Josh Sharp

Hartford, CT USA
Website: http://truancypark.com/
Contact

Professional Experience

I’m an entertainment critic with an affinity for music. I aim to be authoritative, not pedantic. I know that when reviews get monotonous, readers tune out; I keep audiences engaged with meaningful, memorable insight, and I frame it in a narrative. Music, television, literature, cinema: I believe these are experience driven art forms, and I write from the vantage point of the experience at hand. I’m mindful of relevance, and respectful of attention. I don’t overwhelm readers with convoluted references, or pontificate about big picture ideas to fill space. I relate key points to readers in a style they remember as savvy, inventive, and above all else: readable.

Expertise

Copy Editor
2 Years
Photographer
4 Years
Writer
5 Years

Specialty

Entertainment
5 Years
Music
5 Years

Industries


Broadcasting - Ent - Radio (Local)
5 Years
Online/new media
5 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

5 Years

Other Work History

In 2003, at the age of 17, I joined the staff of Pitchfork as a news writer. I turned in four articles a week, plus track reviews and breaking news. I contributed to the site’s “Top 50 Singles of 2003” feature, which was republished in the first Pitchfork book, “Thesaurus Musicarum.” In February 2004, I was promoted to Associate News Editor, a post where I edited 25-30 articles a week until the Fall of 2005. After that, I went to college. I have 5 years of broadcasting experience, having hosted a drivetime indie rock radio show for WESU Middletown, a radio station affiliated with my alma mater, Wesleyan University. I also work as a photographer. I’ve recently integrated that skill into my writing, with a series of photo essays called “Live, and on Record,” combining original concert photography with music journalism. I've also written a series of 25 essays detailing my favorite records from 2012; I've included links to these features below.

Technical Skills

Photo Editing: Photoshop Audio Editing: Adobe Audition, Logic Pro, Audacity

Computer Skills

Programs: Word, Photoshop, Scrivener, Powerpoint Operating Systems: OS 10, Windows XP, Windows 7 Languages: HTML

Equipment

Macbook Pro, Canon 60D DSLR Camera, HDTV, DVR, PS3, Xbox 360, iPad, iPhone, Photoshop

References

Available upon request

Showcase

General

Part of a retrospective feature I wrote, examining the best records of 2012. A review of the album "Sweet Heart Sweet Light," by Spiritualized, including a look back at their discography.
Spotlighting original concert photography, this photo essay looks at the live performance and recorded output of Zammuto, a new band featuring members of the Books.
Part of a retrospective feature I wrote, examining the best records of 2012. A review of the album "Celebration Rock," by Japandroids.
Spotlighting original concert photography, this photo essay looks at the live performance and recorded output of Zomes, including the band's 2013 record "Time Was."
The conclusion to a retrospective feature I wrote, examining the best records of 2012. A review of the album "Visions," by Grimes, and a look at some of the problems facing music journalists today.
I contributed four short essays to this retrospective feature from Pitchfork, which was later republished in the site's first book, "Thesaurus Musicarum." The artists I wrote about were Ellen Allien, the Rapture, M83, and Ted Leo.
A review of the book "Aerogrammes," by Tania James.