10 Questions with ... Allison Conway

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

• 2016-2017 Social Media Marketing Manager at 600 VOLT - (marketing for independent artists)
• 2017-Present WXRV (92.5 the River) Assist. PD/Promotions Manager

1. How did you become interested in radio?

I grew up listening to this station and it has shaped the type of music that I now seek and love. After college, I knew I wanted to do something where I could be around music, so went back to basics and applied to the station that started it all for me!

2. Who were/are your mentors?

I'm the youngest at the station and one of the newest to the industry, so I feel like all of my coworkers are in some ways my mentors. Since our office is small and we're independent, I've had the chance to learn and help out with a lot of different departments. I feel really lucky to be able to learn the business this way and experience so many different sectors of the industry.

One mentor I will mention, however, is my boss and our General Manager, Donald St. Sauveur. He's taught me almost everything I know about programming and all the little bits that comes with it. It's been an honor to have been trusted at such an early stage with not one, but two big roles at the station and Donald is always challenging me to keep doing more.

3. You wear several hats at the station. Tell us about that.

I was originally hired to run the Promotions department at the River. I have a background in strategic communications and that's how this job fell into my lap. When I was hired, there was no hired acting PD at the time, and I voiced my interest in the music side of the station. I started working with Donald each week, choosing our music adds and learning my way around Selector. Eventually I gained more and more responsibility and now I am scheduling music, reporting adds, bringing new music to the table, communicating with record labels and coordinating "River Music Hall" performances with different artists -- all while still running the promotions department. It's chaotic, but fun! I'm usually all over the place, but these roles have taught me how to organize my time really well. I still love working on promotional campaigns for our clients and editing our website because that's what I went to school for but getting involved with the music was just feeding into my passion that I've always had.

4. What do you like best about your job?

What I like best about my job is the company. The vibe at the River is very relaxed and inclusive. Everyone helps each other and everyone is held accountable to get their jobs done. We're all a family here at the River.

5. What has been your biggest career highlight?

I'd say my biggest career highlight was my discovery of Matt Maeson. I'm always looking for new music on Spotify and online, and last January I found his stripped-down version of 'Cringe' and fell in love with both the song and him as an artist. I brought the song to Donald and we immediately added it to the station. That's the cool thing about working for an independent station - we have a love for adding songs that aren't charting or popular. WXRV is about the classics, but also focuses on music discovery. After adding the song, we heard from Atlantic Records that they had signed him and this was his first-ever radio add. They didn't have a radio plan for him yet but were so excited we discovered him. It eventually led to an intimate radio performance where I got to meet and talk with him about last January's add. He's now pushing Triple A, and is a known artist in the industry, so it might not seem like a big "career highlight," but it's one of the reasons I love what I do. I have a passion for music discovery and it made me ecstatic to be the reason for his first radio play. I love sharing new music and the feedback we've gotten from our listeners about the song has been incredible.

6. The station has many get benchmark promotions but tell specifically us about RiverFeast event coming up soon.

RiverFeast is an amazing event. It's a benefit concert for the Greater Boston Food Bank, which is an incredible organization that helps to end hunger here by providing people in need with the healthy food and resources they need. It's held at the beautiful Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, MA. There's a cocktail hour with a silent auction, a five-course Thanksgiving-style meal, and then a special, intimate performance. This year we have The Jayhawks headlining and Billy Raffoul opening. This will be my second one - and I can't wait!

7. What are some of your biggest challenges as an independent station?

Some of the biggest challenges as an independent station is that everyone wears multiple hats. We are all doing a million things at once! Although, that challenge is what makes it so exciting day in and day out.

8. How much interaction do you have with record labels?

I talk to multiple record label reps at least once a day either by phone or email. I've built a lot of relationships with the reps who call on the station and have been lucky to work with all different artists because of those relationships.

9. What's the best piece of advice anyone's ever given you? The worst?

The best advice I've received is that as long as I'm happy at my job and I'm doing what I love, everything else falls into place later. The worst advice I've ever gotten was to eat that last piece of pizza!

10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without ...

Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee

Last non-industry job:

Waitressing

First record ever purchased:

Backstreet Boys' 'Millennium' album

First concert:

The Lumineers at the House of Blues in 2013

Favorite band of all-time:

Mumford & Sons

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?

Hiking, going to concerts, and traveling.