A West Yorkshire Music Journalism Initiative
Project Overview
The Too Legit To Quit (T.L.T.Q) pilot was a collaborative initiative between The Saving Grace Collective and the Huddersfield Literature Festival (HuddLitFest). Designed to diversify the music journalism landscape in West Yorkshire, the project provided aspiring writers—particularly those from marginalized or underrepresented communities—with a professional platform to develop their craft and gain industry exposure.
The project began with a regional call-out, inviting writers aged 16–30 to submit an original 200-word piece on their favorite musical artist. From these submissions, 12 participants were selected to attend an intensive masterclass at Amped in Huddersfield.
The T.L.T.Q Talent Pipeline
This initiative bridges the gap between amateur music fandom and professional publication through a structured three-stage process:
- Selection & Mentorship: Identifying raw talent through a competitive application process and providing direct access to industry experts like author and academic Alex Coles.
- Professional Development: A 6-hour intensive workshop covering interview techniques, critical theory, and the “Art of the Review”.
- Publication & Industry Exit: High-quality reviews produced during the workshop will be published on the forthcoming TLTQ site, creating a professional portfolio for emerging writers.
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“I thoroughly enjoyed the session, especially listening to Alex. He was truly inspiring.”
Naina Rana
“It was so informative and helpful. It’s very inspiring hearing other people’s work and understanding different techniques and perspectives!”
Jessica Sansoa
Key Objectives and Activities
- Diversifying the Scene: Focus on recruiting writers from LGBTQ+, Black, Asian, and socio-economically marginalized backgrounds to ensure a more representative music media landscape.
- The “Tainted Love” Brief: Participants were tasked with writing evocative, 300-word reviews based on the theme of “Tainted Love,” exploring the emotional complexities of tracks ranging from Nina Simone to Tyler, The Creator.
- Industry Insights: A keynote session led by Alex Coles on “Breaking Through,” focusing on pitching, portfolio building, and navigating modern music media.
- Digital Resource Creation: The entire workshop was filmed by to be archived and released as a free remote-access resource for those unable to attend in person.
Benefits
- For Aspiring Writers: Access to high-level mentorship, and a professional byline on a dedicated platform.
- For the Local Ecosystem: Strengthening the cultural ties between West Yorkshire’s music scene and its literary community, while building a “Social Capital” grid of partners including the Huddersfield Literature Festival, EMI North, Super Friendz , Leeds Beckett University, University of Huddersfield,Leeds Trinity University, The Piece Hall, EMI North and Amped and more.
- For Future Growth: The pilot serves as a research foundation for a larger 12-month music journalism project, identifying the long-term needs of West Yorkshire’s creative youth.
“It was an excellent workshop… Alex was an incredible person to lead it. I learned a great deal.”
Fareeha Ahmad
Participant Spotlight: The “Tainted Love” Reviews
An example of some of the outputs from the workshop showcased a diverse range of critical voices:
- Naina Rana on Tyler the creator: Exploring what happens when your fixation replaces reality through the lens of ‘She’.
- Laila Brook Martinez: A deep dive into the possessiveness and vulnerability within ‘New Magic Wand’.
- Joseph Krol on James Carr: Analyzing “The Dark End of the Street” as a symbol of societal pressure.
“It was really amazing to meet so many passionate people, and I learned a lot.”
Mia Kelly
“Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity, it was an amazing experience.”
Laila Brook Martinez