April 2022
A Note from Randi Zimmerman
In 1979, when WMNF first went on the air, I was making mix tapes for the people I cared about or wanted to talk with but didn’t quite have the words. It was a labor of love to find the right song to say just the right thing and take people on an emotional journey that had more than one emotional note. I also enjoyed the dance required to release the pause button right after dropping the needle on the perfect spot on the vinyl.

When I came to WMNF in 1998, I was making CD mixes with the same sentiments but a completely different set of buttons and dances. No more drop the needle or hitting “Pause” buttons. Rather the worry was that the song I wanted wasn’t near a hidden track that would take my mix in a different direction.

As your new General Manager, it is important to recognize that the mission of the station has remained the same. Our technology has changed and I expect will continue to do so. Our dances now navigate six to eight decades of great music rather than two to three. Our news and public affairs teach us about a new generation of activists shedding light on communities still or recently pushed to the margins. While some things change, good principles endure and our mission challenges us to expose people promoting harmful principles.

In many conversations over the past five weeks, I continue to reflect and wonder, “I hope that I’m not writing my way of thinking into these documents. Rather, I’d like to think I’m here because these documents already represent what I believe.” So far, that seems to be the case.

I’m at WMNF to help us meet this moment because community radio is my jam. And this moment requires changes that many in our community have been asking for. As some of you have seen already, we’ve been making changes in our technology, changes demonstrating how much we support each other, changes that reignite our commitment to the community in deeds, changes to how our community can and will engage with us. Each day there are little details we’ve been attending to, to enact these changes. Thank you for your participation in what we do.
Meet the Crate Brothers!
Theo Severson and Chris Wood take Tampa’s first Emo Night Tampa to the radio waves! Sounds different? It is! (PHOTO BY DAVE DECKER)

1.    For the uninitiated, how do you describe the “Emo” genre?
Emo spawned from the DC hardcore scene in the mid 80's. Rites of Spring and Embrace are widely considered the first "emo bands". The term Emo is short for Emotional Hardcore/Emocore. Like most genres, a slew of subgenres has grown under it's umbrella. There's stuff like screamo or skarmz, there's a specific midwest sound, there's that mid-2000s mall/MTV mainstream era sound. Bands who lean heavily on a math-rock/twinkly or this noodling sound. It's a pretty big genre that's more than just skinny pants and black eyeliner that most people associate the genre with. 

2.    You started out DJing clubs. How is being a radio DJ different?
(Theo) Other than being in a club, I don't think much has changed. I still scout out new bands via blogs/social media like I did when we had a weekly club gig. I might spend more time now on curating a playlist. Where in the club, I would have a general idea of what I wanted to play, but most of the time you would go off of the crowd. On the radio, we have much more of a blueprint or outline. We also do themed nights for the radio show, where we wouldn't really do that in the club. 
(Chris) On the positive side, the radio is a cleaner, quieter smoke-free atmosphere, and I don’t have to worry about my hair or how cool my outfit is. Also, it’s nice to be able to concentrate on songs that might not work as well in a club setting because they’re too mellow or complex, but are great nonetheless, and deserve to be heard.

3.    Has your “live” crowd followed you to WMNF?
(Theo) Oh for sure. We will throw an event & someone will come up and be like, "Hey I listened to the show on the app on my way to work Friday morning. You played a song by Origami Angel...So crazy to hear them on the radio" I have a friend whom I met through our live event and she sends me a message almost every Friday letting me know she listened. We even had a guy who found us through the station who had no idea we even existed and actually came out to our last event.  

4.    Have you found any challenges being in an isolated studio where you can’t see listener reaction versus directly being with your audience?
(Theo) This might be the biggest challenge. In a club setting, you can see what's going on. If you're killing it, the dance floor is packed and you can build off of the crowd's reaction. If you're bombing, you can build off of that and get the crowd back on your side. On the radio, you really don't have that person-to-person connection. So you can only hope that your show is going great & people are enjoying it. That and there is also a lack of spilled drinks.  

5.    What similarities do you see between radio DJ and club culture?
(Theo) I think they overlap more than you would think. I think we spend just as much, if not more time, looking for new music. As a club DJ, you never wanted to be that person who just played the same things every week. So we both spend a good amount of time looking for new stuff. Especially with dealing with one genre, it's more focused. I still take it as seriously as I do a paying gig.  
(Chris) One thing that club DJing has prepared us for is the ability to think on our feet. The transitions between songs happen fast and someone might be yelling at you or requesting a song at the same time. All these things have made it easier to tackle the technical side of radio DJ'ing
 
WMNF News Update

Even the most loyal WMNF listeners miss a few news stories. Here are a few you'll want to hear or catch again.

WMNF Show Receives Award
The LGBTQ local magazine, Watermark, recently honored Josh's Big Gay Radio Show!

FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO SHOW
First: The Miguel & Holly Show, Hot 101.5
Second: Josh’s Big Gay Radio Show, 88.5 WMNF
Third: The Joe Show, 93.3 FLZ

We're proud of you, Josh and crew!
A Goodbye Message from WMNF's Cindy Reichard
Thanks to the staff for supporting me, a board who trusted in me, dedicated volunteers, fabulous programmers, and most important of all, WMNF listeners/supporters. Without you, there wouldn’t be WMNF Community Radio. 

I’d like to give a special shout out to a few:
The LuLus for including me as a Lu, Flee for always downloading my music, Mark Perfetti for introducing me to Live Music Showcase, Steve “The Hitman” Williams of Soul Party for a great pitch partner, and Harrison Nash (WMNF with Harrison Nash) for your words of wisdom.
As I move on to the next chapter in my life, I will always have a special place in my heart for all of you and WMNF.
(pictured above, outgoing Director of Finance & Administration Cindy Reichard)
Save the Dates: April 26-27!
The Giving Challenge is back! It's your chance to double your money for WMNF! The Giving Challenge is hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation. Stay tuned for ways your donation up to $100 can be doubled in this exciting 24-hour event! If you have any questions, just email me back! I love hearing from you!
Yours in community,
Laura Taylor
Development Director, WMNF



The WMNF Newsletter is sponsored by The Bank of Tampa. To learn more about The Bank of Tampa, please contact Donna Walsh, VP, Commercial Relationship Manager, 813. 998.2787 or dwalsh@bankoftampa.com

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