Valerie E. Polichar is is a freelance writer in San Diego, California, with a particular focus on music reviews, applied psychology, and educational psychology. A musician and songwriter with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, a long career in data networking, and current work as an academic IT director at a major research university, Valerie brings a wealth of background to articles on a variety of subjects.
Spectrum Culture
Kate Bush – The Dreaming
“In fact it was animal—full of groans and gasps, hissing vocal effects and jungle drums. It was also intellectual, complex, and full of big vision.”
The Paper Sea
press kit & website
“Intimate instrumental music grounded in piano, laced with synths and organs, strings, and horns, and resonant with childhood memories, wistful moments, and lasting love.”
Echoes & Dust
Lizzard – Eroded
“‘Corrosive’, Eroded’s opener, curls around and around on itself, and like a snake, the rattle comes at the end, as guitar line dissolves into a percussive drizzle.”
Spectrum Culture
David Bowie - Let’s Dance
“That’s exactly how to hear Let’s Dance: beautiful, flawed, focused and absolutely intentional.”
Banish distractions and increase writing productivity with these focus-boosting tips
The Writer Magazine
Taming the Squirrel
“Once you’ve mastered the techniques in this article, you’ll be ready to run with those tucked-in, stolen half hours, and use them effectively to build toward your writing goals.”
Echoes & Dust
Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today
“It comes howling in a minute into Protomartyr’s Ultimate Success Today: a scream of saxophone against the group’s signature noise-rock vibe.”