Journalist

I wrote an eight-page story when I was in grade school that became the most sought-after "book" in the school library. That encouraged me and was the first step in the lengthy process to get to where I am today.

I was good in English and at writing essays in subjects like History in high school, which led me to applying to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. for their communication studies program. After completing my degree, I worked for a summer as the editor of PRAXIS, a university-based international newsletter dealing with social and economic justice issues.

My education, knowledge and experience helped make me one of 30 people (out of more than 300 applicants) granted entry into Ryerson University in Toronto, Ont. for its journalism for university graduates program. While at Ryerson, I worked as a weekend news reporter at The Globe And Mail newspaper and had full-time summer reporting jobs at the Brantford Expositor and St. Catharines Standard newspapers.

I was always a music fan and booked bands into my high school and DJed school dances. I hosted shows at the University Of Waterloo's radio station while in university.

When it came time to find a new job, I heard of an opening at RPM Weekly, a trade magazine for the music industry. I wrote music business-related articles, interviewed artists and executives, reviewed albums, edited and helped lay out the publication for about 18 months before The Record, a similar but larger magazine, offered me the job as its editor. I stayed there for eight years that included the magazine's transition from a weekly printed publication to a daily online news source.

By this time, I had a solid reputation in the music industry and among my journalistic peers and was chosen to become managing editor and associate publisher of a new weekly trade magazine called Canadian Music Network. The Record folded within a week of my leaving. I stayed at Canadian Music Network for three years before taking time off to travel around the world and do freelance writing and editing.

I was asked three-and-a-half years ago to become the news editor of Chart magazine and CHARTattack.com, which are geared toward music fans as opposed to people in the industry. We published the last issue of the monthly magazine in December to focus all of our time and resources on our revamped interactive web site.

I come up with and write news articles for the website every day, and sometimes interview artists and write album and concert reviews. I copy edit everything that goes on the site and often have to do major rewrites on articles submitted by interns whose journalism skills are still lacking. I assign interviews to freelance writers.

I've written and continue to write articles for a variety of publications and websites, including the Tune In column, which I started last year. I edited the programs that are sold at the annual Juno Awards and Canadian Country Music Awards shows from 2002 to 2005. I edited a yearly music-related publication called Sonic from 2005 to 2007. I wrote a weekly online column on what's happening in the music industry from 2005 to 2007. I occasionally write biographies for artists to help them promote new albums.

I wrote a book called Hot Canadian Bands in 2006 that profiled 15 Canadian rock groups. The book might be hard to find in stores these days, but you can still order it online from such websites as Amazon.ca and Chapters.Indigo.ca.

Yes. I used to write weekly sports articles for The Toronto Sun and have done other sports writing as well. I've also written about travel, technology and beer.

In the early '90s I helped research and edit material for a book on the impact of past catastrophes on the world as we know it today, as well as for related journal articles and academic papers. I edited the English translation of The Picture Collection of Nanjing Massacre and International Rescue, which was originally published in Chinese and Japanese, in 2005.

I don't have to be in the office until 10 a.m. and can wear whatever I want. But even if the atmosphere is easygoing, there's still lots of work to be done and deadlines to be met. However, I listen to music all day, get free CDs and go to lots of concerts and parties. I sometimes travel to music conferences, awards shows and festivals. I'll be attending the South By Southwest Music Festival for the sixth straight year in March. It's a great time getting to choose who I want to see of the more than 2,000 acts from around the world who play the four-day festival held in dozens of clubs in Austin, Texas.

There aren't many full-time jobs available in music journalism, and the downturn in the economy have made journalism jobs scarce altogether. Budget cutbacks have also caused freelance opportunities to dry up somewhat. But if you love music and are a good writer, you can probably land some assignments. Just don't expect to be paid very much.

I've been the right person in the right place at various times throughout my career, but those opportunities don't come along all the time. But if you work hard and are good at what you do, and aren't looking to get rich, music journalism can be a rewarding career.