Sounds Like Fun.

We all have dreams, aspirations and delusions of grandeur (some, like me, more than others). As the face of journalism continues to change and online viral campaigns have swept the nation making mass coverage accessible for the everyman, I’ve become increasingly interested in entrepreneurial endeavors. Added to that, I’ve always been interested in a technology and the last two years have taught me a good amount of web design and programming.

With all that in hand, some waffling, a lifelong obsession with music and a huge amount of trial and error, this year I decided I would fulfill a goal to create my own publication: SOUND Online Magazine. Its contents are devoted to musical discovery — something, I think, that interests all of us (I closely followed the advice to create something you would want to have available yourself). Maybe the site will make money in the future or maybe it will just be a fun ride but, regardless, I’m working with a team of talented writers I’ve recruited the last few months and this magazine is one you’ll want to keep track of (if I do say so myself).

Check it out:
SOUND Online Music Magazine

The "Best Of" Chase.

After surpassing the century mark in my various writing activities among a handful of publications, it's time once again to take a (self-indulgent) look back. I put "Best Of" in quotations not because it's a trademarked title, but because it's a relative term describing the quality of my articles. Without further ado, here are some of my personal favorites from the last year and a half.

DESERET NEWS

• Mark Zuckerberg speaks at BYU, calls Facebook as much "psychology and sociology as it is technology" 
• New pastor brings history of Southern service
• The religious makeup of congress is unfazed by 2010 election
• Utah's State Capitol a longstanding symbol of democracy

RHOMBUS ONLINE MAGAZINE

• 20 Important Songs You Should Hear
• Darkly Dreaming Dexter: Why We Root For A Serial Killer  
• The Evolution of Christmas Music
• Album Review: Parlor Hawk, "Hoarse and Roaring"
• Jess Smart Smiley: An Advocate of True Art

DAILY HERALD

• All that glitters: Digging for the indie sounds of Black Gold
• Band brings fervor back to timeless American music
• The Skinny: Listen Up, Lamenting Ladies
• The Wiggles bring family fun to Utah
• Bluebird Cafe cultivates creativity and collaboration
• Montana photographer brings the West to life in Sundance exhibit 
• Young violin prodigy's star power shines in Moon Light 
• Country crooner John Michael Montgomery to sing at SCERA Shell
• Quilt show is serious business at Springivlle Museum of Art
• Civil Twilight shares bill with Neon Trees
• Local band Fictionist authors genre-defying music
• Voodoo Orchestra showcases swinging teens

THE DAILY UNIVERSE

• Viewpoint: Animal Collective releases new film
• Students play vital part in nation's oldest student-run exit polls 
• Movies make an impact on many: Three important films
• What we're listening to: The Helio Sequence
• Sundance Film Festival preview
• Musicians juggle benefits, downsides to record deals

MY LATEST SEMI-IMPORTANT, YET UNDENIABLY ENTERTAINING, PURSUITS 

• A Day In the Life of A News Editor
• Man vs. Wild
• WARNING: Nerds May Seem Closer Than They Appear 
• A Valentine's Day-Induced Rant

Chase’s Excellent Internship Adventure.

My time at Deseret News thus far has been rife with intrigue, hard work and valuable learning experiences. Also, it's been filled with strange occurrences and off-the-wall sources. Today marked a particularly interesting situation.

Here's an e-mail I sent out to a fellow reporter in the midst of my story -- it's since been passed around at work:

So...very interesting, but morbid development today in the line of duty. I head up to the JSB [on BYU's campus] for the lecture to find a mere eight people in the auditorium, seemingly waiting to watch Mr. Daines [New York Department of Health Commissioner] talk about the intricacies of Public Health -- or so I thought. However, after the clock strikes 11:10 a.m., I begin to realize something is wrong that even Mormon Standard Time can't properly account for. Promptly, I Google'd the event to see if I had come at the wrong time or experienced a stroke. Just above the BYU calendar link lies about three articles, relaying the sudden, unexpected death of one Richard F. Daines at the very end of February. A few additional minutes of searching confirms it -- our potential speaker poised to assuage our shared inner-geek is no longer with us. Now I sit here with only a few stragglers in the dim auditorium, feeling grateful for my health (he still delivered a powerful posthumous message) and ready to pack up my recorder and camera.

An interesting albeit sad day, worthy of entry in my journalistic diary.

Hope your other lectures fare better today!

Chase

Time To Man Up.

After some mild (to dangerously high) trepidation and a handful of painstakingly filled-out applications, I successfully landed a spot as an intern at Men's Journal magazine in New York this spring. And I'm ridiculously excited (I'll have to lower my expectations later after the newness wears off as to avoid any disappointment in the Big Apple). Not only will I contribute to the magazine's target subjects of travel, sports, technology, movies and celebrities, but the recently instated editor of MJ was the executive editor and music writer for Rolling Stone (both publications are owned by Wenner Media). I was told he wants to beef up MJ's culture/entertainment content and that my music knowledge could come in handy down the road -- maybe help me make some important contacts at the 'Stone and get to live out my dream job. We'll see. I'll be living over at Columbia University in Manhattan and taking the subway to work every day, from the end of April to mid-June. Another internship or the start of something special in my swiftly-approaching career? Only time will tell.

Sounding Off.

I've always loved music (read: been obsessed), not only listening to it but performing and creating songs of my own. I've written some tunes in the past but never taken the time to record anything. Finally, this past summer while writing for the Daily Herald, I decided to whip out my ol' interview recording device and establish a self-indulgent MySpace page -- which probably never should have seen the light of day but I'm sharing it anyway. Below is my latest recording and you can go to myspace.com/chasemlarson for the entirety of my musical attempts.

The Future of Journalism.

For my Media Effects class, I just concluded a fairly lengthy evaluation concerning the future of the journalism -- a topic I am very interested in (especially since it has to do with my hopeful vocation or homelessness). It may seem dry to some, but the topic affects us all -- whether we read the newspaper, have a smart phone or use social media. I think it's safe to say that covers just about all of us. Take a gander if you so desire and hear what the "best in the biz" have to say about where the media industry is headed. Click below.

The Future of Journalism (PDF) 

Playing Catch-Up.

I think I've finally come to the realization that I'll never be done with my perpetual "to do" list. There is no last hill to climb before a blissful, end-all paradise. And I'm content with that conclusion. The ride is the best part anyway. The most important thing is maintaining the balance. Now, well into the latter half of the semester, I'm finding (and making) more opportunities for me to write again. With school and my job as editor at the Universe, it's been nice to sit down and get the juices flowing again lately.

Below is my latest Rhombus Online Magazine post (which I spent many moons on) as well as a couple articles I did regarding election coverage for The Daily Universe:


Rhombus Online Magazine
MUSIC: 20 Important Songs You Should Hear

The Daily Universe
Students play vital part in nation's oldest student-run exit polls
A liberating evening for democrats