Rock Journalism

Frank Zappa declared that, "Most rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read."



There are "Ten commandments of Rock Journalism”, these are:

1. Know your music


2. Know your metal


3. Be open to all forms of metal


4. It’s not just the riff


5. Listen/watch/read before you write


6. Have your say


7. Be you


8. Prepare to be hammered and to be hammer back


9. Go against the rules


10. Just be Metal

Rock journalism is a type of music journalism. Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as classical music. This aspect of music journalism, today generally classified as music criticism, comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of music and its performance. Modern music criticism is often informed by music theory consideration of the many diverse elements of a musical piece or performance, including its form and style, and as regards performance, standards of technique and expression.

One could apply the above "Ten commandments of Rock Journalism" to their lives and how they live them. One should be open to new ideas, should voice their opinions, and just be themselves. Most of us live these "closed" lives, not willing to budge from the known to the unknown. We don't budge out of fear for the unknown. After all, the known is safer and doesn't require us to take risks. But life would be boring if we don't take a chance.

Quotes form the Not Fade Away: the rise and fall of rock journalism's (a film by Jeremy Stulberg and Randy Stulberg) website:

It was a rock writer who introduced the Beatles to Bob Dylan.
A rock writer helped assemble the Sex Pistols.
Former rock writers lead the Smiths, the Pet Shop Boys and the Pretenders.
A rock writer launched global disco culture with a single magazine feature.
A former rock writer was responsible for organizing Live Aid.
A rock writer introduced Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love.

Rock Journalists are a true counterpart to the rock & roll star. They are the only people in the world who are as fully immersed in music and committed to rock culture as the performers are. Only the journalist is doomed to a rock & roll lifestyle and can articulate the complexity and intensity of it all.

Being obsessed with rock & roll is lonely. And no amount of sex, drugs, cars, toys and more drugs can fill a void for the musician quite like an exchange with their fellow traveler -- the rock journalist.

While the rock writer’s love for music is pure, they're not immune to being star-struck, seduced,
bribed, manhandled, slipped-mickeys and swindled. And yet a good rock critic will keep a musician on top of his or her game and prevent the yes men and spin doctors from wielding too much power.

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture -
it's a really stupid thing to want to do."
--Elvis Costello

Torn between two

How does one chose between two things that are equally as good?!

Yes one might have more con's than the other, but that one gives me butterflies...
It is really hard chosing based on pro's and con's. In the end, those con's could be rectified, could they not?

Life is full of choices. It's not knowing what the right choice is that scares us. We forever wonder if we are making the correct decision or not. But then again, life to is all about taking chances and learning.
But when one has been hurt so much they tend to be hesitant when it comes to breaking lose and just going with it.

They both promising the world. They both live far. They are both decent and sweet, but the one has got me constantly smiling. But what if that one turns out to be a toad like the rest of them. Then what? Do I take my chances or not? I guess both could turn into toads.
The one is trying to push me into a relationship, which has already got me backed up against the wall. Am I ready for a commitment so soon?

Now I'm left with wondering what to do....Why can't life just be easy just for once!?!

"A different time" - by Rustum Kozain

We invert time
after love fallasleep as the muezzin calls
the diligent to daybreak prayers.
Night fails. Dawn comes
in strides.Guinea-fowl skirl and caw
into another day
from which we turn.
A curtain billows over us,
like a chimney vents
sweat and our sighs to the world.
Wind, candid with light rain,
falters onto our skins.
Then someone’s 5 p.m.
angle-grinder dredges up our morning.
We straddle time, the bed.
Like starfish, beached
in the sulphur of sunset
you said.

What motivates me...

Motivation can be defined as the activation of goal-oriented behaviour.

The task at hand will determine the amount of motivation a person has for it. If it is a task people enjoy doing, they won't need as much motivation to do it. If it is a task that people generally don't like doing, they try and put it off as they are not motivated to do it.

I, myself, hate studying. When it comes to tests, I want to smack the lecturer that gave it to us. Nothing could be more boring than studying hours on end just to get to class in as a nervous stress-ball.
Assignments are also not high on the list when it comes to being motivated. But I generally like to start them early so that I don't stress as much and can breathe at the end of it. Not having that extra stress of the-night-before motivates me to start the assignments early.

What motivates me to get out of bed in the morning is coffee and a nice bowl of yummy oats,syrup and cinnamon. Tastes like a donut...YUM.

When it comes to doing my workouts, what motivates me is having my "ME" time. When I do my workout and go for my walk, I forget about everything around me and just clear my mind. It helps to destress to.

Each and everyone is different, therefore some may need more motivation to do a task than others.

Personal Autonomy - How far does it extend?

Personal autonomy is our right to be self-determining, and to choose how we want to live our lives.
Being human, we have a need for personal autonomy. We want to be the person who chooses how we live our lives and not to be controlled by others.The reality is in our current world we are living in it is impossible for someone to grow up being a truly autonomous person. Most of us, at an early age, lose contact with who we are. We then develop our ego, which we believe is who we are.

We all know how we should act and behave, but in the end it is really up to us whether we act and behave in an appropriate manner. In life, we need to choose how we want to live, whether it be the correct way or not.

In school and the working environment, you is restricted when personal autonomy is concerned. We have to abide by the rules or "laws" of that organisation. If we don't, we get punished. What we do in our own time is up to us.

I Don't Need...

Recently a friend of mine asked me how do I get over break-ups so quickly and gracefully. The truth is when I go through break-ups I am a complete mess inside, but somehow I hide it well on the outside.

We go through stages of depression and feeling lonely, but recently I decided I would do things differently and instead of moping, I would put more effort into friendships that I hadn't before and adopt a positive attitude.

This decision to be positive and to spend more time with friends having a good time has really helped the healing process. I recommend everyone tries it!

I also turn to poetry that people have written for inspiration.
I recently stumbled apon a poem that reminded me of a friend that is going through what I did.
It is titled "I Don't Need" by Niketa Jones:

I don't need a man
To happy me
I don't need a man
To make my life Complete
All I need Is to be loved by someone
Who really cares
There are feelings I have
Inside but they just
Won't go away so until then
I don't need a man
To make me happy
I don't need a man to
Make my life complete

“Bunch of Animals” is one comment on the CPUT strike on campus. What is yours?

Striking is not the issue here. The issue here is that certain individuals think it is OK to go around stealing, trashing and damaging property that is not their own. This, in my opinion, shows that they have no respect for the institution or their fellow students. As the SRC they are suppose to be representing all the students, not just a select few.

Time and time again they always see the need to resort to such measures. Why not inform the rest students on campus about the issue and then we can all stand together instead of it turning violent. A thousand students "downing tools" is more effective than a couple of hundred students wrecking the place.

There are many other ways to express anger. Putting lecturers and students at risk is not the way to solve things! If they want to behave like animals, they must go back to the bush.
People living in urban areas are supposed to be civilised.

The average person on the street loses respect for those individuals who behave in this manor. We would respect those who take a stand without resorting to violence.

But I do understand that sometimes talking about the issue is just not enough. If top management actually spoke about the issue (and informed students before deciding) and took them seriously then maybe these sorts of incidents wouldn't happen.