Writing About Music Panel Discussion

The Writer’s Center will present a special event Saturday, October 5 bringing together four music journalists to discuss writing about music, with a particular focus on jazz. The program, which has been organized by Willard Jenkins, recipient of the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz Journalism from the JazzJournalists Association, takes place from1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at The Writer’s Center, and will be followed by a wine and cheese reception.   

Jenkins notes that the writers will discuss the changing landscape of music journalism: “Music journalism and criticism has evolved over the last 50 years -- particularly with the explosion of pop music in that time -- into its own very distinct writing craft.  Writing about jazz music is one of the oldest and most vibrant branches of the music writing craft that has broadened considerably with new technology and the changing face of hard-copy print media.  Join our panel of print and electronic jazz journalists - with experiences ranging from the Washington Post and the NPR jazz blog, to international magazines and books -- as we explore how writers endeavor to write about the mysteries of music.  As the great Duke Ellington once said, ‘...there are only two kinds of music -- good music and bad music.’"

 

Writing About Music

1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Saturday, October 5

The Writer’s Center

4508 Walsh Street

Bethesda, MD 20815

$15, $10 members, $5 students and military service members

301-654-8664

 

Patrick Jarenwattananon is host of NPR’s A Blog Supreme, which describes itself as “an ongoing conversation about Jazz for both indoctrinated fans and curious listeners.”

Willard Jenkins is Artistic Director of Tri-C JazzFest. His work has appeared in several publications, including JazzTimes, Inside Arts, Down Beat, Schwann Spectrum, Schwann Opus, Jazz Report, Jazz Forum, The Antioch Review, Attache, Jazz Education Journal, and All About Jazz, He has also conducted extensive oral history interviews for the Smithsonian Institution, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, and 651 Arts. 

John Murph is a music, art and pop culture journalist based in Washington, DC. His work has appeared  widely in magazines, newspapers, online and on radio, including in JazzTimes, Down Beat, JazzWise, Vibe, the Washington Post, Washington Post Express Washington City Paper, NPR, BET Interactive and the Root Web sites, and on WPFW, 89.3 FM. 

Michael J. West is a freelance contributor to Washington City Paper, JazzTimes, DownBeat, and The Washington Post. He has also published in  Monterey County Weekly, East Bay Express, A.V. Club (Washington, D.C.), and “A Blog Supreme” on NPR.