10 Questions with ... Libby Carver

1. Could you share your career journey that brought you to your current gig at Lifesongs?

Step 1: Stop by your high school guidance counselor's office because he's amazing and looks just like Little Richard and bursts into song at random times and always has sugar-free candy.

Step 1a: Allow said guidance counselor to convince you to audition for clown college to "get you out of your shell."

Step 2: Realize mid-audition this was a TERRIBLE idea.

Step 3: Graduate high school and study cosmetology. Learn how to do perms and chat with old ladies while you give them "wet sets" and "fingerwaves" as "practice."

Step 4: Waitress in your off time while in school. Spill iced tea all over a table full of guests from WBSN-FM who are having lunch during your shift. Politely agree when they say you're clearly terrible at this and ask if you'd like to stop waitressing and perhaps come answer phones at the studio instead. (Also, THANK GOD for this divine intervention.)

Step 5: STAY THERE FOREVER. (Except in the case of an emergency, post-Katrina rescue scenario, when you switch to temporarily-working radio singles for a very sympathetic and eager-to-help record label.)

2. What was the "grooming for radio" process like between your dad and yourself? And when did that start?

I guess it started early? I remember going to work with my dad as a kid. He programmed a station in New Orleans that included a sister TV station, and that station hosted a live, early Saturday morning cartoon show called Popeye & Pals, where the kids could sit and watch Popeye cartoons while eating Popeye's chicken for breakfast. Obviously, I WANTED IN.

3. Was there ever a point in your life when you thought you'd like to pursue a different career path? What would it be/would it have been?

(See Question 1, Step 3.)

4. What are some of the most notable lessons learned pertaining to radio, growing up under your father's guidance?

Growing up, we were always listening to music. Every weekend, we'd pile in the car and drive around to open houses, and we'd always have Dad's stations on as our soundtrack. So, I guess I'd say listening. It sounds so simple, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to tune out your own station.

Another thing my dad tended to come back to was to not be afraid to break the rules. He'd say, "Do something unexpected." He loved providing people with moments of surprise and delight, and I think that's always stuck with me.

5. Outside of family, who else has played influential roles for you throughout your radio career (or even personally, outside of radio)?

I feel really fortunate to have gotten to know so many amazing people over the course of my time in this industry. I admire the uniqueness, the fearlessness, the confidence and the thoughtfulness of so many of them; it's hard to narrow that down.

6. What is the music that you'd say has most shaped your life?

Growing up in New Orleans, you can't help but be shaped by all kinds of music. It's always around you, everywhere. From the high school marching bands at every parade, to the girls in my junior high gym class pounding out bounce tracks on the lockers. New Orleans landmarks play a big role in my musical memories, too. My first "concert" (without parents!) was seeing Janet Jackson at the Superdome. That was big. Then, many years later, I sobbed in my seat (section 147!) at the post-Katrina reopening of the Superdome to the sounds of U2 and Green Day singing with Trombone Shorty. And I will never forget seeing Prince with Morris Day & The Time and Sheila E in the Dome, too. Seeing 70,000 people do the bird (Hallelujah!) in unison is an unforgettable sight.

I may have gone on a tangent there. But I think the gist is, ALL music has been influential in some way for me. I think what I love most about it is, no matter the style, it has the ability to tap into something that we all feel, which brings us closer together.

7. What are three of the most important on-air moments you experienced over the course of your Lifesongs career?

Important? Hmm. How about two memorable moments (that are worlds apart) instead?

1. 1. Coming back on the air for the first time post-Katrina. It was like this huge, emotional, most-wonderful family reunion.
2. 2. The time I was telling a story about a local fire truck being sent to New York following 9/11 only I accidentally didn't say "firetruck." Coolcoolcool.

8. It goes without saying that New Orleans is one of the more unique markets for Christian Radio to thrive in, but for decades, Lifesongs has done just that. Why do you believe that is?

Honestly, I think we just embrace it. New Orleanians are unique, and we get weirdly proud of that. We've got huge hearts, huge appetites, we laugh (and probably live) a little too loudly. And, like everyone else, we need Jesus.

9. What are five Christian radio songs released over the past five years or so that have been the most meaningful to you?

Five?! There have been so many more than five, honestly. Two that come to mind are Ellie Holcolmb's "Find You Here" and Morgan Harper Nichols' "Storyteller."

These are just two of the many songs we've had the opportunity to share on LifeSongs, but these two stand out as ones God used to speak to me the exact message I needed in the exact moment I needed it. It's humbling how many times we hear that from listeners, but I know it to be absolutely true.

10. You have a lot going on at the station, but when you're off the clock, how do you most enjoy spending your time these days?

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