Talking Turkey ...

The holidays are one of the best times for air personalities. Just enough work to keep you from developing lip freeze that results from over-smiling at annual gatherings. Those on-air hours are like meditation -- no office workers or management; just you, the mic and the listeners.

Gobble Gobble ...

There was a bit I did one Thanksgiving that stretched out over my four-hour shift; the premise was turkeys organizing and disguising themselves trying to escape the last-minute gobble shoppers. Hey look, I was doing evenings!

Why Not ...

My PD encouraged me, once I explained what I wanted to do on-air. His instructions were: No talk-set longer than 30 seconds, have fun, and be word efficient. I went in the production room and recorded my character, Mr. Tom Tur-Kay, a spokesman who occasionally dropped in a gobble between words. A turkey disguised as a nervous human who jumped at loud noises, especially anything sounding like a gunshot.

Plan Of Action ...

Ah, theater of the mind, a vegan turkey on the lam until Thanksgiving was over. As soon as I hit the air and started the bit, I got calls from parents whose young children seemed to understand it was a turkey trying to avoid the carving knife. Everyone loves an underdog; the parents put the little ones on the phone and they begged me to protect Mr. Tom Tur-Kay. The bit worked because I never let Tom know I knew he was a turkey. I had to stay in character when I recorded the fictitious pretender. To make it lifelike, I recorded Tom Tur-Kay individual labeled segments; that way it sounded like we were talking to each other.

Never Again ... But ...

I have never had the opportunity to repeat the Mr. Tom Tur-Kay bit. However, the reaction to the experience taught me the holidays are a great time to get from behind the mic and interact with listeners. I'm talking about the regular person inside your radio persona. Below is a list of possible holiday places to get out and mingle:

• School events for family, friends and neighbors; lots of holiday plays and activities
• Shopping malls are a good place to observe and hear things.
• Barber or beauty shops to hear what people are talking about.
• Check the Internet, social media, or a local newspaper for holiday fairs and events.
• Take a part-time retail job and interact with the public.
• Go on a listening expedition at a local coffee shop.
• Truck stops, fast-food places, and small restaurants are filled with people just being themselves.
• Local churches and community centers
• Fitness clubs; it's easy to socialize in whirlpools, steam rooms, and saunas. You don't have to join, get a day pass.
• Festivals, fairs, and tree lighting ceremonies.

Conclusion ...

Being a personality or programmer requires constant observation. It's easy to get caught up in a radio bubble and lose touch with reality. Getting out among people will keep you grounded.