Italian communications all-rounder
I always have a bit of trouble when people ask me what I do.
I tell them I work for myself, and they assume I’m an entrepreneur.
No, I say. I’m an independent communications consultant.
“Ah, so you run an advertising agency?”, they venture.
No, I say. I’m not an agency. I work alone. I don’t have employees or co-workers.
“Yes, but… what exactly do you do?”
You want the short answer? I write and I speak.
A master of couturier communications
And the long answer? My trade, as a communications consultant, is a fabric woven from many threads.
We communicate to convince others to do something. Or because we want to appeal to them. We communicate with people who speak a different language to us. And we communicate to make people aware about something: to inform them.
Persuasion, translation, and information are the common threads running through the fabric of communications and my work.
A master of persuasion
What does the persuasive aspect of my work involve? I write adverts and promotional texts for a huge variety of product-based businesses. And I do this by crafting them in Italian from scratch (copywriting) or adapting English or German versions into Italian (transcreation). In some rare cases (like this one) I write in English as long as a native English editor reviews my copy. I also direct voice over artists as they record radio and TV ads. Copywriter, transcreator, dubbing and voice over director as well as a speaker at transcreation workshops and conventions. That’s me in a nutshell. As I said, “I write and I speak”.
A master of translation
I also write and speak in another aspect of my work: translation. I translate with my voice and I translate with my keyboard. But I don’t translate just anything. In a former life, I have, in no particular order: worked in the promotion department of a concert agency; written about music for several magazines; worked as a publicist for independent artists; represented a German company claiming neighbouring rights and auditing royalty statements in Italy, on behalf of artists; chosen and categorised 10,000 tracks for audio and video jukeboxes for an English company with a huge European presence…. and so, it seemed common sense to specialise in music. As an English and German to Italian translator, I translate books, press releases, artist biographies, and other material of an informational or promotional nature. As an English-Italian interpreter, I mostly translate for interviews, round tables and press conferences.
A master of information
And how does information come into it? I have been a freelance journalist since 2007. As well as reviewing records, I have interviewed artists from Italy and abroad across pretty much every musical genre. Oh, go on then, I’ll drop some names. Rap: Frankie hi-nrg mc, Arrested Development. Pop: Cesare Cremonini, Take That. Jazz: Jamie Cullum, Pat Metheny. Classical: Federica Fornabaio. Dance: Geo from Hell. Indie: Cristina Donà, Zutons. Soundtracks: Matteo Buzzanca, Yann Tiersen. Rock: Marlene Kuntz, The Styles. World music: Asa. In 2015 I even launched my own online magazine, Face The Music, comprised entirely of interviews and themed playlists. These days I mostly write press releases and editorial pieces for companies from a wide range of sectors.
