How The Freelance Writer's Den Breathed Life Into A Musician's Den
by Glen T Brown
by Glen T Brown
As
a man who has become a writer and a publisher by means of blogging, I'm
becoming increasingly aware of how much the quality of my writing
effects my message. When I first started to write online, I was not too
concerned about sharing my writing with others. But now that my writing
has a purpose to support the musicians' community in my city of
Hamilton, Ontario, I know that I can no longer rely on my simple
instincts.
Just
like I needed lessons to learn my musical craft, I need lessons to
learn my writing craft. My goal is to become a reliable "communicator of
excellence" on behalf of musicians and the music trade. Membership in
the Freelance Writer's Den will provide the sharp, high-level training I
need.
My
writing goals are already on track to benefit our community of
musicians numbering more than 2000 people. This December I will be
printing The Greater Hamilton Musician Annual, 2012 Edition. This print
magazine will be a compilation of my inaugural year of blog posts found
in Music Biz Bits, and will be distributed through local music stores,
music schools and musician hang-outs.
My
membership in The Den during the few months prior to publication will
be indispensable. And the exciting thing is that we will all get to hold
the results in our hands when the copies are printed!
The Musician Annual project excites me on its own. Being able to share it and fine-tune it in The Writer's Den would be amazing!
I want to be sure it makes a spectacular impression. The reputations
and the public profile of the musicians I write about depend on it.
The
idea of a local "musicians' den" in Hamilton is not just in my
imagination. There is no single meeting place, no scheduled meetings,
and no set agenda. Instead there is the local music business where
freelance musicians actively ply their profession. Our meeting places
are music stores, instrument repair shops, rehearsal halls, recording
studios, basements, orchestra pits, churches, backstage areas, pubs,
nightclubs, and special venues where we bring music to weddings,
anniversaries, parties, neighbourhood events and community celebrations.
Yes, we are the musicians of Hamilton, Ontario. We have a great purpose in our city, and we have a den.
Like
musicians all over the place, we are taken for granted. We are expected
to play for free, or with the pass-the-hat method. A few lucky ones
have a full-time gig and they don't have to network and market
themselves too much, but mostly it is the opposite. Musicians need help
to get the word out about their talent, and they need support in
marketing themselves smartly and managing their careers. Musicians need a
voice in the city and they need a voice to help them speak to other
musicians in the den. My writing helps them do both.
Writers make the invisible visible. They make the silent speak. They give voice where no one is speaking out.
Writers
become the eyes and ears of the collective population, scribes of the
unheard conversations, reporters of yet-unannounced good news. Where
there is a struggle, writers can bring potential solutions to light and
facilitate discussion and understanding. Musicians can always use their
music to convey their message, but my purpose as a writer goes beyond
that to document their talents, joys, triumphs and trials, and to help
them form a tighter sense of community between themselves.
I feel compelled to do this as well as I possibly can.
The
benefits of taking part in The Writer's Den will be many. Carol Tice,
Linda Formichelli and John Soares, backed up by their community of peers
and students in The Den, will expertly equip me to become the best
possible communicator. I will get top-quality tutoring on the
nitty-gritty of writing, including the big-picture stuff like managing
workflow and deadlines, and even some helpful coaching on making the
financial side of things work well. The members of the Freelance
Writer's Den and all of my readers will be able to see the results of my
progress as I continue posting about local music.
Thank-you for the opportunity to write for musicians.
Share this article with your musician friends. You can also request a free subscription using the form to the right.
- Glen
1 comment:
Excellent as always Glen. Great job.
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