Sitting on the southern edge of campus, the KD University of Portland (KDUP) Shack is a busy place, hosting 62 radio shows this fall semester. Every week, over 101 DJs enter the small and cozy building to play music ranging from country to reggae to EDM. There is a show for anyone at UP looking for new music, and any student can apply to be a DJ.
The Beacon met with five DJs to talk about preparing for shows, sources of inspiration and artists they can’t stop listening to.
The complete KDUP schedule and radio can be found here.
Jordan Ducree is the host of "You Must Have Missed Her. You can listen at kdup.up.edu from 7-8 p.m. on Fridays.
You Must Have Missed Her - Jordan Ducree, freshman English major
Fridays from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
How would you describe your show?
My show is a history show about artists who I believe haven’t gotten enough attention. So, it’s all about the women that you might have missed. So, the first half of the show is sort of like a biography of an artist, and I go in depth into their work and music and their connection to larger movements. For the second part of the show, I’ll play some of their songs; I don’t just talk the whole time. So far in the show, I’ve been focusing on more niche artists like Solange, who has done so much more than just be Beyoncé’s sister.
What inspired you to choose this format?
I was inspired to do this because when I’m on the phone with my friend and I get into these random rants about these people that I think should have more recognition and then at the end of the call my friend would ask who they are and I would always be surprised because I felt that they deserved more recognition for what they had done.
How do you prepare for the show?
Usually every weekend I pick a new person and I spend the first half of the week researching what I want to talk about and then the rest of the week I’ll write the script.
Why should people tune in?
I think about my show sort of like two friends having a long talk with each other, and I want listeners to think of me like a friend who is telling them a story that they can be interested in while also learning something new.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I’ve started listening to less and less male artists because I’ve had a hard time listening to their topics in general. Male rap is full of a lot of gross stuff and I’ve started to listen to pretty much only female artists.
Gian Visenio (left) and Andre Jaurigui (right) are the hosts of "And They Were Roommates." You can listen live at kdup.up.edu on Tuesdays from 4-5p.m.
And They Were Roommates - Andre Jaurigui, junior psychology major
Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Why is music important to you?
I feel like in high school, I didn’t really get into music very much. It wasn’t until college where I kind of found more of what I liked and had more fun while listening to new artists and songs. As cheesy as it sounds, I think it’s really a good way for me to connect with people and that’s one of the reasons why I do the show. With my co-host, Gian, we’re able to talk about little details about music and share music with each other and it’s a great way for us to bond.
How would you describe your show and its format?
I would say it’s a good representation of our personalities and how we interact with each other on the daily. It’s very mellow, I remember our first show like sophomore year it was super scripted and we had to get everything down to the very second, and now it’s just us talking to each other and some light banter and it’s a good creative outlet for me.
What genre do you play, and why?
We play so many different genres. I feel like all the music I listen to is all very different. And while Gian and I do have similar tastes, we also like a lot of different stuff so it’s really cool to have all these different types of music in our show.
How do you prepare for your show?
We will make playlists throughout the week, and usually we like to have some sort of theme that goes along with it. For example, last week it was Halloween so we tried to find songs that were kind of scary sounding. We just like to be creative with it and sometimes we do more impromptu stuff, but yeah, mainly making the playlists.
Why should people tune in?
I think it’s so much fun talking about music and I feel like it’s fun for people to just take a break and discover new music, and of course listen to some fun banter in between. I think just getting to know us a little better too, and all the other shows as well because they’re all pretty unique and fun. I would encourage people who are into music to try and apply for their own show next term and get involved.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I don’t know if you’re familiar with the artist FKA Twigs, I’ve been listening to her for years now and she performed in Seattle and it was probably the greatest show of my life. Also, Dim Out, those are the two I would say.
Peter Pham hosts "Under the Microscope" on Fridays from 6-7 p.m.
Under the Microscope - Peter Pham, freshman mechanical engineering major
Fridays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Why is music important to you?
Music is important because it allows me to relieve stress and build relationships with other people because I identify with music a lot. So meeting other people have have similar identities with music gives me a chance to make really cool new relationships with others.
How would you describe your show and its format?
I don’t actually prepare for my shows a lot, it’s very much off the cuff and very much whatever I might be feeling at the time, which I feel is a really good thing because it’s really spontaneous. Beforehand, I’ll think about the music that I’m going to play throughout the show kind of like a bonus to whatever I do during the show, but I might kind of switch it up to whatever I’m feeling at the moment. I don’t always do this though, when I want to be more analytical, I like to have ideas set up so I know what I’m going to specifically talk about and just have fun when I’m doing it.
Why did you decide you wanted a show, and why this genre?
I wouldn’t say that my show is just one genre, I try to play songs from all over the place, because I listen to music from a variety of genres. I’m really interested in rap music but I also really like other genres and older music like The Smiths and The Strokes.
Why should people tune in?
I play very good music and I am very analytical when it comes to music, so I talk a lot about the reasons that I like certain songs and why music is important to me and why it might be important to someone listening.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I have been listening to Kanye West’s new album a lot. I’ve also been listening to a good amount of older music, I listen to Dave Kennedy and The Strokes quite a bit as well. I try to keep up with whatever is happening in terms of new rap.
Jackie Greenberg is the host of "Jackie's Trackies." You can listen live at kdup.up.edu on Wednesdays from 4-5 p.m.
Jackie’s Trackies - Jackie Greenberg, freshman communication major
Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Why is music important to you?
I love music, so discovering new music every week and combining that with the music that I already love and want to share with other people is so much fun, and it’s great that that is something that I get to share with other people.
How would you describe your show and its format?
My show is mainly alternative kind of music and it’s something that I really love doing. I listen to quite a bit of music very regularly, so I usually prepare for the show by going through my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify and then picking my favorite songs from both that and music I already know. Also, Last.fm is a super useful and helpful thing. If you don’t know what that is, it takes your streams from Soundcloud or Spotify or whatever streaming service you use and it gives your recommendations for what you should listen to next.
Why did you decide you wanted a show, and why this genre?
I actually did radio in high school and it’s something I love doing just because I love music so much. Discovering new music every week is a lot of fun, and combining music I already love with getting to share it with other people every week is something that I really enjoy.
Why should people tune in?
You should tune into Jackie’s Trackies every Wednesday at 5 p.m. because it’s just pretty chill and I’m always open to new music and suggestions and I’m just playing music for people who want to listen. It’s a really cool thing to have on campus, and being a freshman here at school and not really having solid friend groups yet it was just a really nice way to get involved on campus and it’s such a great way to make friends.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I’ve been really into Simon & Garfunkel and The Strokes and Arcade Fire and The B-52’s, which is like 80s music but it’s super fun.
Dani Perez Vragas, host of "R&B with D&P," is on the air from 8-9 p.m. on Fridays.
R&B with D&P - Dani Perez Vargas, sophomore biology major
Fridays from 8 p.m. to 9p.m.
Why is music important to you?
People always ask, ‘do you get paid to be a DJ’ and it’s like, no, I literally just want to share the music that I think other people might like and might find joy in the same way that I have. I think music is a really big thing for me, for example in the way that I heal, and I just think other people can use music in similar ways and I don’t see why I wouldn’t want to spend some time giving other music that they might be able to connect to.
How would you describe your show and its format?
So my show is called R&B with D&P and it’s based off of R&B, of course, and all of the variety which comes with the genre because there’s so many smaller parts of the genre. It’s a form of expression and my show is a really chill time, it’s not anything super planned out and it’s just a time for me to talk about music and artists and the meaning behind songs.
Why did you decide you wanted a show, and why this genre?
I love R&B because it is such a big genre and contains so much. While there are some genres that might not have a lot of variety, R&B can have anything in it, from love songs to sad songs to duets to addressing important issues and the list just continues from there.
Why should people tune in?
My show is more than just a talk show or a radio show, it’s a show about educating yourself on the history of music because I definitely don’t pick just like one year or the most recent music, I do a whole look at the entire genre. If anyone ever wants to find some good R&B, here you can find a wealth of knowledge about R&B and you can hear me talk about the messages behind songs and artists and their albums and my personal opinions on music.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I’ve been listening to a lot of fun classics like Frank Ocean, he never leaves my playlists. I’m pretty sure “Thinking About You” is my number one most played song on iTunes. I also listen to a lot of Steve Lacy right now, Emotional Oranges are super good and it’s really cool because they keep their identities a secret until you see them in concert.
Carlos Fuentes is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at fuentes22@up.edu.
