A career managing rock bands was the impetus to giving Staten Island its own soundtrack, where Kristen Wallace brought the borough its first community internet radio station dedicated to providing free music and live arts programming across all genres.
Segment 1
The show opens with Jeremiah’s message of the week, a quote from Casey Kasem: “Anytime in radio that you can reach someone on an emotional level, you’re really connecting.” and introduces the guest, Kristen Wallace. Kristen places her origins in Trenton, bouncing around between Germany and San Francisco, and her past as a booking rock bands in clubs, including Flipper and Helmet, transitioning into becoming a tour manager for eight years, and afterwards getting a job booking agency. She goes into a few touring experiences for several music acts and DJs and names a few of her responsibilities in the middle of the chaotic lifestyle on the road.
Segment 2
Kristen talks about creating Maker Park Radio, the first and only internet radio show in SI, her initial experience moving to Staten Island to raise her children, volunteering for handling the music production at a local arts festival and how being a mother affects how she approaches her work, as well as her motivations for starting the radio station.
Segment 3
This segment begins with Kristen speaking to how she got the radio station off of the ground, how she got an FCC license and applied to become a host through her sister who had a station at Trenton University, which started her love of radio, and, while DJing at a wedding, with her aim to connect the art communities of Staten Island, she was offered an opportunity at the Staten Island Makerspace used to kickstart the radio station, hiring local DJs, operating out of a closet, speaking to the turbulent start to how it got to where it is today.
Segment 4
Kristen and Jeremiah talk to the steep learning curve that comes with new technology and the Kristen talks her current responsibilities and experiences running the show, curating events, getting out of her comfort zone, finding new hosts and DJs, and then goes into the growing variety of the network with new talk and music shows with amateur hires and the openness of their selections. The segment closes with Kristen giving the location of their headquarters and their website.
