Wrapping up Volume One of the EZH newsletter

We'll be back

Dear readers,

The EZH newsletter is taking a break but stay subscribed; it will be back later this year.

In the previous newsletter, I told you to expect details about an upcoming paid subscription version of EZH. I’ve been excited about it for months and had several ideas about how to offer value and content that you won’t find anywhere else. But I found myself hesitating. Thing is, I have too many ideas.

So, I’m pausing the newsletter. Consider this and the previous fourteen newsletters to conclude Volume One. In the meantime, I’m going to be honing in on exactly what Volume Two will look like. Taking a break from writing EZH will give me the space and time to apply some deep thinking and planning.

Meanwhile, I’m going to be putting together a new season of Next Big Thing for British Airways, continuing to write for publications and - tentatively but excitedly - getting back behind the decks as of next week.

As a subscriber, you still have access to an archive of timely articles. You can revisit why We Need To Stop Ranking Albums, which was our most read issue, very closely followed by There’s No Such Thing As Selling Out. You can also check out my two parter, arguing as to why we should be putting more Women On The Syllabus at Jazz conservatoires. I’m still receiving emails about the topics raised in it now; I haven’t put a full stop on the research yet.

I also want to share this with you, which comes from a place of transparency; my lengthier pieces, such as Women On The Syllabus, took several days of research and meetings - and that’s before I began writing. I enjoyed it yes - but I didn’t have many hours left to earn a living that week. That’s absolutely not sustainable, nor is my dedication to be celebrated, per se. I’m proud of this newsletter, and I want to document Jazz and the music industry in a way that is direct from me to you. Part of reason for this newsletter taking a break, is to give me a chance to work out the best way for me to offer value, to you the reader, without burning myself out or removing myself from my usual paid work. It’s an absolute pleasure to write - and I won’t let it become a chore.

When EZH returns, you’ll still be able to enjoy being a free subscriber, but I’m also planning on creating additional paid-only newsletters and extras. I can’t tell you when that will be, but I can tell you to expect Volume Two later this year.

Meanwhile, I’d like to leave you with some newsletter recommendations of my own:

Music Journalism Insider is full of excellent tip offs and music memes - plus valuable extras for paying subscribers like myself.

Pass The Aux - written by The Telegraph’s Music and Culture Editor, Eleanor Halls, Pass The Aux documents the experiences of being a woman in music.

LANCE - This isn’t specific to music but Anna Codrea-Rado’s newsletter is a phenomenal resource for freelancers of any kind. Like EZH, LANCE is also on a short break.

Keep in touch with me on Twitter, where I mostly tweet about radio, new music and the first thoughts that come into my head. And finally, thank you for being a part of Volume One.

Tina x