The Evolution of a DJ

By Kevin Taylor, Air Personality & Operations Manager, Bicoastal Media

At nine years old, I was given virtually every recording in the house. My siblings gave me their albums and 45’s and mom handed me her collection of 8-track tapes. The responsibility to protect the treasures deeded over to me was great. I had already begun buying my own records, so these library additions thrust me deep into collecting all kinds of music.

What’s a kid to do?

Play them. Play them all. Over and over. Yet, that wasn’t enough. Something was missing and soon, inspired by legendary disc jockeys like Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem, I began to announce the songs. Eventually, I bought a second record player so that I could mix the cuts non-stop. I added a cassette deck. Then, more speakers. By 1983, my bedroom had become a studio of Frankensteinian proportions and I was having a blast.

I’ve been told that we often become whatever we were doing at nine. Incredibly, this has been true for me. I now host a live morning show in Longview on KLYK, Magic 94.5 fm. After three hours on the air, the rest of my workday includes producing commercials and keeping five radio stations running 24/7.

In the 80’s, my childhood fantasies of vinyl-spinning disc jockey glory slowly gave way to massive changes in technology. The compact disc made music sound better and I no longer had to cue up songs on a turntable. Simply select the track on the CD and it’s ready when the play button is pushed.

I recently realized something magical has been lost in that evolution. My youngest son has never dropped a needle and watch it collect lint as it travels along the record groove. Even my oldest son has never crammed an 8-track into an old stereo. Those cartridges were used in radio most often for commercials because of the endless loop tape, but now are ancient history.

We have a cassette deck somewhere in our house, but alas, I’m sure it’s unplugged and dusty. Here at the station, there’s an old reel-to-reel tape recorder that had been used for years to “dub” commercials. I haven’t touched it. Ever.

Like everything else, our studios at Bicoastal Media are more like computer workstations these days. We record and edit all kinds of audio digitally. We receive commercials as email attachments and stream local sports on the web. We rarely handle a physical item like a CD.

Performing on the radio is quite different from playing music for a live crowd at, say, a wedding reception or dance. There’s nothing more outrageous than watching a big family of all ages doing “The Macarena.” With my company, Twin City DJ, I’ve played “YMCA” a thousand times and I’m guessing I’ll play it a thousand times more. However, it’s not from the Casablanca 45 RPM single I bought for a buck in 1978. It’s a high-quality MP3 on my computer hard drive, filed along with 70,000 other songs.

Whether on the air or on the dance floor, it’s all still very fun. Even though I don’t play records or tapes anymore, I’m still that nine year old kid who likes his music.

…And loves to be a DJ.