Just last weekend was the 59th anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death—when he and his fellow rock and roll musicians were killed in a plane crash over Clear Lake, Iowa. Twelve years later, singer-songwriter Don McLean would write a song called “American Pie” that referred to that ill-fated day as “The Day the Music Died.”
For this class, I’d like to run a blog that covers everything that’s happened since The Day the Music Died (to be more specific: a rock music blog). Because I often go to newsworthy concerts—tributes, benefits and anniversary shows—my major focus will be these events. However, I’d also like to feature small blurbs of classic rock history and listicles (“On This Day,” and “10 Best Soundtrack Albums,” etc.) on the side.
Also, the spring semester falls on Record Store Day, which is like Christmas for music nerds. All over the country around daybreak, fans line outside independent record stores, eagerly awaiting doors to open to buy special releases, participate in activities and meet music celebrities. Taking place in mid-April, I’d love to do a feature on this event in which I interview record store owners and collectors.
Another option would be coffee. I’ve been working in the industry for the last ten years and have watched it grow exponentially. I assistant manage Blue Bottle Coffee, in which I train baristas and facilitate brew classes to the public.
I could have a blog in which I cover different specialty coffee companies in the city and write features on events, like latte art competitions and lab tastings. I could also do Q&As with higher-ups at shops like Noble Tree, Counter Culture and Variety. I could interview “green buyers” in places like Hawaii and Guatemala to inform readers on different coffee varietals and climates. Lastly, it would also be fun to take videos of baristas explaining how to do latte art.