Film and Video Festival, Trans Tech 2001: The Toronto International Video Art Biennial,  Euro Underground Film Festival (Maribor, Slovenia),  Super 8 Film and Video Festival (Rutgers University), From Zine to Screen, Liberty Hall (Portland, Oregon), New Music and Video Art: Machinohana-San Gallery (Kanazawa, Japan).

Community

1. Walls of Sound — A Look Inside the House of Records Fall 2012 Pacific Northwest Film Tour:

http://projects.registerguard.com/web/entertainment/28835977-41/film-gracon-records-vinyl-music.html.csp

http://www.dennews.com/the_verge/professor-explores-a-record-store-s-survival/article_8353a798-2a17-11e2-aecb-0019bb30f31a.html

2. Co-Curator of the Tuff Stuff From the Buff Film and Video Bicycle Tour:

 http://tuffstuffbuff.wordpress.com/

3. Le Tigre Screening and Presentation:

http://www.dennews.com/news/documentary-explores-sexual-roles/article_8af8d7b0-0b5b-11e1-bb18-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=image&photo=0

http://www.dennews.com/news/campus/women-s-role-in-music-business-to-be-discussed/article_782afc9a-09c0-11e1-ad93-001a4bcf6878.html

4. Alternative Media Fieldtrip:

http://www.dennews.com/news/alternative-media-course-gives-students-new-perspective/article_ce887e7e-becf-573f-8602-9a9639228e7a.html

5. Co-Curator of the Champaign-Urbana Independent Media Center Film Festival:

 http://readbuzz.com/movies-tv/2011/imc-film-fest-1

6. Promoter of the Found Footage Festival:

http://readbuzz.com/movies-tv/2011/ventriloquism-infant-massage-and-religious-crazies

7. Student Documentary Screening:

http://www.dennews.com/news/students-show-off-talent-during-screening/article_bb3d3924-22b5-5e31-b388-aeb1300d66b0.html

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