Matthew McGuire, editor and founder at Crescent Vale.
Editor and founder of Crescent Vale – Matthew McGuire
Born in Mt. Vernon, Illinois in May of 1984. I began working on media as many young scholars do with pen and paper. The thrill of experiencing a finished product has always been a joy of mine. In grade school I loved learning a variety of skills that continued through high school.
During high school I started to mold my career. At Marion High School there is daily announcements that would run over televisions in each classroom. I joined the news team, and had success delivering the new to my peers. One of my classmates on the news team was Sam West. He plays bass, and now performs in venues in Nashville. At the time, we were getting experience editing, recording and producing a daily news program. I graduated from high school in 2002.
After years of working in the culinary industry, Sam West approached me to film one of his live shows in 2008. He wanted me to film, edit, and publish the video to YouTube. West needed the film to use for promotional material at the time. It gave me a chance to use a set of skills that I had not utilized for years. In that same year I went back to college to build a better understanding of how to produce professional multimedia.
My first year back in school was difficult overall. I had to relearn how to learn in a lot of ways. You can learn without really engaging with material. One element that I appreciate being a non-traditional student is having the drive to want to learn.
In 2009, a few friends of mine were putting together an outdoor camping and music festival in Southern Illinois. John Barrett approached me to help promote and cover a festival he was working on. After working on the 2009, 2010 and 2011 events, I built experience and strong friendships. I will always miss my friends that have now passed on including Molly Young and John Barrett.
When John asked me to cover his event in 2009, it brought something out of me. At the time I was mainly a freelance media producer. In late 2009 and early 2010, I published my first website, and called it Crescent Vale.
The main purpose of Crescent Vale in 2009 and moving into 2010 was to provide a professional edge to the media I was producing for events and websites. The mission statement continues to remain as providing a place to bridge cultural gaps with music and cultural.
In addition, I worked with the radio broadcasting industry from 2010-2014. It was an excellent learning experience at WDBX 91.1 fm in Carbondale, Illinois.
Those festivals got my feet wet within music industry on a more professional level. In 2012, I had the opportunity to cover the Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois for the JamBase media outlet. It is a national/international news outlet, and it gave me the chance to work with another media professional on Web-based article.
In 2013, Summer Camp Music Festival brought me back with my own outlet. It was a big honor to have that opportunity. The Hangout Music Festival allowed us to cover their event that year, and our reach expanded dramatically.
After covering major music events, I wanted to branch out in 2014 to cover the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. That opportunity gave me experience in the indie and professional film industries. I graduated with a M.S. degree in 2014 for professional media and media management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
2015 marked another big year for our media outlet with coverage in multiple states including: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Illinois, and Tennessee. I was able to interview Josh Fox, director of Gas Land, and it gave helped build guidance and knowledge of the environment.
The Bonnaroo Music Festival gave me an opportunity to cover their event in Manchester, Tennessee. We covered Hulaween in Florida in October, published over hundreds of articles, and started advertising on our main website.
The first six years of working with Crescent Vale has been rewarding in many ways. I have been able to fulfill dreams, and create new ones with friends and family all over the world.
In the upcoming years I plan to continue to provide media and Web-based content for international audiences. It is my goal to help unite different cultures. I plan to continue to grow in the media industry. Thank you for your time and support.
National News
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