Meet Bethany Hildebrandt | Music Journalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethany Hildebrandt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethany, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Song & Fury is a music publication created in 2019 that originally started as an entertainment/lifestyle blog. In 2020, it transitioned into a full time music publication – providing album + single reviews, artist interviews, show previews, playlists, featured articles and more. Starting my own publication was very liberating and I know there are music lovers, fans, music journalists, industry professionals, etc. that share my passion for music. Bringing light into the world by featuring people’s favorite music and artists has become part of who I am and I will never let go of my passion.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Along with becoming a music journalist, an editor and a business owner, I’ve also become a graphic designer and social media manager, amongst many other things. This industry and job are not for the weak. I’ve dedicated so many hours to creating a safe space for myself and other music lovers to potentially have a positive impact on the world. In 2019, I created my blog’s original title “A Way With Words” – an entertainment/lifestyle blog providing poetry, tv show reviews, music reviews and more. In 2020, the blog transitioned into a full time music publication. In 2022, the blog rebranded and became “Song & Fury”.

Some challenges that have come with being a music journalist + running a music publication have been writer’s block, not being able to keep up with submissions, scrambling to share articles to social media channels, having to say no to submissions, struggling to create new designs for graphics, updating the website.

Overcoming challenges and obstacles is never easy, but it is possible. Researching for new content, writing about what I want, coming to terms with I can’t say yes to everyone, creating a social media schedule that works for me, getting creative when creating new designs, and updating the website when I’m able to.

What the world needs to know about Song & Fury is that it’s a safe space and positive community with no room for negativity. The publication offers all things music including album/single reviews, show reviews, artist interviews, think-piece articles, artist-based articles and more. However, we never want to be known as a breaking music news outlet.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I was born, raised and am currently based in St. Louis – the city of Baseball Heaven, Chuck Berry, a complex music scene and hot spots all around town.

One of my favorite things about St. Louis is so many free places to visit – St. Louis Zoo (the ONLY free zoo in the world), art museum, history museum, St. Louis science center, The Muny (free seats), Forest Park and more. Along with all of these wonderful places, if you’re a huge baseball fan like I am, then you must go to a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. The scene of the ballpark includes hot summer nights, cold beer, thousands of passionate Cardinals fans, the smell of ballpark hot dogs and nachos, and Fredbird.

In University City, the Delmar Loop will knock you off your feet as it’s filled with dazzling restaurants such as Blueberry Hill along with local favorites Mission Taco and Nudo House. The Loop is also decked out with two of the most prestigious venues you will ever visit – The Pageant and Delmar Hall – who have hosted acts such as Chuck Berry, The Strokes, Jelly Roll, Green Day and more.

Another amazing thing about St. Louis is good ol’ fashioned record stores all over the place – Vintage Vinyl, Planet Score Records, The Record Exchange, Music Record Shop and tons more.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Angela Tyler (owner of Muddy Paw PR) has taken me under her wing in my music industry journey. Starting out, she reached out to me near the end of 2021 (when Song & Fury was called “A Way With Words) about an artist she was working with on the public relations side and from there, I completed a PR internship under her direction and have received the uttermost leadership and mentorship from her. I will forever be grateful for Angela and I’s professional relationship and our friendship.

Website: https://www.songandfuryblog.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanyhildebrandtt/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethany-hildebrandt-18baa2199/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/songandfuryblog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/songandfury/

Image Credits
Bethany Hildebrandt