--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I broke into music journalism it…" description: "\"When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but there was more of an established path. I wanted and was able to have a grown-up person's job with..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/anthony-decurtis-36451_audience_when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wa_2831044.jpg" --- # When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but… ![“When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but there was more of an established path. I wanted and was able to have a grown-up person's job with a real salary writing for a fairly sizable audience about stuff I cared about. When you're starting out, you try to get as much experience as you…” quote by Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/anthony-decurtis-36451_audience_when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wa_2831044.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/anthony-decurtis-36451_audience_when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wa_2831044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/anthony-decurtis-36451_audience_when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wa_2831044.jpg) > “When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but there was more of an established path. I wanted and was able to have a grown-up person's job with a real salary writing for a fairly sizable audience about stuff I cared about. When you're starting out, you try to get as much experience as you can so people will see your work, and maybe start giving you the assignments you want, and paying you (hopefully both). And if you're lucky you land someplace where you can stay for a while. But today that's a trickier trajectory to envision.” [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Breaking into music journalism required perseverance and navigating limited pathways, aiming for stable, well‑paid work and audience reach. **In simple terms:** Starting a music journalism career is tough but offers growth and stable work. Key Takeaway Seek experience, build portfolio, aim for stable assignments. Themes career perseverance media growth stability Mood determined hopeful Type motivational career‑advice When to use this quote - internships - freelance writing - building a portfolio - networking events Key Concepts journalism networking skill development Questions to Reflect On - How can emerging journalists create new pathways? - What strategies sustain long‑term career growth? A Different Perspective Limited opportunities may still restrict advancement despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Lucky you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky-you/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In the '50s and '60s, journalism wasn't a profession. It wasn't something you went to college for - it was really more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/in-the-50s-and-60s-journalism-wasn-t-a-profession-it-wasn-t-something/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [For me, I used to be shy towards journalism because it wasn't poetry. And then I realized that the events that I covered in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/for-me-i-used-to-be-shy-towards-journalism-because-it-wasn-t-poetry/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [I'd gotten myself into a kind of journalism that wasn't really compatible with rearing an infant. I'd been a foreign correspondent for a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/i-d-gotten-myself-into-a-kind-of-journalism-that-wasn-t-really/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [Definitely there has been a decline in journalism. It wasn't there at all when you fought an election, won, lost and came back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravish-kumar/definitely-there-has-been-a-decline-in-journalism-it-wasn-t-there-at/) [Ravish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravish-kumar/) > [I was always meant to study the humanities; I was no good at math or sciences. When it came time for me to work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/i-was-always-meant-to-study-the-humanities-i-was-no-good-at-math-or/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [The current state of music journalism is not bad, but it's not great at all. Some of the hip-hop stuff people get into is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-crowe/the-current-state-of-music-journalism-is-not-bad-but-it-s-not-great/) [Cameron Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-crowe/) > [Here's what I think about music and journalism: The most important thing is to just press play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/here-s-what-i-think-about-music-and-journalism-the-most-important/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [The Internet has essentially democratized the music industry in terms of what is popular and it's democratized the music journalism industry as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-fantano/the-internet-has-essentially-democratized-the-music-industry-in-terms/) [Anthony Fantano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-fantano/) > [I personally feel that there's a lot of music journalism that is dominated by genre, because you need a language in which to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-watt/i-personally-feel-that-there-s-a-lot-of-music-journalism-that-is/) [Ben Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-watt/) > [Paste Magazine really embodies all that's left of a true independent thought and expression in music journalism in the states right now. Please support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-mullins/paste-magazine-really-embodies-all-that-s-left-of-a-true-independent/) [Shawn Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-mullins/) > [I'm always very careful to make the distinction between music criticism and music journalism. A lot of people don't. But criticism doesn't require reporting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-azerrad/i-m-always-very-careful-to-make-the-distinction-between-music/) [Michael Azerrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-azerrad/) > [Becoming successful is a relentless pursuit. It's good that it's that way: When it does come, you learn to know how to appreciate it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-valli/becoming-successful-is-a-relentless-pursuit-it-s-good-that-it-s-that/) [Frankie Valli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-valli/) > [Corporations are totalitarian institutions. Board of directors at the top of managers give orders, everyone follows orders… At the very bottom of command, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/corporations-are-totalitarian-institutions-board-of-directors-at-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) ## More by Anthony DeCurtis > [It can be nerve wracking if you walk into the interview and you're not sure what to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/it-can-be-nerve-wracking-if-you-walk-into-the-interview-and-you-re/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [I think younger artists are often "students" of the rock press. They have their favorite rock star interviews and know how they're supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/i-think-younger-artists-are-often-students-of-the-rock-press-they/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [Doing an interview you're going to have certain things you want to get at, but you're better off if you play to people's strengths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/doing-an-interview-you-re-going-to-have-certain-things-you-want-to/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [In Othello, Othello kills Desdemona, but no one reads that play as a model for their own behavior. In Lou Reed's case, you're listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/in-othello-othello-kills-desdemona-but-no-one-reads-that-play-as-a/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [People looked to Kurt Cobain because his songs captured what they felt before they knew they felt it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/people-looked-to-kurt-cobain-because-his-songs-captured-what-they/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [Interviewing is a lot like talking, but you have to guide the conversation. You have to know what you want and go about getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/interviewing-is-a-lot-like-talking-but-you-have-to-guide-the/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [I'd say the vast majority of my interview experiences have been pleasant, better than pleasant. But sometimes there will be people who will size…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/i-d-say-the-vast-majority-of-my-interview-experiences-have-been/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [I might ask about the first time a person heard a song that they really responded to, like when I asked Mos Def when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/i-might-ask-about-the-first-time-a-person-heard-a-song-that-they/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [If a musician cares about what he or she is doing, and you show up and care, you can go some place. That will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/if-a-musician-cares-about-what-he-or-she-is-doing-and-you-show-up-and/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [I'd always read a lot about rock 'n' roll growing up, but the first real thing I set out to do was become an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/i-d-always-read-a-lot-about-rock-n-roll-growing-up-but-the-first-real/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [“In fact, among the people I met, the term soviet served essentially as a synonym for 'fucked up'. I'd been in the country about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/in-fact-among-the-people-i-met-the-term-soviet-served-essentially-as/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) > [When I started teaching, I would get miffed if a student asked me to write him or her a recommendation for law school -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/when-i-started-teaching-i-would-get-miffed-if-a-student-asked-me-to/) [Anthony DeCurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) [Explore all 13 Anthony DeCurtis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but there was more of an established path. I wanted and was able to have a grown-up person's job with a real salary writing for a fairly sizable audience about stuff I cared about. When you're starting out, you try to get as much experience as you can so people will see your work, and maybe start giving you the assignments you want, and paying you (hopefully both). And if you're lucky you land someplace where you can stay for a while. But today that's a trickier trajectory to envision.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony DeCurtis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wasn-t-easy-but-there-was-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wasn-t-easy-but-there-was-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/anthony-decurtis-36451_audience_when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wa_2831044.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/anthony-decurtis-36451_audience_when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wa_2831044.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d3/anthony-decurtis-36451_audience_when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wa_2831044.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I broke into music journalism it wasn't easy but there was more of an established path. I wanted and…” — Anthony DeCurtis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anthony DeCurtis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-decurtis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I broke into music journalism...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wasn-t-easy-but-there-was-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-decurtis/when-i-broke-into-music-journalism-it-wasn-t-easy-but-there-was-more/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```