On Wednesday morning, Collingwood Collegiate Institute student Abby Hamerton, 17, was working quickly to make changes to her radio show, which was set to go live at 10:45 a.m. through the halls of CCI and beyond.
Hamerton is one in a class of about 20 students that participate in the production of the school’s OZZIE Radio program. Every weekday, one student from the Grade 12 communications and technology class produces and hosts a half-hour-long radio show with the music and content of their choosing, which is broadcast through the school’s website, an app called Mixlr, and blasted through the hallways of the Collingwood high school.
Each student gets three shows this spring semester. Wednesday was Hamerton’s turn.
“I’ve been in band since Grade 6. My family has always been very musical,” said Hamerton. “I’ve always liked the idea of sharing music with others, whether that’s to make music, play music, or show music.”
Hamerton’s show contained an eclectic mix of content. Parts were music-driven and the history behind the music she selected, but she also focused on the date as well as new apps and technology.
“Coming out of Easter, I wanted to look into what holidays are going on. It’s National Egg Salad Appreciation Week, which is weird. I also had a talking segment about how it’s nice to have long weekends, but it definitely messes with your schedule,” she said.
Hamerton, along with Marcy Vetro, 16, and Alisa Mitryakhina, 17, are the only female students that participate in the radio show this semester.
“It’s definitely more of a guy’s environment, or space,” said Mitryakhina, with a laugh. “I took a tech class last year and when I was directing, it was hard sometimes to get them to listen or take me seriously, but I’m glad I did it.”
“I’ve taken a few tech classes since I started here. There’s always that fear right before the semester starts that you might be the only female in that course. That does sometimes make people drop out of the course,” said Hamerton.
With the class not running the past two years due to low enrolment, Hamerton was delighted that she was able to enrol in her senior year to give producing a spin before graduating.
“I’m so happy now that I’ve made it here,” she said.
Teacher Chris Young oversees the communication and technology class and the radio shows. While the student shows are played live, they are pre-recorded. Young listens to every show the night before it airs to flag any concerns or changes. The day it airs, the student is tasked with making the changes in the morning before it goes live.
Shows are produced in Adobe Audition, and are broadcast through Mixlr.
“The dream is to go terrestrial,” said Young. He would like to see the shows be broadcast over FM radio, but the process for getting a license is complicated and the program doesn’t have enough content or resources to broadcast 24/7.
For now, he’s hoping to garner more community interest in the content the students are producing.
“It’s a great opportunity to see the talent we have here at the school, and it’s a window into what the kids are listening to these days,” he said. “You’d be surprised.”
Lukas Van Duyn, 17, had his show broadcast on April 14.
“My show was based around greatest hits from the ’60s until the ’90s, with a focus on rock music. My next show will be about Dire Straits and their history,” he said. “The hard part is planning everything into a half an hour with useful information. Recording and editing is the easy part.”
Jude Leynes, 17, had his show premier on April 12, focusing on alternative rock.
“I’m a musician and do a lot of live recording. I also have a podcast with my friends. My show showed off my musical tastes,” said Leynes. “I did an album review and would talk about each song. It was more music-oriented, rather than talking.”
Nathan Anderson, 17, is still preparing for his first show.
“Listening to the radio all the time, I got kind of inspired,” said Anderson. “I’ll be focusing on The Chainsmokers. There will be some rap on there. It’s a work-in-progress.”
Anderson said as part of their class, they’re discussing radio dramas which has also piqued his interest.
“I like the acting part of it,” he said. “This opens up possibilities. It’s the learning and the experience for me.”
Mitryakhina prefers to focus on the music, and will spend her show playing and discussing her own musical taste. She says for her May show, she’d like to try doing an on-air interview.
“I really like the music I listen to. I like talking about the background of the artists,” she said. “I want to be comfortable in this tech environment because I’m going into animation (post-secondary).”
For Vetro, experimenting with radio goes beyond the show itself and ventures into personal growth.
“For me, I kind of struggle with putting myself out there. Talking is sometimes outside of my comfort zone,” said Vetro. “But, I really wanted to. I’m in Grade 12, so this is my last year here.”
Vetro prefers to focus on the talk-radio aspect of broadcasting. For her upcoming show on April 28, she’ll be discussing Worker Memorial Day. She will be doing a mock interview, and her music choices will be tied to instances of those who have died on the job.
“Everyone has their own thing, and I think everyone’s (shows) are good,” said Vetro. “Even though it’s a radio course, I’ve learned so much and I think it’s really going to help me toward what I’d like to do when I’m older.”
OZZIE Radio broadcasts every weekday from 10:45 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. It can be accessed through the CCI website, or the Mixlr website and app. Archived shows are also available through the website and app here.
