“Basically … I facilitate the jams. I’m like the Shepherd of Rock,” University sophomore Thor Slaughter@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Thor+Slaughter@@ says with a hint of humor in his voice. But looking around his office at the campus radio station, KWVA,@@http://kwva.uoregon.edu/@@ one can see where the “Shepherd of Rock” nickname might come from. Various CDs and vinyl LPs that were once neatly stacked are now scattered over his entire desk, burying a surface completely covered in band and album stickers. A calendar on the wall marks the major holiday breaks on campus, and the current show on the air plays through a speaker sitting perched just above his desk.
This is the office of the KWVA music director, a position that requires frequent monitoring and logging of all music being played at the station, weekly contact with multiple record labels and promoters as well as a comprehensive understanding of both popular and upcoming music from a number of different genres. This is a position that Slaughter has held for roughly five months — and in those five months, has won two national awards for his work.
Slaughter was recently nominated for three awards at the nationally recognized College Music Journal’s College Radio Awards@@http://www.cmj.com/@@ and won two of the three this past week at the award ceremony in New York City. Nominated for Best Newcomer, Will Never Sell Out and the prestigious Music Director of the Year, Slaughter brought home Best Newcomer and Will Never Sell Out and he is humbled and inspired by this acknowledgment.@@http://www.cmj.com/live/college-radio-awards-2011-the-big-winners/@@
“Just to get that recognition, it was amazing,” Slaughter says of being nominated. “It was like, ‘Listen, you’re a crazy person, but you are doing a good job.’ You know, like all of this work and all of this effort is paying off, and now it’s sort of given me confidence.”
Growing up with a strong music background attributed to road trips with his father, Slaughter played in bands all through high school before deciding to become a disc jockey midway through his freshman year.
“I remember him being around the station a lot and asking about music and listening to music,” says Charlotte Nisser, general manager at KWVA,@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Charlotte+Nisser@@ of Slaughter before he got the position. After receiving a tip the day the music director application was due, Slaughter rushed to send in a cover letter and resume and a few weeks later got the job.
“He’s taken that job description and made it his own,” says Nisser, who was on the hiring committee the day Slaughter interviewed. Despite Slaughter’s inexperience before beginning the job as music director, he’s made an impression. “He’s figured out how to do it and how to make it this really incredible experience, adding his enthusiasm and his interest and his dedication, and I think that really shows … he’s definitely worthy of these awards because he’s done an incredible job.”
According to Slaughter, however, he wasn’t always sure if what he was doing as music director was the right thing.
“I didn’t have what a MD was supposed to be, I didn’t have that picture in my head … it was so experimental what I was trying to do and just trying to carry on what I knew needed to be done and also trying out as much crazy stuff and cool stuff as I could,” Slaughter said.
Some of this stuff has included diversifying and adding more music to the radio’s rotation, as well as coordinating phone interviews with bands such as Mansions@@http://www.myspace.com/mansions@@ and Into It. Over It.@@http://www.myspace.com/intoitoverit@@
Now that his work has been supported — not just by others at KWVA, but also by promoters and other music directors around the country — Slaughter admits to wanting to do everything bigger and better now that he’s won.
“Yeah, I’m going to do everything how I was doing it, just make bigger, work harder, keep it real-er, you know, just try to really put KWVA on the map,” says Slaughter, who also admits to thanking Google Maps and Miami Vice in his acceptance speeches. “Now I just feel so inspired to go back and do amazing things, you know, get bigger, and get more people involved.”
KWVA music director receives national recognition
Daily Emerald
October 22, 2011
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