Find out what bands and live acts are playing at venues near you to get a sense of all the musical styles you can explore in your own town.

Career

Explore the music scene near you.

If you're curious about radio, find a volunteer opportunity on this list or contact local radio stations near you and ask about helping out and find out if it's really for you.

Volunteer at a radio station.

Explore and listen to some radio shows or podcasts. What elements of this medium make it different from other media? Do you prefer scripted shows or talk varieties? Any particular genre? 

Listen to a radio show or podcast.

Radio and Television Announcers

Speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio or television. May announce artist or title of performance, identify station, or interview guests.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Second Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Third Interest High-Point

First Interest High-Point

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Announcers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Media and Communication Workers

Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.

Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.

Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.

Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.

Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.

Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.

Discuss various topics over the telephone with viewers or listeners.

Host civic, charitable, or promotional events that are broadcast over television or radio.

Make promotional appearances at public or private events to represent their employers.

Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.

Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as musical selections and station promotions.

Locate guests to appear on talk or interview shows.

Describe or demonstrate products that viewers may purchase through specific shows or in stores.

Coordinate games, contests, or other on-air competitions, performing such duties as asking questions and awarding prizes.

Attend press conferences to gather information for broadcast.

Provide commentary and conduct interviews during sporting events, parades, conventions, or other events.

Give network cues permitting selected stations to receive programs.

Moderate panels or discussion shows on topics such as current affairs, art, or education.

Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.

Write and edit video and scripts for broadcasts.

Maintain organization of the music library.

Audio control consoles

Audio playback equipment

Compact disk CD players

Desktop computers

Digital audio recorders

Earpieces

Headset microphones

Headsets

Laptop computers

Microphone stands

Mixing desks

Multi-line telephone systems

Personal computers

Record turntables

Smart phones

Tablet computers

Teleprompters

Touch screen computer monitors

Adobe Systems Adobe Audition

Audion Laboratories VoxPro

Avid Technology Pro Tools

Burli Software Burli Newsroom System

Dalet Digital Media Systems Dalet Media Life

Database software

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Program logging software

Statistical processing software

Web browser software

Radio DJ

♪♪ ♪♪ We're seriously sitting here staring at every sign-- I don't even know  if it'll be marked. I don't think it's going to be. Did we pass Bel Air Road? Yeah, then we overshot it. Hi Bell, this is Candace  with Roadtrip Nation. I'm good; How are you doing? I wanted to see what the procedure will be when we come. Okay, when we get to the gates we should just call? Okay. [laughter] Okay, sounds good. We were just clearing up the procedures for the Playboy Mansion, and he said we should call Terry Tamerson when we get there,  and she'll work with security to find somewhere to put the RV. They'll probably have to pick us up and drop us back off. (male #1) Welcome. (all) Thank you. We're all entering our senior year at the University of Chicago, and we haven't decided what our roads in life are going to look like. (Diana) Like, what our passions are. Yeah, we're not sure how to pin down our passions. And we're wondering what advice you have, or tips, as to where we should look. Well, what do you think you wanna do? I think I want to do journalism, but I don't know. It's hard to know without getting your feet wet, and it's hard to get your feet wet. When you were five years old, what did you wanna do? Well, what I remember most-- and I guess I was four or five-- I wanted to be a cartoonist. Yeah? Yeah...and a writer.  But I was very interested-- There was--  All of my adult life is really-- I played out early versions of that when I was a kid. I started my first penny newspaper when I was ten. So you were always passionate about writing? Well, I was raised in a very typically Midwestern, Methodist home, with not a lot of affection. And I think I escaped very early on... very early on, into fantasies and dreams, fueled by and large by the movies and by the music. So, starting this magazine was obviously a huge risk. Was there any point in the process where you were like, "I don't think we can do this. I'm ready to throw in the towel." Were there any challenges that you weren't sure if you could make it through? No, and that's something of a miracle, because I started the magazine with no money. I knew a printer in Rochelle, Illinois, and he'd just purchased a new press, and I knew he had some open print time, and I made a deal with him where I paid part of the money up front and part in 90 days. I borrowed $600 from the local loan company, put my furniture up as collateral, and my apartment, and told them it was a family loan-- I didn't tell them it was a business loan, and got a little money from the bank. Total was $600.  And then went to anybody that would listen to me, and got a few hundred here, few hundred there. A total of $8,000, and that was what produced the first issue. I didn't put a date or address on the first issue, because I didn't know if there would be a second issue. What gave you your conviction? From the moment I started the magazine, it was almost like Clark Kent going into a phone booth and coming out a superman. I felt as if I was doing what I was born to do. I just had tremendous confidence. The staff in the first... that first summer and fall was simply me and an art director that I hired part-time to design the magazine. I created the magazine on a card table in my living room and had stationary for both the distributing company, which was me, and the magazine, which was me. And I'd be, depending on who I was writing to, the general manager or the distributor, the editor of the magazine, the ad director of the magazine the circulation... you know? What would you consider the greatest satisfaction from establishing the magazine? I think, obviously, the greatest satisfaction comes from the creation of the magazine and the impact that's had. And I like to believe that I've made some difference in a positive way, that we're more comfortable now in our own sexuality and in our relationships than we were before Playboy. People ask me: did I have any idea? And, of course,  I had no idea. I just hoped the magazine would be around, for another year or two. I think life, by its nature, prompts compromises, and I think that when we're young, we dream sometimes - particularly if we're romantic - impossible dreams. But I think holding on to a certain part of that is what keeps you alive and makes life worthwhile.  I think I'm one of the luckiest people on the planet. [water trickling] (Hugh) Being happy in yourself is more important than all the money in the world. ♪♪ Okay, guys. Are you ready for this? [laughter] [scared] Oh. Whoa, stop!  [crunching sound] Okay, I'm thinking you may as well go now. (Erica) Candace, you have to clear your back left corner... You'll hit the curb otherwise. (Candace) Can you tell me when to stop?  I really don't like this. (Erica) You're fine, you're so far from that pole. (Erica) Okay, now turn. (Candace) Turn? [crunching sound] (Candace) [frightened] Ahh! Ahh! (Erica) Keep going. Drive over it. (Erica) You need to straighten up. Okay. [rattling engine] [crunching sound] [brake releasing] ♪♪ ♪♪ [alarm going off] [alarm going off] ♪♪ Hi, Sean, this is Candace from Roadtrip Nation. I wanted to check and see how Atoosa Rubenstein's interview was looking. She said she would call back, because she was on vacation for a while. Atoosa Rubenstein's the editor of Seventeen. Alright,  bye bye. He's not going to be in New York...Kenneth Cole. Which is sad. [joking] Oh! Oh, Sam! Oh no! [laughter] [seat belt clicks] ♪♪ ♪♪ (Bernardo) I really don't know what I wanna do. That's why I'm doing this: to see what else is out there. (Bernardo) I'm barely turning 20, but I feel like I'm not really going anywhere. School is just kind of-- once I'm out, I'm not gonna be closer to what I wanna do. I'm just gonna have,  I guess, no school to go to-- An education. Did you feel like this at my age? Everybody feels that way, you know? I went to two years of college. It didn't serve me, because I wasn't--  my aptitudes weren't there. It was just some place I was spending time. What did you go for? You know, you get outta high school, and you don't know what else to do. So I figured, "Well, everybody's going to college so that's the thing to do: go to college." I had no direction. Where some of my friends in high school had direction... what they wanted to do, and they aimed their whole, you know, selves, toward that. How did that make you feel when they had direction, and you sort of didn't? Well, it's kinda strange, 'cause you wonder, if you're normal or not. [laughing]  'Cause I don't know  what to do, and this person wants to be this. And another person wants to be that. "Gee, I dunno what I wanna do at all." We're in school, and some of us are there four, five, six years sometimes, and everybody's pushing you. "Hurry up. It's supposed to be four years." I don't know why people are in such a rush. Yeah, people are in a rush to start their lives, And, it's sad... sad to see people involved in things that they don't really wanna be involved with, because they made decisions rushing into... because they felt they had to, and the rest of their life they're working at something they don't enjoy. What were your interests at that time? Surfing...that was my main interest: I surfed. But I went way off of surfing. I became a flower grower, and then I got a job as a boatbuilder, and then I started making my own surfboards. Basically that's the way I started making boards. How did you get into surfboards? Had you always known how to shape boards, or did you teach yourself? I taught myself.  Working with fiberglass and working with my hands was just another form of sculpting. And, being a decent surfer-- I was a pretty good amateur surfer. I won the West Coast Championships and stuff, so I was competent in that, so I could translate that into design. And then I started-- my designs worked, so I started making them for better known surfers and pro surfers, and then it just developed from there. Did you ever think that was gonna be possible when you just started shaping your boards on the side? Never thought about it. I didn't go out with the idea of making a big empire or being successful. I mean, there was times further on that I set goals for myself, being the best I could be at what I did. And that was my major goal. Early on, I didn't--  I never thought about traveling or making a living making surfboards. There wasn't a lot of encouragement from the older community to get into surfboards and try to make a living out of it. I mean,  my parents... [laughing]  "You're gonna make surfboards for a living?!" I'm sure whenever you first started making surfboards, you weren't as successful as you are now. Was it really hard to get through the early years? I would imagine there's a lot of hard times... Well, there was the lean times. They weren't hard,  they were good. I mean that's fun, that's a part of life, going through those times with your friends or your family. It's an important part of life. The money aspect and all the rest of it weren't... weren't the determining factors really. Were you ever afraid at any point about the future? Oh, I'm still afraid about the future. That's terrible, you know? [laughter] "I'm gonna fail!"  [laughs] How do you get over that? Personally, I just pray about it, but fear is something that's always there. And fear has driven me in what I do a lot times. Afraid...you're going to be a failure. This guy you're making boards for is a world champion. His boards aren't working, you know? It just makes me work harder and try harder, and try to accomplish what I'm trying to accomplish with the surfboards, so I use it for energy, you know, to drive me. (Cristina) A lot of us wouldn't  see fear  as something that will get us going. That's amazing. If there's one last piece of advice you can give us, being college students, lost, sort of confused as to where to go, and for our generation, what would that piece of advice be? Don't look for being financially successful or set as being  success in your life, because you'll find it's not there. You know, if you have set goals for yourself and you get there, you're gonna find they're pretty empty. So, goals are good! You know, have goals. Try to accomplish them, but if you're looking for happiness in that, you won't find it. ♪♪ ♪♪ [engine struggling] (Cristina) I think we're  out of gas. (Gloria) Are you serious?  [laughter] (Gloria) [laughter] Ah...hilarious! Tienes tenemos gas? Si tenemos que cargar gas de diesel? Well, you just gotta go, that's it. (Gloria) Supposedly they're gonna stop over or something. ♪♪ ♪♪ Hopefully he'll come back. ♪♪ ♪♪ (all) Gracias! Gracias! ♪♪ ♪♪ (Sam) Oh, Nabil from  Sonic Boom was awesome. (Sam) I used to work at a record store in high school, and I can't even imagine... It's such a cool job to be able to own something that's not corporate... it does what they want to do. (Gloria) I know I'm gonna be doing something that I love, but I think this whole trip just pushed that idea more. Make sure you do it, but also that it can be done. Like, you can...  whatever it is, make a difference,  if that's what you want. Or affect people, or surf, like it was for Al. And it puts it all into perspective, especially when you're just driving around in an RV. You're not taking showers everyday and you're just... and you're just happy. The wind's blowing in your hair and you're like, "That's awesome. That's all I need right now...some air. "Nothing else. I don't need no TV, and I don't know, all this madness.  I don't need any of that." We're all here together just enjoying each other. Listening to how we feel, what we think. Throwing out random questions that we don't want answers to, but we're asking ourselves, so why not ask it out loud to see if anyone else feels that way too. ♪♪ ♪♪ (Gloria) So I guess what we're wondering is where were you when you were our age: about 20, 21 or so? I was here, going to San Francisco State. I was committed to being a dancer and an actress. I was in arts. I wrote poetry then, but I wasn't thinking about being a poet. I dropped out of college after a year and traveled around Asia,  so I turned 19 in Kabul. I was in Hong Kong and India and Nepal and Bangkok, and all these fabulous places, which kind of just blew open my head. I'm just wondering:  You just took off, and when you did your traveling and all that... that sounds exciting, but how did you manage to do that? Aside from your parents, wasn't there maybe-- Well, what's the worst thing that will happen? (Bernardo) It not work out? Okay, and you're what? A year or two years older? And you've had all these experiences in between. So you've lived, and you went for something, so you never ask,  "I wonder if I had, if...?" What's the worst thing that'll happen? So, I'm in college and I'm a theater major. I got back into school, the second year... I guess 19 and 20, and people started calling me a poet. "Are you the poet? I'm doing a TV show. I'm in the BCA department, could you, like..." "Oh no, I'm not a poet." I was not...I was acting. I was in the Black Light Explosion Company, dancing. I was in the Black West Coast Repertory Company, acting. I was pursuing my career and writing on the side, and I was beginning to get gigs doing it. So I became kind of sucked into this poetry world, not of my own volition, but more of like... being open to it?  That was it. From then I was running. It's a fire in your belly. You know  when it's there. You don't have to go, "Is that fire?" Yeah. It's three in the morning and I'm doing this. I'm waking up thinking about it. Was it there for you since you were small? Not for writing,  but always for something. [emphatically] But that's what I'm saying...for something. It changed! I think there is this idea that you've got to be set right now, and I don't think you have to be. I think you find something that excites you, and you do that and maybe it grows tangentially from that. And I think that's how you should get there: by really being present...with the now. I didn't really think that I would have a career as a poet. It had not... I mean, that's kind of absurd. Did you ever meet or come across people that weren't so supportive of how you were living or pursuing the things you enjoyed, or were negative towards you? How did you deal with that? They weren't living my life, I was. ♪♪ (Bernardo) It's funny, you always hear that cliche question: "What's the worst that could happen?" You always ask yourself that, but you never-- (Gloria) You never answered? (Bernardo) Yeah, actually think it through: what is actually the worst that could happen? Like, I waste time? Not really waste time, I just don't-- you get a few years older? But you have all the experience. (Bernardo) That was a big thing too, the experience.  Even if things don't work out, you have the experience. You learn. You know. Why have regrets when you could just try it? Then know for sure. Not always wonder. ♪♪ ♪♪ [surprised screams] [crowd sounds] [firework explosions] [firework explosions] [car alarms] [laughter] (Erica) Wow! I keep bringing up fear because that's a big issue for myself. You really want to push out and-- You have such amazing latitude right now; it's brilliant. I wish I knew this better when I was younger. You can really do anything. However much you may think you may not be able to achieve something, try it. Ask someone about it. That is so key.  You never know what can happen. I think one of things you have to do is to trust your gut feeling. Definitely don't go into something that you know is wrong for you. (female announcer) To watch more interviews from the road, and listen to the music that keeps us driving, visit www.RoadtripNation.com. Online you can learn more about the Movement and how to bring the Experience into your classroom. ♪♪ ♪♪ 

<p>In Seattle, the Northern route team interviews John Richards, radio DJ, KEXP radio. In San Francisco, the Central route team visits the Exploratorium to interview Shawn Lani, exhibit builder. Later in Albuquerque, the team sits down with Tina Nenoff, an environmental scientist at the Scandia National Laboratory.</p>

Seattle - Albuquerque

Power KEXP 90.3, 90.7. We're worldwide at KEXP.org. And that was a set of John Richards. And I must leave. Stevie Zoom is up. Gonna continue the music all the way up to 2:00 o' clock. Wanna remind you at 4:00 O' clock, A.C. gonna be performing live in the studios of KEXP. And another reminder that I'll be back tomorrow for another edition of the morning show bright and early at 6:00 AM. Gonna leave you with the Von Bondies. Have a great day. Thank you so much for listening. This is listener power, KEXP. >> Hi, John. >> Nice to meet you. >> I'm Sam. >> Hi, good to meet you. >> Hi, nice to meet you. >> And I'm Jeff. >> Good to meet you, Jeff. >> So to start off I guess, we go to art school in Brooklyn, New York. Jeff and I just graduated in May. Sam's got one more semester. We're trying to figure out what we're gonna do with our life. And what road should we follow? >> Right. >> And we kinda wanted to talk to you about what you were thinking, where you were when you were 21, 22 years old. What that felt like and how you got from there to where you are today. >> God, if feels like yesterday that I was 21 or 22. I lived in Spokane, Washington. For about 10 years up to about when I was 20. I had seen all these great bands coming into town, because a lot of tours would come through Spokane and I saw this show. It was a band called Screaming Trees. There was a band called Love Battery and Alice and Chains. And I saw them come through and snuck into the club and I was blown away. Just hearing those songs and then having these tapes and then being with your friends and thinking the music, and maybe it was speaking to you. And we found the Pixies, and that was it. Like oh my god, this is so sweet. And so we just center around the Pixies and center around Loving Rockets and all these bands that we thought we were the only ones who knew about. And we'd just, that would patent, not just pass time but we were passionate about it. We were excited about these bands and we thought we are on our own little club, and so it just became obsessive in a way. It just came the way we live, like music became the way we lived and it was a soundtrack to everything we did. And so, I can't imagine not having it on all the time. My brother lived over here and was sending me demos too. I was getting these tapes, these just Nirvana on there and Pearl Jam and just I couldn't believe all this was going on just 300 miles from my house. I was about 20 and I headed to Seattle. I got over here and had no idea what I wanted to do. I mean, not a clue. I didn't know I wanted to be on the radio. I didn't know if I wanted to be in the music business. I just know I love music, and I wanted to be in Seattle. Seemed like a really great place to be. But yeah you're at shows. You're drinking beers. You're seeing good music. You could care less what you're doing with your future, but it hits you eventually. I gotta do something. Cuz this could go on forever. Which I don't really mind. But I need to pay bills. And I don't really want to work in a restaurant anymore. I decided to go to the University of Washington and I decided communications would be obviously a good place to start, if I wanted to get in to radio or media of some sort. I didn't know what. So I was in there taking a communication degree and that's what you do. But I realized I would have, as I wanted more and more to get into radio I realized that wasn't gonna do a thing for me. I'm going to walk over to KCMU, which was a station now known as KXB at the time. It was on campus. It was a public station, so anyone could come in there and ask to volunteer. Well, I walked in there, knocked on the door, and this guy named Patrick Cone answered. I'll never forget it, and he said, what can I do for you? I said, what can I do for you? Anything. 40 hours. You know, no pay, I don't care. And that's the magic words in radio. I work for free, I work as many hours as you want. Come on in, we have some stuff for you to do. Do you know how to do production? Yes. They said do you really? No, no idea. What got me more in the know at the station is the fact that I was just willing to come in and do anything at any hour, and just I was enthusiastic about it and that's what got me into radio. It wasn't school, it wasn't anything else it was just being really enthusiastic about the place I was at. For me it was just finding my passion, finding what I loved and who knows what age that comes at. It could like my friends who are in their, as late as the late 20's early 30's who find out what they wanna do. My biggest, my biggest advise is I give kids is dive into it and when. And just give it everything you've got, don't be half ass about it. If you're not willing to make at least that much of a sacrifice then it's obviously just not something for you. Eventually you'll find something where you would make that kind of sacrifice. And that doesn't seem like a big one, but it does involve not going out the night before. It does involve. Getting up here, and working for free but that's a sheer sign that someone's really into it. >> Well when you were interning at KCMU and not getting paid and- >> Yep. >> And being there all the time. >> Yep. >> Was it every frustrating? >> Yeah. >> Was there ever a question? >> Yeah totally. With volunteering you can come in so much right, you gotta work somewhere else. I had to work in restaurants, work all these other places, I couldn't give it my all. I don't miss it even a little. >> Yeah. >> But I do encourage people who are in any kind of job, man. Just keep going, don't give up. I know it's silly to say, but that was tough. It's funny how different you are when you have a stake in something, or you feel some sort of affinity, or you feel some sort of passion for, love for. You just, it's hard if you love something like that. When they made it a paying gig, and I could come in five days a week, and kind of get by, I couldn't believe it. I applied right away. And I somehow got it. Right when I was at that point where I was ready to give up and just say God I don't know. But I say I was ready to give up. But I cant imagine walking away from that shift. It was so valuable to me to have those five hours every week to be on the air and to play music, and I don't think I would have given it up. But I was really getting frustrated. >> So I guess like everyday you're kind of reaching the youth of America but, if you had some advice for people that are in our position, what would it be? >> Well, you're doing the best thing right now and asking people. I wish I'd done that. I wish I'd asked people right away. I think about if I had, again, if I knew now, if I knew then what I know now. I think about radio. I don't know if it would have put me on the right path, but I should have gone and talked to someone in radio. [LAUGH] You know, once I figured out what I wanted to do, why wouldn't I just go talk to someone? I mean people are willing to talk to you all the time. So you learn these things. And you can take those and go, okay, maybe that is something I want to do. But you ask advice. And you talk. Council with your friends and your family, people you trust most and bounce ideas off of them. I think communicating about it is the main thing. I mean getting it, what, however crazy the idea is or however much you think you may not actually be able to achieve something, try it. Ask someone about it. That is so key. You never know what can happen. You may just bounce off a hundred ideas to people and never hear back, but as long as you're talking to people, that's totally going to help you. 

Hard Work

Passion

Interview

I'm going to walk over to KCMU, which was the station, now known as KXB at the time, it was on campus. And so, it was a public station, so anyone could come in there and ask to volunteer. Well, I walked in there and knocked on the door, and this guy named Patrick Cohn answered. I'll never forget it. And he said, what can I do for you? I said, what can I do for you? Anything, 40 hours, no pay, I don't care. And that's the magic words in radio. I work for free, I work as many hours as you want. And come on in, we have some stuff to do. Do you know how to do production? Yes. He said, do you really? No, no idea. What got me more in the know at the station was the fact that I was just willing to come in and do anything, and at any hour, and I was just enthusiastic about it. And that's what got me into radio. It wasn't school, it wasn't anything else. It was just being really enthusiastic about the place I was at. For me it was just finding my passion, finding what I loved, and who knows what age that comes at. It could be like my friends who as late as the late 20s, early 30s, who find out what they want to do. But my biggest advice I give kids is dive into it, and just give it, I mean, everything you got, don't be half ass about it. If you're not willing to make at least that much of a sacrifice, then it's obviously just not something for you. Eventually, you'll find something where you would make that kind of sacrifice. And that doesn't seem like a big one, but it does involve not going out the night before, it does involve getting up here, and working for free. But that's a sheer sign of someone who's really into it. >> Well when you were interning at KCMU and not getting paid and being there all the time was it ever frustrating? Was there ever like a question? >> Yeah totally. With volunteering you can only come in so much, right? You've gotta work somewhere else. I had to work in a restaurants, and work in all these other places. I couldn't give it my all. I don't miss it even a little. >> Yeah? >> Yeah, but I do encourage people to work in any kind of job man. Just keep going, don't give up. I know it's silly to say, but that was tough. It's funny how different you are when you have a stake in something. Or you feel some sort of affinity or you feel some sort of passion for or love for. And it's just hard to feel love for something like that. When they made it a paying gig I could come in five days a week and kind of get by, I couldn't believe it. I applied right away and I somehow got it. Right when I was at that point and I was ready to give up and just say, God I don't know, but I say I was ready to give up but I can't imagine walking away from that shift. It was so valuable to me to have those five hours every week, to be on the air and play music, and I don't think I would have given it up. But I was really getting frustrated 

Dive Into It

What would it be? >> Well, you're doing the best thing right now in asking people. I wish I'd done that. I wish I'd asked people right away. I think about if I'd, again if I knew then what I know now. I think about radio, I dunno if it would have put me on the right path, but I should have gone and talked to someone in radio. Like, [LAUGH] once I figured out what I wanna do, why wouldn't I just go talk to someone? I mean people are willing to talk to you all the time. So you learn these things and you can take those and go, okay maybe that is something I wanna do. But you ask advice, and you talk, counsel with your friends, and your family, the people you trust most. And bounce ideas off of them. I think communicating is the main thing. Getting it what, however crazy the idea is, or however, however much you think you may not actually be able to achieve something. Try it! Ask someone about it! That is so key, you never know what can happen. You may just bounce of 100 ideas to people and never here back but as long as you are talking to people, that is totally going to help you. 

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[John] It's about 20, and I headed to Seattle. I got over here, and had no idea what I wanted to do. I mean, not a clue. Um, I didn't know I wanted to be on the radio, I didn't know if I wanted to be in the music business. I just knew I loved music and I wanted to be in Seattle. I decided communications would be obviously a good place to start if I wanted to get into radio or media of some sort. And as I wanted more and more to get into radio, um, I realized that wasn't gonna do a thing for me. I'm going to walk over to KCMU, which was a station now known as KXB, at the time. It was on campus. So, it was a public station, so, you know, anyone could come in there and ask to volunteer. Well I walked in there and knocked on the door, and this guy named Patrick Cone answered, I'll never forget it. And uh, he said, "What can I do for you?" I said, "What can I do for you? Anything. "Forty hours," you know. "No pay, I don't care." Thank you so much for listening, this is listener power. Dive into it and just give it, I mean, everything you've got. If you're not willing to make at least that much of a sacrifice, then it's obviously just not something for you. 

John Richards

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