10 Questions with ... Laurie Davison

1. Could you string together the life and career events that ultimately brought you to the MD role at Hope 107.9?

Music has always been a huge part of my life. As a five-year-old (and probably earlier), I would ‘write’ songs about Jesus and sing them in our living room for my parents’ friends. Apparently that was the price you paid to be my parents’ friends. I was involved in music throughout my school years, and I’ve been a vocalist in various bands from age 17 on. My husband, Randy, and I were also worship leaders for our church off and on for about 20 years, so the opportunity to be a Music Director of a Christian radio station seemed like a natural fit.

2. Was it ever your goal to eventually program the station’s music?

My husband has been the General Manager at the station for about 12 years and initially hired me as Director of Donor Relations (which is still one of my responsibilities), but I’ve now been the Music Director for about seven years, and, though it wasn’t necessarily on my radar when I started at the station, I absolutely love the job!

3. Would you share a little about what the dynamic is like working together with your husband in the same workspace? How have you two made it work all of these years?

We somehow work really well together – I know that may not be the norm for a lot of couples, so I say that very humbly. We’ve always been best friends as partners in life, so to segue into a working relationship seemed to happen fairly smoothly. I’m not saying we don’t have our differences on occasion, but, for the most part, I think we have a healthy respect for one another and the gifts we each bring to the table. Our personalities and gifts tend to complement one another well, so it works! The more difficult challenge we face is when to ‘stop’ working. We have to be intentional about leaving work behind – we fail at this often.

4. Has Christian music always been a part of your listening repertoire? Either way, what music has had the most influence on you over the course of your life?

I would say I came a little late to the party when it comes to Christian music. I grew up in a more liturgical church, so the first time I heard more contemporary sounding Christian music, I was surprised by it, in a good way. Then, once I heard Amy Grant, the rest was history. A friend took me to see her in concert when I was around 19. She was just a few years older than me at the time, and all I ever wanted growing up was to be a singer - she made it seem possible. Other musical influences were (and I will be showing my age here) Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Stevie Nicks, Karen Carpenter, Dolly Parton, Emmy Lou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Dusty Springfield, Patsy Cline…I could go on, but I’ll stop there for everyone’s sake.

5. What have you learned most about yourself over the course of the past couple of years in light of taking on the music director position at the company?

I Really (capital ‘R’) struggle with self-doubt when it comes to my own thoughts and opinions. Still, I honestly feel like this job has taught me to value my own opinion and to listen to my gut more in this arena. However, it’s also taught me not to live and die by those opinions and instincts. It’s so hard to know what causes the stars to align perfectly for some songs to become hits and not others. So, I guess I value my instincts but hold them loosely. It’s also taught me it’s ok to say no. The world will not end. There’s always another song.

6. Who are some of the other stations and programmers you’ve learned to model your decision-making practices off of?

I wouldn’t say I model the practices of anyone in particular. I watch about ten major stations and work with a consultant whose input I respect, but I do love to watch what my female counterparts are doing music-wise. I value their opinions and find we, as women, have a relatively good sense of what our station’s demo is looking for.

7. Who do you believe are some of the artists leading the way in this next season of Christian Radio?

Definitely For King & Country. They are bold and creative and always seem to be forging new paths. I think it’s sometimes easy to forget that our demo is a moving target. It morphs, and we need to morph with it in new and innovative ways.

8. What are five of the most important songs to go out to Christian Radio over the past five or so years? (This is your opinion, not the Gospel!)

Wow. I tried really hard to narrow this down, and it’s impossible, so my list is a bit longer. I based my criteria on a.) songs that are important to me, personally, and b.) songs that I felt caused, what I would call, a “shift in the atmosphere” when they were released. Chain Breaker, Even If, You Say, Raise a Hallelujah, Holy Water, Burn the Ships, and my personal choice of the new Jason Gray tune, Remind Me You’re Here because it’s such a beautifully honest lyric.

9. Lately, what has your life looked like when you’ve been off the clock at Hope 107.9?

Last year we went from empty nesters to a full house when our daughter and family moved in with us temporarily. Even though it hasn’t been as temporary as we all thought it would be, we’ve had the unexpected blessing of having our little live-in granddaughter who’s just a few months old! Never could I ever have imagined what joy that little girl would bring! People will tell you over and over how wonderful it is to be a grandparent, but until you experience it firsthand, there’s just nothing else like it! There’s something so redemptive about it. She is our off-the-clock life right now, and we love it! (Don’t tell my kids, but when they eventually do move out, she’s invited to stay behind! ;)

10. Looking ahead toward the rest of 2020, what do you look forward to most?

I’m looking forward to Randy and I getting back to being empty nesters again, and, honestly, just settling into our new role as Grammy and Papa! I’m super excited to experience every new stage with our granddaughter, Olivia!