Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Morales.
Hi Alison, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Punk Rock Anthropology originally started as a simple class assignment. One of my professors challenged us to find people that had our dream careers. My ultimate dream was to be some type of music journalist and have my own media company. I took it a step further and looked for women that had this type of career. And in the year 2016, it was still slim to none. It just bothered me that women (especially women of color) are not represented in the punk and hardcore scenes. The crazier part is that we make up such a big part of that scene, especially in Texas and other parts of the United States.
I started this blog as a part of that assignment and I just kept going. I also started making content for social media channels such as Instagram and kept writing about music news and topics. I honestly did it for myself and to keep the little space that I carved out because it was much needed. In 2019 I decided to apply for a grant to get funding for the channel when people around me started to take notice. It took my friends and family pushing me to stop self-doubting and start making that space louder and bigger.
Cut to a year later, the 2020 lockdown happened and was a chaotic time for music. I had to re-think how I would approach keeping PRA since all tours stopped and we were all sheltered in place. I decided to learn Tiktok as a content tool and decided to talk about punk music there. I never wanted to show my face on the internet due to it being a judgemental world and I wanted my work to stand alone. But since I had nothing to lose at this stage, I kept making content and found a much-needed music community there.
Currently, my following has grown past 6k and I am revamping the site to do a 3.0 version of the Punk Rock Anthropology and moving on to more ambitious content and creation.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was never a smooth road. The biggest struggles were always time and money. I worked a full-time job while in college and could only write or post content during the day or very late at night if I was lucky. Post-college, I worked 2-3 jobs at a time so finding time to put together content or let alone go to a show was very challenging. I honestly have thought of quitting a million times. I would question it every time my web hosting fees bill would come in because I may or may not have had the money to pay it. It was looking very bleak for a long time and was really upsetting that work would have been for nothing.
There are also internal struggles within myself. I have anxiety and depression so there is always a voice telling you different than what the reality might be. There are also people on the internet willing to tell you those horrible things as well. But I think this truly defines where your passion really lies. I couldn’t see myself quitting for any specific reason and I don’t see myself not being a part of the punk space.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have worked in the music industry in my earlier years and have an education in the music business and digital media. I have worked in a lot of male-dominated spaces and career fields for many years which gives me a unique perspective on the music industry. I think the mix of work in the field and utilizing my marketing skills help me reach the specific audience that I am looking for.
I have always been a creative type even though I have a few business and technical degrees. I studied music and audio engineering for many years and have always been doing art in some form even as a child. I have taken all that energy into making visual and written content at this stage in my life which seems like a natural progression.
But to sum up a very long path: I studied sound production, went to college, and I am a media buyer and content creator. I am obsessed with punk music throughout that entire career path.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Honestly, listening to records in my room as early as five years old. I was always in my own world and daydreaming a lot. I am fortunate to have a lot of fond memories of being a child though.
Contact Info:
- Email: punkrockanthro@gmail.com
- Website: www.punkrockanthropology.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/punkrockanthro/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/punkrockanthro
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/punkrockanthro
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCK-NyTYdwYgkru85dIu_-A
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@punkrockanthro
Image Credits
Jennifer Harris, David Martindale, and myself.
