Music: I don't know everything, but I know a little about a lot
So here’s the thing. I LOVE MUSIC, all of it. Well, maybe not quite all of it.
Some alternative country artists have felt the wrath of my review rants, but for the most part, I can listen to anything. Good or bad, if it’s music knowledge, I will take it in and try to retain it.
I don’t know everything about one genre of music, but I do know a little about a lot of different genres. When you are working in the music industry, this is important. You can not always cover bands you personally find good, and sometimes I cover a band that I can see is marketable and/or has mass appeal.
I worked in the Chicago music industry for five years, and I’ve been the entertainment editor at the Herald-Whig for 18 months. My first internship was at House of Blues Inc, where I helped with sponsorship of national tours. It was amazing and I learned so much, part of which was how to not freak out when you meet a celebrity. They actually made us sign a paper saying we wouldn’t freak out all over the acts. I also did freelance photography of bands for a few years and eventually had my own local music section in a free press in Chicago. It was great and I really got a feel for booking shows, sponsoring festivals and covering live music.
Part of what this blog will be about is taking my experiences in Chicago and applying it to the way I see the local music scene working in this area. Quincy is different than any other place I’ve been around in the way it handles the local music scene. Not necessarily good or bad, but really different.
A much bigger musical movement is going on around here than everyone realizes, but it’s just not quite connected enough to thrive. I want to help with that connection, meaning that if everyone who is into the scene works together, it could be amazing. This area could be the epicenter of the major Midwest cities of Kansas City, St. Louis and Chicago. All touring bands need stops along the way to pay for gas, so why not get them to stop here?
This town has incredible musical talent, and I can’t wait to talk about it on a regular basis in this blog.
FUTURE TOPICS
Show Listings
Band Reviews
CD Reviews
Venue Reviews
Music/Industry rants
General music thoughts
Want to add a show listing and suggest a topic? Contact me at jmartin@whig.com and please check back for this weekend’s show preview blog.
I’m so excited to get started. Hope you enjoy reading.
— Jess
| Print article | This entry was posted by Jessica Martin-Cate on August 21, 2008 at 8:51 am, and is filed under Uncategorized. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. |
about 4 years ago
What a wonderful background for a local journalist! Education and experience cannot be downplayed in your profession. What I wanted to comment on was the musical potential of our area. You are absolutely correct in your statement. We don’t need to travel far for fine music and the diversity of influences here in middle-America only promises something for everyone’s plate. And, on Quincy’s musical future, with it’s location, outstanding media, and transportation access, this city could become the Minneapolis of the heartland in progressive musical innovation. Let’s go for it, Ms. Martin.
about 4 years ago
What a wonderful background for a local journalist! Education and experience cannot be downplayed in your profession. What I wanted to comment on was the musical potential of our area. You are absolutely correct in your statement. We don’t need to travel far for fine music and the diversity of influences here in middle-America only promises something for everyone’s plate. And, on Quincy’s musical future, with it’s location, outstanding media, and transportation access, this city could become the Minneapolis of the heartland in progressive musical innovation. Let’s go for it, Ms. Martin.
about 4 years ago
So glad to have someone of this caliber with the Whig. We have read the Whig for some time now, but this is a breath of fresh air for this newspaper. As a “music appreciater” myself, I am glad to have this be a part of the Whig. Now I know where to go to get great first-hand information about local talent – something I knew was always here, but really had nowhere to be marketed. Thanks Jess!
about 4 years ago
So glad to have someone of this caliber with the Whig. We have read the Whig for some time now, but this is a breath of fresh air for this newspaper. As a “music appreciater” myself, I am glad to have this be a part of the Whig. Now I know where to go to get great first-hand information about local talent – something I knew was always here, but really had nowhere to be marketed. Thanks Jess!
about 4 years ago
Thank you and I’m really excited to help the local music scene in any way possible. I will posting a blog later today that I hope will be very informative for bands and venues. Thanks again for the feedback.
about 4 years ago
Thank you and I’m really excited to help the local music scene in any way possible. I will posting a blog later today that I hope will be very informative for bands and venues. Thanks again for the feedback.