New music journalism course declares war on lazy writing

•    London Journalism Centre launches back to basics music journalism course

•    Emphasis on original reporting, quality writing and creativity

A new eight week evening course from London Journalism Centre will arm participants with a back-to-basics approach to music journalism. Sloppy writing and corner-cutting solutions will be banned. Emailing interview questions? Cutting and pasting press releases? No way. Proper research and face-to-face interviewing skills will be paramount. As well as learning how to write music reviews, accurate snappy features, interview artists and pitch their ideas to editors, students will get an inside view of the music industry from tutor and music and lifestyle writer Lulu Le Vay.

Le Vay has written for the Guardian, Independent, Observer, i-D, The Face and Jockey Slut and other titles, as well as working for many years as a music PR and artist manager, steering the careers of Beardyman, Ashley Beedle, Crazy P and Spektrum, and launching indie label defDrive. She was also, until recently, Deputy Course Director of the Foundation Degree (Popular Musician) at the British Academy of New Music.

“We live in a media world with more blogs, websites and social media platforms than you can shake an ink pen at,” says Le Vay. ”Despite the gradual disappearance of print, all these platforms require words, and people to write them with skill and flair. Alongside the basics of proofing and fact-checking copy, this course aims to instill an entrepreneurial edge into each individual that will help them launch into the music and media industries. Plus it will be fun!”

The course has high expectations of students. Each writer who completes it successfully will have sent a pitch to a commissioning editor, and have at least one polished article as an example of their work.

Dates, venue, cost and booking
Tuesday evenings, Oct 16th to Dec 4th, 7pm-9pm, The Print House, 18 Ashwin Street, Dalston, E8 3DL
Cost: £195 (inc VAT). To book a place go to www.journalismcentre.co.uk

For more information contact:
Lulu 07956 945847 lulu@lululevay.com / Jamie 07790 000490 jamie@journalismcentre.co.uk