COMMUNITY
June MD of the Month | Jim Manion, WFHB Bloomington
“I joined a group called Community Radio Project, a non-profit formed in 1974 to work towards getting a non-commercial community radio station on the air so the local music scene could be heard on the radio. We had no idea this was happening elsewhere, we just wanted to create an alternative to commercial radio that wasn’t college or public radio. Grassroots independence is what we’ve always strived for.”
Industry Interview with Will Glass, Powderfinger Promotions
“I have been a huge fan of the band Slightly Stoopid for a long long time. David Avery was able to get me backstage on multiple occasions to meet the band and the team that works with them. I would say when you meet someone you look up to for 10+ years for the first time its very nerve-racking.”
May MD of the Month — Lauree McArdle, WERA Arlington
“In my “free” personal time I host a weekly music show called Spin Cycle that airs on WERA. It’s been a challenging year for everyone due to the pandemic, and in all honesty, taking on the music director duties is a zen-like activity that helps my mental health as well as reconnect with my true love of music. I feel it’s important to keep new independent music on our music rotation as I believe it’s why listeners tune in regularly!”
April MD of the Month | George Graham, WVIA Radio
“Loudon Wainwright w/Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks: “I’d Rather Lead a Band” is a favorite release in the past year — a great trip to another era, wonderfully whimsical with killer musicianship by the band.”
Industry Interview With Daria Gwaltney, Secretly Group
“I have interned/part-time worked at many beloved indie favorites such as The Fader FARM Team (marketing street team for The FADER), Captured Tracks (label), Insound.com (online music retail), Northern Spy (label), trans-pecos (venue), Boiler Room (music broadcasting platform). How could you not want to continue working in music when doors like that open?”
Industry Interview with Dom Paolo, Pirate! Promotions
“One artist that meant a lot to me over the years was The Ready Set. He was playing a show just outside of Boston, and I was given the opportunity to be on the crew for the show. I helped with a lot of the behind-the-scenes activities and got to hang out with the rest of the team for the night. I had him write a line down on paper from one of his songs that always inspired me, and a week later I had it tattooed on my arm.”
Genre MD of the Month | Bruce Trujillo, Indie 102.3 Colorado
“One thing that’s been able to keep a lot of this alive is a new project I co-founded called Colorful Colorado Collaborations, which brings together BIPOC musicians and businesses in Colorado for a truly unique live stream. We partner local musicians with a business to create a new product and release a new musical project, which culminates in a live-stream event with interviews and a live performance. We’re starting our second season next month and I can’t wait.”
March MDs of the Month | Iliana Ramirez & Faith Vara, KTSW San Marcos
“We’ve been playing this band called Mint Field who is an indie rock band from Mexico City. Most of their music is in Spanish and I love when we get to play international artists on air because I feel like it really adds to the diversity of our sound. I’ve gotten really into Spanish rock music in the past couple of years, so I was totally psyched when we got their music sent to us!”
February MD of the Month | Dave Blevins, WODU Studios, Norfolk
“Whenever I pick up my daughter, she always tells me about a new song she has found (new to her) and plays it for me, last week it was “The Killing Moon” – Echo & The Bunnymen, my face lit up when she played it. She has also discovered “Too Many Creeps” by Bush Tetras as well as songs by Joy Division and New Order. She is 15 and discovering the same kind of music I was at that age. “