One early morning, I'd chosen Prince's "Party Up" as the first song I'd play on my KCOU shift. I cued it up over and over, making sure the song would begin exactly when I started the turntable.
Upon hearing the opening keyboard cascade for about the 10th time, the DJ whose shift was before mine said, "You should play it on the air that way."
Playing that keyboard fragment repeatedly over the right backdrop would have sounded interesting. I couldn't bring myself to do that, however. After all, listeners were expecting a proper song after the hourly station ID. Battles lines were drawn. Lives were on the line. There was no turning back...
...So, perhaps I was taking this a tad too seriously. Nevertheless, I started "Party Up" precisely when I should have, getting my four hours of air time off to a roaring start.
It's important to finish strong. A strong beginning, however, sets the tone.
