VoyageLA interview with Jessica Klausing
Jessica Klausing photo by SAW Photography.
Words cannot express my sincerest gratitude. Thank you VoyageLA for taking the time to chat with me about my music blog. I am deeply humbled by all of the support! Thank you to all of the readers, contributors, music artists, and music professionals that have helped On The Flipside Music become what it is today.
Check out the full INTERVIEW.
Contributed by VoyageLA Staff
Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Klausing.
Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have had a passion for music and writing from an early age. I did not officially combine the two until my sophomore year at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA. I was skimming through some magazines at this local music store where I used to take guitar lessons and just thought, “I want to write about music. This is what I want to do with my life.” I went home and contacted every music magazine on that magazine stand. I had one that offered me a guest writer slot.
My job was to write about the different guitar recording techniques used in professional studios. For the record, I did not know anything about recording or mixing music whatsoever! My work was cut out for me, but I was determined. I spent countless hours at the campus library (we had a really bad internet connection at home!) researching anything I could find about recording guitars. I interviewed guitar players and visited actual recording studios. A few months later my first music article was published in Recording Magazine, and that opened the door to more publication offers for me.
I initially created my music blog for a class project. I was so focused on writing for print publications that I never considered blogging. The idea came about from some friends overseas – they wanted to read my music articles but could not find those magazines. I posted my articles on that blog to share with them. I love talking about music and sharing it with others. I’m always eager to hear music recommendations from others too! The blog was an easy way to connect and share with a broader audience.
In 2013, I moved to Los Angeles to fully immerse myself in the music industry. I worked night shift full time at a television company just to be able to do unpaid internships for various record labels and PR companies during the day. It was rough! I was exhausted and frustrated but refused to give up. I thought about my music blog and remembered why I moved here in the first place. I started to put the focus back on my blog – my passion. I am blessed today to be able to work with some of the most incredible people in the music industry.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been more like a rollercoaster. There are days when I go through writer’s block and struggle to find the desire to write or post anything. I’m my own competitive rival. I always challenge and put pressure on myself to write better than my last article. Writing can be a daunting chore but after finishing an article, I’m inspired to want to write more.
I would say the biggest obstacle is marketing. There are so many amazing music blogs out there that it can be quite challenging to stay relevant on social media. I run and manage my blog and the social media accounts all by myself, so that can be overwhelming when I’m working on multiple projects.
I don’t have a set social media schedule. I just post whenever I feel inspired. It’s a good idea to unplug from the digital world every now and then! A little break helps the creative process. Overall, I do think it’s important to just post for you. Don’t try to do what everyone else is doing just for the followers. Share what makes you happy.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about On The Flipside Music – what should we know?
I use my blog to help promote upcoming Los Angeles music artists and professionals.
Living in Los Angeles has opened my eyes and ears to so much musical talent! I’m a big supporter of live music. Records will always be special, but to me, the magic happens on stage.
There is no greater pleasure than watching an artist bare his or her soul to the world. I love getting out discovering new music. I strive to introduce the newer music as well as re-introduce some old favorites too. Music never goes out of style. If it’s something that I love listening to then I just gotta share it with others.
On The Flipside Music has evolved so much over the years. What started as a simple college class project has become a working collaboration. I not only write about and interview artists, but I also help book gigs, promote, and manage artists.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Resilience. The road to success is filled with many unexpected twists and turns. I have had many obstacles try to knock me down and keep me there. It still happens. The key is to have the confidence within yourself to always persevere.