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The CHIRP Blog
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesDon’t Miss the Homeroom Chicago Songwriter Showcase on Thursday October 2nd
(Poster art by Matthew Kohnhorst)
CHIRP Radio is proud to team with Homeroom Chicago, an independent, nonprofit arts programming group, in presenting the first in a series of Songwriter Showcases at Columbia College’s HAUS at the Quincy Wong Center (623 S. Wabash). These showcases will give audience members the opportunity to listen to these songwriters perform in an intimate setting without a backing band as well as interact with artists as they talk about their songwriting process and influences. This is a great chance to hear about the technique and philosophy of songwriting from working musicians who are willing to share their love of their art and craft.
This Thursday, October 2nd, features performances and talks with J.C. Brooks, Kate Adams, Odea, and Isaiah Oby. Go to Homeroom Chicago’s Web site for more information.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesWhat Was at The Top of CHIRP’s Charts One Year Ago This Week?
These were the albums at the top of CHIRP Radio's charts the last week of September one year ago...
1. King Khan & The Shrines - Idle No More (Merge)
Andy Weber writesCHIRP Radio DJ Andy Weber on CHIRP Radio
My love for CHIRP is really hard to describe in words. Passion would be the word that comes to mind, but it goes way beyond that for me.
Being a member of CHIRP, and more specifically being a CHIRP DJ, has come to define me as a person. I have been around a long time and I have seen people come and go throughout the organization, but one thing that never fails to impress me is how the idea of small band of dedicated souls can consistently produce this incredibly unique and quality radio product.
I started as a volunteer back in the infant days of the organization in hopes of having a station to scratch my broadcasting itch. I tell people I am a “radio guy” through and through, and that I just got side tracked for a few years. For about as long as I can remember I wanted to be on the radio - I used to play DJ all the time back in grade school days. Then it was on to high school radio, college radio and eventually corporate radio. I saw the transition first hand from mom and pop ownership to corporate ownership. It was incredibly disheartening not only as a budding young professional but as a music listener as well. The promise of radio in the early 1990's were all but destroyed by the end of the decade, and as a result shortly after, I abandoned my hopes and dreams for radio and set off in a different direction. But when I caught wind of CHIRP, it seemed that the perfect moment had aligned in my life to get back to what I love!
CHIRP is such a major part of who I am now. After nearly 5 years of being on the air every Wednesday morning, and each time I walk into our wonderful old factory building, I get a chill of excitement knowing that I am a part of something great.
When I look back on how much we have accomplished at CHIRP as a group and as a station during this journey, I realize the best part is still to come. CHIRP is still in its early years with many more great things to come, and I am honored to be on the ride to make sure this happens.
Radio has Returned. Support CHIRP Radio's Amazing and Talented Volunteer Community with a Gift Today!
Mike Bennett writesFriday MP3 Shuffle - Happy Birthday Janet Weiss Edition
She is one of the great drummers in all of indie rock. Janet Weiss has pounded the skins with, among others, Sleater-Kinney, Quasi and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. Whether negotiating the angular punk of S-K, the melodic odd pop of Quasi (where she was usually one of only two instruments on the track) to the proggier stylings of Mr. Pavement’s solo project, Weiss handles it all and makes it better. So let’s pay tribute to her on her birthday by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle and sharing the first ten tunes that come up.
Karin Fjellman writesCHIRP Radio Events Director Karin Fjellman on CHIRP’s Place in the Community
I was bitten by the radio bug in college. When I learned that CHIRP was forming in the summer of 2007, I knew something important and groundbreaking was happening. As a firm believer in the ideals of community radio, I had to get involved.
This organization has brought together so many incredible people from all walks of life, and it's been a joy to see them uniting for a common interest. I've had the unique opportunity to see CHIRP develop from holding meetings in public cafes, to building its own studio, to finally being on the verge of holding a broadcast license. And this is only the beginning.
In addition to being a founding member of CHIRP, I've also been an on-air DJ for years, and I currently serve as the organization's Events Director. The danger of any radio station is that it becomes easy to hole up in your beautiful broadcast studio and have a merely one-way relationship with your listeners. But that's not what CHIRP is about – and that's where CHIRP Events steps in.
The Events Department is charged with creating opportunities for CHIRP's volunteers, the station's audience, and the local arts community to gather face-to-face to share our love of music. Through booking local artists for our various events, I've had the pleasure of becoming a part of a music scene that is so stylistically diverse, yet unified in its support for one another. I've also loved getting to know our listeners at events like our music quizzes, record store crawls and of course our annual Record Fair & Other Delights.
As the station continues to grow, and as we get closer to obtaining a broadcast license, we're determined to host more innovative events, more often, and inclusive of more people in the community. But we can only make those dreams happen with your generous support.
You can help CHIRP Radio grow with a donation at any level during our Fall Fundraising campaign!