Name: Jesse Robinson
College: George Mason University
Radio Station: WGMU Radio
Years Active: 2012-2016
Position(s): DJ (12-16) Program Director (13-14), General Manager (15-16)
Favorite bands (either during your time at the college radio station or now, or both!): Foo Fighters, Mac Miller, Philip Glass, Hall and Oates, John Coltrane, Anderson Paak, The Beatles, Al Green, Blink182, Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Tom Misch, The Goat Rodeo Sessions.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in college radio? Don’t be afraid to branch out! Try hosting shows with varying music genres or talk topics, explore different aspects of production that you haven’t yet. Not only will you learn a lot more, but those experiences will also make you more marketable if you want to go into a career in radio/podcasting/media.
Did you have a “bathroom break” song? If so, what was it? I don’t know if I had a go-to song, but the first song I ever played on the air as a freshman was “Tighten Up” by The Black Keys, and I’m sure I was so nervous I had to go to the bathroom right after so I’ll say that one!
What was your most memorable interview? 1. Kathy Griffin telling me she was going to give me a kiss with lots of tongue. 2. Putting on a Super Bowl ring in studio after interviewing NFL alum Brad Edwards. 3. Ludacris getting annoyed that I asked him about Fast & Furious instead of his music.
Any funny stories or anecdotes specific to your time at the college radio station? I accidentally hung up on the Governor of Virginia during a phone interview. He was nice enough to call the studio back! I was discussing on-air how bad the mens basketball team had played the previous day, when they all walked past the studio glass and heard on the speakers what I was saying. I got a bad stare down.