know your rights! on metal - home - wmpg · sabbath, quiet riot, and ronnie james dio (that’s...

SPECIAL ELECTIONPROGRAMMING

Day Time Between

Mon 10:30a South by Southwest and Echoes in the Wind

Mon 4:58p Monday Afternoon: Revolution and The Evenin' Sun

Tue 11:57a A La Votre and Democracy Now! (extra minute for station business before DN!)

Wed 8:28a Reasonable Music and The Blue Country

Wed 7:30p Free Speech Radio News and Sound Ecology

Thu 1:30p Financially Speaking and Cruz del Sur

Fri 11:57a Gons-S-Buduna and Democracy Now! (extra minute for station business before DN!)

Sat 7:58a Saltwater Farm and Vietnamese Melodies

Sat 1:58a Voice of Cambodian Americans and Positive Vibrations

Sun 11:30a Ex-Yu Voice and Africa International

Sun 3:28p Latinos and Eastern Sands Radio

Stay informed, stay vigilant. Listen to “Know Your Rights!” starting October 4th on WMPG.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!Starting in October, WMPG will be airing a new 20-week series of 2-minute modules called

“Know Your Rights!” produced by Rob Rosenthal and Kerry Seed in collaboration with the

Maine Civil Liberties Union. Each show addresses a different civil liberty and will air on WMPG

11 times per week, in either the first two minutes or the last two minutes of a show, so that

each episode appears between two shows in the schedule. The schedule is as follows: definitionHeavy metal: n. form of rock music characterized

by aggressive, driving rhythms, highly

amplified/distorted guitars, and often dark

thematic elements.

(incomplete and shoddy) history of Heavy Metal (necessary for understanding the second half of the following article) Rewind. 1965. The first United States troops are

sent to South Vietnam. Malcolm X is assassinat-

ed. The Watts riots occur. Lyndon B. Johnson

signs into United States law the Voting Rights Act

of 1965. The Kinks introduce to the public what is

now considered the prototypical heavy metal

song, “You Really Got Me.” They and the Who

introduce and continue to rock power chords.

Fast-forward. 1967.

Jimmy Hoffa begins his

8-year sentence for

attempted bribery of

jury. Muhammad Ali

refuses military service.

Thurgood Marshall is

nominated as the first

African American

justice of the United

States Supreme Court.

The Beatles toy with

using aggressive

distortion as an art-form

in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely

Hearts Club Band.

1969. Richard Nixon succeeds Lyndon Johnson

as President of the United States of America. The

aforementioned Beatles perform publicly for

the last time on the roof of Apple Records. Yasser

Arafat is apointed Palestinian Liberation

Organization Leader. Led Zeppelin’s self-titled

I and II are released.

Add power chords to aggressive distortion and

you get Led Zeppelin. Add Led Zeppelin to

mainstream music and to the public, heavy metal,

the entity, the art-form, the lifestyle, is born.

But what can it all mean?

(unclear) origins (of the term) “With their diseases and orgasm drugs and their

sexless parasite life forms — Heavy Metal People

of Uranus wrapped in cool blue mist of vaporized

bank notes — And the Insect People of Minraud

with metal music”

It was in William Burroughs’ 1964 novel Nova

Express the author used in the above quote the

term “heavy metal” as a metaphor for addictive

drugs. This was not, however, the only place

around the same time the term is tossed around.

The music of Jimi Hendrix was “like heavy metal

falling from the sky,” said one rock critic in 1967.

Steppenwolf also popularized the term by using

it in their 1968 song “Born to be Wild”:

“I live smoke and lightning

Heavy metal thunder

Racing with the wind

And the feelin’ that I'm under”

Where, exactly, the term came from and who,

exactly, applied it to music the first time is so

frequently debated there is no concrete theory as

to when and where heavy metal first became

conceptually defined. The influence of the

following bands, however, is hardly debatable.

(under the) influences (or heavy metal), re: definition andsub genre Judas Priest, formed in

1969 and Iron Maiden,

formed in 1975, are

considered widely

influential heavy metal

bands. The former are

considered “the god-

fathers” of speed metal

& pop metal. Bands

associated with the

golden age of the

genre are Black

Sabbath, Quiet Riot, and Ronnie James Dio

(that’s right, folks, the very “Dio” famous for

popularizing the “devil horn” hand sign).

As there are various sub genres of any music

(what, you ask, John Zorn, Duke Ellington and

Herbie Hancock aren’t merely jazz musicians?),

the sub-genres of heavy metal are seemingly

endless and some can be noted below:

Circus metal, carnival/metal cocktail, represen-

tative bands: Secret Cheifs 3, Mr. Bungle

Math metal, avant-jazz influenced metal,

representative bands: Dillinger Escape Plan

Viking metal, obvious

Thrash Metal, hardcore punk/metal mixture,

representative bands: Metallica, Slayer

Stoner metal, “Woah, dude, that’s so heavy”

On Metalby Alex Steed, host of

“Monday Afternoon: REVOLUTION!” Mondays, 3 pm - 5 pm

continued on page 8

Steve Cain

WMPG’s plans for special programming around the election are still evolving as this guide goes to

press, so this is only a teaser, but you can expect to hear a fair number of special programs and/or

special editions of our regular programs leading up to, during, and right after election day, Tuesday,

November 2nd.

Our plans at this point include a two hour special with Karen D’Andrea, host of Sound Ecology, and

Pat LaMarche, Green Party vice-presidential candidate, on Monday, November 1st, from 5 to 7pm.

Blunt, our award-winning youth radio project show, has already been covering the election and will

continue to do so regularly up to their final pre-election show on that same Monday, November 1st,

from 7:30 to 8:30pm.

Our popular talk show Home Dad, with Chip Edgar, will expand to an hour of election talk between 1

and 2pm on Tuesday, November 2nd. We’re also in the starting up stages of working up plans for live

election-night coverage, and a day-after call-in on Wednesday, time yet to be determined.

Stay tuned to WMPG for more details as these plans firm up— it will all be announced on air well

ahead of time. And don’t forget to vote!

Fall 2004 Program Guide

WMPG Board of Directors

The Board meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm in Payson Smith Hall, Room

1 on the USM Portland campus. Staff and listeners are invited to attend these meetings.

Board duties include: ensuring that programming is consistent with the station’s Mission

Statement, review and approval of the management plan, review of management job

performance, organization of events and fund-raising campaigns via committee work, and

community-building within and outside the station.

Problems? Gripes? Good ideas? Your Board wants to hear from you! Attend a meeting or call

and leave a message for any one of us at 780-4943.

WMPG’s MissionAdopted February 10, 1993

WMPG’s purpose is to provide a high quality, community-oriented broadcast service

to the people of Southern Maine by:

• providing a full-time schedule of music and culture, news and information;

• promoting awareness and discussion of local issues and activities;

• promoting awareness and discussion of global issues and culture;

• presenting artistic, cultural, and political perspectives which are

underrepresented in mainstream media;

• promoting acceptance, understanding, and cooperation between

people and cultures;

• fostering new and experimental uses of radio as a medium for creative expression;

• approaching radio as a dynamic medium for community dialogue, introspection,

and expression.

Further, WMPG strives to be a training ground for students interested in broadcasting by:

• maintaining an authentic, full-functioning radio station;

• providing ongoing training and workshops in all aspects of radio;

• providing opportunities for hands-on experience in radio;

• maintaining local, national, and international broadcast industry contacts to assist

students in furthering their involvement in broadcasting;

• providing opportunities for students to take management and decision-making roles.

Also, WMPG seeks to give citizens and community groups access to radio to share their

interests, concerns, and talents by:

• providing low-cost broadcast training regardless of race, religion, sex,

sexual orientation, lifestyle, age, or physical ability;

• providing opportunities for women and minorities and others who are under-

represented in mainstream media to participate in management and decision-making;

• encouraging the participation of community members with diverse backgrounds

and perspectives;

• encouraging two-way communication between the station and citizens by de-

emphasizing the distinction between broadcaster and listener and encouraging active

listener participation in all facets of radio via letters, tapes, phone calls, community

events, studio visits, and performances.

Staff Representatives

Michael Cutting (Chair)

Chip Edgar (Vice Chair)

Jim Ward (Treasurer)

Noel Bonam

Dave Wade

Victoria Chicon

Listener Representatives

Vanessa Gates-Ellston (Secretary)

Jeff Wilbur

Kathleen Costello

Amy Bradstreet

Management Representatives

Jim Rand

Dave Bunker

Tom Flynn

Student Senate Representative

Zeke Kimball

University Representatives

Bob Caswell

Helen Gorgas-Goulding

Chris O’Connor

WMPG ManagementStation Manager

Jim Rand, 780-4424

[email protected]

Program Director

Dave Bunker, 780-4598

[email protected]

Development Director

Tom Flynn, 780-4151

[email protected]

Office Manager

Kelsey Perchinski, 780-4943

[email protected]

Music Director

Ron Raymond, Jr., 780-4976

[email protected]

The Steam-Powered Walrus Reviewby Bob Cochran ABOUT THE COVER

The artwork gracing the cover of the Fall Program Guide is the result of a unique collaboration

between two long-time WMPG volunteers. Michael Cutting, host of “This Better Be Good”

(Mondays, 6:30 am – 8:30 am) had the idea to celebrate different world cultures with WMPG’s

Begathon artwork, beginning with that of the Maya. He took his ideas to Lincoln Peirce, host of

“South by Southwest” (Mondays, 8:30 am – 10:30 am), who happens to be an accomplished

artist (you might know his syndicated daily comic strip “Big Nate,” which appears locally in the

Portland Press Herald). Lincoln created the drawing, Michael added the color, and WMPG is

excited to offer t-shirts, sweatshirts, and mugs featuring the design as pledge premiums during

our Fall Begathon October 18 – 24th. Elements of this unique design will also be featured on the

new WMPG bumper sticker.


By Dave Bunker, WMPG Program Director

My family and I lived in the Bangor area for

several years in the ‘90s. It was a nice place to

live. We enjoyed scenic countryside, a low crime

rate, good neighbors, and inexpensive housing.

Even the black flies were welcome, in a way,

since black flies need clean running water to

breed. They served as an indicator that our

environment was still relatively pristine. It was a

fine place to be raising small children and

enjoying a quiet semi-rural lifestyle.

There were a few things I missed, though, and

one of those was seeing anything other than

white faces among the people I met day to day.

Everywhere else I’ve ever lived — New Mexico,

Southern California, Seattle, the Florida

panhandle — there have been at least two ethnic

groups with significant numbers in the local pop-

ulation. Before moving to Maine, I expected to

meet folk of African, Asian, and/or Hispanic

ancestry on pretty much a daily basis. That

wasn’t happening in Maine. In the 2000 census,

97% of Mainers responding identified

themselves as white, compared to 75%

nationally. Basically, the only time we saw

non-white faces in Bangor was when we went

out to dinner at the Indian place downtown.

When a sushi restaurant opened half-way

through our time there, it counted as a major

expansion of our cultural horizons.

Then we moved to Southern Maine. Same scenic

country-side, low crime rate, good neighbors,

inexpensive…well, you can’t have everything.

Fewer black flies, more ticks. Excellent beaches.

And, at first, little change in the low level of

cultural diversity. We bought a house in semi-

rural York County, and it was still all white faces

at the supermarket, at the post office, in the other

cars on the road. That’s Maine, I thought.

Lily-white Maine.

But then I got the Program Director position here

at WMPG, and my perceptions changed. It was

a delight, in the first weeks of my new job, to

meet the faces behind the voices I had been

hearing on the station, faces of many shades,

and of course many white faces too, but white

faces from among which came voices speaking

in the accents of many cultures.

The concept of cultural diversity appears not

once, but several times in WMPG’s mission

statement. Our mission statement speaks of

“promoting awareness and discussion of global

issues and culture; of presenting artistic,

cultural, and political perspectives which are

underrepresented in mainstream media; of

promoting acceptance, understanding, and

cooperation between people and cultures;

providing opportunities for women and

minorities and others who are underrepresented

in mainstream media to participate in

management and decision-making; and encour-

aging the participation of community members

with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.”

It became quickly clear to me in those first

weeks of my employment that the station had

been doing a good job of advancing its cultural

diversity goals. Since then I have done my best,

as a member of the management team, to

continue in the same vein. I’m not running for

reelection, so I won’t go on about it, but I do think

it is fair to say that on the whole WMPG is still

doing a good job of representing the diversity of

Portland back to the community of Portland. As

of this writing we feature shows in seven different

languages besides English every week, or more

precisely, since some of these hosts chose to

work mostly in English, shows hosted by

volunteers with seven different native tongues

besides English: Spanish, French, Somali,

Russian, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Serbian. (For

the record, the Russian show and one of the two

Somali shows are currently on hiatus, but we are

expecting both to return to our schedule.)

Besides the shows presented by hosts of

international origin, we also features shows

which represent a wide range of the musical

cultures of the United States, from hip-hop to

blues to Native American. We also features

shows grounded in various religious faiths. It

would not be going too far to say that I have one

of the few best jobs in the state for involving me

with a diverse circle of acquaintance, and I feel

personally the richer for it. More importantly, I

feel proud of what that says about how well the

station is achieving the cultural diversity part of

its mission.

But what about that phrase in the mission state-

ment about “diverse perceptions?” Community

radio in general has a reputation for being

left-leaning, if not outright radical, and WMPG

does air a number of programs which include

political content which is unabashedly left of

center. But it is not accurate to say that everyone

at WMPG would describe himself or herself as

politically liberal. I am pleased to be able to

report that in addition to volunteers representing

considerable racial, ethnic, and religious

diversity, WMPG also counts among its staff

volunteers with a wide range of political views.

A good demonstration of this would be a recent

exchange of e-mails which took place on an

internal e-mail group for WMPG staff and

volunteers. One of our volunteers traveled to

New York for the Republican National

Convention and sent back a few dispatches to

this e-mail group which were unequivocal, to put

it mildly, about the volunteer’s anti-Republican

political views. Another volunteer took exception

and posted his objections. A short exchange

followed, as a handful of other volunteers

weighed in, one in an earnest vein on the subject

of free speech, another with a touch of humor to

help keep the debate light, and so on. The

postings, I am happy to report, stayed civil. It

was not that big a deal really, but it demon-

strated that there was the necessary range of

opinion within the WMPG volunteer community

to bring about such an exchange. It was also,

incidentally, a good example of how a comm-

unity made up of people with diverse views can,

if they so chose, discuss their differences of

opinion without descending into a flame-war.

Sometimes, when explaining our programming

to people, I say that if anyone liked everything

they heard on WMPG, we’d be failing in our

The ProgramDirector ’s Soap Box

By Tom Flynn, WMPG Development Director

Where will WMPG be in five years? That’s a

question that’s been on my mind a lot lately. And

it isn’t a purely philosophical or rhetorical

question. WMPG’s staff is continuing to grow.

In fact, by the time you read this we will have a

new full-time Office Manager (Kelsey Perchinski)

and our volunteer Music Director (Ron Raymond,

Jr.) will have transitioned to the status of half-time

paid employee. And our music library continues

to expand at the rate of more than one-hundred

CDs per week. The inevitabile result of our

continued growth is that our home for the past

sixteen years on Bedford Street is practically

bursting at the seams. Quite frankly, we need a

new space and we need it soon. The University

of Southern Maine seems to be in agreement

and we are in the very early stages of deter-

mining where WMPG’s next home will be.

But beyond the question of where we will be

physically in five years, the philosophical side of

the question has also been front and center on

WMPG’s collective mind lately.

Since February of 2004 a subcommittee of the

WMPG Board of Directors has been meeting to

formulate what will eventually become the next

Five Year Plan for Greater Portland’s community

radio station. In addition to myself, the Five Year

Plan Committee consists of representatives from

each of WMPG’s constituencies: Dave Wade

(volunteer staff representative), Helen Gorgas

Goulding (USM staff representative), Zeke

Kimball (USM Student Senate representative),

and Vanessa Gates-Elston (listener represen-

tative). It’s been an interesting process as we

attempt to see into the future and identify the

issues and challenges that lie ahead for WMPG.

The initial stage of the process have been

completed and the committee has presented a

Preliminary Five Year Plan to the WMPG Board of

Directors. The next step in the process is to

make the Preliminary Five Year Plan available to

WMPG’s volunteers, the USM community, and

WMPG’s listeners and to solicit suggestions and

comments. If you would like a copy of the

Preliminary Plan to review, simply email

[email protected] or call me at 780-4151.

We have also posted an announcement

soliciting listener feedback on the WMPG

website: http://www.wmpg.org and we are airing

announcements on-air. Additionally, on

November 10, 2004 the WMPG Board of

Directors meeting will include an open forum to

field comments and suggestions regarding the

Preliminary Five Year Plan. The meeting will be

held at 7:00 pm in Payson Smith Hall, Room 1,

on the USM Portland campus. All comments and

suggestions regarding the plan must be

received by November 15, 2004.

The final stages in the process will be the

reconvening of the Five Year Plan committee

between November 16, 2004 and January 11,

2005 to discuss the suggestions and comments

received from WMPG’s constituencies and

implement any additions to the Plan. And on

January 12, 2005, the committee will present the

Five Year Plan to the WMPG Board of Directors

for final approval.

While there isn’t room to publish in these pages

the entire Preliminary Five Year Plan in these

pages, I’d like to share the following outline of it

to give you an idea of the document as it is at

this stage.

The first order of business for the committee was

to formulate a vision statement:

“WMPG strives to sustain creative, diverse

programming, education outreach, and broad-

casting excellence to the communities within

and around the University of Southern Maine in

an inclusive, non-discriminatory way.”

Next, the Preliminary Five Year Plan committee

identified five issues the we feel are of utmost

importance to WMPG as we continue to grow

over the next five years. The final plan will no

doubt identify more, but those identified in the

Preliminary Five Year Plan (in order of priority)

are: [ 1 ] Space (WMPG’s physical plant and

room for growth), [ 2 ] Organizational Structure

(defining the roles and relationships of

volunteers, paid staff, and board and university

governance while preserving WMPG’s unique

culture), [ 3 ] University Relations (nurturing and

utilizing our relationship with the University of

Southern Maine in a mutually beneficial way),

[ 4 ] Technology (assessing and addressing the

changes taking place in broadcast technology

and assessing the state of WMPG’s broadcast

equipment), and [ 5 ] Programming and

Listenership (renewing WMPG’s commitment to

representative programming).

Again, the issues enumerated above are just a

start. We have already received valuable input

from other members of the WMPG Board and

volunteer staff and I’m excited to see the

Five Year Plan take shape as we hear from those

connected to the station.

As a representative community radio station it’s

important that we respond to the needs and

concerns of the communities to which we

broadcast. The Five Year Plan is an excellent

opportunity for you to voice your thoughts about

your radio station. I know I speak for the entire

Five Year Plan Committee, when I say we look

forward to hearing from you regarding the future

of WMPG.

Looking tothe Futureat WMPG

mission. We strive here for a diversity so truly

diverse that it precludes consistent appeal for

any one listener. The political diversity of our staff

helps us achieve this goal.

I have said that WMPG is doing a good job at

being diverse, but that doesn’t mean that

anyone here thinks we’re perfect. We’re always

seeking to improve. We’re always striving to

serve our community, our many communities,

better. And we need feedback. A single pair of

eyes cannot effectively judge how well an effort

to promote diversity is doing. It takes diversity to

foster diversity. If you have comments about

WMPG, on the issue of diversity or any other

subject, you can reach me at 780-4598, or by

e-mail at [email protected]. Use the

same number or address if you want to

contribute to the diversity of our staff by becom-

ing involved as a volunteer yourself. It will be a

pleasure to hear your voice, whatever the shade

of your face, national origin, creed, political

views or other demographic particulars.

Let’s talk.


Walking into Jay York’s photography studio, I was struck by a few things: first, the stereo was on and

it was tuned to WMPG; second, there were a dozen or more photo ID season passes from Mount

Abram (dating from the ‘72-’73 season to last year) displayed on the side of a metal cabinet for all to

see. It became apparent after speaking with Jay for an hour that skiing and the music heard on

WMPG are both very important to him, and they are both connected to his daily life, as they have been

for years.

You see, it’s not easy to make a living as a photographer specializing in fine art reproduction, but

owning his own business has allowed Jay York to branch out. In business for about 16 years now, Jay

says he has learned to find a balance that allows him to keep doing the things he loves and pay the

bills. He is, he says, “a resourceful Mainer, with a couple other irons on the stove.” In other words, the

photography studio is open three days per week, he owns a few rental properties and a parking lot,

he moonlights as a ski instructor, and he dabbles in the refurbishing of outdoor clothing (which he

then sells at the studio).

All these irons have allowed Jay to keep doing the things he loves, and photography is certainly on

that list. In fact, his first experience with photography was back at Kennebunk High School in Arnie

Amoroso’s English class. Mr. Amoroso assigned photography as a means for students to interpret

stories and poems. Whereas many photographers enter into the field after being seduced by the

technical aspect of processing their own film, Jay feels a great sense of gratitude to Amoroso for

emphasizing the expressive side of photography over the technical.

Kennebunk High School also gave the young Jay York another invaluable opportunity. It was there

that a teacher by the name of Pam Wood decided to launch a magazine focusing on documentary

arts called Salt. Yes, that Salt, which would eventually morph into the Salt Institute for Documentary

Studies. The model for this first incarnation of Salt magazine was a similar publication in Raven Gap,

Georgia, Foxfire. After a stint in Georgia to help Kennebunk High School launch the magazine, young

Jay was hooked on photography. He went on to spend a summer at the Maine Photography

Workshops in 1975 and he graduated with a fine art degree form Maine College of Art.

Jay’s professional career began working for a film processing firm in Portland where he picked up

extra cash handling the business his boss didn’t want: fine art reproduction. Jay explains, “he said he

didn’t want to do the work for artists because artists have no budget, but they’re picky.” Jay soon

found himself making more on his off-hours taking photos for artists than he did with his day job. Was

his boss right in his description of artists, I asked. “Well, I found that artists are no more demanding

than other people, but they have no budget.” It was work he enjoyed, though, and there was very

little competition in the field, so he stuck with it, adding the occasional iron to the stove to help make

ends meet.

Jay York Affordable Photography now has a client list of about 2,000 artists whose work is

photographed by Jay and, occasionally, by a few folks he subcontracts. Most of the artists are from

the New England area, but a few come from much farther away, including France.

Jay enjoys his work with artists, though at one time several years ago, he thought about building up

his business to include a full-service photo finishing lab. The reasoning behind the expansion was to

eventually sell the business, but he decided he wanted to stay in it to do the work he enjoyed. So

he scaled back and created a business he could run from a studio connected to (but separate from)

his home.

Now about the other passion in Jay’s life: music. There is no doubt music plays a large role in Jay’s

day to day routine. Upon moving into new spaces over the years, priority number one, he says, has

always been to find a spot for the stereo where the reception of WMPG is good. It’s on all day as he

works and, on average, five or six visiting artists ask him what CD he’s playing. They are

consistently amazed at the quality and variety of music played by the little community radio station in

Portland. And it’s the consistent quality and variety of music on WMPG that has kept Jay on the

underwriters roster for almost twenty years (probably the longest continuous business supporter of

the station). While he certainly appreciates the nonprofit and noncommercial aspects of the station

and WMPG’s value to the community (“it’s like a neighborhood association”), it is the music that

impresses him most. Asked why he underwrites, Jay didn’t hesitate to reply, “it’s the best

entertainment on the radio dial.”

Jay has also always been impressed with the station’s responsiveness to its audience. Back in 1984

he remembers meeting with a group of friends every Friday for a fish fry. One of those in the group

was WMPG volunteer DJ Steve Hirshon (still on the air with “Hukkin a Chainek,” Thursdays, 6:30

am – 8:30 am). The conversation turned to radio drama on one of those Fridays and Jay told Steve

about a compelling series he had heard years before called “The Fourth Tower of Inverness.”

Jay offered to underwrite the series if WMPG could find it. The station did and he’s been underwriting

ever since.

Of the programming currently featured on WMPG, Jay is drawn to “Soul Mates,” (Saturdays,

7 pm – 8:30 pm), Democracy Now! (weekdays, Noon – 1 pm), and the Folkways strip of shows

Monday through Friday from 8:30 am –10:30 am (“The Blue Country,” “In Your Ear,” “South By

Southwest,” “Saltwater Farm,” and “Us Folk”), but he appreciates the diversity and surprises he hears

throughout the day. “I tell people that it’s like the weather. If you don’t care for a particular bit of music

being played, just wait thirty minutes . . . [WMPG’s programming is] not stagnant, it adapts. It isn’t

governed by ratings or advertising and it’s very worthy of support because there’s people out there

who love the shows I don’t.” More often than not, though, he loves what he hears and that’s why he

“invests in WMPG.”

JAY YORK AFFORDABLE PHOTOGRAPHY

58 WILMOT ST. PORTLAND 774-9600

Underwriter Profile

JAY YORK AFFORDABLE PHOTOGRAPHYBY TOM FLYNN

It’s always somewhat amazing that most of the people I meet here in Portland listen to WMPG. When

the regular formalities of a conversation come up, and they ask me “where do you work, what do you

do?” I tell them I do work study at WMPG, as well as a show, and that’s where the conversation

usually begins. Most everyone I’ve come across has heard of WMPG, has one or two shows they

listen to, and has nothing but good things to say about the station.

That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to the thousands of loyal listeners WMPG has collected

over the years, but if you’re just picking up a program guide for the first time, or if the only time you’ve

heard our station is when you’re scanning the dial for something to listen to, you might want to read

further, this is my experience at WMPG.

This is the start of my third year at the University of Southern Maine; I transferred up to school here

from Denver, CO. Most people ask me right away “What made you decide to come up to Maine?”

All of that isn’t important right now, so I’ll save it for maybe another article. I began working at WMPG

at the start of last year. At first, I really couldn’t figure out what the station was all about. It was a nice

and friendly environment, but after the first day I quickly saw that it didn’t fit into any type of music

genre one would associate with radio stations.

Mondays at WMPG start at about 3:30 AM for me; I come in to do my show Monday Morning Mayhem

as Gabe FM is finishing up his show, Hip-Hop Division. We both do Hip-Hop shows, so that might lead

you to believe that Mondays at the station are primarily rap music. Well if you thought that you’d be

wrong. After my show is “This Better Be Good”, a great show with great music, hosted by Michael

Cutting. The best description of “This Better Be Good” that I can offer you is good music from across

the globe, and that doesn’t even come close to telling what the show is all about.

Lincoln comes up next with his show, “South by Southwest” during which he plays country, honky-

tonk and western music. After that, I go home and take a nap, but take a look at the program guide

in the center of this paper to see the eclectic blend of programs that follow.

In my opinion, what makes WMPG a successful radio station is the people working there genuinely

care about the music they play, the shows they do, and the station itself. I can’t think of any other sta-

tion that stretches across such a wide range of musical genres, others might offer a little variety but

not as much as we do. So what ever kind of music you’re into, I can almost guarantee that WMPG has

a show for you. And if we don’t, come down to the station and ask Dave about doing a show yourself.

That’s it for me, I’m out, and go Broncos!

WMPG: WHAT YOU WANT,WHAT YOU NEEDBy Uncle Kevin


Ad Loc. Design

165 Ocean Ave. Portland 780-9601

Innovative website design. www.adloc.com

Amaryllis

41 Exchange, Portland 772-4439

Clothing for creative women.

Angioplasty Media

www.angioplastymedia.com

stories, interviews, music, ruckus, and chaos.

Barbara’s Kitchen

388 Cottage Rd., So. Portland 767-6313

Dining for all occasions, jazz every

Wednesday, and catering.

Catama Film and Video

2 Portland Fish Pier, Portland 874-4974

Film and video production and more

Coffee By Design

620 Congress, Portland 772-5533

67 India St., Portland 879-2233

Micro-roasted coffee at three Portland locations

Creative Lending Solutions

25 Pearl St., Portland 772-0745

Specializing in mortgage lending for people

with unique needs, bad credit or no credit.

Crystal Spring Water

1-888-778-8856

Home and office delivery of natural spring

water and coffee.

Enterprise Records


Vinylphiles rejoice! Long live the LP!

Face Magazine

Music guide for Southern Maine and

Seacoast New Hampshire.

ferdinand


Unique home furnishings, cards, gifts, and art.

Free Press

780-4084

The newspaper of the University of Southern Maine.

Full Circle Synergy School of T’ai Chi Chuan

500 Forest, Portland 780-9581

For balance, self-healing, relaxation,

and self-defense.

Gateway Mastering & DVD

High quality audio and DVD mastering.

Great Lost Bear

540 Forest Ave. Portland 772-0300

Lots of beers, good food, great atmosphere.

Gritty McDuff’s

396 Fore, Portland 772-2739

Lower Main St., Freeport 865-4321

Portland’s first brewpub.

HR Distributors

www.hrdistributors.com 773-2552

Full service electronic parts distributor.

Featured products include networking and

computer supplies.

ideaofnorth

www.ideaofnorth.com 332-3511

graphic design.

Ireland Crystal & Crafts


Jewelry, clothing, and gifts from the Emerald Isle.

Jay York Affordable Photo

61 Pleasant St., Portland 774-9600

Photography for everyone.

Maine Beer and Beverage

Portland Public Market 228-2024

Huge selection of beer and wine from

Maine and away.

Mims

205 Commercial St., Portland.347-7478.

Great meals with an emphasis on local

produce. Great meals 3 times daily,

7 days a week.

Maine Capital Companies Foundation

Natasha’s

82 Exchange St., Portland 541-3663

Delicious dining for lunch and dinner

seven days a week.

Northern Chi Martial Arts Center

classes at Greater Portland YWCA

87 Spring Street, Portland 879-2423

www.northernchi.com

Karate classes for people of all ages and

abilities in an environment of respect.

Oakhurst Dairy

The natural goodness of Maine.

Penobscot School

28 Gay St., Rockland 207 594-1084

Language learning in Rockport.

Phoenix Studio

630 Forest Ave., Portland 774-4154

A complete stained glass resource: supplies,

repair, custom work, classes.

Portland Green Grocer

211 Commercial St., Portland 761-9232

Locally owned market featuring fresh baked

goods, wine, cheese, fresh produce and more.

SPACE

538 Congress St., Portland 774-4154

Alternative arts venue, featuring visual art

and live music.

The St Lawrence Arts & Community Center


Live music and theatre on Munjoy Hill.

Available for private events.

Stitchez


Men’s clothing store featuring rockabilly,

retro and just plain cool threads

and accessories.

TIAA-CREF

630 Forest Ave Portland 774-4154

Investment for retirement planning.

Udder Place Coffee Company

428 Brighton Ave., Portland 780-MOOO

Good coffee, good people. Mooooo.

Video Port

151 Middle, Portland 773-1999

Popular and eclectic video & DVD rentals.

WMPG UNDERWRITERSPLEASE SUPPORT BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT WMPG

People often (never) ask me how I got where I am

today at WMPG. I’ve loved the station as long as

I have known of its existence. I first became inter-

ested in the afternoon rock block, the Evenin’

Sun Blues, and the freeform late-nights. I got into

the station by listening to Anne Sielaff’s metal

show, “Music to be Murdered By,” Matt Little’s

“Get Hot or Go Home,” and Nic Carter’s

“Electronic Naptime.” In fact, I used to set my

alarm to record Anne’s show so that I could listen

to it at work in the morning, I taped Matt’s show

so that I could send it to my former girlfriend who

lived in Massachusetts and loved swing music,

and I ended up replacing Nic’s position as the

Monday afternoon rock DJ upon his departure

from the station.

I began working at WMPG in the same manner

most new work-study students start; I sat with an

old-school plastic labeling device in front of an

archaic filing computer program and I cataloged

new compact disks. Almost immediately bored

with this, I became involved with other station

interests. Becoming aware of the general

financial demands of a non-profit station,

I became involved with the Student

Communications Board at USM and worked to

acquire more money for the development of the

station. I have promoted the station in many

disciplines and I have continued to do the

work-study: year 1-style grunt work I came into

the station doing.

My favorite position at the station is as DJ. I took

the three short classes necessary to become a

DJ, learned the ropes, and when my friend Nic

had to leave his afternoon rock slot so that he

could move to Boston, I took over his position.

I have applied to my show my own interest in

radical politics, airing speeches by radicals like

Malcolm X, Noam Chomsky and Mumia Abu

Jamal. I play politically charged music whether it

be folk, country, punk or mainstream. I also, for

fun’s sake, play bands unrelated to politics

(some of my favorites: Queen, Ice Cube and

Guns N Roses). I get many requests for songs

both political and not political and I find hosting

a show a unique was to stay in touch with a

like-minded community.

The things I love most about WMPG are the

passions that circulate around the office, whether

they are social, political or musical. Every time I

am in the office I have interesting conversations

with extremely knowledgeable people who care

passionately about the things they believe. This

afternoon I had a conversation with a DJ about

his opposing philosophical and political beliefs.

He proceeded to teach me about Internet social

networking programs. Not a day passes I don’t

learn something about music I did not know

before. I am surrounded by technology- and

software-literate people who offer me information

in everything I have a desire to learn about.

Everyone I am in contact with at this station cares

passionately about offering as much of their

selves to their communities as possible. I am

incredibly fortunate to have WMPG in my life.

HOW I GOT TO WHERE I AM NOWBy Alex Steed, host, “Monday Afternoon: REVOLUTION!” Mondays, 3pm – 5pm


metal, representative bands: Queens of the

Stone Age, Black Sabbath, Monster Magnet)

Speed metal, more obvious than viking metal,

representative bands: Motorhead, Iron Maiden

Party metal, “I just want to rock and roll all night”

metal, representative bands: (in the 70’s) KISS

(at present), Andrew WK

Metalcore, harcdore and thashmetal, represen-

tative bands: Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage

Grindcore, vocal styles similar to death metal

mixed with the grinding

of riffs grinding into one

another, representative

bands: Carcass, Napalm

Death, Agoraphobic

Nosebleed

This list is intimidating

and long and it’s only the

tip of the metal iceberg.

(meet) steve and anne “The average public

also see metal as being

too loud, undecipher-

able and not real

music,” says Stephen

Cain, host of WMPG’s

Thursday night metal show, Hit Parade (Fridays,

12:00 am – 3:00 am) and the WMPG Hard Rock

Director. This is a fair assessment on Cain’s part.

The genre has been poked fun at steadily in

popular culture. Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap, a

mockumentary about a late-70’s, early-80’s metal

band devotes all of its energies to poking fun at

the density of metal musicians and fans. Despite

it’s eventual focus on the circumstance of the

boys’ heroism, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

goes so far as to cast the painfully thick and

monosyllabic Keanu Reeves as a typical metal

musician (being one half of the protagonists'

band “Wylde Stallions”). The tagline of the film

pokes fun of the presumed illiteracy of said metal

enthusiasts: “History is about to be rewritten by

two guys who can’t spell.”

Cain, a metal DJ at WMPG for 12 years, explains

“I also pride myself as being a fan but not fitting

in the typical ‘mold.’ To society, metal people are

uneducated, tattooed and pierced all over; that

[Metal fans] work menial jobs. Although I have

one (1) tat’ and two (2) piercings, I have a

college degree and a good job.”

A fan of old country (“anything before 1985”),

industrial, folk, 80s and female songwriters, Cain

also feels it is a misconception that the genre is

all he listens to. After all, he came to metal “in a

round about way.”

While working at a college station in 1990, Cain

wanted to do an all metal show featuring hair bands.

“The station manager said they had too many metal

DJ’s so they made me an alternative DJ.”

After a semester of playing alternative songs,

Cain was allowed to

switch to playing metal

songs. Encouraged by

his manager to look at

bands heavier than the

ones he was used to,

he was introduced to

bands like Priest, Iron

Maiden and Black

Sabbath.

Cain began playing

bands like Poison,

Motley Crue and Def

Leppard. His exposure

to harder metal

directed his attention to

bands that he still

considers his favorites:

Sepultura, Fear Factory and Pantera. His

horizons have expanded further over the years.

“In the beginning I never would play thrash,

hardcore or black metal but now I can find artists

from each genre that I enjoy.”

Anne Sielaff, host of Music to be Murdered By, a

Saturday evening metal show (11 pm – 1 am),

started getting into Metal at the age of eight. “It

all got started when my brother, Jon, got me

listening to bands like Kiss and The Ramones,

when I was about 8 years old. I thank him for

getting my love of music started.”

In college, Anne became involved with the

college radio station. Working an internship at a

commercial station in New Haven, Connecticut,

she was quickly discouraged when she “realized

that commercial radio is not about the music, but

about how well you can sell the station.”

Sielaff has been hosting her show at WMPG for

over eight years. Like Cain, she feels as though

metal is misunderstood. “I think the biggest

misconception about metal music is that all the

lyrics are screaming about evil things. Most of

the music is about stepping up and being heard,

and standing up for yourself. A lot of it is about

family abuse and other struggles [one goes

through in] life. I find it a great stress reliever to

crank up something really loud and just scream

along [laughs].”

A strong-minded woman, Sielaff explains, “It

makes me sad to see women used all the time to

sell stuff.” When asked to explain what it’s like to

be a female metal fan, she admits that “it can be

a struggle sometimes. But I feel that the women

that really love true metal aren’t the ‘air-heads’ of

the 80’s metal scene.

Those girls are out there

listening to [commercial

alternative radio station

name]. I feel the major-

ity of real metal bands,

don’t use women in a

negative way.”

touching (the community) Like many DJs at

WMPG, both Anne and

Steve each touch and

continue to touch the

community with their

devotion to their

respective preferred genre. Steve tells a few brief

stories, one in which a man called his show, pro-

ceeding to tell his life story. The man eventually

encouraged Cain to play King Diamond by

explaining it would make the man’s life meaning-

ful again.

“There was one guy years ago,” he goes on to

explain,” that was partying while listening to my

show. He told me that he felt bad that I couldn't

be there so he would bring the party to me.

Twenty (20) minutes later, the bell rang and it was

a guy all decked out in party beads. He then

handed me a bottle of wine, said ‘here’s your

party,’ and then left in his cab."

“I have a large following of dedicated listeners

from the Windham Correctional Facility,” explains

Anne. “I have been receiving letters from the

inmates for the past 7 years. I have a huge photo

album filled with all the letters, and drawings they

send. Some I even framed, and they are hanging

on my walls at home.”

Why such a following at Windham Correctional

Facility? “They like the music. You cant hear

heavy shit like my show on any other station, only

on the other metal shows on WMPG [...] I get

constant feed back from them, saying how much

it means to them having my show to tune into

every week.”

conclusionAnne wanted to be sure

I added that, “WMPG

is the best station out

there! They continue to

be the best place to

get alternative music.

I love the diversity of it

and the commitment to

the music.”

Steve encourages those

who have not yet done

so to listen to Warrior

Soul. They are one of his

all-time favorite bands

and one of the most

u n d e r- a p p re c i a t e d

bands from the early 90’s.

2004. Leap year. Expo-sure of Janet Jackson’s

breast ruins for American viewers the otherwise

moral, beer-sponsored, pro-aggression Super

Bowl. Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero

defeats incumbent government led by Jose

Maria Aznar in Spanish parliamentary elections

of 2004. Ray Charles dies. Steve Cain and Anne

Sielaff begin, collectively, their 20th year as a

WMPG deliverers of metal.

This is Steve and Anne. They are two of the

WMPG DJs responsible for providing the station

with a healthy dose of metal. They know the

difference between sub genres and they rock out

to Sabbath and Ministry. Beyond this, they’re a

couple of the most amiable folks I’ve run into in

my time at WMPG. Steve and Anne are, in my

experience, solid people.

On Metal, continued from page 1

[ 207.332.3511 | ideaofnorth.com ]

[ ron harrity | graphic design ]

ideaofnorth

Steve CainAnne Sielaff


WMPG RECORD SALEThe 9th Annual WMPG Record Sale was a bigsuccess. More than three hundred vinylphilesand music fans descended upon USM’s Sullivangym to score bargains galore! As you can see,fun was had by folks of all ages and WMPG wasn’t the only beneficiary. Where else couldsomeone find “The Impossible Dream: the storyof the 1967 Red Sox,” Elvis Costello’s “ImperialBedroom,” or the Rolling Stones’ “StickyFingers” (zipper intact) LPs for two bucks each?

9TH

AN

NU

AL W

MP

G R

ECO

RD

SALE


WMPG is pleased to announce the release of an

extremely limited edition compact disc of

highlights from the 2nd Annual WMPG Bluegrass

Spectacular, featuring the music of the

Grassholes (3 tracks), Muddy Marsh Ramblers

(6 tracks), and Jerks of Grass (6 tracks). Also

featured is the inimitable “Blizzard” Bob Wade

(host of “The Blue Country,” Wednesdays, 8:30

am –10:30 am), who served as the evening’s

Master of Ceremonies. The CD was recorded live

at the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center on

Portland’s Munjoy Hill on June 7, 2004 and it will

be available as a pledge premium during

WMPG’s 2004 Fall Begathon, October 18 – 24.

This CD represents the first recorded output of

the Grassholes and the first multi-track recording

of local bluegrass legends Jerks of Grass. Call

874-3000 during Begathon to reserve your copy

while they’re still available.

The recording was made possible thanks to the

generosity of the Grassholes, Muddy Marsh

Ramblers, and Jerks of Grass, who kindly

donated their performances and the rights to

record them. Additionally, WMPG would like to

thank: Marc and Gina at Tsunami Sound for

donating their services to record the show and

produce, edit, and master the recording; thanks

to Ron Harrity of ideaofnorth.com for donating the

design and layout of the packaging; and thanks

to Deirdre Nice and everyone at the St. Lawrence

for use of their space and help with the show.

WMPG RELEASES BLUEGRASS SPECTACULAR CD

Rick Alderette, Adam Allington, Ellen Anderson,

Matt Anderson, Michele Arcand, Charlie Ashlin,

Alan Ashton, Michael Atleson, Michael Audie,

Smokie Ayanle, Dave Babb, Patrick Babcock,

Christie Balieri, Giorgi Baino, Bazi Bakar, Aoife

Baker, Pam Baker, Alex Baltos, David

Barber-Callaghan, Adinah Barnett, Marc

Bartholomew, Joshua Beane, Seth Benner, Rock

Bergeron, Dan Bernard, Braden Biddings, Becky

Bigelow, Noel Bonam, Rebecca Boothby,

Jessica Borelli, Buddy Bourgeois, Kevin Boyd,

John Bradford, Amy Bradstreet, Adrian Bravo,

Al Brewer, Martha Briana, Mary Bruen, Osip

Bukharin, William Burke, Larry Burkett, Chris

Busby, Stephanie Buzzell, Steve Cain, Mindy

Cairn, Scott Carlin, Valerie Cartonio, Dan

Cassely, Bob Caswell, Parris Cayer-Leary, Dany

Challenger, Hannah Champagne, Jesse Chanin,

David Cheezum, Anthony Chicco, Victoria

Chicon, Marc Chillemi, Julie Civiello, Katie Clark,

Bob Cochran, Elaine Colella, Rick Colella, Diane

Cormier, Kathleen Costello, Tony Cowles,

Michael Cutting, Michael Danahy, Derek Danie,

Karen D'Andrea, Chris Darling, Eric de Chevalier,

Sean Demers, John Dennison, Sisay Desta,

Laura DeVaudreuil, Paul Diou, Stephanie Doyle,

Nick Dragoni, Moe Dubreuil, Savoy Duch, Barry

Dumper, Sunni Dunn, Steve Dunphy, Chip Edgar,

Florence Edwards, Sasa Erakovic, Carolyn Ezzy,

Brian Farrell, Gabe Faulkner-Macklin, Adam

Ferguson, Daniel Fields, Cindy Flanders, Caitlin

Flynn, Kevin Fogg, Steve Frantz, Joe Frechette,

Al Frey, Vanessa Gates-Elston, Joel Gold, Liz

Gold, Helen Gorgas Goulding, Ramon Graham,

Bau Graves, Alex Green, Johanna Greenberg,

Jesse Groom, Chrissy Grover, Stewart Guernsey,

Ben Guiliani, Masood Hagiali, Jim Hall, Hayley

Hastings, Wendy Hazard, Jeff Heller, David

Herter, Michael Hillard, Keith Hintz, Steve

Hirshon, Pete Hodgin, Sarah Holbrook, Claire

Holman, Rob Hoyt, Sarah Hudson, Josh Hulit,

Ken Johns, Julian Kaelin, Artur Kaptelenin, Karen

Karlsson, Mitchell Keil, Melissa Kierman, Trey

Kilian, Zeke Kimball, Dan Knight, Theo Konig,

Paul Krakauske, Dan Kramer, Joanne Lafferty,

Emily Lafond, Andrew Land, Kathryn Lasky,

Adrian Leveille, Larry Lindgren, Matt Little,

Jessica Lockhart, Seanne London, Mikel Lopes,

Sydney Mackey, Jamie Mandrake, Rachel

Margolis-Pineo, Merrill Marsh, Kevin McBride,

Jeff McCreight, Blainor McGough, Angus

Mclaurin, Ryan McMaken, Jeanette Merrill,

Elisabeth Michaud, Justin Michelson, Bob Miller,

Abdullahi Mohamed, Erin Moloney, John

Mooney, Nick Morin, Barry Mothes, Matthew

Mowatt, Natassia Mullally, Ed Murphy, Deirdre

Nice, Jackie Nice, Justine Norden, Ryan Nutting,

Marty O'Brien, Chris O'Connor, Brian O’Keefe,

Paul O'Neil, Manuel Orantes, Pete ‘DJPJ’

Paraskevas, Kathryn Parenteau, Kai Parrott-

Wolfe, Joel Patterson, Lincoln Peirce, Stephane

Pejic, David Pence, Milka Perez-White,

Stephanie Philbrick, Win Phillips, Jim Pinfold,

Andrei Planson, Jessica Porter, Eric Poulin,

Lorenzo Raffa, Juan Rangel, Ron Raymond,

Rosita Roberge, Joe Robinson, Brian Rollins,

Keith Roscillo, Kurt Roscillo, Chelsea Rosenthal,

Rob Rosenthal, Andy Royer, Kim Sailor, Myron

Samuels, Jacques Santucci, Dan Schulman,

Spenser Scott, Kerry Seed, Pirun Sen, Steve

Sesto, Adam Sewall, Isaac Shainblum, Paige

Shepherd, Jeff Shelton, Nick Sherman, Dylan

Sherry, Anne Sielaff, Ruby Simkoff, Andy Smith,

Bill Smith, Dawn Smith, Skot Spear, Dana

Staples, Alex Steed, Michelle Stephen, Garry

Stevens, Reid Stevensen, Jensen Stiles, John

Tanebe, Keith Taylor, Lily Townsend, Michael

Townsend, Kristina Truesdale, Barb Truex, Wes

Tucker, Frank Turek, Chazz Vacchiano, Emily Van

Strien, Thaian Vu, Bob Wade, Dave Wade,

Suzanne Walcott, Emily Wall, Jim Ward, Gail

Wartell, Jake Wartell, Eric Whitten, Kari Whitten,

Celeste Wideman, Jeff Wilbur, Erik Wikstrom, Jan

Wilkinson, China Williams, Jay Williams,

Madeleine Winterfalcon, Bob Wirtz, Gail Worster,

Kevin Wyer, Michelle Zajac, Dan Zarin

RADIOACTIVISTSThe Volunteers Who Make WMPG Possible

Producers at WMPG have won two first-place

prizes in the Maine Association of Broadcasters

2004 News and Creative Awards.

First prize in the Features category went to

Stephanie Philbrick, Rob Rosenthal, and Kate

Philbrick for Aucoscisco Radio: Ten Stories

About Portland Harbor. This was a series of ten

programs, each ten to twelve minutes long,

which explored Portland Harbor in sound.

Episodes included a visit to Ram Island Ledge

Lighthouse and the journey of a lobster from trap

to plate. It was accompanied by a photo exhibit

at SALT gallery. The pieces are archived at

http://www.wmpg.org

First prize in the the Public Affairs category went

to Michael Hillard, Claire Holman, and Jessica

Lockhart for “Remembering Mother Warren.” This

program was a half-hour special radio docu-

mentary for Labor Day 2003 featuring the voices of

Mainers who had worked for the S.D. Warren paper

mill in Westbrook, Maine. WMPG personnel

received their award plaques at the MAB’s annual

convention, September 18th, in Portland.

Congratulations to these WMPG producers!

“Remembering Mother Warren” was produced

by Big Talk members Jessica Lockhart, Michael

Hillard, and Claire Holman. Narrator: Thomas

Lestage, President PACE Local 1069. Project

Historians: Eileen Eagan and Michael Hillard.

Additional narration by Paul Drinan.

“Remembering Mother Warren” was a project

sponsored by the Southern Maine Labor Council,

AFL-CIO, with funding from the Maine

Humanities Council.

WMPG WINS TWOAWARDS FROM MAINEASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS


Is The Dance Music Genre In Trouble?

By MikeL Lopes (co-host of “ClubHouse of

Dance,” Tuesdays, 11:30 pm – 1:30 am)

Recently I had the privilege of attending The

Billboard Dance Music Summit in New York City.

Billboard Magazine holds this event every year to

brainstorm new ideas, review past successes

and map out where the Dance Music scene is

going in the future. Billboard brought together a

phenomenal group of people, from original

dance music pioneers and legends to current

chart topping producers, artist, and remixers.

One of the biggest concerns discussed is the

fact that there are so few actual performing

artists in dance music. This shortage of talent

creates a hardship for record companies due to

the fact that they don’t have an entity to bank on.

No tours, no follow-up single, and ultimately no

fan base. The current dance music singles are

just that. One hit song created in someone’s

basement and they’re gone. Just about anyone

can cut a dance track, with no artist singing, all

computer generated using just samples of

vocals of older records. For this reason, these

single tracks are not part of an entire album and

are easily burned from the Internet or can appear

in a dance music compilation. Very little income

is generated.

A lot of the panel discussions surrounded this

dilemma and what to do about it. During “The

Pioneers Of Dance/Electronic Music” panel

discussion (featuring Georgio Moroder, producer

with Donna Summer and numerous others; Tom

Moulton, producer and originatoror of the twelve

inch single; and Frankie Knuckles, producer who

coined the title “House Music”) the topic was

explored and Georgio Moroder expressed his

feeling that “the Artist” is a very important part of

the success of a dance song. He explained that

he felt that the success of a song comes when

working with an artist who is professional,

talented, and dedicated to the project, much like

his work with Donna Summer.

During “The Billboard Master Class” panel,

President of Next Plateau Entertainment, Eddie

O’Loughlin explained how he and his company

are “searching for that next successful artist and

it has been very difficult for the major record

labels to find. “We are searching high and low

for the next Madonna or Britney. We leave no

stone unturned.” Another panel member, Craig

Kallman, Co-Chairman/COO of Atlantic Records

added, “Sure we are in the record business to

make money, and in order for us to do that we

need to find a personality that we can bank on.”

The record companies representatives explained

that they receive hundreds of submissions a

week from potential new artists and they claim to

listen to every submission in hopes to find the

next dance star. But success for a record

company would have to include an entire album

release, not just one single.

On the other side of this issue are the artists that

have been successful in the past. In attendance

were Amber, David Morales, and Joi Caldwell —

just a few of the artists who have decided to

sever their ties to record companies. David

Morales explained that when he made it big with

a record label they weren’t exactly sure what to

do with him next. They were constantly after him

to put aside his creativity and talents in order to

produce ‘that one big hit.’ He felt he was not

allowed to explore his ideas and creativity,

instead his forced objective became, ‘How can I

make money for the record company?’ The

completely opposite direction he wanted to take.

Also, he claimed, he was not being fully

compensated financially or appreciated for his

hard work and dedication. Former Tommy Boy

Record Company artist Amber, who has had

numerous dance hits agreed and explained her

experience, “Let me start out by saying that I am

very thankful to Tommy Boy for putting me on the

map and making my name recognizable. But

when it got to the time that the record label was

selling 200,000 copies of mine, and I was only

getting 2% of the sales, I began my own label.”

Amber continued, “Everyone involved and the

record company receive all of the profits.” Now

Amber is on her own. She says now that she

doesn’t have a record label to answer to and to

compensate, she is willing to take the cut in

quantities sold, which will happen because she

doesn’t have a record label’s almost unlimited

cash flow to promote and advertise. On the

positive side, though, if she only sells 20,000

copies now she will benefit more on a financial

basis, due to the fact that she will not have a

whole line of people to pay. “I’ve got bills to pay”

she concluded.

Pepper Mashay and Joi Caldwell are just a few

other artists who have left their record labels to

go out on their own. And they all certainly feel

that they have much more control over their

career both financially and creatively, without

being bound by the politics of a record label.

A Conversation With Legendary

Georgio Moroder

Another highlight of the conference was an

opportunity to speak with Georgio Moroder. This

is where dance music all started. Georgio put all

rumors to rest about the recording of Donna

Summer’s initiation dance single “Love to Love

You Baby”. How did Georgio get her to moan for

17 minutes? He claims that it was easy, “When

Donna came into the studio to record, she came

to the studio with her husband, and I felt that she

would not be able to cut loose to give it her all.

So I asked everyone but Donna to leave the

studio, including her husband.” Georgio

continued; “Then after the studio was clear of

people, I shut off all of the lights and Donna

began…and she continued for nearly 20

minutes, one take, perfect.” And that was the

beginning of Georgio Mororder and Donna

Summer’s relationship. They went on to record

several other hits, such as “McArthur Park,” “Bad

Girls,” “Dim all The Lights,” “Last Dance”... and

the list goes on and on. “I Feel Love” was an

experimental recording and Georgio told the

crowd; “I have heard ‘I Feel Love’ remade and

remixed over so many times, but I feel that the

original is still the best.” All Agreed. Georgio then

reiterated, “The elements of the artist are so

important in achieving such a successful

product.” Georgio also produced the soundtrack

to “Midnight Express.” I asked him if he wrote the

BILLBOARD MAGAZINE’S DANCE MUSIC SUMMIT 2004

WMPG’s Board of Directors recently voted

unanimously for WMPG to accept a $59,052

grant offer from the Corporation for Public

Broadcasting. This grant will cover 70% of the

cost of converting our current analog signal to

both a digital IBOC (In Band, On Channel) signal

and an analog signal. The additional funds

needed for this project have already been raised.

The plan is to install a Harris Z4HDC FM/IBOC

transmitter along with analog and digital exciters,

plus audio processing equipment. This will

replace our current transmitter and as a bonus,

leave us with a back-up transmitter. With a digital

signal in place, we may also be able to expand

our programming options. There have been a

number of experiments with the splitting of

digital transmissions. NPR, Kenwood and Harris

are currently experimenting with multiple

transmissions through the Tomorrow Radio

Project. WMPG is well positioned to expand our

programming and in the future creating two

distinct stations or digital streams should be

possible (for example, a future WMPG might

have all public affairs on WMPG One and all

music on WMPG Two. The real question for us

was whether today”s radio listeners will move to

this new technology. With the CPB helping to fund

this conversion in the Public Radio market it does

increase the odds and recently Clear Channel

announced that they will be converting more than

1000 of their stations to digital. If IBOC succeeds,

as we think it will, you soon may be listening to

WMPG programming in CD quality audio.

Estimated Installation Timeline

August 2004 Sign Ibiquity License

September 2004 Sign CPB Grant Contract

October 2004 Receipt of CPB

Contract Funds

October 2004 Order Equipment

Oct/Nov 2004 Receive Equipment

December 2004 Installation of Equipment

December 2004 Testing HD Transmission

Jan/Feb 2005 Begin Broadcasting

February 2005 FCC notification of

intention to broadcast HD

soundtrack before or after the movie was

complete. His answer: “I did it during the making

of the movie.”

The Birth Of The Twelve-Inch Single

by Tom Moulton

Another founding dance music producer I had a

chance to meet is Tom Moulton. He not only

produced several top ten dance hits over the

past several decades, he is the person

responsible for the production of the first twelve-

inch single…. by accident.

Tom explained how he went to the record

pressing company that he dealt with and he

needed a recording done on 7-inch vinyl

(45 rpm). The company was out of 7-inch vinyl

blanks and the only size vinyl they had in stock

was 12-inch. Knowing that he had to get this

record to the record company executives

immediately, Tom instructed them to just press it

on 12-inch instead. After processing, Tom

noticed that only about one inch of the record

was cut and used. Feeling that this was not

presentable to give to the record company

executives, he asked if they could spread out the

groves to cover the major portion of the surface.

It worked, but the company told Tom that when

they extended the groves, it made the sound

coming off the record very LOUD! Tom said

“Great!” And that was the beginning of the

twelve-inch single.

The Recording Academy Celebrates New

Category: Best Dance Music Album

In 1997, at the 40th annual Grammy Awards, the

National Academy of Recording Arts & Science

(NARAS) debuted its two-Dance/Electronic

music categories: Best Dance recording and

remixer of the year, non-classical. Now, after

much hard work from key players in the

Dance/Electronic community, NARAS has

announced that a new category for best

Dance/Electronic album, will debut next year at

the 47th annual Grammy Awards. It is hoped that

this exposure will legitimize a genre of music that

is often misunderstood by the mainstream. The

producers’ and engineers’ wing of the Recording

Academy of New York and BPM magazine

sponsored a very special party to celebrate the

new category for Best Dance/Electronic Music

Album. It’s been a long wait for this category to

be offered. The host club for the party was New

York’s famous Crowbar and more than 4,000

people attended to see performances by David

Morales, Paul Van Dyke, and Sasha.

The Crowbar is the Dance Club of All Clubs.

I thought that I had died and gone to Dance

heaven. It was amazing!

More Parties….

On the second evening, after the panel

discussions, it was time for a cruise around

Manhattan on the Hudson for a special party

sponsored by Brad LeBeau from Pro Motions.

At the helm was legendary Frankie Knuckles

mixing his mix and taking us on a musical ride of

his own under a full moon and breathtaking

views of Manhattan.

On the third day, Trutone studios (one of the last

suppliers of vinyl) threw their own rooftop party.

They have recently relocated to the former

Record Plant Studios in Midtown Manhattan.

One of the biggest thrills was to stand in the

same room that John Lennon had recorded in.

Sadly, it was on his way home from this famous

studio that he was killed. Trutone studios is

owned and operated by the husband and wife

team of Carl and Adrianna Rowatti and they have

a vast roster of talent, such as Missy Elliot, Patti

Labelle, and Lionel Ritchie. They are the masters

of their craft and a Trutone studio is one of the top

choices for mastering perfection.

Thank You Billboard Magazine

A special thank you to Billboard Magazine for its

years of dedication and commitment to the

Dance/Electronic genre. They are the giants in

this arena and this yearly summit brings together

a list of who’s who in the world of Dance/

Electronic. Thanks to all who attended the

conference for your passion, commitment, and

services. See you all next year!

WMPG MOVES FORWARDWITH HD RADIO

know your rights! on metal - home - wmpg · sabbath, quiet riot, and ronnie james dio (that’s...

Documents