Hello and welcome to our first Blogger spotlight of the month. It’s odd that we go more than a week without covering an up and coming writer, but June has been a month of new beginnings and we’ve simply been too busy to think twice about how long it had been since one our creative friends found their way to our front page. We thank you for your patience, those of you who have been waiting for this column’s return, and hope everyone who is here for the first time enjoys themselves enough to return. We started this blog to inspire and inform the next generation of music professionals about the realities of the modern industry. If you have any questions about the content of the blog, or if you would like more information regarding the distributional services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Antonio Vazquez is not a household name in the world of music journalism just yet, but if he continues to contribute to the world of writing the way he has during the short time he has been active in blogging that fact may soon change. He’s smart, well spoken, and constantly on the lookout for new ways to innovate the world of music writing. His efforts with The Daily Crescendo are what put him on our radar in the first place, and in the interview below he unveils his plans for the future.
I was admittedly unaware of Antonio’s existence prior to meeting him on Twitter, but in the time since his work has come on my radar I have become increasingly fascinated by his seemingly endless determination to push himself, as well as those around him, to find new ways to engage readers. His work ethic is second to none, especially considering how young he is, and I have little to no doubt that his future in this industry is incredibly bright. He’s the kind of guy who could open a pizza joint if he wanted to and people, myself included, would be there to support him all the way. Fortunately for us, and more importantly the industry as a whole, I think if he has his way he will never step foot outside the world of music.
You can learn more about Antonio’s work and his plans for the future by following him on Twitter. Additional questions and comments can be left at the end of this post.
H: Thanks for joining us, Antonio. I’ve been looking forward to this interview.
A: Hey James, I’m glad to be spending this time answering the questions you have for me. I think this will be a good exposure of what I’ve been doing for years now.
H: I’d like to begin, as we often do, with your earliest interactions of music. When you think about the role music played in your childhood, what memories come to mind?
A: Music played a huge part of my childhood, I have a memory always stuck in my head when I hear the band Evanescence being played. I see myself sitting in class reading the book “Holes” listening to “Bring Me To Life” on repeat. Music has always helped me throughout that time period, whether it came to doing my homework or just calming down after a stressful day.
H: Tell me about your first concert experience. Who did you see, who took you, and what was your takeaway from the night?
A: That would have to be when I saw Over It and Days Like These. I would have to say after my first concert I was immediately hooked and looking forward to more, so much that every time a concert came up I did all I could to get there. I was friends Mark Hooven who at the time was the bassist from DLT. He was also a huge influence to me when it came to music. I loved to see how the bands interacted with their fans and just the overall atmosphere when you’re standing in the pit listening to whoever was on stage at the time. If you haven’t been to a show local or not I’d suggest you get out there ASAP.
H: Before we get to your efforts in music, I would like to talk about the events that lead you down this path. Can you recall a time when you first thought that interacting with music could be more than just a hobby for you?
A: Back then I used to follow Decoy Music a lot. I emailed one of the staff members on how I could start reviewing albums. I actually got a response and pretty quick too, he said submit a review to him and he would see what he could do. After that I did some research on how to write a review and how it should be structured. I would say I wasn’t the best, there’s always room for improvement. I was determined to the fact that I found a friend who used to review to start up our own site.
H: Did you share this idea with your family up front? Were they supportive?
A: Honestly I told no one about what I was doing. I don’t think they would have taken me serious at the time. They know now and are very supportive.
H: Did you go to college for music business, journalism, or anything related to the entertainment industry? Do you even feel a college education is necessary for those hoping to make a name for themselves in this business?
A: I went to school for Computer Hardware & Design, nothing that has to do with journalism or the music industry. I mean if I find the time to go back to school I see myself heading down the music path. When it comes to a college education I believe it’s an advantage you can have over some people. Some people just don’t have the mindset to write something in detail on whatever the topic may be. Grammar is a huge part of writing, if you can’t break down sentences, punctuations, and just common spelling mistakes it’ll make it hard on the person reading it.
H: When did you first think to attempt writing about music? Can you recall the first artist you covered?
A: Once I got in contact with a buddy of mine who used to review, I pushed for building a site to start writing. If I remember correctly the first artist I covered was Paddock Park “A Hiding Place For Fake Friends.” That album will forever be my favorite because I believe it set off my adventure in writing.
H: Did you immediately begin applying to sites when you wanted to write, or did you step our on your own first? Tell us about those first few weeks:
A: I immediately went on to building my own site, with the help of the owner we were able to get it up within a few weeks and start publishing news. The first couple weeks we went live was one of the hardest. We were a new site and didn’t have too many contacts so it was hard to get material to cover.
H: You now write for The Daily Crescendo, which is a relatively young site. How did you initially come across this publication, and what inspired you to apply to write?
A: The Daily Crescendo is actually owned by the same person I started everything with. I was out of the light for a while due to my child and work. He messaged me one day and asked me to be an editor and to hire people that I knew who could write and be trustworthy at the same time. I love to write my opinion on the music I listen to. Sometimes it can be a difference to get that one person who wasn’t quite sure about the band to take that step in supporting the band.
H: You actually have a pretty important role at TDC. Please tell everyone about your daily and weekly responsibilities:
A: My main job is to reach out to all the bands regardless if they’re sign or unsigned. I like to give exposure to smaller bands that deserve to be recognized. On a weekly basis I would take the time to post news on upcoming tours and album releases as well as posting reviews and interviews. At the beginning of the week I round up press releases to post as news from what was announced during the weekend. By the end of the week I start to request material to be reviewed for the upcoming weeks. One thing I don’t handle is our twitter account although I’d love to, oh and we also have to eventually make a Facebook page.
H: Like many young writers, you do not get paid for these efforts. I hate to sound like a stereotypical adult, but why keep doing it? What drives you to continually post and create content even though there is no financial gain or immediate takeaway for your efforts?
A: I do it for the satisfaction of giving the readers something to look forward to. I see no reason to stop regardless of getting paid or not. I’m providing free promotion for any and all genres of music. You never know what an article can make a reader do. Hell, it could be that one review someone reads after being skeptical about one of that persons anticipation that makes them get online and preorder it. I like to help in anyway that I can.
H: What type of career do you see yourself taking on in the years ahead? Is writing full time the end goal, or are just hoping to find any place within the music world?
A: Honestly I’d love to write for an actual magazine. I mean I love doing everything online but to actually see my words typed up on a printed page which people buy would make me feel like I’ve accomplished more than I thought I would. Even if that doesn’t happen and I continue doing this I’ll be happy either way.
H: Clearly what you’re doing now will lay the groundwork for the connections and knowledge you leverage later in your professional life, so I can appreciate your determination to contribute even if nothing is being given back (yet). Tell me, what advice would you offer someone who may be reading this and thinking about writing or otherwise pursuing a career in music themselves?
A: If you have the passion to write regardless if you’re good or bad at it. Don’t let that stop you from trying because to me there’s always room for improvement. No one can tell you you can and cannot do. Practice make perfect.
H: You engage with a lot of young bands through your efforts. What are some of the common mistakes you see young artists make when trying to promote themselves?
A: Hmm… I would have to say sending their material to anyone who asks for it . As a heads up there are a lot of people who will fake writing for a publication for free music. Do some research on the person before sending anything. Always ask for the website and check the staff/contact page to see if that person actually writes for them. Another thing I see is spamming their band on a bigger known band’s facebook page or youtube videos. I know I don’t click those links, it’s just annoying and makes you look desperate.
H: What advice would you offer bands and musicians looking for a way to stand out from the competition when contacting bloggers and otherwise trying to promote themselves?
A: As I said in the question before, do your research and follow up on that person to make sure your material gets covered in one way or another. You should also send music only to the editor’s of the website requesting. I’ve seen a few instances where a writer requests things and never tells the editor. It doesn’t end up good when something doesn’t get covered as promised and an email gets sent saying the band sent music to such and such. It protects not only you but sometimes there are deadlines for coverage.
H: Fighting piracy is at the core of what we do. As a writer, you have no doubt been subject to seeing others abuse their access for internet fame. What do you think drives someone to leak music? Do you think there is any way we can prevent piracy from happening in the first place?
A: Honestly, there’s no way to really prevent music from leaking. We have websites that watermark music to the receivers name but that doesn’t stop someone leaking it if it falls into the wrong hands. I’ve seen people thinking they are “Gods” for leaking music early. Those type of people don’t understand the impact they just made on someones career and hard time spent. Quite frankly there are people who just don’t care. An album leaking months early just ruins the band and labels promotion schedule and can also ruin the person the music belongs to.
H: When it comes to receiving music for preview and feature consideration, which distribution platforms do you prefer and why?
A: I absolutely love Haulix for the simple fact that it’s easy to use, mobile friendly (now), protected with a 4 digit pin, and personal watermarked to the receiver. Another distribution platform I like to use is iPool. IPool was very organized and easy to use as well and always provided a download link. I’m always on the go and need to put the music on my mobile device.
H: When you think about the future, what goals have you set for yourself? This doesn’t have to be professional. We just like getting to know you.
A: I set the normal goals one would set for their life. I’m currently living with my girlfriend in a house with three kids, two being hers and one being mine. We also have five cats and two more on the way. One goal would be to get a newer better house that I feel is up to my standards, not saying the house we’re in now isn’t but hey we can all use upgrades. My main goal would be to get into a new profession and be able to be happy with what I do. Right now my paid job is to be a Transportation Coordinator and Driver for a non-profit organization called South Jersey AIDS Alliance. I love my job but I know I have more potential than just driving.
H: Thinking a bit more short term, is there anything you hope to accomplish in 2014 that you’re currently working towards and care to share?
A: Right now one of my accomplishments I would like to do is work for a label or even PR firm who deals with music. This goes back to my whole wanting to write for print.
H: If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be?
A: Ahh… this one is a toughy, I don’t know too much about how the music industry works, I learn more and more everyday. If I could change anything I would be nothing, ha.
H: Okay, this is getting a little long, so I think we’ll go ahead and call it quits. Before I let you go, do you have any final thoughts or observations that you would like to share with us?
A: I would just like to thank you again for taking the time to do this. I want to say to all the people reading this. Reviewing music is a privilege that comes with a lot of responsibility. If you’re just in it for the free things you’re going at it completely wrong. Yes, the music is nice to have but that’s not the reason I’m doing this. If you love to help artists sign up for a street team, post about them on twitter/facebook, and tell your friends about them. Anything you say can help the artist you promote both big and small.