Getting Your Start In The Music Industry

One of the coolest things about the culture music has created is how immersive it is; once you become so in love with music, you’ll only want to get more and more involved in it. For many people, that means making their own music or gathering some friends and starting a band. However, others (including us) have chosen to contribute other forms of creativity to the music industry, such as journalism and photography. Though it takes hard work and dedication to the craft to advance one’s way through music journalism and photography, starting is not as difficult as it may look. In this article, read as we give a look into some of our own experiences and how we have become the writers and photographers we are now.

I, Gianna, began taking an interest in music journalism after following some up-and-coming publications on Instagram that featured some of my favorite bands. Seeing how these magazines were just a culmination of some music-loving teens’ hard work inspired me to start seeking out where I can put my own love of writing to good use. I had spent countless days clicking on related pages and searching for applications of music magazines that needed writers. Even though I didn’t have much experience writing about music, I thought I should take a chance and look into it because writing about what you are passionate about is the best writing of all. Eventually, I found this magazine that was just starting out, which seemed perfect for me. I was accepted pretty soon after I applied and from there, I became fully dedicated to my work and I love writing whenever I have the chance. The same goes for editing: once I learned how much I genuinely enjoyed proofreading and editing writing, I sought out a position on social media in the same way I did as a writer.

A tip I would definitely share is to, if you know you love writing and have much to say about music, try to search for a magazine in need of some help. With a magazine staff, you’ll find connections to so many other like minded creatives who can help you edit, promote your work, and point you towards some music you might have not particularly noticed enough to cover. Social media has been the best place to find active publications in my own experience, so if you are willing to, submit as many applications as you can and see who gives you a response. If you are more of a leader and want to take on a bigger task, start a blog or magazine of your own! The music industry needs more young people who are truly passionate about it to take initiative and make music discussion more widespread, so try to get your foot in the door and take on as much writing as you can handle.

Another piece of advice is to be open in terms of what subjects you try to take on in your writing. Only covering your top favorite bands’ releases, which happen 2-3 times a year, won’t do much for you as a writer and will not help your portfolio of writing grow as much as you’d want it to. If you see a smaller band or artist you may not be very familiar with release a song, write about it! It would help you gain more experience writing with a completely

objective view of the artists themselves, and it would also bring the artist some attention if your article is posted somewhere for others to see. If you frequently go to concerts, try to start taking note of all of the little details at the shows you attend and write some concert reviews! Often, well thought-out editorial pieces about common trends or debated issues within the music industry get some attention and are enjoyable to write as you are not just sticking to one piece of work or one particular concert. You could pretty much write about anything you want with regards to music, and the more you write quality pieces, the more opportunities will come forth to advance yourself in what many call the most competitive industry out there.

I, Sophie, had no idea what I was doing the first time I brought a camera to a show in 2013. Although that wasn’t very long ago, there weren’t as many opportunities for a 16 year old to get press credentials back then, as many of the independent music publications we all know today hadn’t been thought of yet. Even though I would never publish the photos from that show now - I shot the entire show using automatic settings and flash, which is a huge no-no - it sparked creativity in me. As a visual artist with a deep passion for music, I found something that combined both of these loves and showed the world how much live music can mean to everyone involved. Three years later, after my first year of college and a whole lot of experience bringing my camera to small shows, I found a publication that saw my potential as a photographer. I’ve now graduated college and completed a senior thesis focused on music photography. While I know I still have a ways to go in my professional life, I am happy to share words of advice for anyone who wants to give music photography a try.

Many independent magazines already have a higher quantity of photographers than writers, so it’s important to build up a portfolio to make yourself stand out. To do that, bring a camera to smaller shows that don’t have a camera policy. Make sure you shoot in manual mode and know your camera settings. The more you practice, the more familiar you’ll become.

Most smaller venues don’t have much lighting, so you’ll want to know how to work around the low-light environment. To make things even trickier, most performers move quickly around the stage, so you won’t want your shutter speed to be too slow. I typically never shoot any slower than 1/200 of a second. Since the shutter speed doesn’t give you much wiggle room, you’ll want your aperture to be as wide as possible, which means the lowest number possible. Most kit lenses only open up to f4.5, which isn’t ideal. The best lens for beginner concert photographers is the 50mm f1.8 lens, also known as the “nifty fifty.” Most major camera brands sell them for a little over $100 - which isn’t cheap, but it’s the most inexpensive lens you will ever find. The wide aperture makes it possible to get sharp and stunning shots in low-light environments.

The last piece of advice I have is simple: always be kind. Don’t be afraid to share your work on social media and let others into your world. Open yourself up to constructive criticism and surround yourself with people who will help you grow. Make sure you make an effort to share other photographers’ work and lift them up as well. This is a competitive industry, but it’s best not to look at other photographers as competition, but to value them as friends who help each other.

First, and most importantly, practice makes perfect. In order to photograph your favorite band, you’ll likely need press credentials, which won’t be possible without an outlet to shoot for.

Written by: Gianna Cicchetti and Sophie Harris

Background photo by: Sophie Harris