Jazzing up the SIUE radio beacon
WSIE will keep jazz format along with new additions
Karina Swank
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: A&E
Sound the trumpets, introduce the flute, improvise on the saxophone and make the trombone sing with the piano because SIUE's radio station, WSIE, will keep its longtime jazz format, but that's not all the jazz.
According to Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift's Report to the University, WSIE will retain its jazz format, but may be seeing some new additions to better showcase SIUE to the public.
"… the station will: retain its jazz format, but will feature our SIUE jazz program; faculty and students; support our Division I sports programming; and be used to expand the reputation of SIUE," Vandegrift said.
Earlier this year, the WSIE Advisory Committee was set up to review WSIE's programming and think of new ways it might serve the university, according to WSIE's General Manager Frank Akers.
"The committee is looking for ways to better serve SIUE, especially the Jazz Studies Program of the Department of Music, intercollegiate athletics and any other department or group that has an idea for a program," Akers said.
Although still in the early stages, according to Director of Jazz Activities Brett Stamps, one of the committee's ideas was to continue with the jazz format, but to focus programming on the SIUE jazz program's activities.
"[For] example, Count Basie [Orchestra], a big band group, is coming in with the Arts & Issues series. What we are doing is coordinating a jazz festival with area high schools, and it would be ideal to have the radio station focus on Count Basie," Stamps said. "To pull all that off, you would have to coordinate between the radio station … to pull the university together and coordinate our separate expertise."
According to music professor Reginald Thomas, coordinating expertise is what the advisory committee, as he is a part of it, wants to accomplish.
"We are going to have more student involvement, and we are looking at how that can involve students from the jazz program and the mass [communications] department in working at the station and looking for ways to use the station to help our program academically," Thomas said. "… What happens with the station might be reflective of the program."
According to Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift's Report to the University, WSIE will retain its jazz format, but may be seeing some new additions to better showcase SIUE to the public.
"… the station will: retain its jazz format, but will feature our SIUE jazz program; faculty and students; support our Division I sports programming; and be used to expand the reputation of SIUE," Vandegrift said.
Earlier this year, the WSIE Advisory Committee was set up to review WSIE's programming and think of new ways it might serve the university, according to WSIE's General Manager Frank Akers.
"The committee is looking for ways to better serve SIUE, especially the Jazz Studies Program of the Department of Music, intercollegiate athletics and any other department or group that has an idea for a program," Akers said.
Although still in the early stages, according to Director of Jazz Activities Brett Stamps, one of the committee's ideas was to continue with the jazz format, but to focus programming on the SIUE jazz program's activities.
"[For] example, Count Basie [Orchestra], a big band group, is coming in with the Arts & Issues series. What we are doing is coordinating a jazz festival with area high schools, and it would be ideal to have the radio station focus on Count Basie," Stamps said. "To pull all that off, you would have to coordinate between the radio station … to pull the university together and coordinate our separate expertise."
According to music professor Reginald Thomas, coordinating expertise is what the advisory committee, as he is a part of it, wants to accomplish.
"We are going to have more student involvement, and we are looking at how that can involve students from the jazz program and the mass [communications] department in working at the station and looking for ways to use the station to help our program academically," Thomas said. "… What happens with the station might be reflective of the program."
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