Not Just Another Pretty Voice

Still trying to get caught up on back issues of Opera News and Classical Singer, of course I’ve been reading lots of interviews with classical music industry people.  As a writer who conducts a lot of interviews myself, of course it causes lots of reflection- the course of the discussion, the process by which an interview becomes an article, the way different reporters conduct interviews.  And, interestingly, patterns- both good and bad- I observe among subjects.

As someone who’s been on both sides of the mike, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share what I’ve learned- mostly from the writer’s perspective.  Mind you, I am a very small-time reporter- I just write for Classical Singer, and if you saw my paycheck you’d laugh- but I think it just makes me that much more self-reliant.  If nothing else, people who are planning/hoping to be interviewed by me can get inside my head and know what to expect!

* Relax.  I am not out to get you. People are so afraid of saying the wrong thing, they become super self-conscious about saying anything at all.  I don’t want you to look bad- that would just make me look bad.  If you say something and it comes out wrong, go ahead say, “Sorry, can I rephrase that?”  I usually ask a couple conversation-starting warm-up questions just to get people used to the format, be it talking into a microphone or group IMing.

* A finished article has to satisfy 4 different sets of objectives. Yours (promote your book), mine (be funny and charming and entertaining), the publisher’s (make a good headline, grab the interest of the reader, try not to offend anyone), and the readers’ (news they can use).  It’s my job, as the writer, to consolidate those into something that will make everyone happy.  Be sensitive that yours is only one set of needs to be filled.

* If your objective is not the obvious, warn me! If I’m trying to write an article about a show you’re currently in, but you’re only interested in promoting the next one, please give me a heads up.  Maybe I need to do some research, or maybe your current “story” doesn’t fit my theme at all.

* Get off-topic conversationally, but don’t keep changing the subject to something that doesn’t fit. I recently interviewed a performance group who are known for their unique format, but they kept bringing up premiering new works, which had very little to do with what they are known for.  Bring it up once, when it fits in context, but don’t lose sight of the subject.

* Yes, contact me with a story proposal- IF it fits. Do your homework.  Read the magazine I write for, read the pieces I write.  I am looking for ideas, but don’t make me stretch my imagination to force your story into my column.

* I do not want to write an article about you. Unless you are very famous, my readers are not interested in you.  They want something that applies to them.  I can write about something you have done or are doing, but I will not write about your life story and leave it to them to find something of value in it.

* Give credit where it’s due, but don’t gush. This is the worst when interviewing a group of people, and they all feel the need to fawn all over each other.  Say something nice that’s true, but don’t overdue it.  Likewise, I know you want to give a shout-out to all your friends, but this isn’t an academy award ceremony- it makes you look generous but is probably boring to the readers who have never heard of any of these people.

* No, you don’t get to see a draft of the article before it goes to press. Sure, you can ask, but to be honest, it appears amateurish.  In the real world, you don’t get to have your say.  Get used to it.

* One-phrase answers are not interesting. A string of “Yes.  No.  Tuesday.” is not interesting to the reader or helpful to our conversation.  Don’t give me cold, bare facts- give me discussion!  Too much is better than too little- I can always pare down.

* Tidy up your speech. Above all, if you are writing, use proper punctuation and capitalization!  When you are speaking, I can edit out your “umm”s and and “I guess”es- and I do want you to speak casually, but the more white noise there is I have to clean up, the more likely I will delete the wrong thing and obscure your meaning.

* Let me know if you have time constraints. My interviews usually take well over an hour.  If you have to be gone by a certain time, warn me before we start (and hopefully when we first make the appointment)- don’t tell me at 4:45 that you have to go at 5.

* Be clear if you want something off the record. Don’t be iffy.  I hear a lot of “Maybe this should be off-record, but…” and it’s always the most useful stuff.  Be clear, either before or after the statement, that it is not to be published, or I’ll make up your mind for you.  When in doubt, make the statement that needs to be made but leave out the names.  “I once worked with a soprano who had her lyrics written on the back of her hand” gives the juicy story without making anyone look bad.  (You can tell me who it was off the record!) Generally, if a reader can figure out who the subject is, they already knew the story anyway.

* Laugh.  Have fun. It’s not just a promotion, it’s a conversation.  I’m an amiable enough person and I love to chat.  It’s my job to pull the useful stuff out of the conversation.  You just have to relax and talk to me.