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10 Questions with ... Mark Andrew
January 28, 2013
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1) What Got You Interested In Radio?
I grew up in it. My father, John Garry, did mornings in Pittsburgh for a million years. I got hooked when I was really young. He and his partner Larry O'Brien were amazing to watch!
2) Who do you consider your radio mentors?
I could go on all day. Aside from my Dad I would say Bruce Gilbert who gave me my first real on-air job, Scott Lindy, Greg Cassidy, Robin Bertollucci and Don Martin. They've all given me the confidence to do what I do now.
3) What makes the Mix 100 and the Denver market unique?
What's exciting here is the amount of local music that's blown up here in the last 10 years. Big Head Todd, The Fray and One Republic come to mind. Now there are the Lumineers, Churchill and so many more. Ryan Tedder of One Republic made a great point to us recently that Denver is sort of land locked. There isn't another major city within 500 miles. That's unique for a city the size of Denver. And it's creating a hub for new music in this part of the country.
4) Tell us about "Club Mix?"
It's my Saturday night mix show! It's my baby! It's club remixes of a lot of the artists we play on Mix 100, but I also work in some House music, EDM, Hip Hop, retro-party tunes or whatever comes up. It's a really fun show and in two-and-a-half years, management hasn't once told me what to play which is quite a privilege in this era of our industry.
5) Do you DJ in clubs too?
Yes, just one! I've been a resident at Tracks nightclub here in Denver for about seven years. We draw over 2,500 people a week. It's a great thing for me to do the side because you can really see with your own eyes what songs are having the most impact. I use a lot of that info to program "Club Mix." The other great thing is Tracks just recently became a client of Mix 100. It's so great to have them on the air.
6) How is DJ-ing in clubs different from DJ-ing on the radio?
The biggest difference is seeing the immediate reaction when you're playing new music. It's really exciting because you know almost instantly if the audience is going to buy in to a song. The dance floor never lies! I trust that info more than any callout research I ever see.
7) Do you still use vinyl to mix?
I did up until the middle of last summer. I just couldn't carry it all anymore. Now I use Serrato "Scratch" now. It's so easy to walk into the club with just a laptop. But I miss the vinyl. I always loved that you could touch it with your hands because it felt like you were touching the music. The sound was richer too.
8) How do you prep yourself for your radio shift?
It's a little different every day. But I try to start with what people are talking about in our town. The local part is really important to us. I just try to find some compelling info that a listener will repeat to a co-worker. Then I move on to artist info then listener hasn't heard before.
9) How are you using social media to market your radio station and your show?
Like a lot of stations, we use social media to engage our audience, get feedback, entertain and cross-promote. What makes ours different is that every single one of our "likes" is genuine. We're not out there like some of the big companies buying likes to over-inflate their numbers to look bigger than they really are. We love it that all of our likes are real, they're local, and engaged with what's happening at our station.
10) Why is there no "s" at the end of your name?
Andrew is actually my middle name. My father used his middle name on the air. I thought that was cool so I did it too.
Bonus Questions
What was the biggest gaffe you've made on air?
The first day we played Gotye back in 2011 I mispronounced his name. A caller corrected me. That was embarrassing. I told her to get off my back. It's not going to be a hit anyway.
Who is your best friend in the business?
Star 94 Atlanta PD, Scott Lindy and I have been friends for a really really long time. He's my brother!
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