Please introduce yourself to our readers:
Roanna Forman, Jazz writer. Photo by Sand T
My name is Roanna Forman. I have a degree in Hispanic Studies from UMass Boston. I review jazz performances in the Boston area for www.jazz.com, an internationally read website that also boasts a jazz encyclopedia, CD reviews, feature interviews with major jazz artists, and highlights of great jazz performances.
Could you tell us about your creative writing process?
Writing for the press is different from self-generated writing. You have an assignment, a deadline, and an editor. I enjoy these tight constraints because they push me to generate material. Preparing for each story, I listen to the musician's work if I'm not familiar with it, and read the bio, although the story is in the music. I also am constantly reinforcing my knowledge of jazz history through reading but mostly listening to recordings going back to the roots of the art form. I listen to as much live music as I can, and I also study piano to develop my own musicality, and to understand music-making from the inside and get a deeper sense of what it means to be a musician.
How do you write a review?
At the performance, I listen for style, good arrangements, balance, originality, technique, and noteworthy musical moments, like good solos. If the music seems to be lacking in any of those areas, I'll explain why I feel that way. As soon as possible after the show, I review my notes and put an asterisk by points to include in the review. For the article, I develop a lead (opening paragraph), note key concepts, and develop them into a coherent form. Then I just keep working on the draft until I'm satisfied with it. I then put it aside, later have someone read it for tone and accuracy, and then send it off to my editor. I have the great good fortune to have an editor who evaluates my work for accuracy and professionalism before publication.
What's the inspiration for all this?
Hmm...my paycheck for my reviews. No, seriously, I enjoy crafting a good piece of writing, and jazz is not only my favorite music but deserving of all the coverage it can get, since it risks being, as Gunther Schuller, composer, musician, and former President of New England Conservatory says, an "endangered species."
Please tell us your writing projects:
My reviews can be read at http://www.jazz.com/search?q=roanna+forman&m=all. I will be covering the Steve Kuhn Trio next, which appears at Sculler's Jazz Club on Wednesday, June 3. The editor will determine the date of publication.
Other writing credits include "Artscope" magazine, from 2006-2009 www.artscopemagazine.com, and my first online project, the Malden Muse www.maldenmuse.com , which covered arts and culture in the Malden area in 2005 and 2006.
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to Making the Art Seen.
Contact Information:
Please email me at roannaforman@comcast.net, www.jazz.com
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