What's your position and how long have you been on staff?
Music Director since Summer 2021
What is your typical day like as a staff member?
I wake up, either go to work or try to stretch maybe go for a walk, and cook breakfast. After class I might go through promoter emails and listen to a couple albums we were sent. After that I’ll typically head to a meeting of some sort, do homework and then wind down with some Netflix before bed. Maybe not the most interesting typical day, but it keeps me busy.
What do you do outside of KVRX?
I’m a barista at a coffee shop downtown and avid coffee enjoyer- if you ever see me around come say hi! Like everyone else, I spend a lot of time at live shows, so Stubbs and Mohawk are my second homes at this point <3. I’m also big on the outdoors, and love to spend weekends playing volleyball at the park or swimming.
What is the name of your show? What is your show about?
Stanky Hour! I got the name from the Outkast album Stankonia which is one of my favorites. My show doesn’t have a strong theme, but that’s kind of intentional. Personally, I have tastes and preferences that change all the time and I want my show to reflect that. I play whatever I have been liking and think is cool enough to share. The only underlying theme is that anything you hear will be stanky and it will be groovy.
If you could only play one album on your show what album would it be? Why?
Apollo XXI by Steve Lacy. I spoke about that album in my intern interview way back when and I stand by it when I say I think it is the perfect album. I know he’s kind of blowing up right now which might make this seem like a basic answer, but that album changed my perspective a lot on music when I first heard it in high school, and it’s one of the few albums I can listen to over and over and never get tired of.
Favorite concert?
This is a hard one, I might have to go with Kaytranada from December 2021. I bought my tickets months in advance for this show and went with a hometown friend so even the buildup to show day was exciting. If you don’t know Kaytra’s music I highly recommend you check it out, but he has this euphoric, dance music that created the perfect vibe for a Friday night show- that and the fact that the lighting crew/set design did an amazing job making it feel like we were in some London nightclub instead of outdoors in the dirt behind Stubb's (love you though Stubb's). I’ve never seen that venue as alive as I did that night, everyone was dancing and scream-singing, it was a show I will definitely never forget. Tied for second place has gotta be Childish Gambino and Cage the Elephant’s ACL sets.
If you could have your favorite artist sing you Happy Birthday who would it be and why?
Stevie Wonder. Besides the fact that he’s Stevie Wonder, over the years it has become a family tradition to listen to his version of Happy Birthday every year, to hear that live would probably make my entire family cry lol.
If you could only listen to one song on repeat for the rest of your life, what song would it be?
My answer to this question definitely changes every time I’m asked haha. Today I’ll say Monks by Frank Ocean. Listening to that song I feel like I’m being guided through a journey- it has really powerful lulls and highs. Frank’s cadence in this song makes it feel like you’re listening to him just doing spoken word poetry with the drums and piano accenting in the back (am I just describing what a song is here?? Lol). Regardless, one of my favorite Frank Ocean songs ever.
What's your favorite KVRX memory?
My favorite KVRX memory is probably the picnic at Pease Park last year. It was one of my first socials and it’s where I met a lot of the friends I still have today. Playing spikeball even though none of us really knew what it was and eating cookies in the park was a surprisingly good bonding experience.
Lastly...what advice would you give to the new DJs?
To new DJs, if this isn’t the most generic advice ever, have fun with your show. You might feel pressure to find something new and underground all the time, but you’ll leave having found so much cool art to share with the world, don’t let it be a chore! Also, push yourself to expand outside of whatever genres you’re used to, different countries, different eras, different languages all have something unique to bring to the table if you give them a shot.