Urban Unrest

28 April 2006 | Business, Community, Programming | Ernesto Aguilar

As promised, here are notes from the Great Music Breaks Workshop. As with the Story Focus notes I posted, I think all volunteers could learn from these ideas. Basics in preparing for a music show’s breaks
Prep
Warmup: don’t wait until the show to be warm.
Listen
Aircheck

Less is more. A good break should only be two minutes at most.

Good posture is critical.

Good modulation means you have consistent breaths at consistent times.

You are presenting content that transforms people.

Do not be a radio announcer. Be a communicator.

Personalize it. “Are you talking to me?”

People will not change what they do until they listen to their show and care about it.

Don’t read it; speak it. Say something important by asking questions, say ‘you.’

Music breaks should be two minutes.

Attitude that radio does matter, no matter the time, needs to be clearly conveyed.

Be entertaining. Have fun on the air, and realize people listen to the radio to be entertained. If they didn’t, why wouldn’t they just buy CDs?

Take your ego out of airchecks, listen 24 hours after it’s done and critique yourself then. Listen while distracted and pretend you’re a radio audience.

To think about as you listen to an aircheck: Are you connected to your content? Are you sharing yourself with me? Do you seem interested in what you’re saying? Does it have variety?

A lot of your voice is in the body, not your mouth.

Here are technical aspects: pitch (monotone? Are you utilizing your highs and lows?); rhythm (to you have pacing or run everything together?); tempo

DO NOT SAY “you’ve just listened to” or “up next” because people already know that.

Mix up your styles; avoid ruts; change up your presentation of names and songs.

Promos should invite you to something.

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