Alive with Music

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][us_image image=”67082″ size=”full” align=”left” style=”circle”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″ offset=”vc_col-lg-4/5 vc_col-md-4/5 vc_col-xs-4/5″][vc_column_text]By Leonie Dixon[/vc_column_text][us_post_date][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Thank you, you make my ears very happy. I live in Doonside and work in West Ryde. You make the trip to and from work more fun. When I put the radio on it’s to listen to music, news and quick traffic updates, but mostly MUSIC. Your station is great am & pm driving with such a terrific groovy cross section of eras, styles and artists. I never know what I’ll hear next, but it won’t be predictable.

It was lovely to receive this feedback from a listener, and I think appropriate to introduce this month’s article on Alive music. Station music is selected for inclusion in the 90.5 library by Frank Dengate and Roger Brand who are very dedicated to the task and have broad musical knowledge. They have both enjoyed great diversity from a young age and are comfortable in many genres. The music library has been selected based on the following criteria:

1. A broad variety to suit a wide range of listeners across the 20-70 age groups with an emphasis on 50-60, in an interesting mix not generally heard in Sydney.

2. A mix that can be utilised by presenters who do not have their own music and benefit from the inclusion of wider choice.

Music forms included are. A good selection of 60s, 70s and 80s as well as a sampling of 50s. Some Old R&B, new R&B styles, ballads and a sampling of country forms, some Blues,Roots and Folk and the inclusion of emerging forms of Independent Music- 80s to Present. When adding songs it is important that they are compatible with the broad concept of the mix already created but also reaching out into many styles to maintain a cohesive element throughout in a “ We take you out then bring you back” idea.

Just a little bit of the history of music on Alive. When the station first went to air the Board decided to provide a format of smooth jazz during certain daytime hours and overnight. There were some night-time programs as well. Smooth jazz was a radio format created about 1980 in the USA and it rapidly spread to other parts of the world. Jazz continued under the Chairmanship of Graham Johnson until he stepped down in 2006 and the incoming board decided to widen the scope of the music library to include other genres. While smooth jazz was popular with listeners it was not a great commercial success. Today little remains of smooth jazz on Alive 90.5. After 27 years, Graham still presents jazz in his Early A.M. Attitude and Night Moves programs. Other jazz shows include Sunday Brunch with Paul Savrimoutou and Sunday Grooving with Rayjeana Pringle[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]