July musings in Radioland (***warning, it's a bit of a ramble) (not my image, by the way but isn't it great?)

 

Greetings, fellow babies!

                                 (Gad, I miss Johnny Fever and the whole crew at WKRP)

Wanna start by thanking everyone for supporting the station and this show.  Through your listenership and financial donations we are able to keep the ball rolling for independent alternative radio in an overcrowded dial.  Man, over 35 years on the air!  Think about that!

For me and the Ruby Slippers crew (Melanie and Cally the wonderdog), each week's show is an adventure into the unknown. Ever heard the term "Happy Mail"? Well, that describes what comes to the inbox each and every day from artists, record labels and music fans. The real challenge is trying to jam as much great music into an hour as humanly possible. Sometimes wonderful tracks are lost in the shuffle and if that was ever the case with your suggestion or music, please don't hesitate to poke me as a reminder. In the fractured words of Bones on Star Trek "I'm just a human bean, Jim".

Anyway...

I thought I might share this with you. RS is rather an organic thing and  the epitome of open format programming. Punk one set, hard rock another followed by 80's synth, a smattering of country and folk, take-a-breath instrumentals, prog and psychedelic: basically a musical journey through all the colours of life topped up with the latest selection and  interviews by our very own German music correspondent. For those listening, the goal is to achieve a sampler of amazing music with the hope that something will resonate and perhaps make you curious to seek out more.

Not gonna lie, the one hour show has been wonderful but for years seemed like it was bursting at the seams and needed more space to explore and showcase this content and more. Unfortunately, that was never going to happen on CIUT.

Then... COVID.

Everybody had to learn to do shows from home and fast. With that, however, came the opportunity to reach out to other community radio stations and find that space to play more music on a weekly basis without physically entering a studio.

Hence, "Through The Looking Glass" on CFRU 93.3 FM (www.cfru.ca) came into being and I am amazed to say, has now logged show number 208.

Same crew (Melanie, Cally and me), but a different feel for a Sunday night at 9 pm. There are often  artists featured on RS but more ballads and over all gentler programming for the time slot. Of course, rock cannot be stopped and Melanie's pick is always included on both shows. In doing this hour, though, I can feel this smaller community is just as supportive of their station as Toronto is for CIUT, but somehow...its different. You see, I started out there way back when, and for me, its like going home. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I will continue to barrel through the madness that is Ruby Slippers every week as long as it has a place on the schedule. I mean, really? That's a no brainer.

I have always believed that radio has the means to pull people together in a way nothing else can or I wouldn't still be doing this 13 years (or maybe it's 14?) later.

So the takeaway from this, I suppose, is to invite you to tune in to community alternative stations either on the radio dial or online. Go beyond your local tribe and comfort zone. Hear what other cities and towns are passionate about. Ever wondered what Fredericton is listening to? Calgary has a vibrant community radio culture. Did you know that Radio Caroline  (from pirate radio fame) is still broadcasting? No listening adventure is complete without WFMU in East Orange, New Jersey.  And of course know that you are always welcome to travel Through the Looking Glass and follow the music wherever it may take us on CFRU in Guelph Ontario. 

Well, that's it for now.

Hope you are all having a great summer.

See you soon.

Thanks for listening.

PS excellent image but I can't take credit for it.

 

 

Membership time again! Start Your Engines, fellow babies!

Greetings, one and all.

Once again here at the station we find ourselves staring down the barrel of a membership drive. 

I know that sounds ominous but for those of us who program it is always a time of excitement mixed with terror. It's not that some of you don't let us know you are there when you check out the playlists or download the podcasts of the shows (on the website, in case you didn't know, under the show pages) or even send messages on social media and via email. It's just that at the heart of it, we at CIUT  want to make a connection and share our joy and enthusiasm with as many people as we can as we put together every show. As odd as it sounds, donations are a vital way to demonstrate that you are listening and care about this programming while also helping to pay the bills!

As a music show host and producer  I listen to a lot of stuff every day of the week.  I am not a musician (despite years of piano and bass lessons and a cellar full of instruments). Hence, every submission, every discovery online and in records stores is a thrill. To think that someone out there created something unique and meaningful and had the guts to share it! Amazing and awe inspiring!

Therefore, I want to showcase as much as I can as well as I can!

Now as a one hour show in a single broadcast slot on Friday night (no repeats on the schedule), I worry that sometimes musicians' hard work is missed. Again, consider that there are podcasts of the shows on the website if you are as passionate about new music as I and other show hosts are (I'm looking at you, Alex).  Community radio is about making connections and feedback is a two way street. If one side is sharing and no one is listening or acknowledging that what they hear is of value, how will that work? 

I know this sounds like a ramble, maybe even a scrambled ramble (it has been a long week already and it's only Monday). In a time when many of us have to stop and consider how each dollar will be spent it is not easy sometimes to find money for non essential things like entertainment or charity. I always find it hard during these campaigns to ask for donations, not going to lie. But long before I started doing this, I was like you, a supporter of community radio and although I was not on air, I helped keep this alternative independent station on the air with what I was able to donate. Actually, I still do, even as a programmer. 

Without equipment or a transmitter or a designated internet feed or a website or people to train the army of volunteers who pass through these doors, or the handful of full time folks who make sure stuff goes out to the world as smoothly as possible, there simply would be no framework for the content. That takes financial donations and we all want to do our part by rallying the troops that listen to our shows.

I guess that's why I worry during these fundraisers. Is Ruby Slippers' commitment to new and alternative music important to you as a listener and as an artist?

If you are able at this time, please go to www.ciut.fm and donate. And let them know that the crew from Ruby Slippers sent you.

Your support is appreciated and never taken for granted.

On behalf of myself, Melanie and Callydog (still rocking it at 14) thanks for listening.

It's that most wonderful time of the year!!!! (Halloween of course)

 

🎶🎶  (C'mon, I know you sang the title, didn't you?)

Well, gentle readers, as many of you know, this is my favorite time, hands down. 

Loads of leaves, damp, misty days, sweaters, rot (well, may not that, although who doesn't love the smell of a forest floor?) and the opportunity to do the annual SPOOKTACULAR show on air.  There are so many wonderful tracks to choose from it is an impossible task to set a playlist for a single hour show without wishing for a lot more time to revel in the glory that is Halloween. 

Having said that, there are some favorites that never get old. Yacht's "Afterlife", any version of "Monster Mash" (although the Dollyrots come to mind, also the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band), "Time Warp", "I Put A Spell on You" (Screamin Jay Hawkins, but also the Kills)... (sigh, you get the picture.)

However, there are always new depths to explore and I will try my best to introduce some of those to each and every one of you. 

So my friends, if you have any suggestions to add to the cauldron that is this gruesome fabulous endeavor, please send them along. 

After all, you can never have too much magic this time of year.

Til later, 

carolB and Callydog (the Queen of Halloween)

PS the membership thing is just over the horizon

Here's to Spring? Summer? Sunshine!

Hi folks!

It's another sun drenched morning and despite the fact that we had not seen rain in what seems like forever, it is a glorious change to the months and months of overcast skies. Mind you, I swear I have seen plants pull their roots out of the ground and very slowly make their way to the birdbath. Then again, it might have been the lack of sleep talking. (What kind of mushrooms were in that salad ?)

Anyway, we have again come to the end of the membership drive and for those who were able to donate this time around, muchas gracias.  The lights will stay on for another six months, the core staff will continue to buzz about sprinkling magic here and there to make new initiatives take flight, and the volunteers will continue to seek out interesting music and spoken word content for your listening pleasure. Not sure how Cally feels about that. She would prefer I played metal 24/7 and spent more time outside rather than previewing music but then again, she only has one vote in this house. Nothing more cookies won't smooth over, I suspect.

Did you know that the new volunteer staff guy has set up a student space for listening to albums? Like, vinyl albums! It's at the UTSU Student Commons and if I was still going to school I would no doubt be living there in between classes. Check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs35Ks_KcbX/

And coming up in the next few weeks, yours truly will be adding a recommendation or two from Bandcamp for your consideration on the blogspot (https://rubyslippersradio.blogspot.com or https://carolbonciut.blogspot.com) which you can decipher with a secret decoder ring. Had to come up with something for those who donated to this show! However, the week after it goes up, I will also post the selection again without the encryption for everyone to enjoy so if a donation wasn't to be for you this time around, never fear! 

At this juncture, just thought I would put in a word for another station which is near and dear to my heart. It is CFRU933 in Guelph (www.cfru.ca) and Ruby Slippers' sister show, Through The Looking Glass, which

airs at 9 pm on Sundays. Different day, different time, different feel entirely. If you are feeling like more mellow fare, may I invite you to join me there. This was my first station and a place of adventures some of which are best left in the past...LOL. 

Well, that's all for today. Nothing earth shattering or even thought provoking really. Just wanted you all to know that the music never stops and as long as there is breathe in this bod, there will continue to be a place that you can stop by and experience new music with like minded people.

Stay safe and rock out!

carolB and Cally the wonderdog

 

 

 

The month of love and broken hearts

Greeting, music fiends.

Normally I would be working on a V-Day playlist but honestly? 

What with grey skies forever, people in distress here and abroad, I just couldn't find the right frame of mind to do so.  

I guess we will all have to somehow find it within ourselves to create the soundtrack of our lives for this month of love and heartbreak. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a firm believer of the power of music to elevate us above all the stuff that is going on. It's just that sometimes we all have to arrive at that place in a personal way and not peering through someone else's rose tinted glasses.

So my challenge to you, my friends, is to put together your own playlist of songs that remind you of  people you care about whether they are here or no longer within reach. If you feel like sharing it with me or anyone else is really up to you. 

Just know as you listen to me, I am also listening to you. 

Stay safe and wherever you can, spread kindness.

Back soon.

New year, new blog January something 2023

Greetings from the dining room table.

Welp, here it is, another year, another opportunity to make a new beginning although it may just be more of the same if I am being honest.

Actually, I am being rude. How was your holiday? Did you do anything special or unusual? Sorry about that, it is only too easy to get caught up in the routine during something as emotionally charged as the Christmas and end of year thing. Won't happen again, I promise.

So, the update on the state of the union here is that the shows are still produced from home. It's not that I don't want to experience the terror of live to air broadcasting* ever again, it's just that this Covid thing continues to circle menacingly  and illness would be a good thing to avoid given my commitments  to fresh programming and of course looking after the doggo. Yes, Cally is doing fine, thanks for asking. We had a couple of months of unpleasantness but seem to have stabilized the situation although I expect she will never eat standard dog kibble again. Cooking chicken every other day for her is hard to deal with as a vegetarian but I figure she isn't one and it's only fair not to force my lifestyle on her. (Dog nods head in agreement and goes back to sleep)

So what to expect from this little slice of community radio this year? Artists continue to create amazing stuff constantly and I am amazed and happy as all get-out that they send it my way. It's only right to then share with you and I suppose that is really what the next year will be about. Of course, in the event that I do summon enough courage to head in to the studio occasionally, there will be co-hosting gigs with people far more interesting than me but at present, what with trying to get the automation system up and running, one (or two or maybe six) extra bodies in the studio may not be appreciated. Hence, things continue to be produced  right here, right now (as the CIUT tagline used to say) and I am resigned to not eating dinner at the table in the foreseeable future.

Now about this week's obvious elephant in the room. If you are listening to the show for Jan 6 it will become crystal clear that being in isolation has encouraged the side of me that chases obscure stuff to the ends of the earth. As a "Painting with John" and "How To with John Wilson" fan (both on HBO, and no, this blog is not sponsored although that would be sweet) the tendency to wander down more offbeat and meandering paths has been reignited with a vengeance. Hence, "The Last Unicorn". That in itself is a long story the origins of which go back many many years but perhaps I will save that for another day. What odd memory sparks your imagination? Think about that!

Enough already. Thanks as always for listening (and reading) and continuing to support community radio here in Toronto and right around the globe.  

Stay safe and be kind.

Cheers

carol and Callydog

* believe it or not, I still sweat bullets every time I go live to air, not only because of the fear of saying something inane but also because it is never certain that the CD players or any of the equipment for that matter will trigger when I need it.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Broadcaster

Greetings, fellow earthlings.

It's been a very long time since I visited this blog and for that I must apologize.

If the truth be known, I didn't actually think there was anything new to write about given that we have been working from home since a year ago March.

Think about that...a year ago March. Wow.

It honestly feels like I haven't touched broadcast equipment in a decade and the fact of the matter is the end is nowhere in sight.

Now, don't get me wrong. The gig with live broadcast and well used equipment comes with its own issues. First of all, there are the nerves before going live, wondering if you will find the right words in the right order and if the players will trigger when you ask them to. I used CDs for the better part of my tenure as a programmer and let me tell you, love them as I do, I never knew if they would actually behave in the last couple of years. Then there was the issue with replacement in the face of rapidly changing technology. Gotta tell you I fought long and hard to have at least 2  at the very least to make sure there was a backup to the laptops in the event of a system crash. (Also, I liked doing transitions on them. Such a nerd, right?)(I used to use vinyl but that is for another time)

And then there was the whole co-hosting thing. To bring guests into the studio, interview them and cue them, insert music, do the PSAs and ads in the right order at the right time and try to do something on social media was, well, let's just say it was chaotic and stressful. It always turned out great, the guests to a person were gracious and excited to be there and the end result was, from what I understand from listeners, entertaining, even the mishaps. Honestly, I never thought I could be a host, tech, interviewer and programmer at the same time before doing community radio and somehow it happened.

But back to the present.

My dining room is my studio. I have had so much screen time doing this (now on three stations) that I had to have my eye ware updated during the height of Covid. It is a 5 day a week job now and all for the love of music. Crazy? Maybe.

We are all doing our best to keep making shows that you, the listener, wants to hear. It can be hard to sound excited when you can go back and fix mistakes by doing as many takes as you want. It is never easy to try and level out the audio portion, particularly of music files, when so much of what alternative radio plays is by new artists operating on a shoestring. Most of the time it is really good and who are we to try and remaster someone's project that they poured their heart and soul into? Still, when you are at home and spending at least three times as long to make a show worth listening to, every glitch, drop in volume and delay in the start of a track is noticeable.

I will confess I am self taught in all of this. With  gentle guidance and mentoring by my family I have tried (and failed) a handful of software before landing on the one I use now. I am not perfect or professional but I can tell you (and I speak on behalf of everyone doing this from home for the love of it) no pro could ever try harder than we do to keep community radio on the air in the face of this extraordinary situation.

It is lonely being here. I can reach out to my radio peeps when I have a problem or need encouragement after an epic fail on one thing or another. The tech folks at the stations are always ready to help when I paint myself into a corner. 

But I miss the immediacy of live broadcasting. It is a totally different energy when someone is listening in real time and  a real thrill when the phone rings in the studio with feedback or to ask who the last artist was. 

So, if you care about community radio, please send an email, comment on a playlist or donate a little when the membership drives roll around. We all miss you and knowing you are still there and we are in this together makes all the difference in the world.

Stay safe and always be kind 

Thanks for listening.