Ben Haile ’15

DJ of the Week: Jackie Fickes ’15 and Natalie Smid ’15

Does your show have a name?Jackie Fickes: It did…But it’s kind of long and also not everyone got it.Natalie Smid: Yeah, it was Sergeant Pepperflip’s Lonely Hearts Club Radio. But it was kind of hard to say, so right now we don’t have a name. JF: We thought it was kind of clever…Sergeant Pepperflip and the Lonely Hearts Club Radio with the Beatles reference, but it’s kind of a mouthful and we haven’t come up with anything better since then. Tell me a little about your show. When did you start hosting?JF: Fall of junior year.
Why did you decide to be become DJs?NS: I think it’s my only opportunity to ever be on the radio and I wanted to do it with a friend who has awesome taste in music.JF: I had just been meaning to do it forever, but I hadn’t gotten around to doing it before. I really like music and I wanted to see what other people were listening to and playing. What kind of music do you play?JF: I like a lot of alternative rock. My all-time favorites are Belle and Sebastian, Modest Mouse, Rilo Kiley, the Smiths…We have kind of different taste, though, which is good.NS: I like the XX a lot—Jackie doesn’t like them—The Shins, we play alt-J. We always agree on Gwen Stefani, though.JF: Yeah, for the pump up.
What is your most played song on the show? JF: I think the song we try to play every semester is “Don’t Speak” by Gwen Stefani.
What’s the song with the best lyrics?NS: This is cheesy, but I love the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love”.JF: The best opening lyrics for me are this Rilo Kiley song called “Science vs. Romance” and the first line is “I used to think if I could realize I’d die, then I would be a lot nicer.” But I think I probably like some Belle and Sebastian [entire] lyrics better. There’s this song called “If She Wants Me” and I think in terms of a full song, that has the best lyrics. What’s the song with the worst lyrics?JF: Oh, that Meaghan Trainor song!NS: “All About That Bass?”JF: That is the worst; that is so bad.NS: Hmm…that song “Rude” by Magic. In your opinion, what was the best time in music history?NS: The 90s.JF: The 90s. If you were on a sitcom, what song would play when you got into your bed at the end of the episode and the screen goes black?NS: These are tough questions!JF: Yeah, you should’ve sent us these beforehand because in the middle of the night I’m going to be in my bed like ‘THAT’S what I should’ve said!’JF: If it were waking up in the morning, it would be Squeeze’s “Black Coffee in Bed.” Going to sleep it would be either The Smith’s “Asleep” or Neko Case’s “I Wish I Were the Moon Tonight.”NS: “Nighttime” by the XX. Anything by the XX really. To suggest a DJ for DJ of the Week, email Arts & Entertainment Editor Emily Weyrauch at eweyrauc@bowdoin.edu.

DJ of the Week: Rebkah Tesfamariam ’18

What is your show called?Spunky Rebkah. I forgot to fill in the name of my show online this semester, and in the show description I wrote that I was spunky, so the radio station wrote my show name on the calendar as Spunky Rebkah.
When did you first get involved with WBOR and why?First semester—I saw the posters and got excited because music has always been a large part of my life and I thought it was really exciting to be able to be on the radio and have control for a whole hour and play whatever I want.
Did you have any radio experience before Bowdoin?No, but if we had get-togethers with my friends I was always the first one to volunteer to make a playlist.
What type of music do you play on your show?I play everything. I change the genre or category every week. For example, a few weeks ago I did Valentine’s Week, which included all types of love songs. Sometimes I just figure it out while I’m there too.
What is your favorite type of music?Slow, chill rap and fun, upbeat indie rock. My favorite artists are Death Cab for Cutie, J. Cole, Drake, Local Natives and The Supremes.
What has been your favorite concert experience?My first concert was Coldplay, and I randomly discovered them on my own. They came to Pittsburgh when I was in eighth grade. I dragged my parents and best friend who never really liked them, and it was really fun and exciting. We played Coldplay the entire way there and back.
What else are you involved with on campus?I am a member of the African American Society. I work for the Women’s Resource Center, and I am a member of Obvious as well.
What is your major?Gender and women’s studies and I am also pre-med.
What has been your favorite class so far?I took Music and Everyday Life with [Assistant Professor of Music] Tracy McMullen. It was a great interdisciplinary class and I felt like I learned something every day that applied to my life. It was a cultural learning experience, and Professor McMullen is really exciting and engaging.
What is the best music to study to?It depends on my mood, but mostly chill, slow rap or upbeat dance songs because they keep me in a good mood while I’m doing chemistry homework.
What about the best music to shower to?Definitely belting songs like Mariah Carey or Pussycat Dolls—girl power women’s groups for sure.
What do you think people are doing when listening to your show?Mostly my parents or brothers are listening—probably when they are driving in the car or doing homework. Hopefully people are singing along.
Why do you want Bowdoin students to listen to your show?Because I am spunky and I change it up every week, so if you don’t like it one week, you might really love it the next week. I will keep your interest and I am super open to requests as well.
What is your overall goal for having a radio show?For me, to take some time to appreciate music and to look for new music. When I was in middle school and had a lot of time on my hands I spent a lot of time exploring new music and artists, and now that my life is so busy I don’t take enough time to do that. It’s very relaxing and exciting for me to prepare a new show. Also, my goal is to show people new music and share it all.
Anything else you would like your listeners to know?I’m really open to suggestions and I love when people show me new music, so feel free to approach me.
Tune in to Spunky Rebkah every Wednesday from 4-5 p.m. on WBOR 91.1 FM or stream the show online at wbor.org. To suggest a DJ for DJ of the Week, email Arts & Entertainment Editor Emily Weyrauch at eweyrauc@bowdoin.edu.

DJ of the Week

February 13, 2015

Liam Finnerty

**BOWDOIN BLUES:** Haile’s jazz and blues radio show plays on WBOR every Friday from 1-2 p.m.

How did you first get involved in WBOR?
I heard about WBOR early on and coming to Bowdoin I knew I wanted to get involved and have my own show. After that, I was hooked. I have been involved with the show since my first semester freshman year at Bowdoin.

Why did you name the show Bowdoin Blues?
I was influenced by the House of Blues radio hour, which is the XM show that Dan Aykroyd runs. I wanted to do a show like that, and they both happened to start with “B.”

Are you involved in other music endeavors here?
I am a double major in music and German so I do a lot of music at Bowdoin. I try to keep my show and my music classes separate. My show is the Bowdoin Blues and I focus more on blues, jazz, rock and roll and soul, which is pretty separate from my a cappella group and the chamber choir.

Do you play music based on the preferences of your listeners or your own tastes?
I go with my own gut mostly. I have gotten requests two or three times, in which case I just had to go running around searching for the song they wanted to hear in order to play it. That turned out well. I hope they were happy!

Has Bowdoin Blues been a one-man show from the start?
It has always been just me. I like having callers and I am glad someone is listening. If you are listening, I hope you enjoy it.

If you could only listen to one song on loop, what would it be?
John Cage’s “4’33”.” It is just complete silence, so it would not get too repetitive.

Which musician would you want to be for a day?
Questlove. He earns so much respect yet always stays true to his own artistic sense. I could learn a lot from how he works.

What have been some of your favorite music experiences at or around Bowdoin?
The power of the Roomful of Teeth concert last semester was life-changing, and I enjoyed sharing a few words with The Antlers and Surfer Blood when they played here a few years back. But as a Meddiebempster, nothing beats our seventy-fifth reunion during my sophomore year. Meddies from the past seven decades came on stage to sing our standards together. I felt a part of something uniquely timeless.

Since you are in your senior year, what is the future of Bowdoin Blues?
I am actually staying here for one more semester, so Bowdoin Blues is going to keep on rocking. It is cheesy, I know.

What message do you hope to send to your listeners?
I mostly want to expose other people to this kind of music. Most of what I play ends up coming from the new shelf of the jazz and blues section. I end up playing a lot of local blues artists and jazz artists who are somewhat off the beaten path, someone people may not have heard about. If people are listening, I just say be open to those local or lesser known acts and know that I would rather give them the spotlight because they are just as good as something more mainstream.

Tune in to Bowdoin Blues with Haile every Monday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on WBOR 91.1 FM or stream the show online at wbor.org.

To suggest a DJ for DJ of the Week, email Arts & Entertainment Editor Emily Weyrauch at eweyrauc@bowdoin.edu.

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