WYCE 88.1FM is launching a live radio program named
GR Live beginning Thursday, April 28 at the
House of Music and Entertainment (known as H.O.M.E.) inside The B.O.B. This program will occur every Thursday at noon for 19 weeks and conclude on September 1. It is free for the public to attend and will be broadcast live over the radio at 88.1FM and streamed online at WYCE.org.
“It’s going to be super cool. A big win to get the city promoting music on the same level as beer, food, and art,” says AJ Paschka, WYCE station manager.
Super cool is an understatement. It’s freaking awesome.
GR Live will be hosted by WYCE programmer and musician Quinn Matthews (who began championing the idea last summer). The one-hour program will feature live music performances, interviews and calendars that will inform people of musical events in the city of Grand Rapids. The program will also be recorded and made available to the public at ExperienceGR.com.
“The creation of GR Live allows Grand Rapids to collect performances, interviews and calendars and use them to promote music as a thing to go out and experience when the convention visitors and tourists come into Grand Rapids,” says Paschka. Effectively, this means that the local music scene is very important to the city’s brand, growth and vitality. “Our city is becoming a music destination,” he adds.
Paschka says music lovers can expect an eclectic and wide-ranging lineup of local and regional musicians. “There is so much good music in this town. It is very much part of the downtown resurgence,” he continues, citing the immense popularity of the Pyramid Scheme, The Intersection, The B.O.B., and concerts at Van Andel Arena and Frederick Meijer Garden. “Music always brings in the largest crowds,” Paschka says.
Taken as whole, Paschka says music, like craft beer and arts, can be a primary engagement strategy for organizations marketing Grand Rapids as a place to live, work and play.
Besides providing a boost for local musicians, Paschka says this is big boon for WYCE. “This will help us grow our audience. We’ve always supported local music, so this is a nice evolution.” Paschka also gives a shout out the The Gilmore Collection as a long time supporter of the radio station and home to the House of Music and Entertainment (H.O.M.E.).
Paschka encourages musicians to contact Matthews directly
(via Facebook) to learn more about being featured on GR Live. You can also follow the program on
ExperienceGR and
WYCE.
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor
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