This semester, my inner Pitch Perfect-loving high school freshman self’s dreams came true when WTBU granted me the privilege of having my own radio show.
Let me clarify. In the 2012 instant cult classic film, Anna Kendrick’s character Beca works for her college radio station and life only goes up from there. And, for anyone who might not be aware, WTBU is *deep radio voice* “the beat of Boston University,” or in other words, BU’s own student-run station. Like Beca, radio was the first extracurricular I wanted to get involved with when I got to college, and joining last fall was probably one of the best decision I’ve ever made. After interning for two different shows my freshman year (shoutout to Pop Cultured and Shrug Emoji) and learning the station ropes from some welcoming upperclassmen-turned-good friends, I could not wait for the opportunity to have a DJ name and programming time slot of my own. I therefore did my very best victory dance when I received an email this summer saying my show application had been approved.
Now, every Sunday from 10 am to noon, you can catch me on the airwaves as host of On the Verge, the official music and talk show of Verge Campus BU. VCBU is another organization I got involved with last year that centers around an online college lifestyle publication. Our partner site/company, GoodMusicAllDay, focuses on publicizing up-and-coming artists. My show serves as an extension of these two brands, as we talk about everything from world news to everyday college experiences (often inspired by Verge Campus articles) and play the music of underground artists usually from GMAD.On the Verge has been on air for about two months now, and I could not be happier with how it’s going so far. I’ll be honest, every episode hasn’t been flawless. That being said, though, I’ve been grateful for even my most cringe-worthy moments on FM/AM. Having a radio show has frankly taught me a lot about life. Here are some of those cheesy, cliche, painfully unoriginal lessons with a DJ’s twist:
1) Teamwork makes the dream work. If it wasn’t for my amazing co-host and team of interns, On the Verge would be no where near as interesting a show as I think/hope it’s been. Not only do they all contribute to some great talk segments and OTV’s social media presence, but they’ve also helped me find stories to report as well as artists and students to interview each week. We can proudly say we’ve had a guest on-air every episode so far, and I’m more than confident our episodes will only improve.
2) Hard work pays off. A lot of the artists I’ve interviewed on OTV have been college students, which has been really inspiring in more ways than one. I’ve mainly been so in awe of how individuals my same age and often with my same workload are still managing to pursue music careers and grow as artists. Whether they’re dropping full EPs or shooting industry-caliber music videos, college kids are doing insanely impressive things, regardless of all the hours that may be involved. Sure enough, they’re also getting the recognition on YouTube, SoundCloud, etc that they strive for. I think their successes are testament to the dynamic duo that is passion and persistence, whom other students should befriend, too!
3) Don’t sweat the small stuff. For a third-semester WTBU member, I should really be embarrassed of the amount of times I’ve pressed the wrong button on the mixing board or, better yet, forgot to press one at all. Anything done involving technology just naturally entails the possibility of technological difficulties, and boy do I feel like I’m prone to those. After my second episode as a host, though, I decided that I couldn’t be too hard on myself for my mistakes, especially when I have guests in the studio. I’ve actually become a fan of turning my incompetence into a punchline. Sometimes, laughing at yourself and getting others to do the same makes for great radio. Plus, you’ll look like a confident and composed host (despite the fact that you might be crying on the inside…)
4) Don’t forget where you came from. Or to whom you owe your existence. Basically just love your mom, everybody!!! I know, just when you thought this blog post couldn’t get any sappier, I just had to throw that one in. Though my mom might just be OTV’s biggest fan (hopefully not our only listener), where I was really going with this one was your family and friends will always be your biggest support system and never forget that. Mine have continually supported my radio endeavors and really helped spread the word about On the Verge. Nothing’s worse than being incredibly proud of a project and having no one to share it with. Of course Facebook likes are always appreciated, too 🙂
Now, for a final plug: make sure to check out wtburadio.org to listen to and learn more about all of the fun shows fellow Terriers host each week!
