Name, major, year:
Jason Klaiber, Communication, Junior
What activities are you involved in on campus? At the moment, I’m the music director for WSBU The Buzz, the opinion editor for The Intrepid, a member of Bona Films and a writing workshop assistant in the Teaching & Learning Center.
Tell us a little bit about what you do at The Buzz. At The Buzz, I work alongside Marissa McCall and Stephen Wilt in the music department. We keep in contact with record labels and promotions companies that send us new releases in the music industry. We then work to put songs on the Buzz computer to be played on the air. With the help of our staffers, we review some of the music we obtain in the mail as well as some of the chart-topping albums and singles out there. Additionally, I work as a DJ.
Tell us a little bit about your radio shows. I have two radio shows—one solo endeavor called “The Klaibrary” and a collaborative effort with my roommate Paul Maurizio called “Boyz in the Booth.” For my solo show, which airs Thursday nights from 9 to 10, I play rock music spanning the 1960s to present day. As for “Boyz in the Booth,” which runs from 3 to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Paul and I play all ages of hip-hop and tell inside jokes to amuse ourselves.
How did you first get into music? My parents definitely acted as the guiding lights for my entry into music appreciation. During my childhood, they would always play their favorite records on the living room stereo and the classic rock station on the car radio. My dad had also collected issues of music magazines over the years, like Rolling Stone and Mojo, so I’d find myself reading them all the time.
Who are some of your favorite artists?
I could name so many, but to name just a handful, I’d have to include The Rolling Stones, Kendrick Lamar, David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, A Tribe Called Quest…I’ll stop there just for the convenience of anyone who reads this, since I could go on and on indefinitely.
What are some music releases you’re most excited for this year? I can’t wait for Kendrick’s next album, assuming it’ll be out soon. The same goes for Arcade Fire’s next project and LCD Soundsystem’s—if they do come out this year, that is. Lately, there’s been more of a tendency for artists to put out surprise releases, so I’m hoping for some of those to hit the scene too.
Do you play any instruments? Yes. I play guitar.
How has playing music influenced how you listen to music? It’s made me appreciate far more how tough it is to become great at playing guitar, so now, when I listen to someone like Jimi Hendrix or John Frusciante, it’s just astonishing how they can manage to play so extraordinarily.