Writing and Editing Professional; Music and Media Consultant
Charlotte, North Carolina Area
- Current
-
- Free-lance Writer/Media Consultant at various publications
- Past
-
- Editor at Creative Loafing-Charlotte
- Entertainment Editor at The Charlotte Observer
- Book Author/Free-lance Writer (Self-employed)
- Vice President, Music Editorial at MTV Networks
- Senior Music Editor at Rolling Stone magazine
- Executive Editor at Option magazine
- Free-lance Writer (Self-employed)
- Assistant Editor at Discover magazine
- Reporter at The Times-News (Burlington, NC)
- Education
-
- East Carolina University
- Recommended
-
5 people have recommended Mark - Connections
-
92
connections
- Industry
- Writing and Editing
- Websites
Mark Kemp’s Summary
Senior-level writer, editor and music culture expert with extensive experience at major media outlets, and a passion for music and journalism. Always pursuing new challenges at consumer music, arts, entertainment, lifestyle or culture magazines, Web sites, broadcast media, newspapers, music-related entertainment companies or research and academic institutions. I have led award-winning editorial teams, authored a book on music and culture, and been nominated for a Grammy for writing CD liner notes. I have an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and its cultural context -- from pop and rock to country, folk, jazz, R&B, hip-hop and some of their more avant-garde hybrids -- as well as traditional and ethnic musical styles from other parts of the world. Adept at writing, editing, consulting on music and/or media projects, coaching younger writers and editors, and inspiring the best from grizzled veterans. I'm an upbeat manager, excellent at rallying the troops.
Mark Kemp’s Specialties:
Freelance: Reporting and writing news, features, profiles and trend stories; art, music and cultural criticism; album liner notes; TV documentary scripts.
Management: Leading editorial teams (line editing, editorial coaching, directing brainstorming sessions, editorial budgeting), negotiating with entertainment industry executives, working with publicists and marketing executives, conferring with art directors and online heads to maintain editorial symbiosis, brand and identity.
Mark Kemp’s Experience
-
Free-lance Writer/Media Consultant
various publications
(Writing and Editing industry)
2006 — Present (3 years)
Contribute stories/reviews on music, movies, books and more to magazines, newspapers and Web sites including Rolling Stone, Paste, The Charlotte Observer and eMusic.com.
Conduct music/media workshops at colleges, media companies (past examples: Wake Forest University, Batanga.com). -
Editor
Creative Loafing-Charlotte
(Privately Held; Newspapers industry)
May 2005 — June 2006 (1 year 2 months)
Oversaw editorial at 50,000-circulation Southern alternative weekly. Managed staff of eight: four news reporters, arts editor, music editor, listings editor, operations editor.
Major Accomplishments: Instituted big changes to bring more diversity to editorial staff and coverage. Early cover stories assigned: "New Latino South," on region's changing landscape due to record Latino population explosion; "Southern Comfort," on re-migration of African Americans to Charlotte area, also in record numbers. Diversified editorial team by hiring female African American music editor and regular Latino news columnist. -
Entertainment Editor
The Charlotte Observer
(Public Company; Newspapers industry)
September 2002 — May 2005 (2 years 9 months)
Oversaw staff of five reporters and two freelancers covering pop music, popular culture, television, film, dining and general entertainment. Assigned, edited, planned entertainment coverage for paper's daily entertainment page and weekend entertainment supplement. Also edited and assigned entertainment stories for Sunday arts and other sections. Wrote weekly pop music column.
-
Book Author/Free-lance Writer
Self-employed
(Self-Employed; Writing and Editing industry)
August 2000 — 2002 (2 years)
Contracted by Simon & Schuster/Free Press to write book on Southern music and culture. Traveled across South, from Carolinas to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, to research and report. Began writing book in 2001, moved back to South to complete it. On the side, did freelance writing for Rolling Stone, TV Guide and other publications. Book publication date: Sept., 2004.
-
Vice President, Music Editorial
MTV Networks
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; VIA; Entertainment industry)
November 1997 — August 2000 (2 years 10 months)
At VH1: Oversaw music editorial in news-dayparts production department. Worked on documentaries "Where Are They Now" and "Before They Were Rock Stars"; supervised music direction for on-air personalities Rebecca Rankin, Madison Michelle, Lynda Lopez and Cane.
At MTV: Worked with bi-coastal team responsible for developing new video-based shows, weekend stunts and other programming. Supervised music direction for on-air personalities Carson Daly and Ananda Lewis. Also wrote scripts for documentaries and appeared on-air as resident music expert.
Major Accomplishments: Helped launch popular MTV daytime show TRL; helped develop new VH1 series including "The Daily One," "Rankin File" and "Rock Show." -
Senior Music Editor
Rolling Stone magazine
(Publishing industry)
February 1996 — October 1997 (1 year 9 months)
Oversaw magazine's music coverage. Managed staff of editors responsible for deciding on mix of news, profiles and reviews; negotiated stories with industry executives; edited cover stories and major features; wrote headlines, cover lines; some cover stories, features and reviews.
Major Accomplishments: Helped bring a new sense of vitality and competitiveness to Rolling Stone's music pages with up-to-date coverage and first-time cover stories on Sean "Puffy" Combs, Marilyn Manson, Beck and Jakob Dylan; news-related cover stories (Tupac Shakur murder) as welll as cover stories on pop-culture phenomena (Spice Girls, the electronica trend). Also helped plan and edit Rolling Stone's 30th Anniversary “Women of Rock Issue." -
Executive Editor
Option magazine
(Publishing industry)
1991 — 1996 (5 years)
Oversaw all aspects of the alternative music and culture magazine's editorial content. Planned, assigned and edited literally everything that went into the book: an average of eight features, eight profiles and 200 capsule album reviews. Also wrote cover stories, features and reviews.
Major Accomplishments: Promoted to Executive Editor in 1995. Brought style, flare and a distinct voice to Option by attracting name writers and seeking out talented lesser-knowns such as Neil Strauss, Lorraine Ali and Jason Fine, all of whom went on to bigger successes at The New York Times, Newsweek and Rolling Stone. Introduced diligently reported non-music stories to the magazine.
Circulation doubled during my tenure. -
Free-lance Writer
Self-employed
(Self-Employed; Writing and Editing industry)
1989 — 1991 (2 years)
Wrote for various music publications including Creem, Option, Spin, the Village Voice.
-
Assistant Editor
Discover magazine
(Public Company; Publishing industry)
1987 — 1989 (2 years)
Researched science articles; wrote feature stories.
-
Reporter
The Times-News (Burlington, NC)
(Newspapers industry)
1984 — 1987 (3 years)
Began as police reporter; promoted to county government and general assignment; wrote weekly pop-music column.
Mark Kemp’s Education
-
East Carolina University
BA , English, Philosopy , 1978 — 1983
Outstanding Alumnus, 1998
- Activities and Societies:
- Phi Sigma Tau (philosophy society), campus political agitator, member of a punk band.
Additional Information
Mark Kemp’s Websites:
Mark Kemp’s Interests:
Music journalism consultation, pop culture/music history consultation, editorial training, writing, editing, community and political work, swimming, cycling, gardening
Mark Kemp’s Groups:
American Society of Magazine Editors (past member)
-
ThoseinMedia -
Viacom Alumni -
Linked Journalists -
Music Industry Forum
Mark Kemp’s Honors:
Outstanding Alumnus, East Carolina University, 1998
Grammy Nominee, Best Album Notes, NARAS, 1997
General Excellence, Option, Music Journalism Awards, 1994
Best Newspaper Series, NC Society of Historians, 1984
Music Criticism, record reviews, NC Press Association, 1983
Book author
Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, 2004; University of Georgia Press, 2006)
Book contributions
The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 1995, 2001)
Rolling Stone's Alt-Rock-A-Rama (Doubleday, 1996)
The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 1997)
Rolling Stone: The Seventies (Little, Brown, 1998)
The Option Reader #1 (Incommunicado, 1998)
The Rolling Stone Book of the Beats (Hyperion, 1999)
Rolling Stone: The Decades of Rock & Roll (Chronicle, 2001)
The Rock History Reader (Routledge, 2006)
Making Notes: Music of the Carolinas (Novello, 2008)
Mark Kemp’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
