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10 Questions with ... Paul Martin
June 30, 2015
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
I came to BRU as an aspiring newscaster. I worked on long and short-form stories for a year before entering the music side of the station. I was director of local music for a year while also acting as Assistant Music Director. I quickly fell in love with the music office and am excited to be continuing on that path as Music Director.
1. How did you become interested in radio?
Growing up, radio was how I found the music I would then bug my dad to buy me on disc. Flipping through frequencies in the car introduced me to a broad range of styles and gave me a passion for music. The opportunity to indulge in that passion and hopefully help listeners along their own musical journey is what excites me most about working in radio.
2. What stands out the most from your first day at WBRU?
My time at BRU has seen me shuffle between departments, beginning in news. I consider my first "real" day to be the first time I went on-air for the morning drive newscast. When the mic turned on, the oxygen suddenly left the room. I made it through, somehow, and learned bit-by-bit how to breathe again. The next cast was much easier, but I was glad to move on to programming.
3. What do you love most about your job?
I love applying everything I've learned about the market to form opinions and ultimately make decisions about the music we play. This never gets old. Or, I guess it hasn't gotten old in the past three weeks.
4. How has your job changed since being upped from Asst. MD to MD?
I have a lot more responsibility, but also more opportunities to meet people in the industry and get exposed to more music. As AMD, I spent a lot of my time working on WBRU's playlist for the next day. I still do that, but now I get a better view behind the curtain into how the radio industry functions.
5. How do you prepare yourself for your weekly music meeting?
First, I gather together the numbers and stats we will reference while listening to music during the meeting. That includes national charts, callout, and spins from other stations. I also make sure to be as familiar as possible with the music I bring to the meeting so that I can introduce it to the rest of the programming crew if it's not already on the agenda.
6. Tell us about the WBRU/F.Y.E. New Music Bin.
WBRU and music store F.Y.E. recognized the value of selling physical CDs in our market. The F.Y.E. new music bin is a great opportunity to highlight full-length releases from the artists we play, whether in regular rotation or specialty.
7. What do you like best about living in Rhode Island?
Having grown up in Idaho, it's still shocking just how many great bands are playing at nearby venues. So I'll give it a tie between music and coffee milk.
8. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without _________?
Coffee and an album that fits the day's mood.
9. What would surprise people most about you?
My unabashed love of movie musicals, especially French ones from the 60s.
10. What are you most passionate about?
I'm passionate about being surprised. I'm keen on any opportunity to read or hear something that changes my perspective on a subject, especially when it comes to music, film, and physics. My favorite discoveries in music are those that run completely against my preconceptions about an artist or genre.
Bonus Questions
What are your hobbies?
Narrowing it down to two: backpacking and composing music.
Last non-industry job?
Physics Demonstration Assistant at Brown University
First record ever purchased?
Midnight Oil - Diesel And Dust
First concert?
Foo Fighters
Favorite band of all-time?
I thought about picking a near-favorite just to sound more interesting, but, The Beatles take the cake.
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