For Stefanie Buzzell, being a deejay is all about playing music people can't hear anywhere else.
When she was 13, Buzzell began listening to a ska music show on Portland community radio station WMPG (90.9 and 104.1 FM), which is located on the campus of the University of Southern Maine. Buzzell really appreciated the fact that the volunteer deejay, Rob Hoyt, played ska music she didn't hear on other stations. She wrote a letter telling Hoyt just that, and he invited her to come help him on his show.
After a few years apprenticing with Hoyt, Buzzell took WMPG's deejay training course. For the past two years she has hosted her own indie music show on WMPG, "Daisypusher," which airs on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
When she's not on the air, Buzzell, 19, of Saco, works at the Newbury Comics record store in South Portland.
Q: What is indie rock or indie music, exactly?
A: Just independent rock 'n' roll, or jazz or country or blues. It's music from people who aren't on a major label, or who are on an independently run label.
Q: How does one find indie rock?
A: Some (artists) are pretty popular, so you find them at the regular stores. You can read about them in magazines like College Music Journal, or Spin. A lot of it is word-of-mouth.
Q: What do you like so much about indie music?
A: A lot of times it's just that the music is more interesting to listen to. It's not so formula. It can still be catchy and poppy, but it's more a reflection of the people writing the music. It's the result of their own hard work.
Q: Do you have a favorite band?
A: The Cure is my all-time favorite band. I love songs about heartbreak, which they do a lot of. I play a lot of sad songs on my show.
Q: Is The Cure an indie band?
A: No, not any more. Some indie bands get signed, and there are people who resent that. I think it's good for the band; they worked hard and got signed.
Q: Was it difficult to learn the technical part of being a deejay?
A: No. I just had to get over being nervous about pressing all the buttons. It's really very easy.
Q: Were your nervous to speak on air?
A: Yes. At first I'd only speak on air twice in two hours. But now I'm a chatter box.
Q: Would you want to be a professional deejay some day?
A: I like having the freedom on WMPG to play anything. If you have a job on commercial radio, you have to wait until a band is popular. And you have bosses telling you what to do. I wouldn't like that.
Q: What's the best part of being on the radio at WMPG?
A: You get to hear a lot of new music, because promotional CDs are sent here. I like bringing people music they can't hear in other places.
Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at: rrouthier@pressherald.com
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