Friday, February 27, 2009
I'm Bi-Coastal
So, in my brief life as a radio freelancer so far, my Chinese New Year Special was picked by a station in Boston and a station in Seattle. It's gratifying to know that my work is appreciated. Frankly, my energies are focused on writing my doctoral document (I am mostly finished, actually.), prepping for three concerts in March, and teaching, so the radio thing is on the back-burner, just for now. Even with that said I produced an interview for WABE just last week. Take a listen.
Friday, February 06, 2009
The Source
In case anyone had a question about the mastermind of the current changes at my former radio station, the GM admits to being in charge in this article.
Even with the new electronic Portable People Meters reporting their first stats and transforming what we think of radio listening, this is still true. When one is trying to create a consistent sound, interruption means tune-out. A talk show in the middle of six hours of classical music creates a disturbance and not increased interest. Also, when you read the article, the GM is admitting that the Noon talk show will become a dumping ground of previously aired pieces on the news magazines. How's that for creating "a great conduit between the listener and more exposure to the Atlanta arts community?" This talk show means less arts coverage because it will seek to repeat what already has been done, and not to create more coverage. The purpose of this programming change is an obvious move to add more talk and take away more music on the station, and this article names the source.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
CyberBully
I was cyberbullied today. Actually, I'm fairly certain that this cyberbully attacked me on another site just a few weeks ago. It's a risk that all of us bloggers face when we put ourselves out there, but it's still sobering when it does happen.
To this blog entry, an anonymous person wrote:
At 2/05/2009 9:49 AM,
said...
Just as well; Wanda, your pretentiousness was becoming absolutely unbearable.
As a Chinese-American immigrant, I am familiar with the kind of bullying that happens in the classroom, hallways, and playgrounds of school, and I am good at fighting those tormentors. However, the faceless "anonymous" cyberbully is a whole new level of cowardliness. More than cowardliness though, this kind of cyberbully is, most of all, insecure, hiding behind anonymity to spew venom that is untrue and uninformed. Such a person is never seeking the truth or dialogue. I feel sorry for cyberbullies, actually, for they must lead "lives of quiet desperation." So much so that they must belittle others to feel grand themselves. So sad, really.
Then, there's the whole pretentiousness accusation. I have to admit that I am a music snob. However, when I say that, what I mean is that great music (in the classical and folk traditions of the world) is for everyone, despite differences in race, language, culture, wealth, etc. This belief has made me who I am, a Chinese-American girl who loves to sing Bach, Handel, Mozart, Britten, and Messiaen, and my favorite band in the whole world is Duran Duran.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that pretentiousness means: making usually unjustified or excessive claims (as of value or standing). On this point I have to disagree with my anonymous accuser because I have not exaggerated. The increase in audience size during Noon-3pm which occurred during my watch happened, in largest part, because of my choice of music and presentation. There was no Music Director programming my music and telling me what to say. I chose the music and wrote the words. As the only one who knew how to run the radio listening stats in my department, I also know this because I've seen the numbers and have run the analysis. I am in the trenches every day, as a musician and educator, interacting with people who listen to classical music, and I use this knowledge to inform my choices. As the person who answered listener comments for nearly seven years at my former radio station, I also know what people are thinking because they have either called or emailed me. So, no, anonymous, I am not making pretentious claims.
Atlanta deserves a full-time classical radio station that plays the great works acknowledged as canons of the repertoire, for instance, the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Copland, Ravel, Handel and more. However, there's so much exciting music of the 20th century that we have ignored on the radio because of its perceived discordance, and we also need to nurture these sounds on the air. At one time all music was new, and the old guard hated the new, i.e., Monteverdi's Seconda Prattica. We may call it ancient music now, but back in the beginning of the 17th century, this was revolutionary and discordant. And, there's great music being made today, right here in Atlanta. We all deserve the best classical music, and if we provide people with access to great content, young and old alike will join the community, a community that believes in the power of beauty to transform us into better human beings. How's that for pretentiousness.
To this blog entry, an anonymous person wrote:
At 2/05/2009 9:49 AM,
said...Just as well; Wanda, your pretentiousness was becoming absolutely unbearable.
As a Chinese-American immigrant, I am familiar with the kind of bullying that happens in the classroom, hallways, and playgrounds of school, and I am good at fighting those tormentors. However, the faceless "anonymous" cyberbully is a whole new level of cowardliness. More than cowardliness though, this kind of cyberbully is, most of all, insecure, hiding behind anonymity to spew venom that is untrue and uninformed. Such a person is never seeking the truth or dialogue. I feel sorry for cyberbullies, actually, for they must lead "lives of quiet desperation." So much so that they must belittle others to feel grand themselves. So sad, really.
Then, there's the whole pretentiousness accusation. I have to admit that I am a music snob. However, when I say that, what I mean is that great music (in the classical and folk traditions of the world) is for everyone, despite differences in race, language, culture, wealth, etc. This belief has made me who I am, a Chinese-American girl who loves to sing Bach, Handel, Mozart, Britten, and Messiaen, and my favorite band in the whole world is Duran Duran.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that pretentiousness means: making usually unjustified or excessive claims (as of value or standing). On this point I have to disagree with my anonymous accuser because I have not exaggerated. The increase in audience size during Noon-3pm which occurred during my watch happened, in largest part, because of my choice of music and presentation. There was no Music Director programming my music and telling me what to say. I chose the music and wrote the words. As the only one who knew how to run the radio listening stats in my department, I also know this because I've seen the numbers and have run the analysis. I am in the trenches every day, as a musician and educator, interacting with people who listen to classical music, and I use this knowledge to inform my choices. As the person who answered listener comments for nearly seven years at my former radio station, I also know what people are thinking because they have either called or emailed me. So, no, anonymous, I am not making pretentious claims.
Atlanta deserves a full-time classical radio station that plays the great works acknowledged as canons of the repertoire, for instance, the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Copland, Ravel, Handel and more. However, there's so much exciting music of the 20th century that we have ignored on the radio because of its perceived discordance, and we also need to nurture these sounds on the air. At one time all music was new, and the old guard hated the new, i.e., Monteverdi's Seconda Prattica. We may call it ancient music now, but back in the beginning of the 17th century, this was revolutionary and discordant. And, there's great music being made today, right here in Atlanta. We all deserve the best classical music, and if we provide people with access to great content, young and old alike will join the community, a community that believes in the power of beauty to transform us into better human beings. How's that for pretentiousness.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Other Radio Stations
As I am busily writing my doctoral document (there are now just about 10 good pages), I've been listening to WQXR online, and I love it. Beautiful announcer voices who do not try to be folksy. They are professional, conversational, and the music is top notch. Once again, proving that it is different 'cause the big boys/girls do it right. Listened to my old station in Bloomington for a while, but there were so many pregnant pauses (not sure if it was due to buffering) that I gave up after about 2 hours. Wish I stayed longer listening to WRTI, but they were in the midst of pledge. Life is fun!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
An Independent at Last
Friday January 30 was my last day as a seriously undervalued and underpaid employee of a place that I loved. I feel absolutely liberated, although the tears flowed quite freely as I played the soprano aria from Brahms' A German Requiem, one of my all-time favorites on my last on-air shift.
On January 19 I uploaded my Chinese New Year show on a website for independent radio producers to share their work and get paid a little for it. Here's the link for it. Three days later it was licensed by WGBH in Boston, and there's proof that it aired. See this comment:
On January 19 I uploaded my Chinese New Year show on a website for independent radio producers to share their work and get paid a little for it. Here's the link for it. Three days later it was licensed by WGBH in Boston, and there's proof that it aired. See this comment:
Thank you
This was a fantastic program. I listened on WGBH in Boston and was transfixed for the whole hour. Thank God I found this copy online, or I would have gone insane. I've been listening to some of the musical pieces over and over again for the past few days. Thank you.
The next day it was licensed by KUOW, Seattle's NPR station. It's nice to have this kind of validation, which was completely lacking in my former place of work.
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