The moment I found out my new school had a radio station and a broadcasting class, everything else stopped mattering.
I was in 9th grade Home Ec with my best friend Roger. Probably not containing my excitement very well, I turned to him and made the announcement. His response might have been a mumble of acknowledgement, or more likely a grunt in my general direction. Either way, there was no enthusiasm to be found.
How could my best friend, who loves music as much as I do, not be excited about this?
I ran straight to the counselor’s office after class to get the details. I hadn’t been excited about anything in school outside of lunch break since recess in elementary school.
Broadcasting meant playing music, being a radio DJ. That was enough. I signed up for the start of 10th grade.
Learning to Be a Radio DJ
That first day of class was exciting and disappointing at the same time. There were three studios at the back of the room, all visible through large, thick glass windows. Before we could step inside, there was book work to be done. It was still high school.
Back then, you needed an FCC license to be on the air. That meant studying for the exam: learning how to log the broadcast tower numbers to stay within power limits, what you couldn’t say on air, and what you had to say, like the station ID at the top of every hour.
Finally, I passed my test, and that meant studio time. The first week we had to shadow an older student before taking the controls. I was paired with a senior who was my absolute stereotype of a 1970s DJ. Long hair, cool sunglasses, deep voice, laid-back demeanor, and a name like “Doug Judy.” I was in awe.
My First Shot at Being a DJ
The day for my own show finally arrived. I told all my friends and relatives to tune in to 89.5 FM so they could hear me on the radio. My shift was in the early evening, and it was the first time I was going to a school activity after hours.
As I walked into the studio to replace the outgoing DJ, I had to pretend everything was cool. In reality, my feet barely felt like they were touching the floor, and my stomach was tied in a knot.
On the Air
I’m really doing it!
It felt like everything up to that point had led to this moment. I ran through all my training in my head: how to queue up a record, how to use the cart machines, watching the meter levels so they didn’t hit the red.
And the most important thing of all: no dead air! Dead air is the worst thing a DJ can do. It usually results in an immediate phone call from the station manager!
The second worst thing a DJ can do is talk past the instrumental opening of a song and into the vocals. The result is always deep embarrassment.
I queued up a record on the turntable, stood in front of the mic and adjusted it to the perfect height, and put my hand on the switch that would turn it on.
With one hand I pressed the button to start the record, simultaneously flicked the mic switch with the other and started talking. I probably said my name, welcomed everyone to the show, and introduced the song.
That was the last time I was ever nervous in front of a mic. I was an introvert who never quite fit in most places. But behind that microphone I felt like I belonged. The shyness disappeared, my confidence soared, and I was happy. I stayed in broadcasting through the remainder of high school. I even talked Roger into joining me for a semester or two.
Life Happens
After high school, Roger and I carried out a plan we’d already put in motion. We joined the Marine Corps together through the buddy system and shipped out to boot camp within months of leaving school.
I got married while I was in, and we had a baby. After my tour ended and I came home, I had a family to support. I landed a job working on an armored car, but the memories of standing in front of that mic and control board never left me.
The pull never quit. One day I told my wife I wanted to go to broadcasting school. She didn’t hesitate. She told me to go.
Back in Front of the Mic
I lived in an area that had what was considered the ‘Harvard of broadcasting schools,’ and I was accepted the following semester. The moment I walked into that building, everything clicked back into place.
I excelled through my classes, and the instructors told me I was a natural. At graduation I had offers from two stations, and with the advice of school counselors picked the best of the two.
I remember the first day. I had the afternoon shift, so normally I would be there alone. On this day there was someone else there with me. Just like in high school, someone new to the field had to shadow someone on the first week.
I was having none of that. My confidence was high, and after watching my trainer talk through the first two breaks, I told him “I got this.” He turned, said “You sure?” and stepped aside from the board.
I turned the mic up and began my career.
When Reality Sets In
It didn’t take long to realize that being a radio DJ wasn’t quite what I had imagined.
I was on the air, playing music, doing exactly what I had worked toward. It was fun, but behind the scenes, things were a little different.
Most of the opportunities were in smaller markets, which meant moving around and starting over more than once. It also meant the pay didn’t exactly match the dream.
My life wasn’t standing still. My family was growing, and so were the responsibilities that came with it. I could have kept going. That’s the path most people take. You move from market to market, slowly working your way up.
But that path comes with trade-offs, and at some point, it stops being just about you.
At that same time, the industry itself was starting to change. Stations were being bought, consolidated, and restructured. A lot of DJs were suddenly out of work, and the stability I thought came with the job started to feel a lot less certain.
This was also when personal computers were taking off. It was clear technology wasn’t going anywhere but up.
At some point, the decision made itself. I still loved being on the radio. That part never changed. But I couldn’t ignore what was in front of me either.
So, I made a change.
A Different Path
I went back to school and earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Management. From there, I built a career in IT that eventually led me to where I am today.
People assume I must regret it.
I don’t.
I still miss being behind the mic sometimes. That never really goes away. But I’m happy with where I ended up, and I’m proud of the path that got me here.
The passion for music never went anywhere. It just found a different outlet. That’s what Sonic Pulse Reviews is, really: the mic I never fully put down.
