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10 Questions with ... Mase
July 11, 2006
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NAME:MaseTITLE:MD/Afternoons/Host of "The Flight Test" (Specialty show Mondays, 10-mid)STATION:WKZQMARKET:Myrtle Beach, SC (#164)COMPANY:Next MediaBORN:March 13, 1967 (I Know, old)RAISED:Armpit of Georgia - Perry
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
To be honest my "radio" career is VERY brief and will probably tick off a lot of people who have been doing this for years. I did college radio with my roommate and later on bandmate at GA Southern College (Now a Univ.) in the mid-late `80s for two years. Then transferred to GA State Univ. in Atlanta and decided that I wanted to play drums in a band rather than play bands on the radio, so the next 15 years of my life was spent in bands, one of which got signed and later involved in a NASTY lawsuit with a major label that shall remain nameless. After 15 years of "we have a gig in Knoxville on a Tues. night, just to get our foot in the door" gigs, I kind of lost the dream. My wife and I decided to move to the beach, any beach, and here we are.
LAST NON-INDUSTRY JOB:
When I moved here to Myrtle Beach the day after Thanksgiving I assumed I could get an ok job. The day after Thanksgiving in THIS beach town you can't get a job doing ANYTHING! So I ended up working in a liquor store and driving a delivery truck for a plumbing/electrical supply company. Bathtubs are surprisingly light.
FIRST RECORD EVER PURCHASED:
KISS - Destroyer!
FIRST CONCERT:
The Osmonds was my actual "first concert." My first real "rock show" was KISS on the Dynasty Tour, remember I am older than I act.
FAVORITE BAND OF ALL-TIME:
I have five. That is as close as I can get. The Clash, David Bowie, Prince, Johnny Cash, and Pixies.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
One of my first college roommates and I managed to get a show on 91.9 WVGS at Ga. Southern College. We had no format so we would go on and play three hours of The Minutemen and Johnny Cash. Giving away anything we could find in the dorm -- cans of creamed corn, a putter that "might" have been used by someone in The Maters. Our faculty adviser said we were sophomoric, which was cool with us because we were freshmen.
I actually fell into the gig here at WKZQ. When I moved here I had a lot of lame jobs. I was applying for a job at a place that does taxes and the lady said, "Wow you sound like you could be on the radio. There is a station around the corner, you should go there." I ran into the PD of our Soft Rock station in the parking lot and we started talking about my convertible. I gave him my resume and then just called him EVERY 2 WEEKS for months until they needed a board op on our talk station WRNN to work the Myrtle Beach Pelicans games, and just worked my way up. They let me host a specialty show, "The Flight Test" (which I still do), then went fulltime as Production Assistant and doing nights to MD/afternoons.
2. What part of your job do you like best? Least?
Wow, well to be honest I haven't been in the business long enough to be jaded yet. So I actually really dig my job, all of it.
3. How did you get the nickname Mase?
It's not too exciting, my real name is Mason. Everyone has called me, Mase . I guess I use it because I am as lazy as everyone else.
4. What is your biggest challenge in your new role as MD?
Filling our previous MD's shoes (Charley). Like I said I am VERY new to the business and am very lucky to be here. I have learned that she was/is the one of the most organized people I have ever known or worked with. All the things like setting up concert promotions with venues and label reps, she made it all look really easy. IT'S NOT!
5. What kind of music are you most passionate about?
I guess it would be called "indie/powerpop" -- very few songs need to be longer than 3 1/2 minutes. Yes "pop" has become a dirty word to some, but Husker Du wrote pop songs, The Ramones wrote pop songs, Pixies wrote pop songs. The only difference is they wrote GOOD pop songs.
6. What would surprise people most about the station?
The entire airstaff has changed in the last year and a half and only one of those changes was a result of someone being fired.
7. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Hearing at least one song by The Clash and seeing the ocean, even if for only a couple of minutes. That is why I moved here.
8. Besides WKZQ, what is your favorite radio station and why?
WUIN 106.7 The Carolina Penguin. One of the first AAA stations I had ever heard. To be able to play The Waterboys into Johnny Cash into Beck, must be a blast!
9. Biggest career highlight?
My biggest highlight was a phoner with Marky Ramone and John Cafiero from Osaka Popstar. I have been into the Ramones since I was 14 so to have a hero of mine call me for an interview was amazing. Especially when he turned out to be so easy to talk too. But now I am torn. I also did a phoner with Joan Jett, so between the two I can now die a happy man.
10. What career path would you be following had it not been for this industry?
Well, had things gone as planned, you guys would have been playing my CDs.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
I am still a music junkie. LOVE getting CDs everyday and listening to them. Also, when I have the time and can afford it, I love to scuba dive. But there is a lot to be said for hanging out with my wife and my two dogs. Who needs hobbies when your everyday life is good?
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