Fancy yourself as a radio DJ? Do you dream of commanding the
air-waves with your voice, a catchy story and some pumping beats?
How about roping in listeners with your warped sense of humour and
engaging personality? How difficult can it be… surely it’s just a
matter of sitting behind a mic and chatting the hours away –
right? WRONG!
Putting together a radio show is no easy feat… something that aspiring
radio superstars often learn the hard way. I was one of them.
Until recently, the quest for decent radio training seemed like an
impossible dream. That was, until I stumbled upon the XStreameast
Radio Academy. Based in East London, the free and thorough
training academy is a new online radio station which trains students,
for free. Documentary making, presenting, radio drama, PR, promotions
and the nitty gritty technical secrets are among the skills on offer.
In addition, each student is taught the basics of radio production and
station management, and then actually allow them to put their skills
into practice.
The academy is the brainchild of Executive Producer Kary Stewart who
came up with the idea after years of working in the music and media
industries. To the 50 lucky participants chosen to take part in the
training, she is a God-send to the radio world. In an industry
renowned for competition (just try getting a work experience placement
at the BBC – let alone paid work!) she has given a group of fortunate
Londoners from all backgrounds a chance to live their dream and
broadcast live to the world. The big bucks are provided by the
funding and support of ‘On the One’, a music production facility that
teaches young people how to make music. And who does the teaching
you may ask… Ministry Radio have made the time to talk to the students,
whilst BBC 1Xtra and Somethin’ Else – the production house giant, have
held workshops and mentored the future talent. Big names for a
mighty big project!
All very well, you may say… but how does a budding radio junky begin
the rockin’ road to success? Each story is different… mine began
in a dusty land, far far away…
My love affair with radio began at birth. I grew up in rural
Australia – under the influence of two music loving parents. I’m
not talking Mozart and Slim Dusty… when my parents came home from a day
on the farm, they spent the evenings listening to Deep Purple, The Men
and Metallica. Commercialised pop was cast aside in favour for
the alternative radio station ‘Triple J’ – an institution in Australia
renowned for supporting independent indie, hip hop, rock and solo
artists.
Once a month my dad would take a break from the dairy farm and DJ at
the local school discos. At the age of four, I would accompany
him and spend the evening perched atop the large speakers – watching
the flashing lights, lanky teens trying their hardest for a quick grope
and their first kiss. But whilst the smoke machine puffed away
and the ‘big girls’ shook their crimped bangs, my four-year old mind
soaking up the music. Such was my father’s obsession with music,
he even insisted that the radio played in the milking shed (apparently
the “cows enjoy it”). It goes without saying – music has always
played a major role in my life and dreams of presenting a radio show
never strayed far from my mind.
Once again, all very uplifting, but how does one actually go from
miming into a hairbrush ‘microphone’ to the real she-bang? As a
youngster, I kept my dream to myself. I never imagined having the
money to afford a full-blown radio presenting course – and to be
honest, there weren’t any on offer. It wasn’t until my university
years when I noticed a flyer in a local library, offering a presenters’
course for a measly thirty dollars – that’s barely fifteen quid to you
Londonites! One month later I found myself presenting my own
Wednesday night show with the community radio station AIR-FM. The
equipment was donated, the seat creaked, fundin was non-existent and I
presented into the wee hours of the morning. I was in heaven.
My alternative local music show ‘Locus’ moved its way through the
airwaves and on to a prime time slot on Friday nights with the seaside
radio station WOW-FM. The next thing I knew, I was chasing the
media dream on an exchange in Stuttgart, Germany – producing radio
features in German, with a laughable Aussie accent. Lesson number
one – seize the moment and make the most of EVERY opportunity that
comes your way. Rain, shine, Germany, England or Alaska –
potential radio employers and trainers will be impressed by a
willingness to make that extra bit of effort.
After seven months of beer, pretzels and lederhosen, London seemed to
be the logical next step. After all, that’s where all the
entertainment dream chasers find their calling right? Wrong
again. The necessity for full time work – wherever I could find
it, soon outweighed any dreams of on air grandeur. It didn’t take
long to realise that paying the rent in this city comes close to buying
a small island off the sunny coasts of Australia. Either I’d have
to quit work and save money by cutting back my food intake to the point
of starvation… or pursue my radio dream in my non-existent ‘spare’
time. I chose the latter.
Lesson number two – if ‘volunteer’ is a dirty word in your
vocabulary, buy a new Dictionary! Volunteer work is a must.
Hospital radio is a great place to get started, many Universities are
full of like-minded media enthusiasts and student radio is a great way
to gain new skills. Be pro-active and research the local
community stations in your area. Chances are, you’ll have to work
for free but the experience you’ll gain will be worth a mint.
Here I am now – twelve weeks in to a radio training program that has turned my life around.
The road has been rocky, time consuming, tiring, stressful and totally rewarding.
I’ve learnt that there’s more to presenting a show than sitting back in
front of a microphone, chatting away the hours and hoping for the
best. It takes time management skills that would do any mother
proud… down to the very last second!
The positives are starting to show though – the confusing array of
buttons and knobs that make up the presenter’s board no longer resemble
something straight out of NASA. Segue and links are no longer
alien words and turning off the microphone after talking is now second
nature. A swear jar now sits by my desk at work – 10 pence a pop
for any profanity (all in the hope of preventing any slips whilst ‘on
air’!)
I’ve learnt that mini-disks can NEVER be trusted – especially when
you’re trying to record that one special interview in the middle of a
music festival. For the record, security guards at large-scale
events are best approached with caution. Not only are they
near-deaf due to their proximity to towering amplifiers, they are also
VERY protective of the stars behind the scenes. Do not forget
your press pass under any circumstances or you will be
reprimanded! It’s also wise to note that nine times out of ten,
interview guests will get caught up in London traffic. ‘Cover up’
skills are a must!
All in all, the experience has been thrilling and I am now the proud
presenter of ‘The Big Smoke’. It’s a cracker of a show – a one
hour, live to air London gig guide, aimed at giving listeners no excuse
to spend their time at home, sitting on the couch. Each week
there will be competitions, interviews, amazing tunes and enough
enthusiasm to launch a small airplane. Check it out on Wednesdays
at 5.00pm and while you’re at it, listen in to the other talent bred by
the XStreameast Academy. Each and every member has proven that
commanding the London air-waves may be hard work, but is more than
possible.
As for the rest of you out there, chase that dream – no matter how big
and unachievable it may seem. Find yourself a mentor with drive
and vision and make your assault on the world. If they have even
half of the passion of Kary Stewart you’ll be well on your way.
As for the future of the XStreameast crew… watch this space. This
is one chapter that has only just begun. The online ‘air waves’
are in for some musical mastery! Be there.
For more info on the shows on offer and to tune in to XStreameast radio, check out the link below.
