I’d like to get some discussion going about a topic I’m interested in, in part due to my new volunteer gig as a host of a music show.
I’d like the music choosers of radio to talk about how they wield that responsibility. You work at a radio station. You have some control over what music goes out on your air. How do you decide what to play?
Do you announce it? Or do you just pick it, and other people present it?
Do you use any computer applications to determine the music? If so, which? (I rely on iTunes, with its categories for “genre” and “rating,” to guide me to music for my show.)
Do you follow certain rules? (i.e., a composer or performer has to “rest” for a given time after being played.)
What guides you as you pick music? How do you decide what selections go together? Is that a concern? What factors do you consult? Time of day? Your mood? Audience research? Gut? Tea leaves? The I Ching? Your idea of what listeners want to hear? (And where does that come from?)
If we get enough responses, maybe I can edit the comments together into some sort of omnibus post/manifesto/document. More on this subject soon. And even if you work at a station and don’t pick the music, chime in and let us know how it’s done where you work.
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Thanks for asking! I’ve been a classical music host for 21 years and I’m still coming up with ways to keep programming interesting to me and I hope to my listeners too. Here’s one approach. Something I’ve found I have in common with many musicians — I’m not one — is a love of cooking. Some groups will plan their programs much like planning a meal. You start with an appetizer, a little overture or short familiar tune. A salad might follow, something with some frise — a Vivaldi concerto maybe. Add some meat and vegetables, some Beethoven or Haydn and if there’s room, a dessert. I’m not sure what type of music you’re programming, but I think it’s important to mix up the styles and tempos so that it doesn’t become a big plate of mashed potatoes.
First, I have to check with what Performance Today has done in the morning and what has already been played during the week. What has been played last week should be kept in mind as well.
Second, does anything tie in with a historical event like a birthday of a composer? A premiere?
Third, does the day have any bearing upon the music? The first day of spring, etc.
Fourth, any new recordings are given priority.
Any listener requests need to be played. This makes happy customers.
Then I am “free” to follow my mood, instinct and creativity. The program has to be varied: light versus heavy, chamber and solo versus symphonic. Choral versus instrumental. Each hour versus the total four hours.
The general rule is to follow what feels right. This may be easier applied to EclecTopia than to Classical Music.
I like the cooking analogy, but I see it more as composition.
Thanks!
Glad to contribute.
Over the years, for talks to various listener groups, I’ve come up with a list of maxims that guide how I program (locally, 9a-4p weekdays). Since I’m doing another such talk next week, maybe I can brush it up:
1. Our number one goal is to play the best music possible for the most people possible. We take both parts of that equation equally seriously.
2. Your music, like your vegetables, should be fresh and local. Lots of new releases, sometimes literally minutes after arriving on my desk. Lots of composers and performers in the news. Lots of things pertaining to local musical happenings (all with links on our on-line playlist)–as long as the quality remains high. I program one day ahead of time–no more.
3. Anything worth hearing once is worth hearing twice–and will be heard mostly by different listeners every time it’s repeated. Hence my only rule about repeats: no rules. Play it again–often.
4. The quality of a day’s music should be good enough that it could be heard anywhere, any day, and would still sound great. But that day’s programming could only have been done here and now.
5. Everything we play, regardless of length, should be good enough so that if it’s the only thing a listener will have heard that day (which will often
be the case), it would have been worthwhile for the listener to tune in. I have to imagine the listener saying “oooh, that sounds good–thanks for playing it” when selecting a piece, or I won’t play it.
6. Some Bach, Mozart and Beethoven (almost) every day.
7. Neither pieces nor performances have any democratic rights. They don’t deserve to be played merely by existing. They earn airplay with their
quality. And as a programmer, it’s my responsibility to judge their quality, and say “no” when necessary.
8. Something by a living composer every day.
9. When I’m undecided between “some people will love it” and “some people will hate it,” I almost always go for it. It’s usually worth the risk to introduce someone to something new and exciting. Besides, when on my deathbed, I don’t think I’ll be saying “gee, I wish I had taken fewer programming chances.”
10. Great music is one of those things a listener can take pleasure in every day. So make every day great and pleasurable.
Done!
John Montanari
Music Director, WFCR Public Radio
Amherst, MA
These are excellent — just what I was looking for. I want more. Feed me.
My question was inspired by my own efforts to arrive at a philosophy, and my own wondering whether a philosophy is achievable, or even necessary. I’ll react to these comments in an upcoming post with some of my own thoughts.
What influences my choice of music for the radio?
Love, fear, memory, curiosity, chance … everything?
Requests, yes. New releases, for sure. Also, music I hear on a concert, music that I discuss with people I meet, something I hear someone practicing during a break in rehearsal, something that occurs in a dream, music that has shown up listening to iTunes on random at home, pieces played on other classical stations I listen to, things being played in upcoming concerts around the state, music or performers mentioned on Twitter, Facebook, or in the news.
Then, that morning or the afternoon before, I sit down and try to fit all this music into our schedule. Our locally programmed classical music show (Classical Music with Jim Lange) is from 11am-3pm on weekdays. If something doesn’t feel right to me for that day, I set it aside for another one. The days that I do better are often the ones where I’m excited to play something, rather than worried about avoiding what I possibly shouldn’t play.
I prefer to play whole pieces, but will also play suites from larger works.
I like to stay varied – George Walker of WFIU told me to consider “if someone walked away from the radio and came back, would they if the piece had changed?” At the last AMPPR conference, John Dodge said that people generally listen for 80 minutes, so make sure you give them a bit of everything you’ve got in that time.” And while we’re quoting people, I’ll quote myself “don’t get too crazy, but don’t be boring.” I wrote that sometime previously on this blog, and I still like it.
I have fun with themes to tie together a few pieces or an hour – birds, flowers, sports, light music, a country, a performer, a composer. Not always, just when the mood strikes me.
I do have to be careful not to play favorite pieces too often. I check playlists of what Jim has been playing, what I played the last time I announced (I don’t have a regular show, I’m just an occasional sub), and what is on Performance Today that week. I don’t check what was on C24 overnight – it’s too much trouble and the audience and the music are not too likely to overlap.
I’m a string player (viola), so I check to make sure I’m not playing too much string music. People always seem to be thrilled to hear some wind or brass music. I like playing vocal stuff too – a few arias or lieder here and there or some lovely choral pieces. But I digress.
I have no problem playing old favorites – I love so many pieces in standard repertoire. I hope I don’t grow to resent these pieces, because they’re much of what drew me into classical music originally and many still mean so much to me.
I like to play things I don’t often hear on the radio – and this doesn’t always mean dissonant or shocking music – but I do admit that I limit myself. If something could be really disturbing, I play a short example by that composer or from the style.
For example, we recently received a CD with 30-minute trombone pieces by John Cage. I can’t really see that fitting into the show. On the other hand, despite a complaint, I’d still totally play Steve Reich’s “New York Counterpoint” on the radio again. So I’m a bit freer than some, but I still consider what might not fit into a listener’s day (or “wimp out,” depending on your perspective).
John mentioned playing things that are good – I sometimes worry if I am playing the best performance (if such a thing exists) of any given work. I try to take the time to listen, and I’m learning as I go.
I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I’ve got for now. Now will you tell us your thoughts, Mike?:)
What influences my choice of music for the radio?
Love, fear, memory, curiosity, chance … everything?
Requests, yes. New releases, for sure. Also, music I hear on a concert, music that I discuss with people I meet, something I hear someone practicing during a break in rehearsal, something that occurs in a dream, music that has shown up listening to iTunes on random at home, pieces played on other classical stations I listen to, things being played in upcoming concerts around the state, music or performers mentioned on Twitter, Facebook, or in the news.
Then, that morning or the afternoon before, I sit down and try to fit all this music into our schedule (the show is 11am-3pm on weekdays). If something doesn’t feel right to me for that day, I set it aside for another one. The days that I do better are often the ones where I’m excited to play something, rather than worried about avoiding what I possibly shouldn’t play.
I prefer to play whole pieces, but will also play suites from larger works.
I like to stay varied – George Walker of WFIU told me to consider “if someone walked away from the radio and came back, would they if the piece had changed?” At the last AMPPR conference, John Dodge said that people generally listen for 80 minutes, so make sure you give them a bit of everything you’ve got in that time.” And while we’re quoting people, I’ll quote myself “don’t get too crazy, but don’t be boring.” I wrote that sometime previously on this blog, and I still like it.
I have fun with themes to tie together a few pieces or an hour – birds, flowers, sports, light music, a country, a performer, a composer. Not always, just when the mood strikes me.
I do have to be careful not to play favorite pieces too often. I check playlists of what Jim has been playing, what I played the last time I announced (I don’t have a regular show, I’m just an occasional sub), and what is on Performance Today that week. I don’t check what was on C24 overnight – it’s too much trouble and the audience and the music are not too likely to overlap.
I’m a string player (viola), so I check to make sure I’m not playing too much string music. People always seem to be thrilled to hear some wind or brass music. I like playing vocal stuff too – a few arias or lieder here and there or some lovely choral pieces. There’s tons of little thoughts like this that distract me…
I have no problem playing old favorites – I love so many pieces in standard repertoire. I hope I don’t grow to resent these pieces, because they’re much of what drew me into classical music originally and many still mean so much to me.
I like to play things I don’t often hear on the radio – and this doesn’t always mean dissonant or shocking music – but I do admit that I limit myself. If something could be really disturbing, I play a short example by that composer or from the style.
For example, we recently received a CD with 30-minute trombone pieces by John Cage. I can’t really see that fitting into the show. On the other hand, despite a complaint, I’ll still totally play Steve Reich’s “New York Counterpoint” on the radio again. So I’m a bit freer than some, but I still consider what might not fit into a listener’s day (or “wimp out,” depending on your perspective).
John mentioned playing things that are good – I sometimes worry if I am playing the best performance of any given work (if such a thing exists). I try to take the time to listen, and I’m learning as I go.
I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I’ve got for now. Now will you share your thoughts, Mike?:)
What influences my choice of music for the radio?
Love, fear, memory, curiosity, chance … everything?
Requests, yes. New releases, for sure. Also, music I hear on a concert, music that I discuss with people I meet, something I hear someone practicing during a break in rehearsal, something that occurs in a dream, music that has shown up listening to iTunes on random at home, pieces played on other classical stations I listen to, things being played in upcoming concerts around the state, music or performers mentioned on Twitter, Facebook, or in the news.
Then, that morning or the afternoon before, I sit down and try to fit all this music into our schedule (we have a daily classical show from 11am-3pm). If something doesn’t feel right to me for that day, I set it aside for another one. The days that I do better are often the ones where I’m excited to play something, rather than worried about avoiding what I possibly shouldn’t play.
I prefer to play whole pieces, but will also play suites from larger works.
I like to stay varied – George Walker of WFIU told me to consider “if someone walked away from the radio and came back, would they if the piece had changed?” At the last AMPPR conference, John Dodge said that people generally listen for 80 minutes, so make sure you give them a bit of everything you’ve got in that time.” And while we’re quoting people, I’ll quote myself “don’t get too crazy, but don’t be boring.” I wrote that sometime previously on this blog, and I still like it.
I have fun with themes to tie together a few pieces or an hour – birds, flowers, sports, light music, a country, a performer, a composer. Not always, just when the mood strikes me.
I do have to be careful not to play favorite pieces too often. I check playlists of what Jim has been playing, what I played the last time I announced (I don’t have a regular show, I’m just an occasional sub), and what is on Performance Today that week. I don’t check what was on C24 overnight – it’s too much trouble and the audience and the music are not too likely to overlap.
I’m a string player (viola), so I check to make sure I’m not playing too much string music. People always seem to be thrilled to hear some wind or brass music. I like playing vocal stuff too – a few arias or lieder here and there or some lovely choral pieces. There are so many little thoughts like this that distract me …
I have no problem playing old favorites – I love so many pieces in standard repertoire. I hope I don’t grow to resent these pieces, because they’re much of what drew me into classical music originally and many still mean so much to me.
I like to play things I don’t often hear on the radio – and this doesn’t always mean dissonant or shocking music – but I do admit that I limit myself. If something could be really disturbing, I play a short example by that composer or from the style.
For example, we recently received a CD with 30-minute trombone pieces by John Cage. I can’t really see that fitting into the show. On the other hand, despite a complaint, I’d still totally play Steve Reich’s “New York Counterpoint” on the radio again. So I’m a bit freer than some, but I still consider what might not fit into a listener’s day (or “wimp out,” depending on your perspective).
John mentioned playing things that are good – I sometimes worry if I am playing the best performance of any given work (if such a thing exists). I try to take the time to listen, and I’m learning as I go.
I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I’ve got for now. Now are you going to post your thoughts on choosing music, Mike?:)