Patrick Masterson writesCHIRP Radio Music Director Patrick Masterson Talks Music and CHIRP Radio

Though CHIRP Radio is a creative outlet for many people in many ways, our programming day to day depends on music. Amid the clutter of the modern radio landscape, we try hard as a station to cultivate a unique musical middle ground that unites the unpredictable adventurousness of a college station with the studied familiarity of what's left of mainstream radio.

As a listener, you get to hear the results. As a DJ, you get to play them. And as one of three Music Directors in charge of the Music Department, it's my responsibility to ensure that keeps happening.

Some background: I consider myself fortunate to have been working toward that ideal balance for so long. Even with the Internet, I don't think I would have been adequately prepared for joining CHIRP without first observing (and contributing to) an idea of how good radio could be at my university station back in South Carolina. When I moved to Chicago in 2007, CHIRP felt like a natural fit, a logical extension of that experience.

Well, almost – we didn't have anything except an enthusiastic group of volunteers and places around town willing to put us up for a few hours every third Thursday of the month.

But I kept coming. From 2007 to 2009, we pooled resources for a rough idea of how our music library would start out. We wrote letters to Congress. We tabled at festivals and shows to explain who we were. We created a digital infrastructure to support our limitless musical dreams. We built a physical station in a factory from the ground up. Then we went on the air. I remember. I was the fifth DJ on the schedule.

Since then, my ambition as a member of CHIRP hasn't gone further than being Music Director. I've only ever wanted to be what I am, a guiding hand for DJs and listeners alike to show you music's limitless possibilities: If you loved Björk, you may have a taste for FKA Twigs; if you enjoy Cave, you can find a direct link to Basic Channel; if the message of pre-war blues resonates with you, maybe drill's visceral desperation will hit you the same way.

This is only part of what it's about. One of our volunteers, Dave Toropov, has said that his show is about getting his songs to speak to each other; I love that description but it's not just songs talking to each other, or a DJ in a booth talking to themselves – this is about all of us interacting with one another, live on the air, everyday. It's about building a Chicago community from an idea that we could be educating and entertaining ourselves better.

If you're like me and you think a network of spiritually aligned radio supporters in your city is something worth believing in, consider a donation during this fall campaign fundraiser. If you think the idea of a better future for radio excites you, consider a donation. If the idea of repurposing an old medium for presenting art in a new millennium is worthwhile, consider a donation. And if you're my mom, I'll call you on Sunday since you already know what to do. Thanks for listening.

Radio has returned. Make a tax-deductible contribution supporting CHIRP Radio’s Fall Fundraising Campaign today!