This is my last letter from the editor for SCN. So it's gotta be about Prince. As an artist, he is a picture of longevity, creativity and talent, and as a Minnesotan, his work is part of how I came to work at this desk in New York City.
Kirsten Nelson
Prince brought an illustrious glamour to the little Minneapolis music venue where I grew up as a fan, and his recording studios were where I enjoyed my first music industry party. Those were the baseline experiences for my passionate love affair with the arts and technology.
Over my 16 years at the magazine, SCN readers have said that a highlight of reading my columns is to discover how I connect my random intro topic to the end point of why it matters to you. Somehow, I always make it work, and that's because this industry provides so many outlets for creativity and ingenuity. As a very fortunate editor, I want to express my supreme gratitude for the wonderful responses I’ve received to the pieces I wrote for you, my audience, my public, my fan base. You are the reason I connected my passions and interests to technology and the wonderful people who make it work better.
I've loved every second of composing these pieces, even if those seconds were usually taken minutes before we went to press. But even though I'm an eternal procrastinator, there is nothing that gives me a greater thrill than the practice of assembling words into meaning. I love the endless material that I collect in interviews and conversations with the engaging entrepreneurs, inventors and artists of this industry. So I'm going to follow Prince’s lead and leave the major label and go out on my own to do more of what I love.
It's time to pass the torch to another passionate industry contributor, Lindsey Adler. She will take the helm as editor, and as she does so, she will add her own network of industry contributors to the roster of superhumans who make SCN possible each month. Lindsey has the curiosity and drive required to provide vital business information to our readers. She has the generosity, energy and skills of observation that will enable her to contribute more in-depth analysis to our ever-changing business. Joining her at the top is another powerful journalistic force, Kelleigh Welch. She jumped in at the deep end of pro audio journalism with our sister publication, Pro Sound News, and her vivacity and ambition have made it plain that she will do much for our industry.
As I write this on press day, we are preparing for our company holiday extravaganza. So I’ll make a slight amendment to Prince’s lyric and say that tonight I’m gonna party like it's 1998, when I graduated from college and joined this business. Put the needle on the record for my farewell: “I was dreaming when I wrote this, so sue me if I go too fast…”
Follow Kirsten on her new Twitter handle @kirstennelson.
