Is music journalism really a career for an adult?

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layers? good looking? what?

― athol fugard (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 26 November 2005 02:53 (eighteen years ago) link

ha ha, now go turn this "culture" into Culture if you're forced to work with morons, who don't know a shit, don't do a shit and don't give a shit.....

:::(((

― nique (nique), Saturday, 26 November 2005 03:45 (eighteen years ago) link

No disrespect meant to the many talented writers plying their trade in this field, but I could never do it. The rewards (fiscal, artistic) are too small for me.

Instead of hunting and scraping for work that I'm not always thrilled with, I work in administration for an art school. I receive a solid salary with benefits, and I never have to worry about hunting for work.

There are certain people who thrive off of this particular hustle, but I'd just like to point out that there are plenty of fulfilling writing jobs out there that don't involve journalism and allow for some artistic license.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Saturday, 26 November 2005 04:12 (eighteen years ago) link

It seems you're too ambivalent to make a go of it, really. Too many basic doubts that would get in the way of "just writing," and that could undermine you. There's a self-consciousness about whether you "should" do this...framing up the question in terms of what grown-ups do.

Society at large and most grown-ups will tell you not to be a music journalist. And, no, being a music journalist isn't Something Grown-Ups Do. If you're looking for any kind of acceptance from grown-ups (even if you do become "successful" many grown-ups will not acknowledge it as true success, but success as graspable and relevant to them as building a really intricate sand castle or something) from current or future grown-ups, you are not likely to get it. If that kind of acceptance is important to you--if you do not want to be considered eccentric or an outsider by respectable normal grown-ups--do something else.

To be successul as a music journalist (and many other vocations) you pretty much have to be obsessed with it--and in that case you pretty much don't have a choice but to become a music journalist.

I guess I heard more about why you wouldn't choose to be a music journalist than why you would...

― limeginger, Saturday, 26 November 2005 06:08 (eighteen years ago) link

I'd just like to point out that there are plenty of fulfilling writing jobs out there that don't involve journalism and allow for some artistic license.

especially with organizations that publish research reports -- it's a great way to get that urge out of your system without any of the pressure that comes from being "a writer."

― athol fugard (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 26 November 2005 06:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Fuck music journalism. Find yourself some rich parents. "Trust fund recipient" is the career you want. Put yourself up for adoption to test the market...

― Reggie, Saturday, 26 November 2005 06:35 (eighteen years ago) link

Music Journalism is an unworthy use of a human life. You will die having accomplished nothing and your soul will descend to the lower planes.

― Kapec, Saturday, 26 November 2005 10:21 (eighteen years ago) link

It really is a horrible way to make a living. You don't make much, and writing is pure agony all the time (writer's block, deadlines, dissatisfaction with everything you write if you're any kind of a perfectionist, subpar pay, etc.). It's not worth it.

― grant, Saturday, 26 November 2005 11:08 (eighteen years ago) link

There's a self-consciousness about whether you "should" do this...framing up the question in terms of what grown-ups do.

I'm not entirely sure that's true. I think my peers and social superiors would probably have more respect for me for doing this than say, pursuing a more typical "grown-up" path. It's more about whether I would find it rewarding enough to do it long term, or would simply get tired of churning out the same mind-numbing bullshit about records I couldn't give two fucks about.

I suspect I may have just answered my own question right there.

― uptoeleven (uptoeleven), Saturday, 26 November 2005 16:39 (eighteen years ago) link

It's more about whether I would find it rewarding enough to do it long term, or would simply get tired of churning out the same mind-numbing bullshit about records I couldn't give two fucks about.

Again, what's the "long-term" anymore? Do it for a couple years and see where it takes you. You'll probably get more real world experience having to interview bands and write under deadlines than at most of the office jobs out there.

― save the robot (save the robot), Saturday, 26 November 2005 16:59 (eighteen years ago) link

and also, don't forget about the free concerts and all the fun music's about

― nique (nique), Saturday, 26 November 2005 22:20 (eighteen years ago) link

Dom OTM

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 26 November 2005 22:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Music journalists write about music. Not neccessarily young people's music, but music. A 50 year-old music journalist may well still write about music, if he writes about music that other 50 year-olds tend to like.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 26 November 2005 23:24 (eighteen years ago) link

yes, as a journalist i find it is vital that i only write about things in which people of my age will be interested.

and, like, only other oldsters listened to john peel, didn't they? daddio.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Sunday, 27 November 2005 00:15 (eighteen years ago) link

Again, what's the "long-term" anymore?

this is very true. most people don't follow one career path anymore; that's a holdover from the days when there was such a thing as job security.

― athol fugard (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 27 November 2005 00:21 (eighteen years ago) link

although when you're young there's that nagging feeling that if you even waste one year, your whole future is ruined.

― athol fugard (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 27 November 2005 00:24 (eighteen years ago) link

And if you ever landed a steady gig it would be hard to walk away from it, even if you were sick of covering eight skater-rock bands and a Kenny Loggins concert every week for the Daily Yawn or wherever you lucked into a salaried job.

OTM

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Sunday, 27 November 2005 02:42 (eighteen years ago) link

although when you're young there's that nagging feeling that if you even waste one year, your whole future is ruined.

I wish I had had that feeling!

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 27 November 2005 02:46 (eighteen years ago) link

four years pass...

I got forwarded a posting about a music blogging job opportunity and one of the stipulations was that you had to read 200 blogs on google reader a day

sounds like some sort of personal hell, tbh

― Oh boy, ILX! That's where I'm a Whiney! (dyao), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:00 (thirteen years ago) link

how often are you allowed to pee?

― cool and remote like dancing girls (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:03 (thirteen years ago) link

What, exactly, were the other stipulations?

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:06 (thirteen years ago) link

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/2009/04/prison.jpg
read yr blogs

― tylerw, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:07 (thirteen years ago) link

You couldn't date, you need fresh sand in your litter box, and contact lenses are not included.

― cool and remote like dancing girls (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:07 (thirteen years ago) link

hmm you have to oversee a couple of interns, be able to write on a deadline (not too pitchfork-y or press release-y), work at an office in NY

― Oh boy, ILX! That's where I'm a Whiney! (dyao), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:10 (thirteen years ago) link

not too pitchfork-y or press release-y

Just kind of journalist...y?

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:10 (thirteen years ago) link

i'd be very interested to see a list of music journalists who aren't the editor of something, who currently, in 2010, live off of it.

― black sheep boys and chips ahoys (kiss out the jams), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:14 (thirteen years ago) link

you are in a field