I am often asked how I choose the people I interview. Here is an article describing the strategy I have always used in this area. With more than 1,500 interviews under my belt, the approach is clear.
The priorities
The priorities regarding who I interview are simple, my choice will always be:
- Musicians (whether they are well-known or not, and regardless of their style of music)
- All other guitar-related professionals (luthiers, craftsmen, manufacturers, industrialists, etc.)
For me, the core of my journalistic work on The Guitar Channel is to get musicians to talk so they can tell their stories. That's why this will always be my main priority. When it comes to music styles, there is no hierarchy: I'm interested in everything.
I should also point out that I make no distinction between interviewing a six-string superstar and a young musician whose work I discovered a few weeks earlier. I put the same passion into all my interviews, regardless of the subject. I therefore claim a certain subjectivity, as I want to give a voice to the artists whose music moves me.
Right after the category of musicians, there are... all the others: luthiers, various craftsmen who make amplifiers, pedals and other equipment, guitar manufacturers, collectors, etc.
Who I interview at a guitar show
When I'm travelling to a guitar show, I apply the same priorities as above.
In the luthier and craftsman category, I try to meet as many people as possible, but at events I give priority to craftsmen who subscribe to The Guitar Channel / La Chaîne Guitare. They are active supporters of the project, so it's only natural that I highlight their work before other exhibitors who are not subscribers. My fellow luthiers, if you're wondering how to facilitate an interview, now you know the answer.
With hundreds of luthiers interviewed since 2009, I have done a lot to shine a light on this wonderful profession, and I will continue to do so in the future.
Pierre Journel.
For more info:
Interviews
Guitar in Hand Interviews
Luthier Interviews
