Recently, a college student sent me an email asking about the music industry. He had a couple of questions about how things work for a person in my position, and he asked for any advice I might have to someone like him who wanted to get involved in today’s music scene.

Now, this email was written in a way that made it obvious he sent it to a lot of people at record labels, more so than zines like ours, so I’m not sure how helpful I really was, or how much I could necessarily be of help to anyone from my current place, since I too am a college student and only a volunteer reviewer and interviewer for an indie webzine.

But for what it’s worth, I thought I might as well share part of this little interview with the rest of our readers. For the first time, I sit at the other end of the interview, and it feels weird to be the one who answered the questions instead of asked them, but it was a nice change of pace.

First I would like to know how you got your start? What sort of advice can you pass on?

I started out listening to as much music as possible, followed by reading about as much music as possible. After Hardcore Christian, the online music zine I had been reading, died, they recommended another site by the name of Indie Vision Music. I checked it out and liked the place, so I kept coming back, and one day in the news section Brandon said he was looking for more reviewers, and I volunteered. At that point I was reviewing whatever I bought, and me and the other writers sort of unofficially raced to buy and write about the latest T&N releases. Eventually I guess Brandon liked my stuff enough to start sending me albums to review, and today I get a good amount of what I review through him from whatever the bands and labels send to our site. Somewhere in between I began doing some interviews as well, originally by email and then in person too.

My advice about starting out is to get as much experience on this sort of grassroots level as possible. Think you love working with music? Do it for free for a couple of years and then decide if you really want to do it for pay. Jobs should always be something that you would secretly do anyway, even if they didn’t pay you. If it’s just a way to get a paycheck, it’s not the job for you.

Where did you go to school?

I’m actually still in school. I’m a sophomore right now at La Salle University in Philly.

What type of degree did you acquire? Business, Music Business, Music Technology?

I’m majoring in Communications, with an emphasis on journalism.

What exactly do you do?

I basically already told you what I do at IVM, but I guess I can tell you a little more. I’m a volunteer writer who does it all for the love of music and for experience for the future. And the free music pays off, haha. Although at times I forget that it pays off, because right now I’ve got a stack of about fifteen records on my desk that I need to review, and I’m probably only going to really enjoy two or three of them. There’s a lot of crap music out there right now. A lot of fantastic music too, but sometimes it’s hard sifting through it all to find the gems. I guess you could say that’s what I do. I spend my days digging for gold like it’s 1849. And having to constantly take such a close look at the dirt has caused me to appreciate the gold so much more.

Ever wonder why a lot of critics seem so picky? Because we have to be. We see so much music we really need to have high standards to find the greatest and forget about a lot of the mediocre stuff that would have excited us when we were younger and less experienced. At this point I listen to all these bands for reviews, but when it comes time to listen to music just to enjoy it, there’s a list of like five bands that I actually listen to, because so few have really connected with me in such a powerful way as these. It might sound like I’m a little sick of music and the industry, which I might be, but I’m also a huge fan of good music, real music, and I couldn’t imagine life without it. It’s just that genuine music as a form of human expression is hard to find these days in a landscape of bands looking for fame and wealth. So be critical. Find the good stuff. Don’t settle for another lousy generic release when only looking a little further will result in a band that will stir your soul.

And lastly I would like to know what you would recommend for someone like me pursuing a career in the music industry?

Learn the history of rock and roll. So many people think they know a lot about music because they follow the modern releases of their favorite bands and labels and spend all their weekends at shows. This was once me, but as soon as I started to look before my time, I realized I had a lot to learn. Sure, Dustin Kensrue sounds great, but how can I truly appreciate his music without knowing anything about Cat Stevens or Bob Dylan? Buy a record player and fill it up with some good old Led Zepplin, The Doors, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and more. (For those interested in Christian music, I would add Larry Norman, Keith Green, Love Song, etc.) Take some time to enjoy the classic rock station between listening to the latest hits. The most progressive thinkers and artists have always had a thorough understanding of the past. The band House of Heroes may well be some of the greatest songwriters of our time, and they draw huge influence from Queen and The Beatles.

Or, if learning all of rock and roll seems too daunting a task, begin by learning the history of your favorite subgenre. Love emo? Go read about and listen to Sunny Day Real Estate and The Get Up Kids. Love hardcore? Go learn about Minor Threat and Blag Flag. Love folk? Go learn about Simon & Garfunkel, Joan Baez, and the rest. Even if you love southern rock, there’s plenty to learn, starting with Credence Clearwater Revival, The Doobie Brothers, and of course, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

So that was my interview. Fun, huh? If it wasn’t helpful to anyone, I hope it was at least enjoyable.

[This blog is the expressed opinion of Eric Pettersson and does not necessarily reflect the overall opinion of Indie Vision Music. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this blog, please email the writer at eric @ indievisionmusic. com]