By Becky Zhang ‘22
Last spring semester, I started volunteering as a music DJ for the Claremont Consortium’s radio station, KSPC 88.7 FM. The station primarily features Underground music (that is, music from independent labels) ranging from folk to alternative, to jazz, to classical, to hip hop, and broadcasts a couple of news and talk shows throughout the week as well. (You can tune in locally, or visit kspc.org to listen live anywhere!)
I host an Underground music show every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon featuring primarily women musicians and bands, including Soccer Mommy, Angel Olsen, Frankie Cosmos, Alvvays, and the like. During the two hours that I’m on air, I get to pick songs freely from the station’s music library (which includes digital songs, CDs, and vinyls!) and introduce them as I play them. It’s super fun to discover new music this way, especially by reading the quirky and candid reviews written on the back of each album or EP by fellow music-lovers and KSPC volunteers. Since we’re a non-commercial station, I also get to share information about upcoming non-profit and volunteer events around LA and the San Bernardino Valley, from poetry readings to creative workshops, to youth activist groups—there’s a lot going on within a couple miles of Claremont!
I knew I wanted to work for a radio station even before starting college, and I’m so grateful to have fulfilled that dream. I simply had to attend DJ training sessions in the fall, familiarize myself with the music library, and, finally, I was lucky enough to get a great time slot for my show. All in all, KSPC has been one of the highlights of my first-year experience and has made my Tuesdays light and bright.
So, every Tuesday morning I head into the station at 9:30 and dig through the CD library for my favorite albums. At 10, “Breakfast with Beck” is live, and, after a quick intro, a Fleet Foxes song is likely drifting through the speakers. I sit back in my chair, pull off my headphones, and draw a sip of tea from my mug. All is well.