Description
Nonmainstream music publications are an essential element in supporting and creating a music community. Their role is vital to giving a voice to local musicians who are involved in subgenres, such as alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, blues, gospel, jazz, and bluegrass. These weeklies have long been an integral part of the national music world. However, since the advent of the internet, nonmainstream print publications have had to adapt to changes in costs and accessibility; many transitioning into hybrid/online versions. As local publications morph into more modern versions or disappear entirely, the history of their impact on the music community has largely gone undocumented. In particular, there is limited academic research on the history of nonmainstream publications in San Diego prior to the internet and the contributions these weeklies have made in uniting local subgenre musicians. This thesis seeks to reveal the little-known history about the publication culture and local musicians in San Diego. The author has conducted extensive interviews with locals involved in San Diego’s music publications and music scenes in order to provide an historical context to the role of these publications. A prime local example of the phenomenon of nonmainstream publishing is the San Diego Troubadour, which features stories on specific local genres and has played a major role as a source of communication for the local alternative music community. This project aims to document San Diego’s nonmainstream publications with a particular focus on the San Diego Troubadour as a primary example of the role of these publications in uniting local music communities in an age of online commerce and social media industries.
