I've been chained to my computer of late even more than previously. The culprit behind this turn of events (aside from my own impetuous urge to get my self into burdensome, but rewarding projects) is The Dead Hare Radio Hour.
DHRH is a joint project with Matthew Slaats. He had proposed to me the possibility of doing an art related radio show at least a year ago. Ideas are easy to say yes to when they are just ideas. Matthew had shopped the concept around to a couple of local internet radio operations before it occurred to him to check with Vassar College's radio station, WVKR. Matthew works at Vassar in the technology department. The proposal was accepted and we were suddenly faced with a new recurring deadline, another unpaid gig that comes fully loaded with a vacuum custom made for sucking up hours of personal time. We both had one of those "oh shit" moments. Then we went forward, with trepidation and excitement at every step.
Our first show airs tomorrow, March 22 at 5pm, Eastern Time. Our regular timeslot - provided we're not pitched from the station will be Tuesdays from 5-6pm. In addition to the broadcast originating in the Hudson Valley (the signal strength is 3400 watts and can be heard in portions of five states,) the show will be streamed live on WVKR's website, and it will be available for download as a podcast. (Podcast will be available for download by Wednesday evenings....consider subscribing to it - when the feed is set up this Wednesday.)
The format of the show will largely be talk, with interviews and conversations with artists and curators and such, but we also want to feature sound works from artists and musicians and folks who are engaged in radio as an art medium.
Matthew and I are of like minds on many fronts - one of them being that we both are interested in catalyzing and sharing conversations about art and culture - but we bring different aspects to the show. He's an artist with heavy a social practice bent and I tinker in the studio. I think he's more concerned with investigating the role of the artist in society than I am and this may well be reflected in the directions we each follow in uncovering content for the show.
The Hudson Valley will be a major focus of the show content, a - because there's a lot of interesting people and projects based here, and b - because this is where we're at, and the content of the show will, in some way, be borne of convenience (but not of laziness.) But it's not only going limited to this region...by any means. We'll be capturing the folks we encounter on our art-driven paths. It's a big/small world out there and we're interested in examining how concerns/inspirations/connectedness in large and small contexts intermingle and influence the work and conversations that are happening on the ground, in any region. We will be bringing on board other contributors to add to our coverage.
Given our schedules, much of the show content will be pre-recorded, although we look forward to doing some live in studio things as we are able. I think we're both far less interested in interviewing people than capturing conversations between people. I, for one, am an avid listener. I hope to set up situations that other folks are apt to enjoy listening to.
So Show #1 features two interviews. We speak with Carolina Miranda of the blog c-monster.net and Duncan McKenzie of Bad at Sports. I follow both of these individuals, gladly. ( I've been an avid listener of the B@S podcast since 2007. It is my weekly dose of art.) Part of what I appreciate most about both of these projects is the mixture of intelligent reflection and humor (not rarely, the adolescent kind.) High and Low, intermingled as they should be.
I find both of these interviews entertaining and informative. I hope ya'll will too. This being our first show - there is some unevenness in the audio quality of show 1, but we're learning valuable lessons everyday as we get our radio legs.
Why the name? There's a little context on the Dead Hare website, and I'll be posting a bit on that here soon too.
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