Results tagged “Jennifer Wada” from Life's a Pitch

This week on Life's a Pitch, the royal "we" is talking to NYC-based classical music publicists. Everyone gets the same questions, and presumably no one has seen anyone else's answers! Here's Jennifer Wada, with whom I had the pleasure of working on the Hilary Hahn/Josh Ritter concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last spring.

Jennifer Wada is a New York-based public relations consultant in the performing arts whose clients include the Metropolitan Museum Concerts series, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the George London Foundation for Singers, composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and conductor Kent Tritle, among others.  Prior to opening her own business in 2000, she spent 18 years at Carnegie Hall, the last nine of them as the director of public relations, from 1991 to 2000, overseeing the media profile of the landmark institution.  Ms. Wada is a graduate of Vassar College, from which she received a bachelor of arts degree with a major in music.  She was also for many years a member of the Japanese taiko (folk drumming) ensemble Soh Daiko of New York City.
 

What is the purpose of a press release? And what, in your opinion, is the most important aspect of a press release?  How does that element accomplish the purpose?

To convey the news compellingly - what an artist or organization is doing.  If applicable, this should be done in such a way as to convey how this ties in to the artist's or organization's overall goals, purpose, point of view, ethos, etc.


Similarly, what is the most important aspect of an artist biography? How long should a bio be, ideally? Should it include press quotes? Why or why not?
 
An artist's bio should say up top what makes him/her distinctive, and convey what is most important to him/her - ideally, these are related! - as well as the most recent accomplishments.  I am a fan of having short and long versions of bios, and press quotes can serve a distinct purpose:  to legitimize or bolster claims to qualities that anyone can make, particularly if an artist isn't super well-known, and to have praise be in the words of an authoritative voice, a voice that's not one of the interested parties.


How far in advance of a CD release or concert do you send/e mail press releases? How many times do you usually follow-up journalists after sending the release?
 
A month ahead for releases (though if an event has not been previously announced at all, as part of a season, for example,  I like to send a notice out up to three months earlier). Some journalists will receive targeted follow-up from me.


In 2009, what do you consider successful coverage for a client's concert? How has the definition of "coverage" changed since you started working in PR? For example, do artist's personal blogs/websites/Twitter feeds count as media coverage?

To your second question: Clearly, there are fewer print or broadcast outlets now, more online, which of course provide much less broad, but more instances of pinpointed, exposure.  And to your third question:  the initial posting or feed becomes "coverage," or serves the purpose of visibility, if it becomes viral.