I’ve always been fascinated by concert photography. As someone who’s been to several concerts in the past, I couldn’t help but notice the photographers in the front of the crowd capturing picture-esque moments of the performers.
So when one of my good friends, Abby Jay, mentioned that she spent her night going to a concert and taking photos for WTBU, I was intrigued. It came as a shock to me — I had no idea that Boston University provided opportunities for freshmen so early in their college careers. She spoke about WTBU with such passion that I knew I needed to interview her to understand more about her experience.
Answers have been edited for grammar and clarity purposes.
Q: Please introduce yourself.
A: I am Abby Jay and I am a freshman at Boston University studying journalism.
Q: What are you involved in on campus?
A: I am involved in WTBU at Boston University which is the radio station here.
Q: How are you involved in WTBU?
A: I am a DJ-in-training this semester on Stranger Sings, which is one of the 50-some radio shows for WTBU. I also work with the promotions team to do concert reviews and concert photography, and I’ve done an interview with some local artists.
Q: Why did you want to get involved in WTBU?
A: I’m a journalism major so I really want to learn more about the different media outlets like the newspaper, magazines, and radio. And my high school never had a radio station so I really wanted to learn more about it because I’ve been listening to NPR since I was a kid and I was really interested in everything that goes into it, like radio journalism.
Q: How has that experience been?
A: So I joined WTBU news, which is the news station and WTBU itself was really cool. I’m really enjoying it— it’s a lot of fun.
Q: What is your favorite part of it?
A: Meeting all the people. The people in WTBU are some of the best people I’ve met on campus. Everyone I met is super welcoming and nice and they are just great people to be around and work with. It also opens up a lot of opportunities, especially with concert reviews. Because you can just go to concerts for free and take photos and talk to artists. It’s super cool, so I would say the people and the opportunities are the best parts.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory so far?
A: I would say covering my first concert would probably be my favorite memory. It was super cool; it was a Lucy Dacus concert. It was my first time doing concert photography and I met some photographers from other outlets in Boston who were covering the same concert and they were all super nice and gave me some tips. When I was like, “oh, this is my first show,” they were like, “oh my god, congratulations.” They gave me some tips on how to use my camera. It was a lot of fun.
Q: How has this experience impacted you?
A: It’s definitely changed how I view my future. Coming to Boston University, I thought I was going to be writing about politics and local elections, but working with WTBU, I realized there’s more. There could be an actual career in music journalism. I could do this for a living if I wanted to, and I think I’d really want to.
Q: Do you have any advice for people wanting to get involved in WTBU?
A: Yes — do it, just join. Just start coming to meetings and apply to be on a show. It’s probably one of the best things I’ve done with my time at BU. It’s so rewarding and you meet so many cool people. All the shows are super cool; they all have their own unique concepts. But if you want to be on a show, definitely apply at the beginning of the semester because that’s when the DJ and training applications come out.
Talking with Abby was an enlightening experience. Her new understanding of what career path she wants to pursue was refreshing to hear, as all it took was her involvement in one club to lead her this way. It showed me that getting involved is one of the best ways to further understand your interests. Not only that, but it also allows you to gain new experiences in subjects you never thought you’d be interested in — like concert photography!
Make sure you check out Abby’s work on WTBU’s website alongside other BU students, and listen to Abby’s advice. Get involved and find your path!
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