From the airwaves of public radio station KCCK at Kirkwood Community College, the rhythms of smooth jazz fill the halls. Behind the mic, behind the music, and behind the scenes, a symphony of teamwork makes the jazz radio station sing. It’s the dedication of many that keeps the station grooving day and night.
Dennis Green is the director and general manager of the station. Green has been at KCCK since 1995 but previously worked at other radio stations in Cedar Rapids and other parts of Iowa.
Staying interested and engaged in a job like Green’s is easy because it’s always something different. “You never get bored,” Green said.
In addition to playing music over the airwaves, KCCK is deeply involved in the community. The station hosts free jazz concerts during the summer and offers educational programs for students from kindergarten through high school. It also pairs high school jazz bands with professional guest artists to record an annual album.
KCCK, like Kirkwood, focuses on education, which is why the station works extensively with students. “As a public institution, we are also here to make the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas a better place to live in lots of different ways,” Green said. “Primarily that is by sending out well-trained, well-educated students into the community.”
According to Green, the station also focuses on elevating the arts, especially jazz, while offering a fun escape from the daily routine.
Green said the most rewarding part of KCCK is that people donate to the station even though it is free to listen to. “Obviously, to them, what we do is important enough, even though they could listen for free 24/7,” Green said.
KCCK encourages its listeners to support the station, raising $300,000 annually from donors who value its impact on the community. Green said an important aspect people might not think about at KCCK is assuming the music on the radio is picked out by somebody else.
“I think people do not realize that we put a lot of thought into every song that gets played on the radio, and our announcers pick most of the music they play themselves,” Green said.
He added each show might feature a theme, whether it’s about a specific song or a significant jazz album released on this day in history.
Ron Adkins, a music producer at KCCK, began his career at a small radio station in western Iowa in 1986. He later worked as a nightclub DJ before joining KCCK. Adkins said he enjoys the music of Miles Davis who was a jazz artist and trumpet player. “He changed the way we listen to music about six times throughout his career,” Adkins said.
Davis is responsible for influencing some of the rock music that has a groovy sound to it and laid-back jazz. Adkins is also a fan of David Bowie, a famous singer-songwriter, for his style in modern jazz music.
The biggest lesson Adkins has learned is to smile and stay engaged while on air. “If you sound like you’re having fun and enjoying the job, people are going to want to listen,” he said.
Categories: Contributed, Feature
