Mary Chang, ELS

Short bio

Hello! I'm Mary Chang, and I imagine you are here because our paths have crossed in some way musically. Here are some brief bits about my life and how I got to where I am today.

I trained as a molecular biologist at university and graduated with honours from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in biology (specialization of cell and molecular biology and genetics). So I possess a highly analytical boffin mind, even though my days at the lab bench / Drosophila (fruit flies) are behind me.

But music was always my first love. I started taking piano lessons at age 3, and while I don't play (much) anymore I can still pick out melodies from days gone by and have an exceptional memory of songs and lyrics. I sang in school choir (lead alto) for as long as I can remember. (My high school choir teacher cried when I told her I would be majoring in biology, not voice, in university.) These days, I play bass (a black 5-string ESP named James), sing, and write songs and poetry in my spare time.

By day I'm a managing editor and coordinating journal manager just outside Washington, DC at a major scientific society / nonprofit scientific and educational organization with over 12,000 members. I keep scientists and editors alike organised as they submit and handle manuscripts that may make the cut and be published in our journals down the road.

By night I'm the editor of my own music blog, There Goes the Fear (established in 2006), where I joined as USA editor in August 2009 and became editor and owner in August 2010. I am also a contributor to UK print and online magazine This is Fake DIY and CALMzine, the magazine of UK anti-suicide organisation Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). I used to write for Click Music (2010) before writing for DIY exclusively, and for PopWreckoning (2009-2011) before it went on hiatus. On this strength of all these works, I went to the 40th anniversary of Roskilde Festival in summer 2010, where I acted as an official blogger.

I hope to one day use my passion for music and talent for discovering grea new bands in a music-related job in London or Manchester, preferably as a journalist for the BBC or a newspaper like the Guardian or the Independent. I have the faraway dream of becoming the female successor to Steve Lamacq on BBC 6music.

February 2012

My music writing

Albums / EPs / singles I've reviewed
Artists / bands I've interviewed
Shows I've covered

I contribute to:

My science writing (some examples)

Journal of Lipid Research news item: "Lipid droplets in plants: they're not just for energy storage anymore" (for ASBMB Today)
Journal of Lipid Research news item: "A protein with protective properties for HIV patients" (for ASBMB Today)
Journal of Lipid Research news item: "A new risk marker for cardiovascular disease?" (for ASBMB Today)
Journal of Lipid Research news item: "A new role for cytochrome P450 34A" (for ASBMB Today)
Journal of Lipid Research news item: "Tributes and methods: the July JLR" (for ASBMB Today)

FDA-Approved Anti-HIV Medications (for NIH/AIDSinfo)
Safety of Anti-HIV Medications During Pregnancy (for NIH/AIDSinfo)
Recommended Immunizations for HIV Positive Adults (for NIH/AIDSinfo)
Preventive HIV Vaccines (for NIH/AIDSinfo)
Therapeutic HIV Vaccines (for NIH/AIDSinfo)

Where else to find me online

Scientific managing / editing / writing specialties

Music editing / writing / promoting specialties

At the moment, the people that I would like to interview are (in no particular order):