John Murph (Music Journalist)

John Murph
PO Box 14294
Washington, DC 20044
202.387.1621
jdmurph@mindspring.com

Versatile arts journalist and web producer with extensive experience writing and copyediting newspaper, magazine and online features on music and popular culture. Proficient Web technologies and popular applications with nowledge of AP Writing style.

Journalist/Web producer with over 15 years of successful background.
Successful careers as Black Entertainment Television and National Public Radio as an online producer and freelance journalist.
Record of progression to positions of wide-ranging responsibility and authority.
Frequently published in such leading journals as Down Beat, JazzTimes, JazzWise and the Washington Post Express newspaper, as well as online sites.
Knowledge of AP writing style/editing.
Cover numerous international cultural events in Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Expertise in PhotoShop, HomeSite, Sound Forge, and HTML 4.0 code.
Contributor to professional associations.

Web Producer, BET Jazz/BET Interactive 2003-Present Produce feature stories, reviews, polls and quizzes; maintain, edit, and project manage Black Entertainment Television's BET jazz Web site.

Provide additional journalistic/producer support to main Web site, BET.com.
Significantly raised the BET Jazz.com profile in international jazz environment through web package production containing six individual articles, photo galleries and polls covering the 26th Annual Montreal International Jazz Festival.
Increased traffic to site through development and production of innovative multi-media jazz library, sponsored by Infinity that concurrently created convergence initiatives between BET Interactive and BET network.
Spearheaded and oversaw successful 2004 launch of BET Jazz.com.
Wrote insightful news feature, "Are Gays to Blame?" covering the effects of gay marriage issue on the 2004 Presidential Election and was subsequently picked up by MSNBC.
Produced three Web features on Black Entertainment Television's 10th annual Walk of Fame, honoring Smokey Robinson and the 9th annual Walk of Fame, honoring Aretha Franklin.

Online Associate Producer, National Public Radio 1999 - 2003 Produced, edited and maintained high-quality text, audio and visual content for NPR Web sites. Coordinated with the Arts & Information Unit and broadcast magazine shows in conceiving and implementing features for radio and online.

Facilitated successful launch of NPR jazz Web site.
Effectively co-led outstanding NPR jazz Web site journalistic team including daily management and copy editing.
Successfully designed a combination of archival and original content used to enhance NPR radio programming and attract a younger audience.
Wrote CD liner notes/script for NPR's 2000's Jazz Piano Christmas. Produced robust coverage of such prestigious events such as The 2000 JVC Newport International Jazz Festival and the 2001 Thelonious Monk Institute Hand Drum Competition.
Represented NPR on key panels at The International Association of Jazz Educators conference (2001, 2002 and 2003).

Authored well-received, authoritative features and reviews for Down Beat, JazzTimes and JazzWise magazines; and the Washington Post Express and The Washington City Paper newspapers, including:

Served as Web producer and content writer for the Jazz Alliance International's Web portal, GotJazz.Info.
Insightful cultural piece on Panama for JazzTimes (January 2005) magazine, examining how its annual jazz festival plays an integral role in the country's attempt to redefine itself and boost tourism.
Various features for JazzWise, the leading jazz publication in the U.K., becoming one of its regular American contributors.
"Weekend Pass" cover stories on Al Green (June 2005) and Chuck Brown (April 2005) for the Washington Post Express.
CD liner notes for Sean Jones' Gemini (Mack Avenue, 2005), Frank Morgan's Raising the Jazz Standard (HighNote, 2005), David "Fathead" Newman's Song for the New Man (HighNote, 2004) and Buck Hill's Impulse (Muse, 1995).
Several influential features for JazzTimes and Down Beat magazines, illustrating the interaction between jazz and DJ culture – "Cold Front: Smooth Jazz's Evolution Into Chill" (August 2005), "Young Fresh & Clean" (June 2004)," "Revisiting the Vaults" (June 2004), "Spin City" (April 2004) and "The Remix Phenomenon" (September 2003) attracting a younger readership for both magazines.
"Great White Hype?" for JazzTimes (April 2004), examining mainstream press coverage of the contemporary jazz ensemble the Bad Plus, and racial politics involving the arts and media.
JazzTimes cover story (September 2004) on internationally renowned jazz pianist and composer Geri Allen.

Served as Membership Director at National Jazz Service Organization from 1991-1995. In this assignment, spearheaded upgrading of organizational literature; introduced membership incentives; wrote features for the NJSO Journal; and increased membership by over 50%.

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
Bachelor of Arts, Communication, 1990

Society of Professional Journalists
Jazz Journalists Association

3rd annual Anguilla Tranquility Jazz Festival, Anguilla, British West Indies, 2005, BET Jazz.com
The Øyafestival, Oslo, Norway, 2005, BET Jazz.com
40th annual Heineken Jazzaldia Donostia-San Sebastián
San Sebastián, Spain, 2005, Down Beat magazine
26th annual Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Montréal, Canada, 2005, BET Jazz.com.
2nd annual Panama Jazz Festival, Panama City, Panama, 2005, JazzTimes magazine
16th annual de Maurier Downtown Jazz Festival Toronto, Toronto, Canada, 2002, JazzTimes magazine
22nd annual Festival International de Jazz Montréal, Montreal, Canada, 2001, Jazziz magazine