Monday, March 16, 2009

A Day in the Life... Pt. 1

This is just a sample of what I (and many volunteer programmers) go through to do a show on KAFM.

While I was initially someone who clutched jealousy to their large stack of CD's and scoffed at people with their white ear-buds and iPods, I have since become an avid user. With it I can play any song from my music selection or listen to new music, and then pick songs for an upcoming show. Such a great convenience. Another benefit is that I can compile the songs I choose into a playlist on my laptop. By doing this it enables me to hear how songs transition into each other, and also to create groups of songs that play well together, because of a similar sound or related lyrics. It is also so much easier to be able to play these songs from my laptop rather than lugging large cases of CD's back and forth. My approach can in some ways create more work before doing a show, but it also makes doing the show so much easier.

Click Here for Pt. 2
Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

The Morning Muse

Stranded Under Endless Sky - The 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month - 6:30 to 9 PM. www.kafmradio.org

Many years ago, growing weary of what was being played on commercial radio, and also getting fed up with 15-minute-long commercial breaks, I decided to explore the varied and wonderful world of indie music. By doing this, I was able to build up an unusual and diverse music library. When I moved to the valley, I was lucky that someone encouraged me to give KAFM a listen.

I started doing The Morning Muse in the summer of 2007. Being repulsed by popular or top-40 radio, I make a conscious effort to play non-mainstream artists, who deserve but rarely get air-play on the radio. Also being opposed to peppy or upbeat music early in the morning, or most any other time, I decided to play low-key music.

The styles I play are: Americana, indie pop, and folk, with low-key rock and alternative music. I try to keep the music tranquil but varied, with some edge sneaking in from time to time. I also have an ear for lyrics that often are on the more melancholy or poignant end of the spectrum. (There is a reason I call myself the Storm Boy.)

I love it when people say to me, “I love that music, but I’ve never heard of that artist!” And I would love to hear from listeners who have an opinion or could give recommendations of artists to play on Stranded Under Endless Sky.