This month on Behind the Curtain, Ken Frye talks to Kevin Cole, KEXP’s Senior Director of Programming and host of the Afternoon Show, from 3-6PM weekdays.

Ken Frye: How did you get into radio?

Kevin Cole: I was always interested in music and it was one of my first loves and passions as a kid. I didn’t realize it until later but I was obsessed with radio from about second grade. I would win the contests on the radio stations because I would have like six of the numbers dialed in when I knew they were doing the contest. Of course, I would always be the first one in. I spent time in bands and also volunteered at the local college radio station. I didn’t think of it as a career but I did craft a radio and broadcasting degree that was more from an academic prospective than a technical one.

Ken Frye: I know because I have also been working in radio all my life but I didn’t get the radio degree. Because of my disability it was hard for me to attend classes. I had to learn the ropes of the industry by working around working radio professionals like yourself.

KC: Yeah, it was interesting because it was a liberal arts school and they allowed me through the speech and communications dept. to create a radio and broadcasting degree. But it was the music that was really driving my radio interests. I followed this interest after school when I did a radio internship at Georgetown University at a 100,000 watt radio station in Washington, D.C. We had a music director, Leo Motto, who told me this wonderful metaphor that I still use today. The airwaves are a blank canvas. So, just paint away. I use this metaphor a lot. The freedom that we felt there was a lot like the freedom that we have here at KEXP. The idea was that the DJ’s could play whatever they wanted to. You could make a show in real time and develop it through an immediate listener response. So, that was a huge eye opening experience for me to go from the college radio station were no one was listening to a good chunk of the eastern sea board. The phones would be ringing and you knew you were making a connection.

KF: How did this help create your aesthetic?

KC: I think the aesthetic that I developed was one in which the songs would just blend into each other. Another way of saying it, the audience wouldn’t know that the song necessarily changed. Doing this in a way that developed context for the music you were playing. So, you could see how music evolved over time and I think good programming includes this idea were the newer material is placed in context with the influences of the past. You can develop a story or historical narrative about how music evolves over time.

KF: Is your record collection as big as KEXP’s record collection?

KC: It’s bigger than KEXP. It’s crazy. I don’t even keep it at home. I have storage space for it.

KF: What do you have in that record collection?

KC: I still have a lot of vinyl. I probably have about 50,000 albums and about 20,000 7” singles. And then of course a ton of cd’s.

KF: What kind of music did you start collecting at the beginning?

KC: I didn’t really realize I was a record collector at first. The first single I bought was The Cyrkle, “Red Rubber Ball.” Did you know that Paul Simon wrote that song?

KF: I remember that from my memory bank.

KC: It was probably mid 60’s, right around The Beatles’ Revolver. The Cyrkle was a band that Paul Simon put under his wing that was very Beatlesque and not as folksy. It was the kind of thing were as a kid it was really catchy. I have distinct memories of walking down my street. Just singing, “Red Rubber Ball.” I was that kid who lived in a suburb of Minneapolis and drove downtown to the scary areas to the record stores and I would just buy a ton of records. Records that looked interesting. So, when I was in the E section, I would buy records like Brian Eno’s, Another Green World and I would say, wow that looks pretty cool because of its cover art but then I would also buy bands like the Eagles. I was mainly curious about new artists and their cover art and that lead to discoveries about their music. It wasn’t till later that I was like, you know what, I’m a record collector. I started going to record collector fairs and conventions. I quickly got out of that because I didn’t want to be identified as a record collector and the culture that went around that.

KF: Who influenced you to become a DJ?

KC: When I moved back to Minneapolis, I started going to this punk rock club called the Longhorn. There was a DJ there named Peter Jesperson and he played the greatest music. You would hear all the great punk rock music like the Buzzcocks but you would also hear the other end of the spectrum with singers like Donna Summer. What was inspiring about Peter was that he had great taste in music but he could mix it all up. He wasn’t typecasting himself as like a punk rock DJ or disco DJ. He expanded the boundaries of music listening as a true music lover would by mixing every kind of genre together. There is a way to assemble different songs together; different genres but there can remain a cohesive sound that is still very inspiring. I wanted to mention another influence and that is Jerry Bonham. He was a club DJ and he would mix music together. He would be playing a dance record but then you would also hear Kraftwerk at the wrong speed and he would allow these different musical components to interweave together for like 5 minutes.

KF: What is your role in producing the KEXP Documentaries?

KC: Well, I provide direction and guidance for Michele Meyers. She does all the work and she really creates all of those pieces. I usually just give her feedback and I’m responsible for making sure they get done on time and that they are ready to air but again she really puts her heart and soul into those shows.

KF: Who are some of the artists that you have admired that you got a chance to interview?

KC: Patti Smith did a KEXP interview about 3 years ago. I have always admired her art. With other musicians it’s not always art but with her it is her art and music. She has been revolutionary. She is an amazing poet and incredible performer and very much has something to say to share with the world. That was one of those incidences where I was completely freaked out to have her on my show because I had admired her so much. But I pulled it off and it ended up being a really great interview and I felt we connected. Before she came to the station we didn’t know if she was going to play or how long she would stay but we actually did an entire hour of interviewing.

I also had a chance to meet Prince and to DJ Prince’s private parties in Minneapolis from the second album until Under the Cherry Moon. What happened was that I was working at this club in Minneapolis that he would go to — the place they filmed Purple Rain. So, he would come in and listen to me DJ and then he started asking me to do these private parties. They were super fun. At these parties he would play for awhile and then I would DJ for everyone until the sun came up. Prince and I had very limited conversation. At the time he was very introverted, but I was honored just to be a part of that world and know that he wanted me to personally play the records for his shows. I watched Prince evolve over time from when he would converse through his music to later when he became more conversational. If you see him on Ellen now, he is funny as all get out.

KF: Who would you interview again if you had the chance?

KC: Mike Scott of the Waterboys because he is an artist who is extremely honest and he is on a spiritual quest to understand his place in the world. For me that makes for a very interesting person and artist. Oh, I would also like to interview Black Francis again. He’s really funny and always has interesting things to say.

KF: What was it like working with REM?

KC: I didn’t really work with them but I had the opportunity to mix their sound each time they played the First Ave. I had a record store and their manager Jefferson Holt came in with a box of 7 inch singles of “Radio Free Europe” and asked if we could take it in on consignment. Of course that version is a little different then what came later on the IRS album but the fact that their manager asked if we could take their single on consignment was in retrospect incredible. I had already heard the buzz about them through other local DJ’s. I once I had a chance to mix their sound and watch them, I know they were really special. Michael Stipe was at the time super animated and just really an exciting performer.

KF: Unlike Prince who was reserved and subdued.

KC: I didn’t get to talk to Michael. So, I didn’t know what he was like off stage and I couldn’t see if he made that crazy transition from shy guy to energetic performer on stage like Prince.

KF: Some of their music is very high energy.

KC: The first couple of shows I saw they didn’t really do many ballads. It was all jangly and high energy indie rock and Michael had a this kind of salmon move bouncing around on stage. It was super fun to watch.

KF: What is your role with the New York KEXP collaboration?

KC: Overall, I’m responsible for the programming component of our New York initiative which we see as part of our mission to bring music into as many people’s lives as possible. So, the opportunity to reach a New York audience is appealing and gives a chance to export all of the Pacific Northwest bands and give them airplay in that market while being able to create a programming mix that is consistent with our programming aesthetic. So, we produce 39 hours of programming in New York. One of the shows is called MoGlow, which is like world pop. It’s a one hour mix of modern global music. We have 19 DJ’s from around the world that help produce content for this show. Darek Mazzone oversees that and we simulcast John’s show and we also create a local show for New York which is like a local version of Audioasis. John brings a lot of local artists, musicians and guests to this show. We also program a custom morning show Monday thru Friday from 6 in morning New York time to 9 and that is the KEXP variety mix for the New York audience. Currently, Michele and I host the show but we have other KEXP DJ’s like Troy who help us. So, it’s really about getting more exposure to music for our audience and more time for broadcasting to our DJ’s.

KF: How did you get started with the New York station? Did they come to you or did you go to them?

KC: So, I was at a public radio convention in LA in 2005 and I was speaking on the panel. A couple of associates from the New York station were there and at that convention we started talking about what they were doing and about various possibilities of how to collaborate. We started doing a two-hour show for about a year and then that transition into a full blown partnership as it now stands.

KF: What do you see in the future for KEXP or at least the next 5 years?

KC: To insure that our mission is achieved and that the programming aesthetic is intact. To reach as many people as possible with our programming and to be open to the ways in which people want to experience music. Which could be the radio broadcasts, but it could also could include podcasts, the blog, streaming video and online. So, for me I want to make sure that we are always relevant and important to people. We will always be on the cutting edge participating in the ways in which people evolve the musical experience. An example of this is that we were the first station to have a real time play list. We were the first station in the country to do full song podcast because listeners asked for that.

KF: Is there a particular medium or music experience that people are gravitating to more than others? Like are there more people going to streaming or the blog?

KC: We see more increased traffic to the blog and podcast. We are working towards making the user experience better. The playlist page is one of our most trafficked pages. We know that users value that so were always updating these pages through our incredible online team. An example would be if we played a Decemberists song we could link this song to other references like in-studio performances or photographs, videos and other connections.

KF: Thank you for your time, Kevin.

KC: Thank you for having me.

Dan Schultz

interview by Ken Frye

The special 25th Anniversary of The Best Ambiance at the Triple Door in Seattle, tonight, June 29th: featuring King Sunny Ade and the African Beats, in their first Seattle appearance in eight years, and the first performance in Seattle by the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International. Two shows at 7PM and 10PM, and the early show will be broadcast live on KEXP.

The Best Ambiance offers a unique look and listen into the music of Africa, for three hours every week on KEXP. Jon Kertzer started the program in 1984, while a graduate student in ethnomusicology at the University of Washington, and after returning from 15 months in London, Paris and West Africa, where he studied, played and collected the music of Africa. The program draws upon his collection of thousands of African CD’s and LP’s and features both rare vinyl and the newest in African music releases from Africa and Europe. The music covers that wide range of the musical styles of the vast African continent- and beyond — into Afro-Latin and Afro-Caribbean sounds. Listeners of The Best Ambiance will hear highlife, mbalax, rai, soukous, mbaqanga, chimurenga, benga, maskanda, Wassoulou, juju, kwaito, and shaabi music, just to name of few of the styles featured on the program.

Go behind the curtain with Ken Frye as he talks to Jon Kertzer about the history of the Best Ambiance and Jon’s dedication and love for the many styles of traditional and contemporary African music.

Ken Frye: How did you get started?

In 1982, I started working as the Station Manager. After a year of graduate studies and working as the station manager I started my fieldwork studies in music. I spent a year and half living in London and Africa studying music and playing music. I took drum and guitar lesions from several African musicians. It was a really great time for African music and I saw a lot great concerts and interviewed hundreds of musicians. When I got back to the states I called the station and told them that I had collected all of this new African music and I think we should have a show devoted to this kind of music. They agreed and so we started the show 25 years ago to date in 1984.

Who have you interviewed?

Oh my, I have interviewed so many people but to name a few. When I started in radio in the 70’s, I interviewed Ray Davies from the Kinks and the Grateful Dead. Later I interviewed Pat Metheny, B.B. King, Frank Zappa, Laurie Anderson, Ry Cooder, and hundreds more. I was really excited to interview Peter Gabriel when he was here for the WOMAD festival and we interviewed him live from the festival. I’m going to interview King Sunny Ade when he is here in Seattle.

How are the interviews set up? Do you set them up or do you work through the labels?

I sometimes take the initiative on these interviews and set them up myself as I did with the King Sunny Ade interview. I’m friends with King Sunny’s manager and the one who sets up the tour from Seattle. King Sunny has been on my show but he has never played live on the show, just interviews.

What was the first African music recording made here in the U.S.?

That’s an interesting question. The first recording made here was 50 years ago this year and it was called Drums of Passion by Babatunde Olatunji who is from Nigeria and came over here as a student. He started playing drums in NYC and worked with John Coltrane and they made an album together in 1959 that was put out by Columbia and it was really the first time that people heard African music and the more traditional drums. Later Osibisa in England was the first African pop hit so to speak. That was more like 1970 and that was produced by Tony Visconti who worked with T Rex and of course David Bowie and Brian Eno who also had a huge influence in bringing African music to the western world. In the early 1970’s it was called Afro-rock. Later with the influence of Fela Kuti and Afro-beat many musicians in England turned to this form of African music. It was a lot more popular in England then it was in the States. Fela Kuti worked in the early 70’s and had major label support. After Feli’s death, his two sons, Femi and Seun Kuti have kept the Afro-beat in the afro-beat tradition. Oh, I should also mention, Hugh Masekela who began making a name for himself fusing jazz, latin, African, and pop influences into a style of his own. In 1968, he recorded the breezy instrumental pop tune “Grazin’ in the Grass, “which gave him a surprise number one hit and became the best-known song of his career. He played at the Monterrey Pop Festival in 1967 so you could cite him as a major influence and one of the first along with the great singer Miriam Makeba who left South Africa in the early 60’s because of Apartheid. And Then King Sunny Ade got signed by Island records right after Bob Marley’s death as I guess kind of a way to fill in the space of such a huge voice. Right around 1982, when King Sunny was touring the States that was when people started hearing for the first time, Afro-pop, the African guitars and talking drums of Nigeria. Later, the music of South Africa was made famous by Paul Simon’s 1986 album, Graceland. So, there were a series of turning points.

What were two major musicians that people were familiar with that brought African music to the States?

For me in the Northwest, it was Dumisane Maraire from Zimbabwe, and Odo Addy from Ghana, both of whom I met in the 70s, and were my teachers. Also, it was interesting because my radio show was going for two years before Paul Simon’s Graceland came out. So, I was aware of the music but a lot of people heard this African influence through the Graceland album. I think Peter Gabriel also helped bring African music to the west with the creation of his label Real World, which supported many acts from Africa. It’s a complicated story and a lot of it is subject to the thesis I was working on. I also think David Byrne and Brian Eno made a huge impact with their collaborations (My Life in the Bush of Ghosts and Remain in Light) in the early 80’s. David Byrne released a lot of African and South American music on his record label, Luaka Bop.

How do you put your show together? Is there a language barrier with some of the artists you interview?

I try to educate but I don’t usually talk about the complexities of African music. I focus on the music and the history of that music within the region. A lot of consideration goes into how articulate performers are with presenting their music. So, when I do interviews sometimes the ratio between talking and music playing can really change a lot. This is because there can be a language barrier. Usually when a group is touring the United States, they have an interepter who can translate the different languages. I understand a little bit of French and my wife is good with French, but it can get really difficult if you’re translating between two different languages. I once interviewed an artist named Lobi Traore at a festival in France and he spoke Bambara So, we needed to go from Bambara to French and then to English. I had to speak in English, somebody had to translate from English to French, and a third person had to translate from French to Bombroa and then back again. It was like the old game of telephone. Someone starts by saying something which later in the game turns out to be completely different because of everyone’s compounded interruption of the original spoken phrase.

How has technology changed the distribution and influence of African music?

Music from around the world is much more available now. You can find the rarest of songs online and within seconds have an extensive collection of music you didn’t even know existed. When I started my radio show there were just a handful of places you could get African music records. These places were pretty much all located in Paris, London and Africa. So, I would have to go to these places and then bring back these record collections. Now, there are so many new avenues for exploring music and it’s really cheap now to buy it. It doesn’t cost as much as record collecting. I think after some years of getting familiar with African music. Newer bands are taking elements of African music and including it into their performances. There are some new bands now like Extra Golden who have a mix of African and American musicians. The Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, who are playing at the anniversary show, are another of these new bands, with American and African musicians together.

Has there been financial or political difficulty for African touring acts to come to the States?

There have been a lot of cultural problems especially since 9/11. It’s a lot harder for the artist to get tours and to get visas. I had a group on my show last year called the Master Musicians of Jajouka from Morocco and they were turned down here last year and their visa application denied. I think because of the religious and political dimensions, especially with Middle Eastern music of North Africa there can be a lot of misunderstandings from the west. I would like to think there is a bridge now but it still difficult for some groups to travel. A lot of artists and musicians from areas of political unrest have moved to places like Paris and London. It will be interesting to see how this changes in the future.

What do you see as the future for this kind of music?

I would like to see a lot more access for African musicians to American audiences. It is happening in some ways but it’s harder from them to make any money. For example, there was a large group of musicians and producers touring through Seattle from the Middle East. And they were sponsored by the State Deptartment to learn about America and they asked me, how do we get our music available to you? This is a difficult question but I think there are agents out there that can set up shows and help distribute music via the internet. I guess I’m one of these agents but it’s hard to get people to find out about these things because everyone has their own personal search engine. It’s harder to promote through the billions of advertising decisions out there. I worked on a project for the Smithsonian called Smithsonian Global Sound and it’s a world music website where you can buy world music. The whole idea of the project was to help generate income for the musicians who lived in developing countries around the world. I do think it’s been successful but I think the concept vs. the reality of the situation is very different. I would love to see a future where there was an instantaneous musical and financial interaction between musicians in Africa and America. We will have to wait and see.

Tell us about the upcoming 25th anniversary show at The Triple Door.

I found out that King Sunny will be available to play. He has been a really big influence and inspiration for me and the show. He was only playing up in Vancouver and not in Seattle but I asked him to play through his U.S. manager and former Best Ambiance host Andy Frankel, and he said he would. Here is the story. Before I left to go study in London, I was set to study a whole different research project having to do with Jamaican music. And so a week before I left, King Sunny Ade played here on February 25, 1983. I saw the show and I went backstage and interviewed him and I was totally blown away. The next week, I was on a plane to London to study African music. It was all because of seeing that show. So, I guess you could say that the whole reason that this show exists is because of seeing King Sunny Ade.

Thank you, Jon.

Thank you for having me. We’ll see you at the show.

Tune in tonight from 6-9PM for the special 25th Anniversary show of The Best Ambiance. If you miss the show or want to hear it again, you can check out the show on our 14-day Streaming Archive.

This month on Behind the Curtain, Ken Frye talks to Aubrey Bean, Assistant Director of Development:

KF: Why do we have pledge drives?

AB: Pledge drives are essential for keeping the mission going. Over half of the budget is supported by individual contributions. That’s a huge and significant percentage that KEXP needs in order to stay on the air! A donor told us a couple months ago, “the way the station is funded is what allows KEXP to program the way it does.” Our unique programming is possible because we depend on individuals, not corporations, who buy into the mission and what we’re doing. That’s the incredible thing about the internal atmosphere around the pledge drive. The DJs are working so hard and just pouring their hearts out on the air and asking people to support what we do. Every single pledge drive is a chance to make that case to our donors about why their contributions matter. One other thing that a lot of people don’t know is that even though KEXP is public radio, we’re not eligible for funding from CPB (Corporation for Public Broadcasting), because of FCC license rules. For a station our size, that could be as much as $300,000 — which we now have to find other ways to raise.

KF: Thank you! Where are you from? And what got you here?

AB: Tacoma! Well, technically I’m from Puyullup but headed up to Seattle as soon as could and I started working for Taproot Theatre when I was in college. They hired me full time once I left college and then a position opened up in the development office. So, I said to myself, I could write a grant! I did that for 3 years and then I was ready for a change. I saw the position open up at KEXP and it was a step up for me, while still being in the creative environment I needed. I also wanted to be a part of a mission-driven organization.

KF: Do you see a natural connection between radio and theater?

AB: The creative process of radio reminds me of the theater productions I’ve been a part of. I’m also used to working with actors and other artists, and those creative-types are here. So, I see a very natural connection between the theater and the radio environment.

KF: How are goals set here at KEXP?

AB: We look at trends and what percentage each show is able to contribute to the overall goal of the drive, both by number of donations and dollars raised. It’s pretty mathematical, and broken down into the number of calls we need each hour to stay on track. So when we say on-air that every call matters — it’s really true. Our volunteers are in the pledge room clapping and cheering every single time the phone rings.

KF: How did we do?

AB: We finished the spring campaign at 93%!

KF: What is a day like here at KEXP?

AB: For me? I come into the office about 9:00am and start answering phone messages and emails. We try to get back to everybody. I sit in a lot of meetings (smile). My to-do list is always changing, depending on what we have going on. And whether it’s pledge drive time, or in-between. I’m still impressed, daily, by how hard everyone here works though. We had a donor recently tour the station and decide to double his gift after seeing how hard working we all are, and how we really maximize our space and time. He said that his gift was the best decision he’d made in 20 years! I don’t know if that’s true — but it was encouraging to hear.

KF: How much money does it take daily to run KEXP?

AB: Well, our annual budget this year is $4.3 million — so divide that by 365 days. $11,781 per day to run the station?

KF: Where do you see this position going? What does the future hold for you?

AB: There is such a great energy and positivity here. Everybody is really encouraged to be creative and to think outside the box. I’d like to stay for a while.

KF: Do you see yourself shifting into another position here or our you happy with the role your in now.

AB: I like the idea of learning about radio production. But my day job keeps me pretty busy. (smile)

KF: Thank you!

AB: Thanks for having me!

This month on Behind the Curtain, Ken Frye talks to Tom Mara, the Executive Director of KEXP.

Ken Frye: How did you find KEXP?

Tom Mara: I was attending the University of Washington’s journalism program. I thought that my future would be in television news, believe it or not. This was pretty common for students coming out of the program. I got married when I was in college and, after graduating, my wife and I quickly got into this little Toyota pickup and we travelled around the northwest — all the way to Billings, Montana, northern California, Idaho, and all points in between. I spent three weeks talking to as many news directors who would let me in the door and listen to me. Almost nabbed a reporter position in Twin Falls, Idaho! On the way back home I began feeling it simply wasn’t going to be a good fit.

At that time I already had been volunteering at the station. As a matter of fact, the first time I tried to volunteer at the station was within a month of moving to Seattle in February of 1986 — 22 years ago. I grew up in Germany and my older brother Mike, my music shaman, had already moved out here and he told me about this station he thought I would appreciate. I had been a club DJ in Munich and thought working at KCMU would be pretty cool. (KCMU was KEXP’s former set of call letters.)

I called the station and whoever answered the phone told me that there was going to be a monthly volunteer meeting coming up in a week or so. At the meeting, I signed up to stuff envelopes.

Never got a call back.

Fate didn’t give up. And so the next year I was taking journalism courses, and at that time the UW School of Communications had a newscast on KCMU everyday at about 10 o’clock in morning. Frankly, we were really bad and it was probably a disservice to our listeners but it was a good experience for kids going through the program.

I crossed paths with the station manager at the time, Chris Knab, and he encouraged me to volunteer at the station. What Chris did — which I think was absolutely transformative to me — was take me under his wing. With growing up in Germany until I was 20 years old I really didn’t know all that much about radio in the United States. He mentored me. He taught me about the institution of public radio and college music radio. He instilled mission. That did the trick.

A little while later, a positioned opened. It was a 20 hour-a-week job that paid $8.50 an hour. I took that job and became the new KCMU development director. So, at that point I made the decision that the interest in television news — or even news for that matter — was going to the wayside. Actually, it was the conversations with Chris and that first year at the station that enabled me to confirm that non-comm radio was where I just had to be. So, that half-time job turned into a full-time job about a year later. I became the second full time employee for the station.

As I wrote in this letter that we sent out to our donors not too long ago, there weren’t many resources at all. I’d run to the Ave near the UW and ask businesses to donate reams of paper, pens, etc.

KF: Even toner for the copier?

TM: Oh, we didn’t even have a copier. We had to borrow KUOW’s down the hall. We weren’t even rich enough to have our own copier machine. We did have a fax. No wait, actually, we didn’t even have a fax machine.

KF: Take us through a day in your life.

TM: Well, I get here just before 8 in the morning. Usually, the first thing I do is check my calendar again — at KEXP we have an open calendar system. Each of our calendars is open to each other and so in order to schedule time you just book it online. I usually spend the bulk of my day in meetings.

On any given day, I could be spending time with our programming folks, our business and finance people, our fund raisers, our donors, our board and advisory council members, our underwriters, our partners at the UW and EMP, our partners at NPR, our partners at the City of New York, members of the press, events & shows, school groups… I tell third graders that I’m a professional meeter. They’re not very impressed with that.

KF: Do you find yourself having to be a psychologist at work?

TM: In some ways, yes. It’s really about understanding the issues your colleagues are facing and the needs and interests they have. We have the obligation to the community to create results — you can’t sit on your hands or coast and then claim you’re still pursuing your mission. Sometimes that means being very encouraging — sometimes that means being very honest and explicit about bringing a problem to the surface — and, frankly, sometimes that means knowing when to bite your tongue, and sometimes that means reminding your colleagues, and thus myself, why we’re here. But ultimately, I feel, it’s about engendering trust and sharing the vision.

I have come to learn that my particular style is not to simply tell people what to do — it’s more about sharing a vision for where we need to go and pointing out how I think we can get there. The control freak within me doesn’t see much daylight.

One of our board members passed on a pearl of wisdom to me a few years ago, “Tom, at any time, you deserve the team you have.” That can get you thinking pretty deeply. So, in essence, it really starts with the people we’re able to bring into the organization and the people we currently have. I have the obligation to bring talented people into the organization, which actually means I have the obligation to bring talented people into the organization that can then bring talented people into the organization. To me, when meeting with folks who have an interest in working at KEXP, I look for experience, skills, track record, creativity and good judgment, of course. But I actually am more keenly interested in assessing their spirit, their energy, their attitude. If a manager can figure that out, I think you’re more than halfway there. So, thinking back to that pearl of wisdom, and this is going to be awfully close to bragging — I gotta say that KEXP staff — and our volunteers — are amazing and inspiring. After twenty years, it still thrills me to witness them.

KF: Where is KEXP now and where do you see it going in the next 5 to 10 years?

TM: For me, this may sound unusual, the way I think about the far future is not envisioning what things we would be doing. At least, not so much as you might think. Actually, I think about love.

When I think about the future I find myself thinking about how to get that kid in Ballard or Indianapolis to fall in love with the station and develop a deeper relationship with music. If that “station love” emerges, then the music will flow right into his or her life. That’s the pursuit of our mission: to enrich people’s lives by bringing music into their lives.

And, to do that, we make sure that the role of the DJ is upheld and supported and positioned as closely to the listener as possible. He or she is given the direct responsibility of selecting the music you’re experiencing. The voice you’re hearing selected the music you’re hearing.

And, boy, that’s pretty hard to do. I give a lot of tours of the station, and my favorite part as we enter the control room is claiming to our guests that we’ve got the hardest working DJs in the country. During a show, they’re operating the CD players, turntables & the audio board, they’re pushing music info to the real-time playlist at KEXP.org, managing the master log, taking phone calls and emails — and then responding to them, running back and forth between the control room and library, teaming up with volunteers and interns — and on top of all that, he or she has to think. He or she has to figure out how the songs and artists ought to connect to each other. It’s like tapping your head and rubbing your tummy physically, intellectually and emotionally non-stop for two to four hours.

We’ve got a lot of smart, creative people here who will continue to figure out how to keep KEXP as a radio station people can fall in love with. No doubt. I’ve got a lot of confidence in them. Organizations become and remain vibrant from the inside out.

KF: I like public radio because it turned me on to progressive music and I started listening to the specialty shows. It was nice to start volunteering because I got a lot of knowledge under my feet and I was able to make better decisions about where I wanted to go into public radio. It took me awhile to understand just how important pledge drives where for public radio because they had just become the financial center of gravity for most public radio stations. But without them there wouldn’t be any public radio stations. The listeners really have to help fund the programming.

TM: That’s right. And a station becomes more significant because of that direct funding relationship with the listener. What a compelling way to become beholden, God forbid, to your listeners.

The support we receive helps us uphold the tradition of the DJ. And what that really means is that we’re upholding artistic diversity on the airwaves. We hire DJs to play curatorial roles — to seek out music from every corner of the globe, assess it for artistic significance and then put it together in ways that inspire and stimulate the imaginations of KEXP’s listeners.

This isn’t a new concept, by the way.. From what I understand about radio in the 60s and 70s in the US, the DJ was the center of the universe. They built their shows themselves, they expressed a voice, and they applied a music authority. And nowadays, increasingly and overwhelmingly, the music radio station doesn’t do that. I’m proud that we’re really here to help both listeners and artists when we ask our DJs to curate their shows.

If I wanted to double our audience in six months I think we could do that easily by figuring out what 500-800 songs out of the 700,000 or so we have in our collection to simply play over and over again in a week. Our audience would double if we just played the indie “hits” over and over again. But that’s not why we are here. The reason we are here is to get people to connect to the music. One comment I hear from our listeners and donors time and time again is, “One of the reasons I like KEXP is that you play things that I don’t like but I’m glad I had the chance to consider it.” In other words, they thank us for helping them with that tough part about discovering music — not knowing what you don’t know.

As a public service organization, we do have an obligation to grow our audience and serve as many people as we can, but our mission, first and foremost, is to enrich people’s lives and bring into their lives as much music as we can. There’s a tension between those two notions. And that’s where we do our finest work.

KF: This is a nice studio for bands. Does the sound leak out of the space and into the rest of the station?

TM: We get reminded that it’s not sound proof when bands like the Catheters perform. When we first moved here I thought this would be a bit of a problem for artists but we really do get good comments about this space. We’re fortunate — a lot of radio stations don’t have a studio dedicated to live performance, and KEXP listeners tell us that they really love hearing our broadcasts of live performances, it’s something they don’t really get anywhere else.

KF: I really like what you do and it’s been an honor working with you.

TM: Thank you, Ken! Thank you for all the work, energy and support these past many, many years.

Today, Ken Frye visits KEXP and takes a behind scenes look at the 2008 Spring Membership Drive. Within the heart of KEXP there exists an office room where many of the KEXP volunteers are helping to answer the phones and take pledges from listeners like you. The innovative music programming you hear everyday on KEXP public radio, at 90.3 FM and KEXP.ORG, is possible because of the support from listeners around the world. This station would not be possible without this support. Ken Frye who has been working at KEXP since 1991 writing music reviews and blog posts and logging for the DJ’s. Today, Ken is visiting with other volunteers who are taking listeners calls. Let’s take a listen to what’s happening within the heart of KEXP.

Ken Frye: Tell me what you all are doing today?

Amy Bryan: My name is Amy and I am a volunteer here. I’m actually expecting a baby a week from Friday. So, I am actually wasting time and supporting the station.

Ken: When did you start volunteering?

Amy: I think I started volunteering here when I moved to Seattle. So, almost 8 years ago. In 2004, I lived in London and we listened to KEXP online.

Ken: The best radio station on the planet!

Linnet Blumenthal: I am here volunteering because I love this station. I started listening when I first moved here about 10 years ago when I moved here from Arizona. There was no good radio in Arizona at all. I’m sure there still isn’t. This was the best find in Seattle.

Mike Henderlight: This is actually the first time I have come down here to help at the pledge drive. My first time!

Ken: Why do you support it?

Mike: It’s the only radio station that matters. I have lived other places and no matter where I have been there is nothing close to KEXP.

Ken: When did you find KEXP?

Mike: I also started listening about 10 years ago.

Ken: What kinds of questions do you ask listeners when they call into the station to make a pledge?

Linnet: Well, when they answer what’s nice is they give us the pledge that they can give. Depending on how much there going to pledge we ask if they want to do installment plans. Doing installment plans is one of the best things in the world because it gives support over longer periods of time. We ask them questions like, “Have you pledged at the station before? Do you listen online or on the radio? Do you have a message you want to pass on to the DJ’s?” If you pledge a certain amount then you can receive a KEXP gift which is really cool. But you can pledge without getting a gift and it’s nice because the process for making pledges is very easy and its fun to talk with other supporters of KEXP. Sometimes we talk about bands and what kinds of musicians are exciting right now.

Ken: What makes this the best station?

Amy: Well, what I like most about this station is all of the variety music that they play. I like that I don’t have to hear the same song twice on the same day and they say and its true that commercial stations play like 7 songs over and over again. So, because of that I haven’t listened to another radio station except maybe NPR.

Ken: Well, thank you so much for volunteering and helping out the station today! Now, I am going to try out those amazing donuts they have over there in the break room!!!!

Linnet: Thank you so much!

Amy: Thank you, Ken.

Mike: Thanks!

Ken: Make the pledge today and become a member of the greatest radio station on earth!!!!

Today, Ken Frye interviews the one and only Michele Myers, KEXP radio DJ, music editor and producer. Michele started out as a DJ at KALX in Berkeley after graduating from the University of California. In 1995, Michele joined the staff at KEXP and since then she has been a well-known radio personality. Michele can be heard every Friday night on a show called Nite Life, which features Michele’s favorite artists plus some of her carefully hand-picked selections from the new artists bin. Michele has recently landed a full-time job at KEXP producing short radio documentaries about art and sound and the history of popular music. One of the last series, Punk Evolution, was about punk rock music and featured one of Ken’s favorite bands, the Clash. Michele is currently working on a new documentary series called Masters of Turntabalism, which outlines the development of hip hop and the history of turntable art.

Ken Frye has been an avid radio listener and broadcaster for years and over that time Ken has looked up to Michele for inspiration and guidance for his own radio shows. Now, Ken Frye is here to ask Michele Myers just what makes her tick and what makes her shows so bad ass. Let’s now turn it over to Ken and Michele…

Kf: How did you get interested in broadcasting?

M: When I was about 9 years old I had a phonograph that I could play my dad’s 45 records on. I recorded these early DJ attempts with a tape recorder. When I was 12, my dad took me to his friend’s radio show in Hawaii and I was entranced with how the DJ switched from record to record to create a seamless listening experience. Later when I was 22, a friend of mine at Berkeley took me along to his radio show and within 2 months I had my own show with the college station. The rest is history.

KF: How did you first hear about KEXP?

M: I have lived in some pretty exotic places like Alaska and Berkeley. A lot of my training in radio and my knowledge of alternative music came about at the University of Berkeley, California radio station KALX. After I moved to Seattle in 1995, I asked around to see if there was a non-commercial radio station that played truly alternative music and the receptionist at KUOW that I talked to said to give KCMU a try.

KF: Was it a magical fit for you?

M: I wouldn’t say magic. It’s been a long hard road and lots of hard work. I love the music and the people but getting hired here takes a lot of time and dedication.

Kf: I think you have found your niche. They call you a documentary producer. What does that mean to you?

M: Being a documentary producer means I handle the project from start to finish. I research every subject and try to make myself an expert in that subject. I spend hours and hours reviewing audio and video plus reading. My team of assistants assemble chronologies, find audio and promote the series. I choose the best audio and then make a story map. I double check all of the facts myself and then I write a script and voice the narration. Then, I edit the piece and make it beautiful.

KF: How did you get started producing documentaries?

M: I am always looking for an idea, series, and or subject that will speak directly to the KEXP audience. It’s important for me that the subject matter reaches down to the core of the music they love.

KF: What is your inspiration for doing these documentaries?

M: For years I was fascinated with the NPR radio show, “This American Life.” The way a story can be so potent when told with just voices, sound effects, and music. I think radio is one of the most potent mediums for stories because it sparks the imagination and the listener has to create along with you. Not like TV or movies where everything is done for you.

KF: I think I have found a link to all of your shows online.

Michele: Yes, you can learn more about these documentaries by going to http://www.kexp.org/learn/documentaries.

KF: I know you are producing a series for KEXP, called “Masters of Turntabalism”. How long does it take you to produce one of these programs?

M: Every episode takes on average about 20 hours to make. I usually research material first and then I start to edit the sound components to create a narrative for the program.

KF: How many days does it take to do this?

M: It takes about 3 days to produce a weekly feature.

KF: Where do you see turntablism going?

M: Hip-hop was created by a dj using two turntables to extend the break. The break is the part of the song where the singer stops singing and the drum and bass go wild. This is the essence of hip hop. The break is the part of the song the dancers love. I think hip hop is important because it encompasses all kinds of music and therefore has limitless potential. This series that I am doing now for KEXP is a tribute to the DJ’s who have used the turntable as an instrument.

KF: What are you working on right now?

Michele: I am editing a piece on Grandmaster Flash.

KF: You’re also on the air every week. How did your Friday night show got started?

M: I was a night shift DJ for 3 years. It was grueling. 7 years ago I quit the night shift and started subbing for DJ’s during prime time hours. In that 7 years there have been 2 openings for non-night shift variety shows on KEXP. (Variety shows are the day or evening shifts where you play all the genres of music.) Kevin Cole got the first one and I got the second one.

KF: How do you see the focus of broadcasting changing in the future or do you?

M: Radio changed dramatically about 10 years ago with radio consolidation, where big corporations bought up 75 percent of all the radio stations in the United States. So, what happens is that you get basically the same set of music across the entire country. You could be in Boston listening to the same songs that are being aired in Seattle and all of this is powered by advertising. This is not the case with KEXP which is powered by the listeners and the community. And KEXP is special because the DJs choose the music. Radio continues to exceed our expectations with technological advances like hi-def, podcasting, on demand radio and streaming media. KEXP will always be popular because I think there will always be people who are interested in hearing real humans interact with the music.

KF: Do you see stations like KEXP becoming obsolete?

M: Hell no!!!!

KF: Michele, I love getting a chance to work with someone like you because you and I share so many of the same ideas about broadcasting. Most importantly, together we are sassy and opinionated about KEXP! We like to keep people at the edge of their seats.

Michele, you are the best thing to happen to Seattle radio and the best thing that ever happen to me because over the years you have come to exemplify a metaphor. This is the metaphor of brother and sisterhood that I have developed with radio and you have made this connection possible for me. Thank you!

Ken Frye is a volunteer at KEXP. He helps write band reviews, tracks logs for DJ’s and writes about the daily life at the radio station. Ken will be posting periodically to the KEXP blog and taking a behind the scenes look at just what makes KEXP such a damn cool place to work. Don’t worry — Ken will answer everything you wanted to know about KEXP but were afraid to ask.

How does KEXP put on an event like the 5th Annual Yule Benefit or the KEXP Summer Barbecue? KEXP’s Ken Frye answers these and other questions with KEXP’s events producer Amy Lindsey.

So, who is Amy Lindsey anyway? Well, Amy tells us that she has been entertaining and producing since she was 5 years old. It must have been a sight to see her entertaining in Underoos and Ginny gowns while charging the neighbors a $1 to dance to her 45’s. Has anything changed since then? Not really. Maybe a little more then a dollar admission but the look is the same. Amy has been listening, playing, and wrangling in music for as long as she can remember and with her ethnomusicology studies at the University of Washington she can really lure you in through a roller coaster ride of music appreciation.

Her volunteering experience starts with KEXP/KCMU within the communications building at UW in 1997. Since then she has been volunteering on and off at KEXP as a DJ assistant, as pledge drive volunteer, and also in producing, organizing and presenting shows and events of the highest caliber to an audience ready to be musically challenged.

Currently, Amy is working on the Yule Benefit which helps fund and promote the station. Not only does the Yule Benefit support the local music community it exposes upcoming bands on a national level that are about to break. Let’s learn more about Amy’s role at the station as Ken Frye conducts an interview with the one and only Amy Lindsey.

Ken Frye is a volunteer at KEXP. He helps write band reviews, tracks logs for DJ’s and writes about the daily life at the radio station. Ken will be posting a monthly blog that will feature news and information about the folks at KEXP. Plus, he will be taking a behind the scenes look at just what makes KEXP such a damn cool place to work. Don’t worry! Ken will answer everything you wanted to know about KEXP but were afraid to ask.

KEXP means everything to me! All my life, I have lived, carried and breathed in radio as if it was a mission and a spiritual path to attain enlightenment. But being differently-abled with Cerebral Palsy has created a lot of obstacles for me making it really difficult to develop a professional career in broadcasting. Since I was a little boy, I haven’t been able to talk very well either and so it made it hard to become a DJ. The radio industry created such a high standard for vocal performance that no one ever considered that I would be able to talk on the radio. But I was determined to remove these obstacles and even if I had to take the road less traveled I would do my best to fulfill my dreams.

As I grew up, I found Dj’s and radio professionals like Tom Mara who took me in and gave me a career in radio and I am forever grateful for their inclusion of my differently-abled skills. They have helped me instigate and follow through in creating my own independent radio station in Bellevue called KARE 107.3 FM. I broadcast daily from my channel and I am looking to go online soon with the help of PROVAIL, my supported employment provider.

When I am not broadcasting, I go to KEXP, who have taken me in and accepted me for who I am. As a volunteer at KEXP, I help write band reviews, track logs for DJ’s and write about the daily life at a radio station. The family at KEXP has been more the accepting of my disability. They have been strong allies and advocates in my campaign to educate listeners in supported employment and diversity not only in music but in culture. They have accepted a variety of talents across the spectrum including those whose voices are lost in the mainstream.

That is why I pledge to you that your donation to KEXP is more than giving money away to a great radio station. It is supporting a culture and a community of people who need support and another chance to fulfill their dreams that the mainstream world didn’t give to them.

Every few hours KEXP ushers in a new batch of relentlessly patient and dedicated support staff. The role of volunteer is one of the finest positions for someone who lives, breathes, and eats radio. The volunteering task force here is fierce and demanding, and I love to be drenched in music 24/7, like chicken wings in ranch dressing, and then to organize, produce, direct, fold, print, copy, paste, call, mail, communicate that love of music, which is such a delicious task and a dream come true!

Here I am taking calls with the other volunteers!!!

While we were in the studio, some wonderful person made a $2,500 pledge!!!

We are now, as of Wednesday, just past the 50 percent point of what KEXP needs for the pledge drive to complete its goal! Last I looked, Capitol Hill was winning in the Hood-to-Hood Challenge. This means that if Capitol Hill continues to take the lead in the neighborhood giving the most pledges to KEXP they will then become host to the next huge KEXP concert party!

It seems that there are more pledges being made online then by telephone, which is just amazing because it was only 15 years ago that we dreamed of KCMU, and now KEXP, being heard around the world. Today, we have people as faraway as Australia and Europe who need KEXP to help them get through their work day, and we want to continue the support for that global and universal need.

To help us, we need to hear your voice!!! Call us now and support the greatest radio station that is not just located here in Seattle but is stationed throughout the infinitely beautiful universe!!! KEXP represents a place for young artists and musicians to gain support and distribution for their talents and creative endeavors within the musical community. KEXP has always and will always be on the cutting edge, where new artists shape and form the musical landscape for others to be inspired by and we want you to be apart of this musical evolution.

I have made the pledge to KEXP, have you????

Thanks for reading my blog post and there is more to come!!!!

Cheers,
Ken Frye

Look for more posts by Ken Frye on the KEXP Blog in the near future. Stay tuned for more.

photo by Misha Burstein

My name is Ken Frye and I am a volunteer at KEXP. After a much long absence from the KEXP gang, who I have had in my heart ever since the days of KCMU, I have returned to radio to enhance my skills in music production. I just recently came back to work for the radio station to assist in tracking logs and writing music reviews. My involvement at KEXP came from the support of Christina Davidson and Misha Burstein, my KEXP job coaches who through Provail, an assisted living program have guided me back into the world of broadcast professionalism with support and encouragement like no other. Rachel, Cyrus, and Leslie have also been instrumental in creating a new working environment for me at KEXP. They have provided the best working conditions from which I been able to review the latest bands that will go into KEXP radio rotation.

When KEXP was KCMU, we were housed on the university of Washington campus in uncomfortably small hole in the wall building that was difficult for me to maneuver around in because of my cerebral palsy. It was a challenge to drive around in that space with my wheel chair. In fact, there was a time when the elevator broke down and the volunteers there had to carry me up and down the 3 flights of stairs right at the end of my shift! The new KEXP building is way more accessible and I even have my own office space where I can park my chair.

Now, I am not just your average Joe working at KEXP. I have been involved in radio for 30 plus years, serving as both a DJ and a radio producer for LIVE 95 and KARE 107.3. I have been living and working in my own radio station since 1997 where I have been a broadcaster of news, weather, and music for the local community. Since then I have also worked as a DJ within the greater Seattle area. My work consists of playing set lists from modern and contemporary recording artists that are just underneath the radar screens. My radio work has always been backed by the philosophical idea that the amalgamation of diversity and the inclusion of all artists need to exist in a culture for there to be a true concept of equality and freedom. For me, KEXP is a bridge to that dream of equality and diverse musical freedom.

I look forward to the KEXP pledge drive!!!

Make sure to read the latest blog entries throughout the upcoming week!!!

Cheers,
Ken Frye

Ken Frye will be reporting from the inside of KEXP during the Pledge Drive and beyond. Stay tuned for more.