Media Portfolio

I am a freelance Internet and music consultant and writer, working on a broad range of music-related media that includes wesbite management, design, content creation, written editorial and new media marketing. I write for several music publications both in print and online, and draw on my background in art, music, retail and journalism bringing a broad set of skills and experience to a variety of clients.

I manage the www.ijazz.org Universal Classics and Jazz website, (creating all of its content as well as designing and sending HTML marketing emails); consulting on the design, implementation and maintenance of several artist websites, liasing with both the artists and record label. I have also written extensive biographies, program notes and press releases for a range of artists covering every style from house music to jazz and classical; I also write two columns for the UK’s leading monthly jazz publication, Jazzwise Magazine, for whom I am both their Gig Guide Editor and main DVD reviewer; I have also written for the official Glastonbury website as a music journalist since 2000. In 2005 I also became involved with booking and coordinating the new Jazz Lounge stage at the 2005 festival, as well as booking artists Da Lata, The Wailers, the Laurence Cottle Big Band and Jools Holland into a major new music event – the Koh Samui Music Festival, in Thailand in 2005.

Employment

Oct 2002 – Present UNIVERSAL JAZZ WEB CONTENT MANAGER / ONLINE MARKETING – www.ijazz.org and www.emarcy.com

This is a freelance role that involves coordinating the web presence of the label’s activities in relation to their artists, release schedule and live events. I act as editor-in-chief of the site’s content, writing and sourcing articles, which are edited into an appropriate style for presentation on the web. I use a bespoke content management system, which also involves commissioning artwork and functionality from web and graphic designers. I am also responsible for the creation of digital content for the site, which includes monthly digital radio shows and exclusive footage of Universal artists – filmed and streamed especially for the site. Recently I have also been producing and editing digital videos for site, broadening both the content provided to the site and my skill base. I have also written press releases for some of the label’s newer artists, as well as a business plan for developing the site’s commercial possibilities. This is a challenging yet enjoyable role, which relies on innovative ideas and imagination, utilising my technical skills and my in-depth knowledge of specialist music and the web, as well as my skills as a communicator as I liase with a wide variety of individuals and companies.

2001-present Monthly Contributer - Website MangerJAZZWISE MAGAZINE

I have been a regular contributor to ‘Jazzwise’ magazine as their DVD reviewer and Gig Guide editor for five years, I also regularly proofread each issue of the magazine. I am also in the early stages of a new role developing the magazine's website into a far reaching online resource for all the things jazz.


Sept 2005 – December 2006 WEB PLATFORM TESTING / VIDEO EDITING/FILMING WEB DESIGN CONSULTANT – www.qmediastream.com

Testing and documenting and help design the new multi-million pound web platform http://www.flexbenefits.com/ for the American life-insurance market – I have acted as the in-house writer for this project. I have also utilised my video editing skills editing footage from several international conferences for www.accountability21.net and the Internet Advertising Bureau’s AGM - http://www.iab.net/ - which featured speeches by Bill Gates and Lord David Putnam, I also helped filmed this conference. I edit the monthly ‘Power Networking Presentations’ at international company http://www.ecademy.com/ with 70,000 members worldwide. All footage is encoded for web streaming.

August 2005 to present - WEBSITE MANAGER– www.gbguitars.co.uk

Bernie Goodfellow is one of the UK’s top bass guitar luthiers making bespoke instruments for the like of Mark King and Laurence Cottle, he’s also the UK’s main distributor for the world beating Swedish bass amplifiers EBS. Since I’ve been managing the GB Guitars and EBS UK website I’ve added a whole raft of new content that includes extensive image galleries, artist performances videos, regular news and mini features, as well as a customer database facility.


May - July 2005 - MUSIC CONSULTANT / ARTIST BOOKING ASSISTANT - Koh Samui Music Festival Thailand.

In 2005 I also became involved with booking and coordinating artists Da Lata, The Wailers, the Laurence Cottle Big Band and Jools Holland into a major new music event – the Koh Samui Music Festival, in Thailand in 2005. This involved extensive communication between the artists, management and the festival organisers.

Jul 1999 – Sept 2002 MUSIC EDITORIAL/WEB CONTENT PRODUCER
www.MVC.co.uk and www.Audiostreet.co.uk

I was responsible for every aspect of running an efficient, exciting, up-to-date music website. From buying decisions to reviewing the latest releases, researching content, conducting, organising and producing interviews, competitions and catalogue-related features, I also wrote copy for all types of music with a critical knowledge of both the genre and its key audience. I built and maintained web pages using Dreamweaver and Photoshop and the ATG content management system. To facilitate the best possible content and product range, I also developed an array of top contacts at all the major labels, including Universal, Sony and Warner Brothers, along with a host of highly respected independent labels as well as the product managers at EUK. My role also included writing original copy for both the MVC website and the nationwide stores in the form of marketing ‘advertorial’ – this also includes MVC’s specialist music magazine published twice yearly. This content was commercially minded and produced to a tight deadline.

2000 – present JOURNALIST FOR WWW.GLASTONBURYFESTIVALS.CO.UK

I was a journalist for the first official Glastonbury festival website for the festival in 2000 and also in 2002, writing reviews and articles, on site, on a variety of artists and events at the festival.

1997-1999 SPECIALITIES SECTION LEADER HMV (Oxford Store)

Whilst at HMV, I ran a large specialist department for two years. My role as the specialities section leader involved all aspects of music retail - running sales reports, placing orders daily, making buying decisions, racking product to company standards, maintaining the department, training new staff and responding to the musical tastes of the local market.

Education

Sep 91 – Jun 94 Falmouth College Of Art & Design
BA Hons degree (2:1) in Fine Art – specialising in print making. This demanding three-year course culminated in a final exhibition, and a 7000-word dissertation - mine was entitled ‘A Critical Study Of Culture As Commodity’. My work was shown in London, Edinburgh and Cheltenham in various solo and group exhibitions.

Sep 90 Jun 91 Cheltenham College Of Art
National Diploma in Foundation Studies – this preliminary year to the Fine Art degree involved learning a variety of artistic skills that raised awareness of the different areas of specialisation in art, including graphic design, sculpture and painting.

Extensive computer experience with both PC and Mac using Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Word, spreadsheets, databases, e-mail and the Internet.

I have played the bass guitar for 20 years and currently play with a 6-piece jazz funk band, Jasco, as well as playing jazz in various different bands as well as teaching bass privately.