
Students Visit to Radio Station during RSEC Student Intensives Week
JANUARY 30, 2012 – Intensives Week is an opportunity to explore less conventional subject matter and get out of the classroom, and several RSEC students took a musical field trip in late January that included some studio time at the Boston-based The River 92.5 radio station. Eight students had a chance to see DJ Rita Cary in action and record and play back their voices, among other music-related activities that filled their day in Boston.
These high school students spent the day touring the Berkeley School of Music, meeting with a local drummer in a rock band, and dining at the Hard Rock Café and enjoying its musical atmosphere and memorabilia. The highlight for many was going to The River studio, meeting a DJ who was on air, and seeing the on site performance studio where bands like The Verve and Coldplay have played live and left behind their signatures on the studio walls.
Dianne Hunter had a connection with Rita Cary, who she met at a concert. They connected by e-mail and she asked if the kids could come to the studio. “We were introduced to the entire staff. They were wonderful and really sweet and spent a lot of time with the kids,” said Dianne Hunter, a teacher who accompanied the students on the trip. We watched her do her live show, learned how they organize songs into their queue, and the students even had an opportunity to record themselves speaking or singing and then hear what they sounded like. The kids loved it – they were very excited,” she added.
Intensives week takes place in between terms. The students select the subject matter, work with the staff to plan out the week and then sign up for the subject in which they want to participate. Dianne Hunter had met Rita Carey at a concert and e-mailed her to see if a visit was feasible. The DJ responded positively and the visit was incorporated into the week.
The River 92.5 is one of few independent radio stations that have their own DJs on site and the students were advised that launching a career in radio is challenging. However, the focus of the week really was music, and it culminated in an effort by the students to write and record a song. They learned how challenging this was, but thoroughly enjoyed their week and the chance to visit places where music is taught, performed and played.