Moving to Radio

I've been working quite a bit, ever since I got back from traveling in December, as a volunteer for the Boise Community Radio Project. I heard about it last year but didn't do anything about it until I got an e-mail forwarded to me by David Varner about a volunteer meeting. I showed up, and months later, I seem to have found myself another Diverse Arts.

Speaking of whom: They had a fire. DiverseArts is a non-profit arts organization in Austin where I worked for about 7 or 8 years. I worked mainly on their magazine, as writer and editor and Managing Editor and in any other capacity I could or would. I helped with Jazz Fest a little, with smaller shows a bit, and generally did whatever I could for Harold, the founder. Harold's got vision, and like many people with vision who try to turn that vision into a functioning reality, he's had a hard time of it. Things go well, things go not so well, and the tide of money available to arts organizations involved in the finer but less lucrative forms becomes ever harder to stick your feet into. But he persevered, put on good shows, did his thing his way and earned the respect of any who knew or worked with him. He's passionate, and I learned a lot from the years I spent working for him.

The office building where they kept their office and gallery space, up on Guadalupe around 17th St., burned in late January, and they sustained quite a bit of damage--they and many of the other artists and art groups who kept space there. I don't know any details beyond that, but I hope to get together with Harold when I get to Austin next weekend.

So, BCRP. Today Jeff Abrams, the guy running the show, offered me the position of Music Director. Pretty exciting, though I don't really know what that means. But I got to admit, I like the sound of it. This could be the thing I've been looking to get involved in, to sink my teeth into and live for music again, in a way that I never have but have always wanted to. I always wanted to be a DJ (who doesn't?), and for some reason I never pursued it beyond DJing in a rock club on off weekend nights in college. That was fun, but the radio is where I wanted to be.

Things have changed a lot for the medium, but I think it's more an exciting time and season to thrive than it is any sort of death knell for radio. Radio and the internet work together beautifully, and with a solid plan we could be viable and alive and an important component in improving the cultural life of this city.

I haven't officially accepted the offer yet, pending a conversation about what all I'd be doing in that spot, but I have a feeling I've already decided. Time to get into it. Time to make it happen and start an entire new phase of life.