Terence Teh
Music EditorWhat is a day in your job like?
Without stating the obvious, working for a music magazine means listening to a lot of music, for review purposes, potential features and future covers. Whilst on the look out yourself, hundreds of PR will be constantly hounding you, with the sole goal to get their artists into your magazine. On their half this involves a lot of flirting, invites to launch events and gigs, and mass claims of an artist's (mostly unproven) grandeur. Although, it soon usually flips around when you’re chasing them for answers before deadlines, press shots, photographers and freelance writers.
What skills have you come to rely on the most?
Saying this, the ability to multi-task, not get stressed by it all and be able to communicate with anybody and everybody are important. These skills all have to work with your innate ability to decide whether the music is any good or not… I guess some would say this is good taste, but who decides what is good taste? So stick to those instincts.
If you could pick one positive and one negative aspect of your job, what would they be?
The industry is so all-consuming that it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between your "job" and your "life", which is either a plus or a minus depending on your outlook. It's amazing to be able to promote artists that you really think deserve to be written about and also publish killer features before anyone else jumps on the bandwagon. The negative aspects are the same with most creative jobs - the length of your hours you have to put in don’t directly relate to the size of your pay.
Is there any advice you would give students hoping to pursue a career in your field?
If there was any advice I’d give, it would be to stay true to yourself, (not get caught up in the hype) and more importantly, stay true to your particular style of writing. Be open to advice, but remember that you need to make an impression with your own writing. Also, be nice, as the industry is a lot smaller than you think.
