Realistic Character Occupations: My Experience as a Freelance Music Critic
Your character's job or vocation is more important than you think it may be . . .
To win readers over we need to write characters so authentic they feel like real people. How do we do this? By brainstorming a character’s backstory, personality, needs, desires, and their day-to-day world. Lucky for us, one aspect of their daily life is a goldmine of characterization: the type of work they do.
Think about it: a job can reveal personality, skills, beliefs, fears, desires, and more, which is why Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi created The Occupation Thesaurus, a writing guide that profiles 124 possible careers and the story-worthy information that goes with each. To help with this project, I’m sharing my experience as a freelance music critic below, in case this career is a perfect fit for your character!
You can find the full list of Contributed Occupation Profiles and check out The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers at Writers Helping Writers.
OCCUPATION: Freelance Music Critic
OVERVIEW
As a music critic, I was responsible for writing reviews of new CDs and albums for a webzine that focused on female-fronted rock, metal, and progressive bands. In most cases, the reviews needed to be completed and submitted to the webzine editor before the album’s release date. This meant pitching or volunteering for album reviews through the webzine’s editor, then contacting record labels, publicists, managers, or even the artists themselves via email several weeks before the release date to obtain a press copy. Once I received the album, I would listen to it several times, making notes of the technical aspects of the music (instruments, song structure, vocals and melodies, lyrics, overall sound quality, etc.) and the impressions I had while listening, then write the review based on those thoughts and observations.
I also interviewed music artists about their new album release or current tour. Like with CD reviews, this required me to pitch or volunteer for interviews through the webzine’s editor, then contacting record labels, publicists, managers, or the artists themselves via email at least a few weeks in advance to arrange for the interview. Once the interview was scheduled, I would develop a list of questions and do research on the band to ensure I was as informed as possible about their work.
If an interview was conducted via email, I would send the written questions directly to the band and ask to have the answers by an agreed-upon deadline. If it was by phone or Skype, I would record my conversation with the band, then type up the transcript. On two occasions I interviewed bands in person, so I would visit the band at the concert venue a few hours before the show, record our conversation, and type up the transcript later. I was also responsible for submitting the completed interviews to my editor by a predetermined deadline and coordinating with the record label, publicist, freelance photographers, or the band themselves to gather photos to include with the interview.
NECESSARY TRAINING
No formal education was needed for this freelance position, but I did submit samples of CD reviews I had written for my college newspaper when I applied to write for the webzine. I also drew upon my experience with the college paper when I started doing band interviews. Most importantly, I loved the genre of music I was covering and had developed a keen ear thanks to years of listening to music and analyzing songs and albums with other music lovers.
USEFUL SKILLS, TALENTS, OR ABILITIES
CREATIVITY, CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, DETAIL-ORIENTED, EQUANIMITY, FOCUS & CONCENTRATION, GOOD LISTENING SKILLS, MUSICALITY, NETWORKING, ORGANIZATION, PROMOTION, PUBLIC SPEAKING, READING PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS, RESEARCH, WRITING
Check out the complete Talent & Skills Thesaurus at One Stop for Writers for more details.
SOURCES OF FRICTION
- Writing critical or negative reviews of popular albums
- Sharing critical opinions about popular bands outside of reviews
- Submitting a review or interview late (i.e., after its deadline)
- Bands or artists cancelling an in-person, phone, or Skype interview without rescheduling
- Bands or artists not returning their responses to an email interview before the deadline
- Bands or artists requesting corrections or changes to a published interview
- Fans learning you have obtained a press copy of an unreleased album and asking you to share it with them (which can lead to music or album leaks)
- Record labels, managers, or publicists who make unreasonable requests or are unwilling to compromise when scheduling interviews
- Record labels, managers, or publicists making false complaints about your behavior with the band to the editor
- Being looked down on by family and friends for the genre of music you listen to
- Little to no financial compensation if you’re a freelancer
- Headaches, tinnitus, or hearing loss due to repeated exposure to loud music at concerts
WRITERS SHOULD KNOW . . .
Every band is different in terms of musical approach and the personalities of its members. Most are respectful—and even excited and grateful!—for your reviews of their work. Some may even request that you review their next album or interview them again in the future, which can lead to mutual friendship. Others may be disappointed or angry because they expected more positive feedback, which can impact the band’s overall relationship with the webzine or magazine a critic writes for. If the latter happens often enough, it can frustrate a music critic to the point that they may feel jaded toward their work and the music industry and decide to leave their position altogether.
Have any questions about this job? I’d be happy to answer them! Visit my contact page to learn how you can email me.
Header photo courtesy of Daniel Reche via Pexels
