From: gene@convex1.tcs.tulane.edu (eugene hopstetter)
Subject: Re: sad (long) (was Re: Alternative Music
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-27741]: convex1.tcs.tulane.edu
Organization: Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 17:50:02 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.211458.926@caeco.mentorg.com> phatch@solstice.slc.mentorg.com (Phill Hatch (CONTRACTOR Documentation)) writes:

[stuff deleted]

>What promts this post is the attitude, of "...heard them all in
>the same set, I'd change the station."  There is a snobbish undercurrent
>in this statement and on this newsgroup in general.

Right. I don't agree with the word "snobbish," but I do feel that radio is
a viable, potent medium, and should be used well, i.e., bad programming
should not be tolerated. In my FIVE years of college radio, I have never
tolerated it, as a DJ, Music Director, Program Director, or consultant to
the executive staffs of the two stations I've been active with. I do, however,
go out of my way to pass my programming skills to neophytes. More often that
not, I just shrug, and not turn off the station, when I hear a DJ follow a
His Name Is Alive cut with, say, hard rap like Paris. It's bad form, bad
programming, and an awful segue. 

>Radio has become like fast food restaurants.  You know where 
>Fine food, like fine music, is rarer, tougher

I disagree. Fine music is everywhere. There are almost 15,000 records and
CDs of it at our station. So, there's no excuse not to play it. As for 
competition, we have none -- which means we can be as creative, and 
non-commercial, as we want.

>Like any experience, music benefits from variety and juxtaposition
>with similar and different styles.  Even within the rock subset
>of music, variety and juxtaposition are important.  The other
>orientation.  To bash anyone from a position of superiority 
>doesn't work and is demeaning to the basher.  

My position of superiority works perfectly well, and my audience appreciates
it. I'm not a pretentious asshole, which you imply, but I do know I'm better
connected and informed than most of my audience, and i share what I know with
them. In fact, I'm also quite humble, I often invite my listeners to call in
and share information, or come in and sit in on a show with me. It works 
quite well. But the fact is, most of the Boredoms fans who listen to my
show are quite happy I introduced Hanatarash and Zeni Geva to them -- bands
they knew nothing about -- and now we're both quite happy.

>They might, be, I haven't heard either of them.  But before we 
>tear down another, shouldn't you at least present why Tool and 
>Scrawl might be considered better.  This is akin to saying that 

Tool and Scrawl might be considered better because you may turn on some
Van Halen fan to a new band. IF he/she already has all of Van Halen's albums
but still wants that sort of music, he/she may hear Tool, really dig it, and
then both listener and Dj have gained something. If you play Van Halen, said
Van Halen fan will have gained nothing.

>And what does the "college radio equation" have to do with whether
>music is alternative or even good alternative music.  Does your
>college radio station have classical, metal, jazz and asian 
>formats besides rock/alternative?  It should for true exposure to 
>music.  But I bet it doesn't.

That's an unfair assumption, Sport. Both stations I've been at do
jazz, avante-garde jazz, blues, local, reggae, world music, 20th
Century Classics, stage and screen, country and western, ambient and
new age, industrial, techno, hardcore, metal--grindcore, speed, and death,
thankyouverymuch, New Orleans music, classical,classic jazz, folk,
and the standard alternative. I myself have instigated, developed, and
done shows dealing with British acid pop and psychedelia, Bubblegum pop,
metal, noise, musique concrete, found music, and I've even done specialized
shows according to particular geographic areas, songwriting tones, and
attitudes. I'm not arguing what's good, or alternative, I'm arguing what's
good programming. I like Van Halen. I own Van Halen records. But I can hear
them on any commercial station in the city, or play my records whenever I
want. I also like the Caspar Brotzmann Massacre,but I don't own, or can't
find, their records. I can hear them on college radio, which I listen to
in anticipation of hearing them, or the Mommyheads, or Stereolab, or any 
other band whose records are hard to find, hear, or buy. 

>listen widely, listen attentively.  Music is more than background
>accompaniament.  Genre alone cannot be used as the criteria 
>to judge music.

I can't argue with this. But my playing my own CDs, listening to the radio,
and doing a radio show are three different things. I do all of these with 
quite a lot of attention. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ gene hopstetter - gene@convex1.tcs.tulane.edu.    I don't represent Tulane! +
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+ "I don't like music. I don't really play music. I like people."             +
+  --Captain Beefheart                                                        +
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Newsgroups: alt.music.alternative