Kerry Dexter

Kerry Dexter is an independent writer, editor, and photographer in the US, Scotland, and Ireland. She is an expert on folk and world music (especially the Celtic and Americana sort), holds degrees in history and visual arts, and writes about these subjects, as wells as travel (especially in Ireland, Scotland, and North America) and creative practice.

Her work has appeared in print, online, and in broadcast media at National Geographic Traveler, USA Today, Strings, Ireland and the Americas, CMT, Symphony, Princeton Review handbooks, The Music Hound Guides, Wandering Educators, Songwriter’s Market, Perceptive Travel, and The Dictionary of American History, among other publications, and her background includes being folk music editor at VH1.com and Barnes and Noble Music Online, and long time contributing writer to the now out of print folk and world music print magazine Dirty Linen, which is archived at the Linrary of Congress.

She writes about music and creative practice at Music Road. She is also the Music Editor at Wandering Educators, where she writes a monthly column. She is an editor at Journey to Scotland and an Ireland Expert at Irish Travel KIt, and is a regular contributor to Perceptive Travel. Irish Fireside, and A Traveler's Library. She has also written artist biographies for several record labels and independent artists.

Her work is informed as much by walking the hills of Donegal, the Sangre de Cristo mountains of New Mexico, the highlands of Scotland, the sea coasts of Atlantic Canada and the piney wood hills of north Florida as it is by academic background in history, visual arts, and the humanities. In addition to writing about music and musicians, she writes about travel, architecture, education, spiritual and creative practice, and history.

Dexter is also a photographer (her work has been published in Symphony, The Providence Journal, Perceptive Travel, Ireland Travel Kit and other places) and an experienced producer and project co ordinator in broadcasting and the arts. She offers workshops, consulting, and one on one coaching on preparing and evaluating press materials, creative practice and vocation in the arts, and other subjects. More on these to come, but at present, your enquiries are most welcome.

To learn more, please write to Kerry at riosur [at] aol [dot] com

recent news: Perceptive Travel, to which Kerry is one of five regular contributors (her subjects are most often music, the arts, and history) has won a Lowell Thomas Award -- a Gold one, the highest level -- for quality of writing and photography, breadth and depth of coverage, and audience engagement. The awards are given by The Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.


*selected articles and photo essays

from Music Road

Róisín re-imagined from Muireann Nic Amhloaibh and the Irish Chamber Orchestra
Five songs for reflection at the turning of the year
Scotland's Music: Breabach: Frenzy of the Meeting
Ireland, Scotland, Story, and Connection: Allt from Julie Fowlis, Eamon Doorley, Zoe Conway, and John McIntyre
Scotland's Music: Karen Matheson: Family, Gaelic, and Story
Music for the Heart of Winter with Cathie Ryan
Classical violinist (and Scotswoman) Nicola Benedetti on her career, music, and education
Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis:Gach Sgeul/Every Story
India to Indiana: Everything Is Everywhere from Carrie Newcomer
Another Fine Winter's Night: Matt & Shannon Heaton
Cathie Ryan: Irish and American
Work of autumn: music
Gretchen Peters: Northern Lights
Ceol Chairlinn: sharing music in winter
intersections: words, music, and Robert Burns
Irish music, Irish landscape


at Perceptive Travel

Murals of Glasgow
Scotland's Coasts and Waters: a magic celebration re-imagined
Glasgow in Six Statues
Six Places to See the Future in the past: Exploring Historic Preservation
Exploring Cape Breton Island through Celtic Colours
Northern Ireland: History, Landscape, Legend, and Music Meet on Rathlin Island
Ireland: Following Saint Patrick
Denmark’s Harbour of Music
Mysterious Scotland: Calanais
The Wall, China Beach, and Memories
Finding Peace Along the Falls Road
Teaching Northumberland: Kathryn Tickell
Ian Tyson: songs of the Rocky Mountain West
Song Journeys
Meeting the Past in Northern Ireland
more Stories at Perceptive Travel

at Wandering Educators

Music and Horizons: Stories of Hope
Music for a Winter's Day
Song of the Banjo: Alison Brown
Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way: Voices of Donegal and Derry
Songs & Tunes of Cape Breton
Celtic Connections: Twenty Years of Extraordinary Music
book review: Modern Spice:Inspired Indian Flavors
Milwaukee Irish Fest
Five great places to eat in Glasgow, Scotland
Scottish musician Sarah-Jane Summers shares the best of the Highlands



at Journey to Scotland
Exploring the History of the Antonine Wall at Glasgow's Hunterian Museum
Scotland’s North Star: Music from Shetland’s Aly Bain
Glasgow Food Finds: Cafe Source

a selection of guest posts
guest post at A Traveler's Library music of the Ohio Valley: Wilderness Plots
guest post at A Traveler's Library on Scottish music for the traveler
guest post at Irish Fireside on three Celtic CDs to know
guest post at Perceptive Travel on pubs in Ireland: listening to music
guest post at The Brookyln Nomad on 5 top autumn Celtic festivals
guest post at Irish Fireside on the 2011 Gradam Ceoil awards honoring Ireland's traditional musicians
travel articles at Trazzler
including Veggie Planet in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Falls Road in Belfast, the Festival of Lights in Tallahassee, Saint Andrew's in the Square in Glasgow, and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville

photography photography -- music and light


what others say:
“Kerry has a way of lifting her subjects from the printed page and bringing them into your living room for a thoughtful conversation. Through music, photographs, and intimate interviews she shares stories that celebrate the human spirit.”
Lisa Gensheimer. President, Main Street Media

"Kerry is an ideal Music Editor on our site - sharing incredible stories of musicians from around the world. Her ability to dig deep into the musical story is what sets her apart from the crowd. I look forward each month to her column at WanderingEducators.com, and highly recommend her for both her writing ability and her in-depth knowledge of world music."
Dr. Jessica Voigts, editor and publisher, Wandering Educators




of note:
Music Road has four times been named one of the top five music blogs on the internet at the Weblog Awards, the only folk and Celtic music blog to be so recognized. Music Road is also a four time nominee for best music and arts blog at the Irish Blog Awards, and in 2008 the post Irish Music, Irish landscape was recognized as a top ten best post of the year by those awards. further, an article at Music Road and one at Perceptive Travel were named to the list of top Irish interest articles on the web in 2010 by the editors of Irish Fireside and in 2011, an article about Irish music at Wandering Educators was also chosen for that list. thanks to all who participated in these recognitions.

 in addition to editorial writing, Kerry can also help you with
writing liner notes, editing, presenting workshops, speaking, and consulting in the arts

professional biography writing services are also available.

for more information on any of these, please write to Kerry at riosur[at]aol [dot]com
thanks!

-->Your support for Music Road is welcome and needed. If you are able to chip in, here is a way to do that, through PayPal. Note that you do not have to have a PayPal account to do this. Thank you.

If you enjoy what you’ve been reading here, another way to support more of it:

professional biography writing

A well written professional biography helps you showcase your skills and can open doors for you. For musicians, artists, producers, writers, and other creative professionals, a well presented bio is often a far more useful career tool that a conventional resume. A brief professional biography is a tool to help you stand out, whatever your field.

To create yours, I will ask you several questions and we will have a conversation or two through e mail or by telephone. With more than two decades of experience as a professional writer and editor, I'll find your best professional stories, and distill them in ways which help you achieve your goals, creating a short (200 -300 word) biography for you.

Rates vary, depending on the project. I'm happy to discuss this with you.

Band, duo, and group enquiries, and enquiries concerning longer projects, are also welcome.

Evaluation of existing bio materials is also available.

Do you need liner notes for your CD or dvd, or perhaps a history of your event, building, or venue? I can help with those stories, too. Please enquire.

I work with artists based around the world, as well as in every part of the United States.


what others say:
about bio writing:
"Even though I'm a professional writer, I struggled to write my own artist profile. After hours of painful writing stretched over many days and weeks, I engaged Kerry Dexter to write one for me. With years of experience of working with artists of all kinds, she understands how to elegantly distill an artist's background, work and experiences into a skillfully crafted biography. The result? A profile that intrigues potential art buyers and gallery owners and shows a peek of my personality. If you need a professional artist profile or biography, contact Kerry. You'll be as thrilled as I am with the result."

Melanie McMinn
Fibre Artisan and Writer, New Zealand
feltedkiwi.com and www.frugalkiwi.co.nz

about editorial writing
“When it came to music journalists, Kerry was always one of my favorites: responsive and honest, and with an uncanny ability to illuminate the subject at hand. She approached each piece with open ears and a willingness to listen both to the music and to the artists' thoughts...first rate!” Brad San Martin former Director of Publicity, Compass Records

"Kerry really made me feel as though I were sitting in that sun warmed kitchen with the artist."
Susan Hartman, editor, folk music magazine Dirty Linen


For more information or to schedule a consultation about your project, please write to me at riosur at aol dot com, with ‘biography query’ in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kerry Dexter


Kerry Dexter is an experienced writer, photographer, and producer. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Strings, Symphony, Ireland and the Americas, and other print and broadcast media. She's the music editor at Wandering Educators and former folk music editor at Barnes and Noble Online and VH1.

more about Kerry Dexter