Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.

My name is Adam Bernard and I’ve been a music journalist for the past 15 years. During that time I’ve written for a plethora of magazines, websites, and yes, even newspapers. That’s how old I am!!! I have 14 national magazine cover stories to my name, and had a long running column in my area’s local alternative weekly paper. Currently I write an artist advice column for Sonicbids.com, run a podcast, and write the occasional commentary, for RapReviews.com, run my blog, AdamsWorldBlog.com, where I cover NYC’s local music scene, among other things, and I write the occasional artist bio. My overarching goal is to help indie artists attempt to shed their 9-5 gigs so they can work on their music full time.

What drove you to choose your career path?

Ironically, this has nothing to do with music, as I originally landed on journalism as a career when I realized I wasn’t going to be good enough to play sports on anything more than a recreational level, yet wanted to stay close to the game. Journalism was my way in, and I worked in sports throughout college, and for a little while afterward. It only took about a year for me to realize music was where I wanted to be, and I subsequently started pitching music websites, and magazines.

How did you go about getting your job? What kind of education and experience did you need?

I was thrown into the real world at a very odd time, as I completed my undergrad work in the year 2000 (Hofstra University. BA in Journalism. Grad school came much later, at Fairfield U, and had nothing to do with journalism). At the time, people were trying to figure out what to do with their Y2K bunkers, high speed internet was something that was just starting to get into people’s homes, and print publications still ruled the journalism world. Obviously, all of that has changed dramatically (unless you’re reading this in a Y2K bunker, in which case, it’s all good, man, you can come out now).

My various gigs in journalism have come from pitching publications, responding to job postings, and, occasionally, editors finding me. I’ve had multiple editors ask me to contribute to their publications after reading my blog. This is why I always treat every article as if it may be the only one someone reads, because it might be, and that person might be looking to hire!

What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?

I think I probably split my time evenly among writing, artist discovery, and shameless self-promotion. 

What misconceptions do people often have about your job?

I think a lot of people think we all wake up at noon hungover. The truth is I wake up very early hungover.

What are your average work hours?

I’m a bit of an oddball, as I like to get into my home office at around 7am. I feel like I get the most work done before all the emails start coming in.
Being that I freelance, I’ll take breaks during the day to hit the gym, and run an errand or two, but when my day ends depends on if I have a show to cover. Sometimes I’m done at 4pm. Sometimes I’m out until 2am. It’s a crapshoot. That said, I’ve learned that at age 37 I can’t do multiple late nights in a row anymore.

What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?

I’m not sure there are any real shortcuts. What makes life easier, however, is getting to know who you’re working with on a more personal level. Once you know someone’s likes and dislikes, and they know yours, the pitching process becomes significantly easier on both ends. I have to say, social media, when used correctly, can aid in that greatly.
Something else that makes my job easier, and I know this may sound crazy, is that I always hand in my articles early. When you’re beating deadlines, editors love you, and it gives you more time to write, pitch, and listen to music.

What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?

I can’t say there’s something that ONLY I do, but I know I’m part of a dying breed of music journalists who go to small indie shows for the sole purpose of discovering something new. I know there are others who do this, but they are few and far between, as I’m often either the only writer at these shows, or one of only two or three.
I still get a huge rush when I see an artist I’ve never heard of, and they’re ridiculously awesome, and I get to be the first, or one of the first, to write about them. I don’t think a lot of writers are as interested in getting the scoop anymore, especially in music journalism, where many writers won’t listen to an artist unless someone’s already co-signed on them.

Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?

Say hi. Seriously, a lot of folks attempt to be so hyper professional they forget about being personable. Also, follow up. All music journalists get inundated with emails, tweets, Facebook messages, etc., throughout the day, and sometimes things fall through the cracks.

What's the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?

The worst part of the job, and I’m guessing you hear this from just about everyone, is getting the money you’re owed. I’m trying to do all the good that I can in this life, because I know hell for me would be a never ending invoicing process, and I want no part of that! Another negative is that can it take a toll on your non-work related social life. When you’re hitting up shows all the time, the last thing you want to do on a night off is go to a bar.

What's the most enjoyable part of the job?

Meeting so many amazing, talented, people, and being able to help them tell their stories. Whether this involves doing an interview, writing about their latest concert, or quoting them in a column, I love it when something I’ve written generates something great for an artist. A few months ago a publicist told me a column I wrote where I quoted one of her artists ended up landing the artist a really nice opportunity. That’s the kinda stuff that makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something here.

What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?

To be completely honest, if you’re doing this for the money, you’re probably going to be disappointed, but what we lack in huge paychecks, we make up for in experiences. That guy at a Fortune 500 company isn’t seeing 100+ live acts a year.

How do you move up in your field?

By being like Noah Syndergaard and pitching HEAT! Seriously, the best ways to move up are to have great clips, pitch your ass off, and be able to handle rejection. I like to tell people freelancing is a lot like dating, you’re going to hear “no” a lot before you get a “yes.”

What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession? 

Never stop reading.
Never stop writing.
Never reply to an email, or social media post, in anger.
Write each article as if it will be the only article of yours someone sees.

Website: http://adamsworldblog.com
Twitter: @adamsworldblog