Calling All FSU Students: Time to Tune In
Image Courtesy: Spark FSU
Streaming has killed the video star. Music services have taken all the fun out of listening and finding new music. Rather than digging through bins of 45s and vinyl crates at a record store or even sifting through CDFs at your local Barnes and Noble, apps like Spotify or Apple Music create personalized playlists using an algorithm and recommend songs and albums based on your interests and previous listening. It feels as though we have a world of music tailored for us directly at our fingertips, yet that world is entirely artificial.
I think we can agree that it’s nice to have things picked out for us; however, it leads to staying within our comfort zones. As listeners, it’s easy to get attached to that one album or song stuck in our heads, but it’s important to expand our music tastes and experiment with new genres. Beyond our self-interests, with the saturated market, low royalties, and a dependence on an algorithm, streaming also makes it challenging to find and appreciate up-and-coming artists.
Enter college radio.
Image Courtesy: WVFS
You can find stations all over the country to fit your music needs. Columbia University, Arizona State University, and Emerson College all have stations featuring a variety of genres, and tuning into any of them would prove incredibly beneficial to you and your music taste. However, as a Florida State student, I would be remiss not to mention our very own station: WVFS-Tallahassee.
While it describes itself as an alternative station, V89 prides itself on its access to a wide variety of music, first and foremost. Through a mix of oldies and some of the best new artists on the scene, as well as specialty shows covering blues, jazz, reggae, punk, and more, you can find music not often, if ever, featured on commercial radio. Listening to that same playlist on repeat can get boring, but by featuring diverse music options, college stations also promote cultural awareness and open-mindedness for other genres.
Moreover, tuning into college radio stations in your area can help you find local and niche musicians to start supporting who might not receive airplay elsewhere. Local artists and campus music scenes serve as major hubs for fostering the local community. V89, in particular, features a concert update giving listeners information about local events coming up soon, as well as news and sports features and PSAs that highlight local Tallahassee happenings.
Image Courtesy: WVFS
College radio, typically being non-commercial, is also an alternative to commercial radio, which tends to be heavily driven by advertisements and corporate interests. However, every DJ you can listen to when you tune in is driven by a passion for music rather than commercial concerns. In that same vein, college radio prioritizes discovery over popularity, often refraining from playing the “hits” in favor of alternative songs you may be unaware of. This leads to a much more authentic music discovery experience, one not driven by what Sony or Universal Music Group wants you to listen to.
In a world where it feels like algorithms decide what we should and shouldn’t listen to, it’s time to take some agency back by supporting new local artists, expanding our tastes, and participating in alternative music scenes. For decades, college radio has provided a space for alternative expression and creativity, ultimately shaping the music industry and youth subcultures through music. While the advent of new technology has continued to make the music industry feel bleak, college radio’s relevance endures. Here’s to many more years of WVFS and other college radio stations making waves.
Strike Out,
Writer: Elizabeth D’Amico
Editor: Layne Schulte
Graphic Designer: Ryan Hanak
Tallahassee