Erin Van Ness writesWhy I Volunteer

Over the course of our Fall Membership Drive, we’re sharing some of the inspiring stories we receive from our volunteers and members. Today, Assistant Guest Coordinator, Blake Burkhart, shares why he enjoys volunteering for CHIRP.

Hearing a song for the first time is an interesting experience. Sometimes I’ll feel indifferent, or I’ll enjoy it once and move on. On the other hand, there are times when I hear a piece of music, and I am absolutely floored. I’ve never known a source that gives me that feeling as reliably as CHIRP Radio. It’s the combination of an eclectic library and the fact that the DJs (with great taste) actually choose their sets themselves, something that is sadly uncommon these days. I have been an enthusiastic listener since day one, and I have CHIRP to thank for introducing me to many wonderful tunes.

I started volunteering thinking it would be an honor to help this cause in any way I could. That was almost two years ago. Since joining, I’ve hung posters, handed out fliers, interviewed bands for podcasts, snapped photos, shot videos, helped plan events, and hosted my own shows. There have been some thrilling and rewarding experiences to say the least, but the best feeling of all is when a person I’ve never met, in another state—or country!—listens to my show and tells me that they like something I played that they had never heard before. To me, that’s the whole point of what this station is trying to achieve.

—Blake Burkhart
DJ and Volunteer since 2011

Agree that CHIRP is a vital service worth supporting? You can always:

• Learn about volunteering CHIRP Radio is always accepting new volunteers. No experience in radio required—just an enthusiastic attitude and a willingness to pitch in!
• Become a member CHIRP needs more than just birdseed to run the station. Show your support by becoming a member today!
• Share your story What does CHIRP Radio mean to you? Let us know and we may feature your story in future materials!

Erin Van Ness writesBuilding the Station You Want to Hear

Over the course of our Fall Membership Drive, we’re sharing some of the inspiring stories we receive from our volunteers and members. Today, long-time volunteer, Austin Harvey, describes the impact CHIRP DJs have on the Chicago community.

On the surface, it would seem that someone who DJs for CHIRP would do so for rather selfish reasons. You get to hear new music first, discover scads of new bands, foist your own musical tastes on an unsuspecting public, and hang out with the coolest music enthusiasts in the city.

But there’s actually more to it than that. DJs play a crucial role in the impact CHIRP has on the Chicago community as a whole. We’re playing music from local bands and labels around the clock, not just on a sequestered hour late at night. Chicagoans have a way to stay connected to their music and cultural scene, even if they’re on the other side of the planet. Supporters have a station they can call their own, with a stake in their community as well.

Ultimately, my own involvement with CHIRP is something bigger than the sum of any one volunteer’s contributions. It’s everyone trying, through the medium of radio — a medium that we all thought would be dead and gone in the 21st century — to make their community, their city, and their world a better, more interconnected place. It started with a few rogue music fans trying to build the station they wanted to hear. Thankfully, it’s the sort of thing that a few other folks wanted to hear as well.

—Austin B. Harvey
DJ and Volunteer since 2008

Agree that CHIRP is a vital service worth supporting? You can always:

• Learn about volunteering CHIRP Radio is always accepting new volunteers. No experience in radio required—just an enthusiastic attitude and a willingness to pitch in!
• Become a member CHIRP needs more than just birdseed to run the station. Show your support by becoming a member today!
• Share your story What does CHIRP Radio mean to you? Let us know and we may feature your story in future materials!