10 Questions with ... @MartyInYourEar

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

In 1992 Intern of KRZQ/Reno. In 2016 midday personality on KYSR (Alt 98.7)/Los Angeles and Imaging/Voice/night jock at iHeartMedia/San Diego.

1. How did you first become interested in radio?

Dr. Don Rose at KFRC in San Francisco announced his dog (which was a sound effect) would be delivering the morning show weather forecast and I knew I could do a better job than the dog.

2. After 20 years in The Biggest Little City In The World, fill us in on your move to San Diego to do nights on iHeartMedia Active Rock KIOZ (Rock 105.3).

I've worked at KRZQ/Reno three times since 1993. Prior to employment, I was banned from winning as I'd become the "station prize pig." But then, my community college awarded me the Max Volume music school of broadcasting internship at Alternative KRZQ. Imagine their faces when stalker prize pig guy became the intern. Loren Condron, Jayn, Buzz Heshman, Chris "Rip" Ewing and Rob "Blaze" Brooks learned to tolerate me and taught me radio. I became PD during my second run in 2006 (shout to Mat Diablo).

Instead of zig zagging across the U.S., here are some stations that let me play on the microphone: KEDJ/Phoenix APD/MD, XM 44 Fred in D.C. National Host/MD, 91X/San Diego MD, KSAN/San Francisco, and KIOZ/San Diego. I joined the Alt 98.7 team in June 2015. This happened because Mike Kaplan, Andrew Jefferies, Shauna Moran, and John Peake believe in what I do. #Blessup.

3. What is a typical workday like for you?

Baby - Coffee - Work - Look For Leftover Free Food In Break Room - Home - Baby - Wife - Show - Pass Out.

4. What is your show prep routine?

First, I devour the day's info. I'll stack up the previous days relevant prep with new stuff from internet, ALL socials, TV news, celebrity news, local sports, listen to all relative radio station morning shows (you can't let the your neighbor have a better lemonade stand than you) and most important, The Woody Show. They've done all the heavy lifting. Then, I'll grab the music log and map out each break by matching up song intro times/ break with my content and congruent social media / blog posts. Now, your dish is ready to serve.

5. How would you describe your on-air style?

Getting to the point and cutting away the little words. For example, "Hey Friends, this Friday it's the CWK show at the Echoplex, so listen to win tickets from the station this hour". I'll do it like "Alt 98.7's Sold Out December To Remember Cold War Kids Show Friday...Win tickets in 10, Free Funnnnn." Not rocket science. My filter begins with imagining a buddy/ single listener driving in the car and delivering something that doesn't waste time and hopefully creates a smile. Never be too cool or afraid to make yourself the joke. Dude, my name is Smilin Marty. I've no choice. Full credit: I do bite Dead Air Dave Sozinho's approach and add a dash of Hondo. #valleyofthesunstroke

6. What do you love most about being on-air?

A chance to share every-man things, real things, dumb things and twist it all up to make Alt 98.7 sound fun and real. Sometimes, I'll use satire, sarcasm or be a silly heart. Not many occupations/steady checks have that in the job description which makes it easy to love.

7. Tell us about Smilin' Marty The One Man Party.

In 1992, Bryan Suits (now on KFI Los Angeles) needed characters for his KRZQ Morning Show. I was in the intern in the hall asked, "Can you be Smilin' Marty The One Man Party?" "Uh, yeah but what does that mean?" Big Leo's (Bryan Suits) on-air explanation was "I'm helping a guy just out of jail. He committed a crime, that we can't legally talk about but he's a good guy. His offense was a total misunderstanding. Anyways, He's the new station van driver and this morning he's at Reno High School trying to get kids inside the back of the van, so he can show them the new KRZQ sticker." It goes unsaid one man party is self-pleasure innuendo and why I might be Smilin. Area parents and eventually the GM felt uneasy about this bit, so I soon transitioned into the snowboard report guy. That's how the name Smilin' Marty The One Man Party came about. I've had a couple names Smoke McVay at XM and Un Hombre Festiva (Shout To Pistol Pete Kelly)

8. What does everyone need to know about @MartyInYourEar?

It's my new everything social handle. Like SMTOMP, It's easy to say and remember. When soliciting a new friend to follow me I say, "It's like party in your ear but it's me, Marty in your ear. Please don't mistake it for Marty In Your Rear. You don't want to see his pictures."

9. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without______.

The Woody Show. The Alt 98.7 morning team is tapped into L.A. I benefit by hearing current events, trends and local dish. Five people in the studio doing what I'm getting ready to do really help me get a jump on things. I'll relay their fun, antics to the audience through the daytime. This creates cohesiveness inside our music heavy two hour non-stop Morning Music Marathon right after Woody. Everyone should be recycling their morning show once an hour in the midday, right?

10. What may surprise people most about you?

As much as I love music, I've consumed 80 audio books in the last 5 years. I'd like to read, produce, and cast an ear candy filled audio book one day. HEADS UP: Check out new books by Matt Pinfield, Carol Burnett and Maynard James Keenan.

First record ever purchased?

Vinyl Record: I checked out the vinyl double LP of Queen: Greatest Hits from my library. After the third check out, the librarian halted my use and was like "Let somebody else enjoy Freddie Mercury's mustache." So I bought my own at Sam Goody.

First purchased cassette tape: Purple Rain Soundtrack.

First purchased CD: Erasure "Wild" (shout to Robin Rockwell)

First digital purchase: U2 "All That You Can't Leave Behind"

First concert?

MC Hammer "Can't Touch" Tour

Favorite band of all-time?

Bad Religion

Tell us a bit about your passions...

Music: It's dreamy being in L.A. Your favorite artist, band plays like every two weeks cause they live here. With that, sometimes an artist plays multiple nights at small clubs. Since joining full time in September, I've checked out Yelawolf, The jam night band the Whiskey on Sunset, The xx, Miike Snow and Cold War Kids. In 2016, I've been lucky to catch five CWK shows between San Diego and L.A.

Swap Meets: Some of the best are in So Cal. Kobey's Swap in San Diego is a legendary spot. The once a month gathering at the Rose Bowl is the holy grail of second hand item collecting. It's fun to say to a down and out person selling everything they own in the world on a blanket in parking lot for 10 dollars, "How's 5 bucks sound?" JK JK JK. My obsession stems from being a hoarder with an unhealthy Star Wars toy habit. For reals, I love chatting with the sellers. It's a secret weapon of show prep, lots of real talk.

Football: I was hoping the Raiders would join me in L.A., but they are staying in The Bay. Rock 105.3 is home of the Chargers so, I got love there too.

Boxer Dogs: My skateboard buddy, Rayder, is 4 ½. My wife makes me spell it that way on his dog tag cuz she is not a Raider fan.

Beach Days: Oceanside Pier, Tourmaline Surf Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Potomac River have all been walking distance from places I've lived during radio jobs. A lucky guy is I to have so many edge of the world/water moments.

Fatherhood: I have a new little dude, Quin, short for Penguin. My wife says "Quit saying that, his name is Quinlin". He loves trucks, I love picking up all his trucks and putting them back in the toy box.

Wedding DJ: Clubs are fun but I prefer weddings. Meeting with a couple and helping shape their special day is rewarding. I mash their wants with my music acumen and it's a blast. It really warms my soul to exactly know when to bust out The Humpty Dance (shout to Larry Mac). Plus, someone in the wedding party brings over a plate of cake to eat while doing it.