The music industry offers many career opportunities that go far beyond performing on a stage: careers spanning from songwriters and composers, production and sound engineering, music distribution and promotion, business and management, music publishing, music journalism, marketing and social media, to touring and beyond! These industry professionals are the backbone of the music world, ensuring the music we love thrives through their contributions to its creation, production, and distribution.
Music journalism is vital for preserving music history. Journalists are responsible for critiquing and analyzing lyrics that help listeners comprehend the message of a song. They help create a personal dynamic between an artist and their fans and even play a role in shedding light on emerging artists.
Our very own Justice Petersen is a force to be reckoned with, spending countless hours reviewing music and shows for Melodic Magazine, Uptight Magazine, Empoword Journalism, New Noise Magazine, and Ghost Cult Magazine. She plays many roles in the publications she works for, including editorial coordinator, copy editor, entertainment editor, and writer.
Music journalism is a day-to-day career. Each day can look very different as you may be working on different tasks including emailing artists to set up interviews, reviewing new music, covering live shows, and editing. On top of all these tasks, Petersen still tries to make time to write freelance pieces of her own and contacts other publications to get them published.
Petersen began her career writing for her local community college newspaper where she dabbled in concert reviews, stating, “I’ve always loved music. Ever since I was 12 years old, I’ve been super into music. I’ve grown up on music.” She combined her love for music and writing to earn a degree from Columbia College Chicago in magazine journalism with a minor in music business.
Tools that help Petersen be successful in her career are her laptop and phone. She states, “Social media does have some positive sides to it when you are trying to discover new artists. I can discover five new artists on Instagram and then they are in my roster for when they put out new stuff.”
Justice became a music journalist because she wanted the opportunity to interview her favorite artists. She’s been lucky enough to interview artists like The Maxines, a female metal band, and Girl Tones, a sister punk duo, but something she will never forget is her first assignment writing for Chicago Music Guide in 2023. She got the opportunity to review Suki Waterhouse’s show at The Metro in Chicago, who also happens to be one of her favorite artists.
“I wrote the review, got it published, and posted it on my Instagram,” she says. “[The next day] Suki shared it on her Instagram story. That was really cool.”
Another “I made it” moment for Petersen as an independent writer was when she was given the opportunity to cover Riot Fest for Ghost Cult Magaizine in 2024. “It was my first music festival. I was so scared, I almost threw up,” she laughs. “I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this.'”
Justice thoroughly enjoys and is incredibly passionate for interviewing women that are in the alternative music scene. “I love highlighting them and amplifying their voices”, she says. She hopes to one day be able to interview someone who has been in the music industry for decades.
“I would love to ask Cher how women were perceived in the music industry when she first started and if it’s changed now,” she says.
It’s probably no surprise to Justices’ friends and family that her dream artist to interview is Metallica, as they are her favorite band of all time. She jokes, “Once I interview them, I could end my career and work a basic 9-5. I would cry, I don’t even know how I would react normally.”
If you want to be successful in music journalism, it’s important to be an advocate for yourself. Justice lives by “chasing the journalism you want to write” and putting yourself out there.
“Do whatever you can to get your work published,” Petersen says.
She is also a firm believer in quality over quantity, and not abandoning your morals and ethics just to be the first to get a story published. She also advises those who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism to take opportunities regardless of if they are in the realm of things you want to write about.
“Write things that may not be your end goal,” she says. “Be willing to accept jobs that maybe aren’t your dream job, especially if you are just getting started. It will give you great experience.”
Follow Justice Petersen: Instagram