Hello! You are reading into the inside scoop of Radio DePaul—Chicago’s College Connection. I am your host, Cecelia Fragakis, here to tell you all the behind the scenes stuff about doing radio.
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Radio DePaul has well over fifty radio shows, podcasts, DJs, news, and more, so there is something for everyone. From music, gaming, pocket news, just about any appropriate topic can be done on the award-winning radio station. Just this year in 2019, the station has won Best Specialty Music Show, Best News Feature Story, and Best App at the Intercollegiate Broadcast System Awards along with several other nominations. The radio station also does live coverage of sports and events like Demon-Thon.
As an avid listener throughout the fall quarter, I decided to apply for the host position before winter break. After getting my application accepted and going in for some training, I was set to start. I started hosting a show on Radio DePaul, this past winter quarter right before the Polar Vortex. As someone who did a little bit of co-hosting a radio show in high school, I was excited to do a show by myself in college. My show for this year is called Turn of the Decade and it incorporates a song from each decade starting at the nineteen twenties all the way to the thousands, sometimes getting up to twenty eighteen. I’ve done special episodes involving Disney through the decades, the names episode, and love songs around Valentine’s Day. So, what is my process to get ready for a show?
Photo Courtesy of 14 East Magazine
Upon ending my previous show, I start to listen to music. Which (side note) growing up, I have always listened to older music from various family members and enjoyed some songs and artists more than the popular songs on the radio. I then start making lists with songs and choosing songs from each decade by how I am feeling. Once I have picked a setlist of about 9-12 songs, I start doing some research about the artists and the songs to provide fun or interesting facts and putting a rough script together. Then comes some extra work I do, which is making a unique intro for my show. Usually the night before a show, I mix together some songs I will be playing during my show and add a voiceover of the title of my show and a few details. All before attempting to get a good night’s sleep to be ready for the broadcast in the morning.
I start my Wednesdays by dressing up, sometimes wearing a dress or skirt, but add an element of fun—a crazy pair of socks. I pack my bag with all the essentials: a printed copy of my script, a pen, my computer and its charger, and my good luck charm which is a blue toy dinosaur named Brad. He is used to reminding me that it is okay to mess up and laugh at yourself. I head over to the basement of University Hall where the station is. Upon entering Studio A, a lot is always on my mind, but I put it aside for the friends and family that continue to listen to me each week.
Around 10 am, I am faced with the hardest part, talking in the microphone. As someone who has a fear of public speaking and sometimes stutters her words, I sometimes still get nervous at different parts of the show. However, I have learned time management skills, quick thinking, keeping the show professional, and a lot about music history. Just about any song that is before twenty fifteen has some pieces of history such as the story behind a song, when the song was originally written, or how long it took to record. Sometimes there are so many facts about a song I often include the most interesting or when I am on-air I go off script and talk about a fact that I wasn’t going to mention.
Overall Radio is another art form and way of expressing oneself. If this article was at all of interest, I would consider listening to shows or think about applying. I was extremely nervous and intimidated by the advanced equipment in the station, but like anything new, the first couple of tries are always a little challenging. Do not let that discourage you. Practice makes perfect; also laughing off mistakes helps in the long run. Sometimes my audio is turned down, I am a little late after a song ends (due to my dancing in the studio since nobody is watching me), or sometimes I stutter. I never let it get me down though, instead, I laugh it off or apologize and say technical difficulties and move on. My friends do not even notice the issue by the end of the show because I adapt and recover quickly. Adapting is the key to life and I learned it mainly through my radio experiences.
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When I started college, I had no idea what I wanted to do and never really thought it would be radio. However, I decided to put myself out there and the payout was that I now want to continue to do this as a job. Everyone has a voice and the sky is your limit when it comes to radio and podcasts. So always join activities that interest you in the slightest because you never know if you’ll love it enough to make a career out of it.
I am Cecelia Fragakis signing off. Make sure to tune in to the next show on Radio DePaul: Chicago’s College Connection.