I believe that a music critic/reviewer has a few clear cut duties: to write straightforward, yet entertaining reviews; to look at the people and the stories behind the music; to act as a middleman, by turning the reader on to sounds they must hear, and to help champion musicians who deserve to be heard by a wide audience; and, perhaps most important, to be HONEST.

 I look at music as a very soulful, almost religious experience, and it therefore takes something special to really resonate with me. There is something equally beautiful in the electric jolt of Chuck Berry’s guitar on “Johnny B. Goode” as there is in the exquisite harmonies of the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” Each piece of music is trying to achieve something very different from the other, but I love them both. I look for music, whether it is from a well known group or from an obscure talent at a local bar, that has passion behind its creation. Writing about that music matters more to me than acting as PR for some good looking young group singing about hooking up with cute girls, or whatever the current bad-boy pose of the moment is. Thus, there’s no room on this site for Kid Rock’s legions. Sorry...

 Just as interesting to me as the great tunes on the stereo are the people that manage to come up with this stuff. Who dreams up a great hook, or a memorable guitar line, or a standout rhythm track? What’s in their stereo? Who are their heroes? What separates the musicians we all love from the rest of us, that they have the gift to make magic? In an ideal world, I would be able to spend some quality time with each subject, getting to know them, see them operate in their environment, talk with their friends, fellow musicians, see what they do to unwind, etc. The best writings about music that I have read involved the critics spending time with and getting to know their subjects, and having the opportunity to provide a detailed background to the music.

 Perhaps owing to my interests in world events and history, I also like to look at the nonmusical side of things, to bring in a different perspective to a story. Obviously, I’ve been working at mainly low level magazines thus far, and my opportunities for in-depth stories have been limited. Over the next few years, however, it is my goal to write the sort of fully-realized kinds of pieces that inspired me in the first place.