OFF THE RECORD

Stoney

Creek’s

Frank Ray goes Off The Record:

I’ve always wanted to do music. It’s been my life’s passion since I was a kid. I found out pretty young that I could sing. The choir teacher would often tell people, “Look what Frank’s doing. That’s what you have to do.” I noticed the attention you can get from performing in front of people, and I was an attention hog, to say the least. Then life happened and I figured my window for being an artist was probably gone, but I still loved to perform. I struck up a little band, we played a battle of the bands in Las Cruces and got an opportunity to open up for Keith Urban.

I’ll never forget what that moment with Keith Urban onstage was like. That changed my life’s goal. Later, I got to see him at the Grand Ole Opry. He didn’t know who the hell I was – and I didn’t expect him to – but I did tell him about that moment. I said, “Hey, man, I just need you to know that there was one defining moment in my career that changed my life. And that was opening up for you.”

The vast majority of my family in law enforcement supported me. There were a handful, though, who said it was the stupidest thing I could ever do. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make me nervous. I was leaving a steady job, income and benefits. My wife and I had a new baby. I wasn’t sure about risking it all. Because of my wife, and because of the support I had at law enforcement, they were like, “Dude, you got this. This is what you want to do.” media content creation, and a love for and desire to discover and expose new music as driving forces. “For the most part, students apply because they want to try their hand at an on-air shift,” he explains. “While they are here, they fall in love with being active in the community, emceeing events, interviewing artists, editing and producing audio, and gaining access to new music before anyone else.”

Our bus driver, Mark, said, “Writing a song is a lot like writing a police report. You have to put the reader in the moment.” And I was like, “Holy crap. Yeah, you’re absolutely right, man.” When you’re writing a police report, oftentimes the trial doesn’t happen until two, three, four years down the road. You’re not going to remember what happened that night unless you are very detailed – what you felt, what the scene looked like, what so-and-so was wearing, how they acted, what about it made you think about it a certain way. That’s the same approach I take with songwriting.

If a guy walks into a bar, what does the bar look like? If he sees a girl across the room, what does she look like? What is she wearing? What kind of physical reaction does she have that made you react? You really want to put the listener in that moment to make that experience much more memorable.

Read the full interview in the Country Aircheck March print issue.

At Brown University WBRU/Providence, RI, OM Asher White is running a different kind of program. “We sold our terrestrial signal a few years ago, and our focus has shifted to the online stream, creating longform video content and writing for digital media,” states White. “We are, at our core, a radio station, but our mission is to build communities through audio.” Students work for the program on a volunteer basis, and the staff ranges from 25 to 100 students per semester. “Interest is still there, but we are seeing a more broadened scope of what students consider as a future career path in audio,” White explains. He also notes many of their volunteers are not studying communications but are, in fact, music majors.

National Radio Talent Systems Founder Dan Vallie oversees Appalachian State University WASU/Boone, NC. Like Smith, his students enjoy diving into podcasting, social media, audio and video editing and other content creation in conjunction with their work at the station. What Vallie has in his arsenal the others do not is the Kellar Radio Talent Institute (KRTI). Vallie launched the program at App State and continues to run it, even after the RAB acquired his NRTS in 2020 (CAT 8/12/20). “We only accept 25 candidates for each session, and they are put through a 12-day intensive course that covers all aspects of radio,” Vallie explains. “The students have their eyes opened to radio in a different light, and many come away with deeper understanding of and interest in [radio roles] that do not include cracking a mic – sales, promotions and marketing, social media and management.”

Smith says graduates are “well-trained in every aspect of radio and have been using the equipment found in commercial radio stations.” White concurs, noting WBRU alumni are well-rounded in audio and written communications and “often, the only thing preventing our alumni from finding gainful employment in the industry is the geographic barrier that comes from not having a large networking sphere in and around Rhode Island.” Vallie’s students benefit from the networking offered via the KRTI, and “are among the most well-rounded to come out of our program; they are all eager to get to work.” Adds Smith, “The amount of knowledge and passion they have is limitless. If we don’t put them to work, they’ll find other outlets for their audio content creation and creativity.” week chart topper for the label since Kane’s collaboration with Chris Young, “Famous Friends,” held two weeks in July 2021. Songwriters are Christian Davis, Kyle Fishman, Jaxson Free, Josh Hoge and Jared Mullins

All three encourage radio professionals to make contact with local campus-affiliated stations, connect with students and help mentor the next generation. Vallie is accepting applications for the next KRTI through March 30 here; current students, recent graduates and interns are encouraged to apply. Reach Smith here, White here and Vallie here.

Chart Chat

–Monta Vaden

Congratulations to Kane Brown, Katelyn Brown, Steve Hodges, Dennis Reese and the RCA promotion team on holding “Thank God” at No. 1 for a second week. This is the first multi-

Kudos to Ryan Dokke and the BMLGR crew on leading this week’s CA/ MB Add Board with 75 adds for Chris Janson’s “All I Need Is You.” His label debut, this is Janson’s largest add week ever, topping the 55 he scored for “Fix A Drink” in May 2017.

News & Notes

Warner/CoJo/WMN’s Cody Johnson will guest host middays for Mt. Wilson KKGO/Los Angeles Feb. 27-March 24. Listen here

In celebration of its fourth anniversary, King Business and Financial Management has rebranded as KBFM and promoted Mallory Mason Pascal to Partner.

Sara Evans will perform her entire Restless album live at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium Aug. 17. Ticket info for “Sara Evans Still Restless – The 20 Year Celebration” here.

Shania Twain appeared on Love Someone: A Podcast With Delilah. Listen here

Little Big Town, Caitlyn Smith and The Cadillac Three have been added to the lineup of Rock The Ryman, March 1 at 7:30pm CT. Ticket info here

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has renamed its annual Lifetime Achievement Award the Edward F. McLaughlin Award.

A Night With Ronnie Milsap & Friends will celebrate the singer’s 80th birthday at Ryman Auditorium March 25, with performances by Trace Adkins, Little Big Town and Milsap. Details here

SiriusXM had the top podcast network for Q3-Q4 2022 according to Edison Research Spotify and iHeartRadio followed in second and third places respectively. See full top 30 here

Lee Greenwood and Kellie Pickler are among the artists included on Thank You, Mister Rogers: Music & Memories. The album containing songs written by the late Fred Rogers will be reissued March 20 to celebrate Rogers’ 95th birthday. Details here.

The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum will host an interview and performance with Dave Alvin in support of the exhibition Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock, April 23 at 2:30pm. Details here

The Week’s Top Stories

Full coverage at countryaircheck.com

• The evolutions of KKBQ/Houston and VEVA Sound were covered in last week’s (2/13) Country Aircheck Weekly

• Cumulus/Allentown VP/MM Elizabeth Pembleton added oversight of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. (CAT 2/15)

• SiriusXM/Pandora’s Beville Dunkerley is stepping down (CAT 2/14)

• KNUC/Seattle flipped to Adult Alternative as KPNW. (CAT 2/14)

• Heather Froglear was named Brand Mgr. for KFRG/ Riverside. (CAT 2/13)

• Chronicle: Craig Hayes

Meet ACM EP Raj Kapoor

(continued from page 1) inspiration came from the country community.

What are the aspects of this show you learned from RAC you hope to carry forward?

One of my favorite things about RAC is how he treats people crew, colleagues, labels, managers, artists – with kindness, and I think that’s ingrained in me, too. His longevity and success are based on those personal relationships. [Patrick and I] have been taking meetings in Nashville, and you feel a sort of family tie, in a way. That’s something I really take away from RAC. He also has tremendous historical music knowledge. I may have to do a bit more research on artists and songs that have come before, because we want to continue to honor those legacies and bodies of work.

What are some elements we might see that are unique to your approach?

One that’s important moving forward is continuing to evolve the ACMs to feel modern and like it’s changing. One of my goals is challenging myself and the people around me to think differently. Take what works, learn from it and strive for some moments that surprise and delight. I really care about the writing, how awards are presented and celebrating wins in an interesting way. Every single element is important – not just the performances – because the in-between is the glue that holds it together.

I’m excited to lock in our hosts, find moments that honor their bodies of work and write to their particular journeys and personalities. I like for the people in the room and at home to feel they’re getting to know our host(s) a little bit better and in ways that are different than if they were going to one of their concerts.

What did you learn last year working on a streaming platform?

The biggest adjustment was our timeframe; [we] were really late in the game booking the venue. Locking our location much earlier this year has given us more time to plan. My goal is to make the show more polished. Having a completely full audience will create much different energy. Ultimately, Allegiant [Stadium in Las Vegas] was a little too big in the timeframe we had. Being in a more controlled location with a full house means we can celebrate with our audience in a way we did for many years at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Streaming excites me, because it’s moving things forward and, again, challenges us to think differently. Working with a team at Amazon that doesn’t have a long history of doing awards shows is also refreshing. They bring a great point of view to production. Their strong tie to [other Amazon divisions], the excitement and cooperation of the Cowboys organization, and the events leading up to and surrounding the show add to the importance of the platform for artists, labels and managers – before, during and after the show. It’s not just a television show on a network, it’s an event reaching out in many directions.

Can you give our readers a thumbnail origin story? How did you end up doing this? What was that spark?

Both my parents were schoolteachers, and I went to college to be one, as well. But I was a dancer in high school and came to Los Angeles to study. I remember going to my first professional dance studio here and seeing dancers I recognized from music videos and TV. I was like, “Oh, you can be in a city like this and actually make a living in entertainment.” I moved to L.A. two weeks after college graduation, and my goal was to be part of the creative community. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew I could figure it out. Some people in the business go to school for it, but many have become successful being mentored and learning as they go. That’s why I’m grateful to people like RAC Clark, Ken Ehrlich and my contemporaries, like Ben Winston. You learn from people you’re surrounded by – people who are gracious, take you under their wing, share their knowledge and let you thrive.

–Chuck Aly

Lon Helton, lon@countryaircheck.com

Chuck Aly, chuck@countryaircheck.com

Caitlin DeForest, caitlin@countryaircheck.com

Monta Vaden, monta@countryaircheck.com

Chris Huff, chris@countryaircheck.com