When I was an undergraduate at University of Oregon I worked at the college radio station. KWVA Eugene was on the left hand of the dial at 88.1 FM, and it was where I spent a majority of my time. As both DJ and co-music director, it was the place where I had the most fun and learned some of my biggest lessons of my student career, the thing from all my days as a student that made the biggest impression on me. I learned many of the facets necessary for running a radio station, including sound equipment use and maintenance, the nuances of voiceovers, behind-the-scenes production, underwriting, and so many other things. The best part of course, was hearing all the new music and having my horizons broadened. When I went back to school to get a teaching certificate at Northeastern Illinois University, I also loved doing a radio show at WZRD 88.3 FM, and had just as much fun. When I left the world of school and entered the work force, it saddened me that college radio was something I couldn't participate in because I wasn't a student, and I certainly wasn't interested in working in commercial radio. I wasn't even interested in LISTENING to commercial radio.

That’s why I love that Chicago is host to a station like CHIRP (at 107.1 FM -- the other end of the dial!) where you don't have to be a student to DJ. And further, to be involved, you don't even have to be a DJ -- there's plenty of the behind-the-scenes stuff to be involved, to be part of the CHIRP community. In addition to my radio show, I'm also a contributor to the CHIRP Radio Podcast Artist Interview Series where I've produced interviews with artists like Dark Chisme, Sacha Mullin and Born Days. And this is a podcast, by the way, that was voted Best Music Podcast in the Chicago Reader's Best of 2024!

CHIRP captures everything I loved about college radio -- the wide breadth of music, the human DJs, its involvement out in the city. Community radio really is a beautiful thing. But CHIRP isn't affiliated with a university. It's run by people in the community of all ages and backgrounds, and that means I can get involved without being a student. Unlike college radio, it isn't affiliated with a university to help fund it. And running community radio is not free. It needs people like you and me to make it run. I started volunteering there a year ago, and I want to do my part to help keep it as awesome as it is. Help me meet my goal of $500.

You can tune in to my show Well Now We're Both Awake on CHIRP radio 107.1FM for my weekly Wednesday early AM 6-9am show. You can also listen on the CHIRP radio app or at chirpradio.org, and listen to archived shows here.

Thanks for supporting community radio!