From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2013 #703 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe:mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Website:http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Wednesday, June 12 2013 Volume 2013 : Number 703 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- The Interview [Christopher Treacy ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:11:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Christopher Treacy Subject: The Interview Just chiming in... I haven't gotten through the long version yet, but I've enjoyed the first half and watched the 16 minute edit twice earlier this afternoon. I'll say this: as someone that has had to interview music celebs - some nowhere near as colorful or as gracious as Joni - and then edit down the 'raw' quotes into a story befitting of a daily newspaper, my heart goes out to Jian. He really had a lot to handle here and there are *so* many things that can go wrong. I used to get really rattled when I would read what groups of fans (not unlike this one, of which I'm a proud member, albeit mostly lurking nowadays) would say about my interview profiles after they'd run in the paper. From an editorial perspective, if you don't get a *story* -- and when they say story, they mean one that's going to be potentially interesting to people that might not have any interest in the artist or their music, but rather one that has some sort of universal pull -- you have not done your job. Along the way, maybe you get to have some cool chats (like I did with Herbie, about the 'River' project before it was released). But mostly, you're under pressure to get a story. And even though the radio/video mediums change this process somewhat, at the core it's still the same. So, from an industry perspective, Jian cut Joni as much slack as a journalist can in this media age... he didn't so much cut her off as to try and occasionally re-direct, which you *have* to be able to do in a situation like this. To you and I, Joni's tales, her meanderings, the pit-stops and tangents - they all hold awesome nuggets of insight. But to the average shmoe, they don't. Finding a balance to try and make it interesting for everyone is Jian's job. Then add in how nervous he must've been... I haven't always loved every little piece I've seen him do, but as an arts journo, he definitely knows what he's doing. And, say what you might, he did this very, VERY well. She said it herself - she hates doing this. So, you lose the battle going in. Everything else is gravy. Everyone that watches this will learn something about Joni Mitchell they didn't know before. The scene at Guerin's funeral *alone* was a fantastic revelation for people like us. And folks that think Joni is just a bitter old C-U-Next-Tuesday will walk away with greater understanding. Cheers, Chris ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2013 #703 ***************************** ------- To post messages to the list, sendtojoni@smoe.org. Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------