10 Questions with ... Jade

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I started out as a dancer and fell in love with music thru movement. Meet some bands in high school and wanted to help promote them. Worked for my college radio station in Lawrence, Kansas (while bartending and booking bands at those venues) and kept in touch with my hometown by listening to The Current. Sent in an aircheck when I graduated and got hired as the live overnight weekend host. Then fill-in host / Morning Show producer. Then Mid-day host / producer. And now Mid-day host / Music Director.

1. How did you become interested in radio?

I love to talk about music and college radio gave me a venue for that.

2. How long have you been at The Current?

Since 2008 (the station started in 2005, so I’ve been here nearly the entire run)

3. How are you settling into the role of Music Director?

I worked as a music promoter briefly just out of college, and I’ve booked venues and had my own event planning company, so I enjoy having a role that allows me to re-connect (or connect for the first time) with people who’s love of music has taken them to a wide variety of outlets and talk to them about music to help keep the eco system alive and thriving.

4. How are the music meetings being conducted with the pandemic still in play with our lives?

Like most things, these are happening via zoom.

5. What new artists are you most excited about?

-Wet Leg
-Dijon
-Kiss The Tiger

6. You are a big supporter of local musicians. In what ways do you help them get exposure?

In the past I was the sole employee for a non-profit call Minnesota Music Coalition that took established artists from the Twin Cities and brought them to more rural communities for workshops and concerts with band from those communities and with my events company I booked hundreds of local acts for shows. These days on The Current we have 3 hours of local music on Sundays – we program MN music right along side our other artists in rotation. We promote local shows – throughout the pandemic we hosted a series of virtual shows (Sounds Like Home) to highlight and pay MN artists to perform. We’ve also hosted a series called LineCheck, basically a town hall type virtual meeting with a curated host and musical guests to talk about issues facing our local music community.

7. What do you see as the most important issue public radio is facing today?

Equity and parity across the board. Highlighting a wide mix of voices both as on-air hosts and for the music selections played.

8. What has been your biggest career highlight?

Just the amount of care and thoughtfulness that I’ve witnessed from the staff as far as programming during the pandemic and responding to our local community via music and conversations.

9. What would surprise people most about you?

I was Charlie Brown at the Mall of America for nearly a decade.

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

Caffeine.

Do have any local charities or humanitarian organizations you are passionate about?

Free Arts MN – a wonderful organization that brings art therapy to children What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?

I wake up and do yoga ever morning at 6am and I run on the weekends (yes outside in the MN cold) with monthly races. I also am in a book club, help out with my neighborhood association, and I like to cook.