...I would rather be 51 years old than 11 years old. Still, looking back on this day 40 years ago...
...This was the day that my interest in radio solidified. I recorded my first radio show on February 22, 1982. While my knowledge of music was greater than that of the average 11-year-old, it pales compared to what I know now. Nevertheless, I put together a solid show, including hits from Olivia Newton-John, The Police, Loverboy, The Commodores, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
At age 11, you don't really have power or authority over anyone or anything--except your own radio shows for a fictitious station you've created. At the end of that first show, I proved to myself that I could put together a coherent set of music, segue it smoothly, and sound confident and enthusiastic as a DJ. I proved that I could set and carry out an agenda that mattered to me. That ignited my lifelong passion for radio and listening to as much music as possible.
The tape of that radio show is no longer playable; one of the tape's cogs came loose years ago and fell into the tape's inner workings. I don't even know where that tape is. Still, I take heart in knowing that I created a radio show that sparked my interest in broadcasting and music. It didn't matter that I was the only one who heard it.
