My name is Emilie Friedlander. If you follow underground music, you may know my work as the former editor of Pitchfork sister site Altered Zones (R.I.P.), the founder of the blog Visitation Rites, and the singer and violinist in the band La Big Vic. I am currently writing reviews at Pitchfork, and finishing up a Master’s in Journalism at NYU. In 2010, I was mentioned on a list of “10 Women Music Writers To Read Now” on NPR. 

I set up this Tumblr as part of a course requirement for Adam Penenberg’s “Entrepreneurial Journalism,” a class I am taking at NYU this semester. The Ad Hoc Tumblr is a companion blog to Ad Hoc, a new underground music and visual culture publication I am starting with International Tapes founder Ric Leichtung, my former co-editor at Altered Zones. Since our editorial focus will be the new grassroots, Internet-fueled DIY, I thought I would use this forum as a way of tracking the progress of the project itself, and providing you all with some insights on how to build your own music publication from the bottom up. 

In addition to sharing what I learn, I’d like to invite you to chime in. Send in any questions you may have about starting your own site, building a loyal following, or music blogging in general to adhocemilie@gmail.com, or using the “Ask Ad Hoc” button on the right sidebar. I’ll do my best to answer the good ones.

And remember, folks, life is what you make of it.