WKAR’s Classical team is launching a new program where you get to be the host.
"Community Classical" will let our listeners make their own hour-long playlist of their favorite classical pieces and join us on air to talk about their picks.
"Community is at the core of what we do," said Jamie Paisley, one of the show's hosts. "There are so many different versions of ways to love classical that hearing from public members themselves is just a great way to keep involved with that."
The show starts in September, but starting this week, WKAR team members will be sharing their curated classical playlists.
Listeners can submit their own playlists here.
"Pretty much tell us what your favorites are. Whether it's a favorite recording, a favorite composer or two or three or four, or maybe even a favorite artist, and we will take it from there," he said.
Paisley and the show's other host Lina Kernohan will then invite listeners to stop by the studio to talk about their picks for the show.
"Community Classical" airs on 90.5 WKAR at 3 p.m. on Fridays.
Interview Highlights
On the importance of community on our airwaves
You've probably seen us out and about a whole lot more over the past couple of years, different events and recording people's interviews just hearing their stories and and even modified that over the past few months, you might have heard having members of the community do our legal identification at the top of the hour. It's all part of that thing to make sure that we keep in mind that community is at the core of what we do.
On bringing WKAR staff members on the show
We're doing this for the month of August, so the members of WKAR staff can kind of set the stage. You understand what the show is like. So, Sophia, you're going to be week number one, and then week number two is going to be one of our engineers who is a great lover of organ music and organ performing. That is Ken Merley from engineering. Then Dave Mann, also from engineering. After that, it's going to be Ashlee Smith, who is our boss, as well as for the final episode before the public themselves get onto the microphone, it's going to be our General Manager Shawn Turner, as our final WKAR-er in the hot seat.
On how our hosts will work with listeners to create the show
Between Linda and myself, we'll review the different submissions that come in, and then we'll schedule a time for you to come in, probably no longer than an hour you would need to be here in the WKAR Studios, which are located on the MSU campus in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building. We'll bring you in. You're here, we'll give you a tour of the station as well, and then have you sit in one of our studios and we'll discuss your favorites that we've crafted a playlist with you.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: WKAR’s Classical team is launching a new program where you get to be the host.
"Community Classical" will let our listeners make their own hour-long playlist of their favorite classical pieces and join us on air to talk about their picks. The show starts in September, but starting this week with me!, WKAR team members will be sharing their curated classical playlists.
I spoke to one of the show’s hosts, our own Jamie Paisley, and started by asking him where the idea for the program came from.
Jamie Paisley: We are community radio, that is the core of what we do. And how do we make that different? The past few months, you've probably seen us out and about a whole lot more over the past couple of years, different events and recording people's interviews just hearing their stories and and even modified that over the past few months, you might have heard having members of the community do our legal identification at the top of the hour.
It's all part of that thing to make sure that we keep in mind that community is at the core of what we do. And there are so many different versions of ways to love classical that hearing from public members themselves is just a great way to keep involved with that.
Saliby: So, like I mentioned, I'll be sharing a playlist of my own this week. Who else from WKAR will be on the program?
Paisley: So, we're doing this for the month of August, so the members of WKAR staff can kind of set the stage. You understand what the show is like. So, Sophia, you're going to be week number one, and then week number two is going to be one of our engineers who is a great lover of organ music and organ performing. That is Ken Merley from engineering.
Then Dave Mann, also from engineering. After that, it's going to be Ashlee Smith, who is our boss, as well as for the final episode before the public themselves get onto the microphone, it's going to be our General Manager Shawn Turner, as our final WKAR-er in the hot seat.
Saliby: I wanted to tease a little bit of my playlist to get people excited. So, here's a little bit of the movement "Sarabande" from Caroline Shaw's "Partita for Eight Voices."
[Music excerpt plays]
Saliby: So, Jamie, were you surprised to see this piece pop up on my list?
Paisley: I mean, no.
Saliby: Is that a good thing?
Paisley: No, it's a great thing because there's no wrong way to listen to classical music. And part of the job is to not be surprised, because there is so much talent and so many ways that music can speak to us, and sometimes it is with voices.
And I know you are a big vocal fan, so yeah, and knowing especially how Caroline Shaw in her writing, I mean, she won the Pulitzer for this piece for good reason, and the way that she brings in not just, you know, baroque stylings and contemporary vocal techniques into one unit. It's just amazing, and I'm glad you chose it.
Saliby: So, how can our listeners participate and share their own playlists?
Paisley: You go online to wkar.org. There is a specific website for this program, and again, it is "Community Classical." There'll be a form where you can submit your name, where you're from and then just pretty much tell us what your favorites are.
Whether it's a favorite recording, a favorite composer or two or three or four, or maybe even a favorite artist, and we will take it from there. Between Linda and myself, we'll review the different submissions that come in, and then we'll schedule a time for you to come in, probably no longer than an hour you would need to be here in the WKAR Studios, which are located on the MSU campus in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building.
We'll bring you in. You're here, we'll give you a tour of the station as well, and then have you sit in one of our studios and we'll discuss your favorites that we've crafted a playlist with you.
Saliby: You can listen to "Community Classical" every Friday at 3 p.m. starting this week on 90.5 WKAR.
Paisley: And who's that first host?
Saliby: With me! With our classical hosts, Jamie Paisley and Linda Kernohan. Jamie, thank you for joining me.
Paisley: Gladly.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.