KTRU true to students' needs and desires

By Joelle Zigman     4/22/10 7:00pm

It's no secret that quite a few Rice students feel their radio station doesn't accurately reflect the campus. The recent rejection of KTRU's blanket tax proposal is proof. In my two years of working for KTRU, I've received a lot of questions from friends about our programming. What I've learned to say in response is, "If you feel so strongly, why don't you make it happen?" That's where the conversation usually ends.So please spread the word: KTRU isn't an untouchable beast; it's a fluffy bunny. If there are changes you'd like to see in the programming, then with a little bit of effort, make them happen. Otherwise, stop complaining.

For example, a live radio broadcast series of a top-notch symphony orchestra has fallen into my lap. Why? Because it was a good idea and clearly nobody else was going to do it. There's apparently been talk for years about potential collaboration between KTRU and the Shepherd School of Music, but nobody has ever had the time or made the effort to commit to putting it together. As director of external ventures at KTRU and a student of music composition at Shepherd, arranging live concert broadcasts seemed like an easy task. I thought all it took was just hooking up the right wires, getting the right people to say yes and then pressing play. Five broadcasts later, I've learned my lesson: It takes far more than wires and signatures to make a successful radio show.

The process of experimentation has been exciting. There are no rules and the program is brimming with possibilities. I can be as creative as I want - I could reinvent classical radio. For our broadcast of Beethoven's 9th Symphony tonight, I'm opening with a mash-up of Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven" (a remix of the famous motif from Beethoven's 5th Symphony, used in the movie Saturday Night Fever) and Kanye West's "Gold Digger." I'll also be featuring interviews with chorus directors from the University of Houston, Kelly Turner and Betsy Weber, and director of the Rice Chorale, Thomas Jaber. I'm expecting at least 200 listeners.

---

---

The greatest, most unexpected pleasure of this series has come from the families of Shepherd students. Giving parents from around the world the chance to be a part of their son or daughter's university accomplishments has been extremely rewarding. I've received several thank-you e-mails and phone calls from parents; I've heard we have listeners from Canada to New Zealand. Another unexpected pleasure has been making students feel special. I ask them for an interview, I show them that their talent and their hard work is appreciated and I give their families a chance to be proud. And, you know, it feels good to get some recognition every once in a while.

The main thing I want to stress here is that the programming and the events at KTRU are totally up to you, the students. Producing my own broadcast series has been a lot of fun and I've learned a ton. What do you plan to do with KTRU?

If anyone wants to get involved with these broadcasts or has any cool ideas for programming, send an e-mail to jzigman@rice.edu or visit KTRU's new blog at www.ktrulivebroadcasts.tumblr.com. Or, apply to be a summer DJ by submitting the application, which is due tomorrow, from www.KTRU.org.

Joelle Zigman is a Brown College sophomore and KTRU external ventures director.

---