As a little girl growing up in Northern California, I counted on terrestrial radio stations to hip me to new music. Back in the 80s, it seemed as if those stations were doing a great job. The stations played a mix of different genres, chart-toppers, newcomers, local artists and national stars. Then all of a sudden, stations began to segregate their playlists. All rock. All rhythm and blues. All smooth jazz. All hip-hop. All pop. I had to go to four different stations to get the mix of music I used to find on one. If a particular artist didn’t fit neatly into any of the neat little boxed genres, then oh well. They weren’t going to get played.
Nevertheless, I remained loyal to my preset dials during the early 90s to win tickets to the big summer concert or get exposure to local artists or hear aspiring rappers battle it out on air. By the late 90s, I decided to turn my radio off and keep it off. It seemed like the same five to ten artists were being played every hour. The commercials were lame. The disc jockeys talked too much about gossip or political bias or just plain bull. I decided that I could listen to my own CDs and buy my own concert tickets. To find new music, I relied heavily upon my friends and rubbed elbows with DJs and musicians at nightclubs.
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Today, as a married, adult student, I don’t have time to hop on down to my local music store. Most of those stores are closed anyway. I don’t have time to club hop the way I used to either. When my friends and I get together, we talk about homeowners’ association dues or wine bars or where to find good organic strawberries. We no longer chat about the music that moves us. I long for the service terrestrial radio once provided. I want to turn on the stereo and the let the station be my in-home jukebox while I live my busy life. At first, I thought Pandora was my savior. Yes, I did learn about artists and songs from the site but I grew tired of creating stations, “liking” songs and all of the ads. The solution to my radio worries was found at my own college’s radio station.SCAD Atlanta Radio plays everything from Soul to Funk to European Rock to Brazilian to 70s to Electronica to R&B to the kinds of music I’m not even sure how to classify. The station plays artists who bring back memories of first kisses, car rides down the Pacific Coast Highway and ice cream in the drug store parking lot. The station plays artists who would never get any attention from terrestrial radio stations – those singers and bands who are more interested in producing art than soulless pop garbage. In between plays and podcasts, I don’t get products or services shoved down my throat. I can listen to the station on my smart phone with my TuneIn Radio app or anywhere there is an internet connection.
I wish the stations on my car’s stereo dial were more like they were in the past with varied playlists and an aversion to payola. Sadly, they are not. However, I’m encouraged by the fact that college radio stations like SCAD Atlanta Radio are alive and thriving. These stations are proving to be the lifeblood of independent labels, upstart artists and future on-air talent. I know that college stations aren’t perfect. They’re run by students, bless them. I liken my affinity for college radio to a football fan’s devotion to collegiate contests. I know the young folks will try harder and therefore put on a better show.