Since 1984, Wake Radio has provided students and the broader Piedmont Triad region with free, curated music. The student-run club broadcasts hour-long shows from 9 a.m to 1 a.m. every day of the week.
Wake Radio president, senior Jackson Shaver, explained the club’s mission of providing a creative and social outlet for its members and listeners.
“It’s just about bringing people who love music together and getting them all in the same space,” Shaver said. “A big thing that I think about is no matter someone’s race, gender, ethnicity, no matter any barrier anyone might have, two people can still like the same music.”
A casual, collaborative club
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Shaver said that Wake Radio is inclusive and easy to join.
“The main function of the club is very low commitment,” Shaver said. “You just have to go to the studio for one hour a week. You can play whatever music you want to. Anyone in the whole world can listen, including your friends and family at home and friends here. It’s just taking an hour of your week to sit back and listen to music on really good speakers in a really cool space.”
Shaver said the club aims to have an app available by the end of the semester for both members and listeners. This app will allow hosts to easily schedule their shows and give listeners more information about each host, along with the type of music they can expect to hear.
“[The app will be] making it better for both the people in the club and the people that want to listen to have more inclusive experiences,” Shaver said.
Sophomore Emmanuel Ramirez enjoys co-hosting a Wake Radio show with his friend.
“Whenever there’s a radio show that he hosts, I’ll go and hang out with him,” Ramirez said. “There’s multiple mics in the studio, so you can talk as well. You can have a conversation and talk about the music.”
Ramirez also appreciates the Wake Radio studio space on the fifth floor of Benson.
“It’s a cool place to hang out,” Ramirez said. “They have a ton of CDs and other physical music. Even if you don’t want to listen to the songs that are going on the radio, you can just grab a CD and play it.”
To gain access to the lounge, potential members must complete three “intern hours.” During these hours, interns assist hosts with their shows and learn how the station operates. Then, they must pass a test administered by the staff manager, sophomore Abby Hoyt. Hoyt said that in addition to conducting exams, she keeps track of current members and attendance.
“I also am one of the first faces that a lot of freshmen will meet coming into Wake Radio,” Hoyt said. “That’s been a really great opportunity. I have met so many people through it now, and seeing the freshmen get involved on campus and with Wake Radio has been super fun.”
Engaging the community with cool music
Hoyt’s show runs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. She said that she likes to have a theme for each of her shows.
“I love rock music,” Hoyt said. “That’s mostly what I end up playing. I also like indie-pop stuff as well. I’ve done a lot of genres like new wave, country, funk and stuff like that.”
One of her favorite themes this semester was a Fleetwood Mac-centered show.
“I went through how the members of the band would speak to each other through their songs and lyrics,” Hoyt said. “It requires a bit more research if I’m actually gonna give backstories behind the songs. When I am doing a specific, themed show, I aim to give the audience a bit more context of why I chose those songs.”
She added that themed shows give listeners a chance to learn something new about the music or discover songs they might not know.
“I gave more context about the artist and their life,” Hoyt said. “My friends and family at home and here listen, so even if it’s not necessarily their genre of choice, it can be more fun to listen to when you get to hear fun facts about the music. And I think getting context behind the songs, too, is awesome because you get to hear where that sound came from and understand the emotions behind it a bit more.”
Wake Radio also hosts musical groups at concerts in the spring and fall.
“It’s a really good opportunity for students on campus and even bands locally to play,” Hoyt said. “It usually ends up being about five acts.”
Hoyt said that anyone can perform, not just Wake Radio members, and that all music is welcome.
“It can be DJs, it can be a cappella groups,” she said. “It can be actual rock bands, whatever you want to showcase. The events are usually held at the Gas Hill area of the Ramkat.”
Wake Radio’s upcoming spring concert will be on April 18 at 8 p.m. at Gas Hill.
“We’re gonna have a variety of bands playing,” Hoyt said. “My band, ‘No Invite,’ is playing.”
Sophomore Noah Brown often performs at Wake Radio concerts with his band, K.O.N.K.
“I go to pretty much all of their events,” Brown said. “At a lot of their events, it’ll be an open-mic scenario. I’ll bring my saxophone, I’ll bring my band and we’ll perform.”
Brown also enjoys co-hosting his friends’ radio shows.
“When I go to somebody else’s show, they’ve pretty much already had their playlist mapped out,” Brown said. “It’s really a fun time. You’re just chatting and listening to good music.”
Brown said that he also listens to Wake Radio.
“Sometimes I’ll tune in just to see what people are listening to,” Brown said. “Having something to put on in the background really helps when I’m in the library studying because I always know it’s going to be good music.”