Media Meditations3, #2: Big and Heavy

It's been about two weeks since I started my internship at a local independent music station called "Big Heavy World". BHW was started in 1996 with an online encyclopedia of regional artists, live internet webcasts from Club Toast. The idea was to promote local artists and give coverage to local Vermont events. Working here has been a dream, not only are the people who work there extremely cool but I've gained a lot of experience working in a real media environment and developed a new set of skills. Since they started they have released fifteen CD titles, constructed a radio station, added an online music shop and public music library. The staff is completely run by volunteers dedicated to supporting Vermont's original musicians. Check them out at http://bigheavyworld.com/ and tune into 105.9 FM

In the weeks ahead they are going to train me on using the on air radio equipment. I have to come up with a clever radio name and then I'm going to be on air playing my favorite local music. If anyone has any clever names for me let me know because I'm completely stumped. I've sat in the radio room many times watching the disc jockey's talk intellectually about current events and upcoming shows.

At every Wednesday at 8 pm there is a program called "Rocket Shop" this program brings in local artists to the studio where they are interviewed and possibly preform live over the radio or they play tracks from a new or upcoming album. The girl Kelsey who runs the program uses a different array of analytical tools to reach out to her audience in the process. Mainly she reaches out to the "plain folks". Her audience mainly consists of Vermont locals and College kids and given that the music scene in Burlington is very communal, people hear something that they like they will often come back to hear it again. She knows that in order to appeal to these people she must present herself as a music goer herself and address the facts in a manner that resembles the thought to the common man. Another tool that she uses would be the "bandwagon" technique. She goes to all these shows that she helps promote and has a wide group of friends that follow the music scene in Burlington. Kelsey says things like, "You'll see me there", and "everyone is going to x tonight so be sure to be there". This girl is well composed on the radio and tries really hard to expose the artists she promotes in a sufficient manner.

Given the technological shift over the years the most up to date radio stations have a wide variety of up to date equipment that sets out a stream of music in a digital format. Since Big Heavy World is a non-profit run organization all their equipment has been donated and is not quite up to par. They still have many cassettes and sound boards that are archaic. But they do have a website, facebook, and myspace page that keeps the viewer up to date daily. This form of personal shift gives the audience news and any kind of information regard the events and artists they help to promote.

I love working at Big Heavy World, I only wish I started working there earlier instead of later because of all the experience I have gained and all the connections they provide within the community. Tune into 105.9 FM to listen in and hopefully you'll here my voice over the radio!