10 Questions with ... Race Taylor

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• WKRQ/Cincinnati (Q102) Nights/Afternoons APD
• KDMX/ Dallas (Mix 102.9) Afternoons APD
• WPLJ/ New York Afternoons - Middays - Afternoons
• WRRM/Cincinnati (Warm 98.5) (currently voice tracking)

Social:
www.facebook.com/race.taylor twitter.com/RaceTaylor www.instagram.com/racetaylor

1. You've recently moved back to afternoons. Was the transition as easy as you make it sound on the air?

Tom, you are very kind, thank you. Even from the very beginnings of my career at WYMJ/Dayton (Magic 104) (not far from your WVUD stomping grounds), afternoons is the daypart that has always felt most comfortable to me. The energy, excitement, the mood, the rhythm just feels right.

2. You've worked for/with some of the greatest programmers in the history of radio. Are there some things that they all consistently have in common?

I've been blessed to have been influenced by some of our industry's very best. Jimmy Steal, Tom Cuddy, Scott Shannon, Mike McVay, Rob Roberts and Gillette all have a passion for radio and a thirst for knowledge that is contagious. Each not only has a respect for the past, but are caretakers for the future of this business. Most importantly, at the core of everything, they believe in the one thing that sets radio apart from everything else: talent. Their philosophies and show notes over the years have helped me beyond measure. From focusing content and crafting breaks, to appearing live on stage with an artist before an audience, they have influenced every aspect of my personality and presentation.

3. Longevity in New York City is not to be taken for granted, what keeps you motivated?

The competitive landscape of our market. The desire to do a better show than yesterday or better break than the last one. The feeling that I've still got something to prove. The belief deep down that I haven't peaked yet, that you still haven't seen my best. That keeps me going. While this is all very much an athlete's or performer's mentality, the connection to our audience is equally motivating. Life is hard on the speaker side of the radio. That I could be a distraction, a laugh, a positive spark, a vital piece of information, a shared passion for music or part of a pure human connection even if only for a few seconds ... that motivates me as well.

4. The WPLJ call letters are iconic. How important is it to protect the brand in the digital era?

It is so important. As we move forward, become more visual and learn how to monetize our digital and social spaces, our digital brand is essential. Not simply an extension of our signal but a space to do or be even more than audio will allow. If we are only looking for clicks and likes, our listeners' expectations will not be met, their experience short-lived. As we look to build our brands, develop original content and make even more of a listener connection with our websites, blogs and social spaces, we as talent are given more freedom. Freedom with language and content that we cannot abuse. While I am an individual, I am an extension of my radio station. Call me old fashioned. I still treat my feed and timeline like a hot microphone.

5. Speaking of ... what kind of digital duties do you have these days?

While on the air we are responsible for the station's social feeds. Twitter, FB, Instagram as well as our own. We have blog pages at PLJ.COM. I'm also very close to unveiling a website www.racetaylor.com that will highlight some of my voiceover work and history at 95.5 PLJ, so it's a lot.

6. Music is always cyclical. Our format is all about delivering women listeners. How's the music to your ears in that regard?

Hot AC is in a great place right now. So many talented and inspiring female artists like Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello and Kesha are on our playlist. Add guys like Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Max, Macklemore, Weekend and Charlie Puth. I'm hoping to see a resurgence of "bands" on the horizon. I love Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, AJR, Foster The People. We are in an era of pretty good musical balance.

7. We've heard your voice on all kinds of networks and promos, etc. over the years. Is that still a big part of your work life?

I have standing VO sessions every day. Billboards for ABC, promos for Golf Channel and regular auditions for national commercials. What started as a little side hustle has grown over the years. More than a decade of master classes, rejection and failure has now become quite a balancing act. I remain fascinated by the art of voice acting. Promo, commercial, narration, instructional or industrial. All so very different from the world of broadcast radio, yet a continual evolution and learning curve. I love it.

8. Naysayers always want to talk about the demise of radio. Why are you still optimistic about our medium?

Because radio still offers the one thing that streaming services or the other forms of competition can't -- that human connection and sense of community. The first thing you want to do when you discover a song that you love is share it. That's what radio does so well. To be in radio or to listen to it is to be a part of something bigger than yourself, beyond your playlist. My listeners remind me of it regularly and it moves me, inspires me or fires me up every time. On the other side of every break or every tweet or every post is another person. When I hear that someone was moved to action, or felt something because of what we said or did, that's when I feel like we've made a difference, notched a victory or become closer to being a part of someone's "daily routine." It has been a pleasure and a blessing to be invited into the lives of so many people, for so many different reasons all these years.

9. Who were your radio idols as a kid?

Growing up in Detroit, I listened to some of the very best. Dick Purtan, Arthur Penhallow, Jim Harper, LisaLisa, JP McCarthy, Alan Almond, Paul W. Smith, Ernie Harwell ... I could keep going ... I know I'm leaving out so many.

10. You're a top-notch interviewer. Who have been a couple of your favorites over the years?

Kelly Clarkson, Chris Martin, John Legend, Sting, Adele, Rob Thomas, Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Dave Matthews ... I've found over the years that these artists who are amazing songwriters are also such great story tellers. They make for great interviews.

As a longtime New Jersey resident, what are three things to love about the Garden State??

1. My wife is a beach girl ... It's so close to the ocean. We love the Jersey Shore.
2. Jersey is just beautiful, and I think sometimes unfairly it gets a bad rap. It reminds me a lot of Michigan. Jersey, come for the shore, but stay for the history and occasional highway profanity!
3. Jersey has some really beautiful golf courses. I've seen a lot of them. Not a lot of fairways, but the lovely forests and fields, lakes and streams nearby.