How Hart House fuelled Melissa Vincent’s meteoric journalism career

Clockwise from left: Melissa Vincent, September 2020 cover of Elle Canada, 2017 cover of Demo magazine. (Elle cover reproduced with permission of Elle; Leeor Wild, Photographer) (Demo cover by photographer Yannis Davy)

Writer, editor, producer and strategist Melissa Vincent (BA 2017 UC) has taken the world by storm, just five years after she graduated from the University of Toronto, double majoring in Urban Studies (Faculty of Arts and Science) and Book and Media Studies (St. Michael’s College).

Her 2020 cover story on Jessie Reyez, commissioned for Elle Canada, captivated readers across the nation. Her writing has also appeared in high-profile American publications such as Billboard, The Fader and Pitchfork, as well as in Canada’s foremost media giants such as CBC, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Business and Vice.

In 2019, she joined the Board of Directors of the esteemed Polaris Music Prize. This remarkable storyteller has also led content platforms operated by Banger Films, Blue Ant Media and Universal Music Canada; and produced a podcast to support the launch of the music docuseries “This is Pop” on Netflix. 

The genesis of Melissa’s career in music journalism can be traced back to Hart House where she was Editor-in-Chief of Demo, a student-run publication launched by the Hart House Music Committee in 2006.

She thinks of music “like the first love of your life” – a statement that rolls off her tongue and, without poetic intention, takes your breath away. Her words, sublimely curated, hit home. Such is the hallmark of an exceptional writer.

“coming to U of T really helped clarify my thoughts about music, culture and art”

When Melissa was younger, she was curious about and engrossed with music, but it felt somehow unattainable. Then over time, she developed her own voice for writing and determined what it was about particular albums that compelled her.

“In essence, I started to develop my tastes. Then coming to U of T really helped clarify my thoughts about music, culture and art,” she explains.

Melissa was introduced to Demo during University College’s frosh week. “A friend mentioned the Hart House music magazine and said I would love it.”

Her friend was right: “It was an immediate and obvious home; I’d found a community. A lot of people I met in Demo are now my lifelong friends. To find a group of people that wanted to get into the weeds and have conversations around 30 seconds of a track on an album – this gave me a space to feel like I wasn't alone. It built a lot of intimacy, trust and safety. That community was crucial for me to gain confidence.”

What she Learned Informs her Career to this Day

Melissa credits Demo for many things ‒ most specifically, for teaching her about the importance of being a clear communicator, using the tools of journalism and determining a good pitch. At Demo, the editors help to train the new writers, making themselves available to talk through the pieces and check in at various points during the writing process. 

“One of the most brilliant functions of Demo is its built-in system of passing along situational, institutional and generational knowledge,” she says.

It is the norm for someone to start at Demo in first year as a writer, watching how editors produce the magazine. Then in third and fourth year, they can advance to becoming an editor.

“I gained an understanding of the importance of setting up a good process for creative work. It's a system to make sure that editors are not going in cold; that they have resources and support. It sets up incoming editors for success.

“What I learned with my co-editors at Demo still serves me in my career today,” she emphasizes.

Cherished Memories of a creative working space

Some of Melissa’s most cherished undergrad memories are from Hart House, sitting with friends in the Arbor Room, chatting about Demo. This was an important creative working space for her. “It was also a space for us to reflect on how we were doing in general ‒ academically, emotionally or personally. We could count on chatting and then coming out of the conversation in better shape. I am so grateful that Demo was a conduit for us to do that.”

She loved the excitement of seeing the first proof of Demo magazine: “Running to the office, getting it, then going to Hart House, sitting with a coffee across the table from each other and flipping through it, catching typos, getting the kinks out. It’s like you’re a midwife to this project.”

Read Vincent's tips for student journalists at Hart House >

Originally published by Hart House