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F R O M W E S T E R N 'S P U B L I C R A D I O |
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A Conversation with Pete KirchoffBy Clayton Miller
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN BROADCASTING AND HOW DOES JAZZ FIT INTO YOUR WORK IN RADIO? “Even though I had a professional career in marketing and sales, I had always wanted to get involved with radio. Although many people come into public radio from commercial stations, I lacked any background in broadcasting. So, I took a radio course at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, which also had its own public radio station staffed by volunteers and students. After completing the course, I began volunteering myself. What started out as a hobby became a full-time career in the late 1980s when I moved to an all-jazz station in Southampton, New York. I was able to combine my professional background with on-air hosting duties.” “My dad also had an interest in jazz. Whenever he got a chance to see live jazz performances, he’d then go out and buy their albums. So growing up, we heard a lot of Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong around the house. Like most people my age, I also loved rock n’ roll and soul music. But getting exposed to great jazz at a young age was a real blessing.” WHAT DO YOU FEEL JAZZ HAS TO OFFER?“….heart and soul. By that I mean it’s a music form where the artist’s personality is right out there for us to hear. No one sounds the same. In the improvising of musicians, it’s not just about technique. What appeals to me even more is the heart and soul they’re able to convey through their instruments or voices. It makes for a very vulnerable experience for the musicians, but that’s what makes jazz so rewarding to listen to.” WHO WAS INFLUENTIAL IN YOUR EARLY LEARNING ABOUT JAZZ?“I had a mentor and dear friend named Ken Woods, who recently passed away. He served as the jazz director at the Southampton radio station I worked at. When he was younger, he had seen and heard a lot of live performances of Big Bands popular in the 1940s. His stories about those days were incredible! He also had a terrific “ear” for good jazz. Whenever we would talk, I’d ask him, “What do you think of this artist or recording?” He was a great help in pointing me in the right direction over the years.” “Also influential was the reading I did from the library. Right before hosting my first jazz show, I went to the library and checked out books.” WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT IS SO UNIQUE ABOUT WESTERN’S PUBLIC RADIO? “First of all, the staff is incredibly professional and dedicated. They really know what they’re doing and it shows every time a listener tunes us in. It’s a wonderful team to be a part of. When I first got here, it took a few months before I realized that Western’s Public Radio’s Mid-Day Edition was produced right here in our studios. I thought it was an NPR program!” YOU SAID THAT CREDIBILITY WITH LISTENERS CAN TAKE A LONG TIME TO DEVLOP. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THIS? “I try to approach credibility from a listener’s standpoint. You know, we all make mistakes. You turn on that microphone and unintended things can come out of your mouth. But if, after awhile, listeners begin to suspect that a program host doesn’t know what he or she is talking about, credibility can be lost. I think you have to guard against that happening. As a program host, I have a responsibility to be accurate and respectful of the music I play over the air. It’s also the comments from listeners that help with credibility. Since they tend to be very knowledgeable, they really keep me on my toes!” “Anyone in marketing and sales knows that it’s so much better when you believe in what you’re selling. Since I feel so strongly about the freedom, experimentation and dedication public radio represents, I don’t have to worry about believing in it. I just wish I had started ten years earlier!” ANY PARTING WORDS? “Yes. The opportunity to be a part of our development staff, be out in the community and meet so many people that love and support Western’s Public Radio is unique, along with simultaneously wearing another hat of hosting a jazz show. It brings it all together and makes my life rewarding, And I hope for the listeners, too!” |
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