Name: Queal Anderson
Age: 20
Year: Junior
Major: Marketing
Hometown: Carol Stream, IL
Dream Career: Brand Management and/or Concert Production
HC: How did you become involved with being a DJ/Radio Personality for UIC radio?
LA: My freshman year Kendrick Lamar, my favorite artist, headlined UIC’s Spark In The Park. I asked around, and I found out UIC Radio played a role in selecting what artists performed at the concert and even helped out with producing the event. So I was immediately interested in joining the program.
HC: What piqued your interest in becoming a DJ/Radio Personality?
LA: I’ve always loved music, especially Hip Hop music. Since I was a kid, I’ve written raps and poems as a way of working through my thoughts and experiences. In high school all of my friends were rappers, producers, and poets. I never wanted recognition; at the time I was too shy.It was all fun, but I picked up a lot of technical knowledge. I learned how to use basic audio engineering programs like FL and GarageBand. Coming into college, radio seemed like the perfect way to expand my technical skills and connect with more like-minded people.
HC: What is the name of your radio show?
LA: Free Air
HC: What made you choose that name?
LA: It pretty much summarizes the concept of my show.
HC: What does your radio show consist of?
LA: Free Air is mostly based on interviewing local creatives (photographers, rappers, singers, clothing/shoe boutiques, etc). The idea is to bring people together to spark networking and collaborative efforts. I play mainstream & underground Hip Hop and R&B; you’ll hear some of your favorite artists mixed in with people you’d definitely want to go back and research later.
HC: How many celebs/upcoming celebs have you met/interviewed?
LA: I’ve been doing this show every Saturday 6PM-10PM for almost 3 years now, so I’ve honestly lost count of how many people I’ve interviewed. Most of the people I’ve had on my show you’ve probably never heard of, but I have worked with King Louie and Fatzmack of MUBU Gang, Spenzo, Manny Premo, Dally Auston of SAVEMONEY, Saba of PIVOT, and Taylor Bennett.
HC: Who was your favorite person to interview?
LA: Pretty much everyone I interview is chill and easy to work with. I don’t really have a favorite.
HC: What is your most memorable experience working at UIC Radio?
LA: I’ll never forget meeting J Cole at Spark 2014. Being able to go to local concerts and events for free is always fun too.
HC: After you’ve finished school, what is your next step with DJing/Radio Personality?
LA: I’m kind of on the fence at the moment. These past few years of working to develop the brand of the station and my show has me considering brand management as a profession. For Spark 2015 I worked closely with a Chicago based concert production company called JAM, and they are an amazing collective that gets paid to create lasting, musical experiences for people. I see myself being very successful no matter which path I ultimately choose to follow. So for now I’m just trying to get as much experience as I can in both fields.
HC: Thanks you for allowing is to feature you as our Campus Celeb this week! We wish you well on all of your future endeavors! :)