- Are you from Kamloops? If not, where are you from and how did you come to be in Kamloops?
– Yes I am from Kamloops. Born and raised. My mom was born in Red Deer and my Dad was
born in Fiske, which is just outside of Kindersley. - Are you a student volunteer? If so, what are you studying and does volunteering at the station
help with your studies?
– No I’m not a student volunteer. I used to be a student of TRU from 2009 to 2011. I studied
community and school support, which I actually completed before I started volunteering with
CFBX. I went back in 2021 and took a Journalism course, which I took through Zoom. - Are you a community volunteer? How do you think volunteering at the station supports your
engagement with the Kamloops community?
– Yes I am a community volunteer. I have been with CFBX since 2011. I had my first show just before Halloween. Volunteering with CFBX has helped me gain valuable experience on air and with the community. I love helping out with the info tables put on by CFBX, this allows me to connect with people in the community and put myself out there a lot. I also volunteer with the Kamloops Storm, where I do music for their home games and I co-host a podcast called “The Storm Podcast”, which is an opportunity to get to know the members of the Storm organization, such as the players, the coaches and the management. I started off as a producer. Then I became a co-host as well near the end of the season. My experience with CFBX has actually helped me earn that volunteer position with the Storm. It has allowed me to build on skills, such as on air speaking, audio production and interviewing. - What is it about volunteering in general that appeals to you?
– Volunteering is my way of giving back to the community that has supported me throughout my life. It is also a great way to build experience on my resume, which has allowed me to earn a paid job with Radio NL as a board operator. - What other hobbies and interests do you have outside of doing campus/community radio?
– I love to swim, go for walks on the Rivers Trail and watch sports whenever I can. My favourite sports are hockey, basketball, football and baseball. I love the Kamloops Blazers, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Raptors. Those are my favourites, but I like to watch all teams in all leagues, to check the stats to see how they are all doing. - What is your show about? What would a listener hear when they tune in?
– My show is called Alternative Eye (Wednesdays 6-7 pm), where I play all types of music. Some of the genres I play include: alternative rock, indy rock, blues, folk, hip hop and hard rock. Over the years, I’ve started to really focus on blues, indy rock, alternative rock and hard rock. I focus on these genres more because they are more upbeat and allow the audience to be more engaged with the music I play. I do a double take on every show, which allows the audience to get more exposed to the music played by that specific artist, so they will want to go back and listen to more music. (Ex: Swing Cat Bounce, Harpdog Brown). I usually focus on new music because it allows for more exposure for the artists featured. I’ve also started a new segment called the Hard Rock Set, where I focus on hard rock and heavy metal, mostly new music. (ex: Self-Deception, Another Day Dawns). It’s also an excuse for me to rock out in the studio for a period of time. - What makes your show unique? Why do you think listeners are interested in your show?
– What makes Alternative Eye unique is the fact that you never know what artist you are going to hear. You also never know when you are going to hear an artist. There’s a lot of music to explore, so I like to share my musical discoveries with the listening audience. I hope the music I play encourages the audience to broaden their horizons, instead of listening to the same song over and over again 18-20 times a day. - What does campus/community radio mean to you?
– It means everything to me. It’s an opportunity to gain broadcasting experience, both on air and off air. I’m hoping my experiences with CFBX, Radio NL and the Kamloops Storm will help lead me into a professional broadcasting gig as an on air host. - What shows at CFBX do you like and listen to regularly? Why do you enjoy them?
– I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to too many shows. However, one show that I really like is Ska on The X with Dean McKerchar (Wednesdays- 7-8). His show is right after my show finishes. Dean loves his ska music, which has encouraged me to start liking it as well, especially the rock steady genre of music that he plays. I believe that ska mixes in really well with alternative rock and reggae. - Name an artist you discovered through your time at CFBX that you’d like others to know about.
– It’s hard to name one specific artist because there are so many of them. I’m going to name 2. One alternative rock band and one hard rock band. For alternative rock, I would recommend that listeners check out Babe Corner, out of Vancouver. They actually released their debut album just last month. Babe Corner also performed here in Kamloops, as part of Brewloops back in September. They put on a really good show. For hard rock, I would recommend audiences to listen to Another Day Dawns, out of Leighton, Pennsylvania. They are that perfect blend of hard rock and heavy metal. They really get you moving fast. - Is there a local musician that you would like people to pay more attention to? Why?
– One local musician that I would recommend for listeners would be Jeremy Kneeshaw. He is a musician that blends together surf rock with alternative rock. It is really easy listening and relaxing, similar to JP Lancaster. He has performed all over Kamloops, including last year at Music in the Park. - Do you enjoy attending live concerts? Why? Can you tell us about your favourite live concert that you’ve been to?
– I love attending live concerts because it allows me to see the performers in person and I get to feel the energy of being at a live concert. Listening to music on the radio or on a CD is not the same as listening to an artist or band live in concert. I haven’t been able to check out a lot of concerts lately, but the best one I attended was when Marlaena Moore was in town, alongside JP Lancaster. She put on a phenomenal show at the Effie Arts Collective, which I wish went longer. She blends together psychedelic rock with indy rock and has a great voice. - What do you hope to do with your show in the future? What direction do you see your show moving?
– I hope to do more interviews with bands and artists, which I hope to include on my show. I also hope to do some hockey talk on my show, where I bring in guests to talk hockey in Kamloops, including updates on the Kamloops Storm and Kamloops Blazers. I also hope to continue my journey of musical discovery into hard rock and alternative rock. I also hope to discover more music related to the genres of indy rock and blues.
CFBX 92.5FM 