How to be a music journalist
Do you love music and writing? Ever wondered what it takes to pair your two loves? Well, this Masterclass offered by Guardian Australia is your idea of heaven. Every few months it seems there is a new music publication, hungry for writers who can stand above the pack with insightful interviews, lively live reports and cliché-free record reviews that inform, inspire and arrest readers by capturing the sound and spirit of music in the written word.
This one-day course, led by Guardian Australia music critic Kate Hennessy, will guide students through the fun and (usually) festive world of music journalism. Aside from the chance to chat to your music heroes and report from the front line of festivals, music writing is a great way to develop your writer’s voice, while covering records and gigs you love – or hate – and becoming a valued part of musical communities (without picking up a guitar).

This course is for you if:
You love gigs...and the written word!
You want ongoing support and networking through Kate’s How To Be A Music Journalist “alumni” group on Facebook
You’re an aspiring music journalist who wants to improve your skills as a reviewer
You’re in music publicity or management and you want insight into the editorial side of the business
You’re a student who wants to improve your writing and reviewing techniques


Course description
The Masterclass will cover the basics of music journalism, how to refine your individual voice, through to how to deal with hate mail. There will be time for questions and lots of practical exercises to practise your skills and sharpen your ear.

Topics on the day include:
Dos and don’ts for beginners and how to get started
Identifying your strengths, weaknesses and what drives you to write about music
Critic versus reviewer
Tips to do a great interview
How – and why - to write a great opening paragraph
How to pitch music editors
Learning to listen
The 6 core skills music writers need to succeed
What mistakes you might be making and how can you fix them
How to write a great live review / great record review
Headline-writing practise
Immersive and “gonzo” music writing
Navigating bad reviews and telling it like it is
The realities of being paid
How to deal with hate mail and trolls
Online portfolios and social media
Finding your niche and writing about “what you know”
Students will explore these issues in an interactive, fun environment using hands-on listening and writing exercises. This course is to encourage attendees to find their editorial voice in an open environment where no question is a bad question. Kate will provide plenty of good and bad examples, outlining what to aim for and what to avoid when embarking on your budding music journalism career. You will leave this Masterclass with the practical tools and confidence needed to begin on your music journalism journey.

Tutor profile
Kate Hennessy has been a freelance journalist for a decade and writing about music for 15 years. Her music writing is published in The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald/The Age, ABC Arts, Mess+Noise, The Quietus (UK), Noisey, FasterLouder, The Big Issue, The Wire (UK) and others. Kate is often travelling in Australia and abroad to report on arts festivals and gigs. She has been a panelist at Vivid Ideas, Darwin Writers’ Festival and Big Sound and she is an Australian Music Prize (AMP) judge. When she isn’t at a gig, or writing about one, she helps businesses with their written materials as a teacher of four years at the Australian Writers Centre.

Book now
Details
Melbourne
Date: Friday 17 March
Times: 11am-6pm
Location: The Guardian Offices,
Level 8, 51 Queen Street,
Melbourne VIC 3000
Price: $299
Event capacity: 20
Dress code: There is no dress code for Masterclasses. Please wear whatever you feel comfortable in.
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.

Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 7 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.