Before I attended college I was shy and studious. Seriously. Nothing scared me more than speaking in front of a group. God help me if I had to use a microphone. That all changed when I joined my college radio station and gleefully stapled my FCC license to the station ceiling.

I poured over every page of CMJ (College Music Journal) and often drove to the cities to catch a show at First Avenue. When I DJ’d, there was no Internet of Things. We passed around mixed tapes, musical knowledge, and concert bootlegs like snapchats. Content Marketing for college radio bands meant free tickets and records in the mail (e.g. sampling). If I went to a concert, I always played the band on my show. The marketing of the time worked. Now, I just follow my favorite bands on Instagram and Twitter.

College radio was the best thing I did in college.

As a professor, I should really say, “Go to class, listen attentively, and think critically.” So do those things first, but then join your college radio station.

Nothing in college compared to hosting a radio show at KUMM 89.3 more politely known as the All New U 90 or the U-90 Alternative. The Model UN and Entre Nous  were definite highlights of college and actually prepared me for a successful career in business (see LinkedIn for that) but…radio was fun.

Find Your Voice with Radio

KUMM had a broadcast range of maybe 3 miles (we had a short tower), so I was pretty sure that if I stuttered or mispronounced something no one would hear me. For two hours every week, I played music I loved, announced songs, and begged my friends to call in and request a song. Was I funny and engaging like Mary Lucia? No, but somewhere along the way I stopped whispering and spoke up.

At St. Kate’s our station is named Radio Here. Listen and DJ. Contact Professor Joshua Haringa to learn more.