Doug Collette
Verified- Freelance Music Writer, Freelance
- Senior Staff Writer, All About Jazz
- Senior Staff Writer, Glide Magazine
South Burlington
Covers:
Choice artists and their work in the realms of rock and roll, jazz and the blues: new release and archive records, concerts, videos, books and interviews as well as historical think pieces.
Doesn't Cover:
Contemporary pop, hip-hop and country music
Discerning aficionado devoted to music, greatest of all the arts!...#Insight & #Information @allaboutjazz & @glidemag...Observations HERE are mine alone.....
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Besides the high school paper, becoming a regular contributor to my college newspaper at the University of Vermont.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes...learned to type in high school and bittersweetly recall mailing and faxing stories early on in my scribe pursuits
How is social media changing news?
Allowing those with minimal skill and narrow perspective to muddle public discourse on any given topic, including music in all its forms.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Hunter S. Thompson
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To assume the responsibility to share experiences as accurately as possible, as means to enhance the reader's own experience.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
#TACO TRUCKS EVERY CORNER
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
"Forwarding this on, in case it interests you at all...no pressure..."
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Ears, eyes, heart & soul plus a variety of audio and video hardware as well as a laptop, Ipad and IMac desktop with Firefox & OpenOffice.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter: it enhances my goal to write simply, directly and to the point.
Who do you wish followed you?
Bob Dylan and Erin Burnett (from CNN)
Why did you become a journalist?
I became fascinated with the craft of writing and soon discovered it was another enlightening means of enjoying music to the fullest extent.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I contributed regular music reviews and also helped edit the paper overall.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The most recent one I have completed and submitted for publication, at any given time..
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write about your subject, not yourself, keeping in mind every opinion paper has the words "I think" in parenthesis at the very beginning.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Outside my home when I have opened my antennae as wide as they will go...
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"Your perspective adds great value to the content we publish..."
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"I can't pay you any money, but you will have an opportunity to write on a regular basis..."
What's your favorite drink?
Strong black coffee
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Between some stereo speakers or headphones, at home or driving in my car.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Rolling Stone Magazine 'Special Editions' such as those devoted to The Who, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it is a lucrative profession, loaded with perks to boot!
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.