Monday, November 16, 2009

30 Seconds of Fame..


“Count down from thirty then you’re on”
“Wait..thirty!? Why so many numbers?..Out loud?”
“Okay..Go!”
“30..29..28..27..26..25”

It’s my first ever call in to the radio. An ironic thirty second cut in to Rock 94 after a previous thirty second count in, which would make it a whole minute of non-stop talking. Thirty seconds of which is live..

“24..23..22..21..20..19”

Why thirty seconds? This is killing me. Clammy hands, shaky voice and sweat seeping throughout my miniscule pores on my central forehead. What a job! All of the other girls got to do a recorded trial before going on air live, but not me. There wasn’t any time for that. We were already behind on broad casting from the annual Teddy Bear’s picnic. The immense glare from a lady that appears in her 80’s reaches my peripheral vision and in an attempt to rid her from my personal bubble I complete a giant step to the left and a butt shuffle forward.

“Excuse me miss, EXCUSE ME, why are you ignoring me”
“18..17..16..15..14..13”
(Oh my gosh old lady, can’t you see I am busy right now, your opinion which I am sure is just a mass amount of complaints about the type of music we play on our station and why we don’t play more Elvis, CAN WAIT!)
I don’t say this to her, there just isn’t time for me to say this.

It’s close to go time. *Shake a little, sweat a little more, drip..drip..drip..*

“12..11..10..9..8..7..6”
Boo-boo bear..boo-boo bear..boo-boo bear. Of course they would give me a tongue twister to say on my very first call in. Like the thirty seconds of counting out loud in front of a field of families, elders and the one and only Fred Penner wasn’t embarrassing enough.

“5..4..3..2..1..0”

“Hey it’s Brid from your Rock 94 street team. I am down here on this hot and humid day enjoying all of the awesome festivities at the annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic. (Hey! So far so good) There’s great food, music and activities including the boo-blue blear..I mean poo-boo pair..shit.. (Oh my god.. I just said shit on live radio, what do I do what do I say!) Come on down to the Teddy Bear’s Picnic. This is Brid from your Rock 94 street team..

Shitttttt…

2 comments:

  1. I like the build-up to your announcement, it is very well done. It is very effective to use the numbers to show the passage of time. It may be interesting to see if skipping a few when you write comments would show that your thoughts are taking up some of that precious time. Although I can imagine the interruption from the lady, I wonder if going through your senses and emotions may be a better use of that paragraph space: something like how were you standing, physical shaking, internal shaking, mind trying to focus…it might bring the reader more into your “moment” than the interruption. I really like the progression of your final broadcast. It may also gain some “punch” by separating it with quotations; and instead of putting in parentheses about your thoughts, put in the feeling of the realization that you just said “shit”. Sweat gland overload, red flushing neck, eyes darting to see if anyone heard…it may prove to be more effective than the internal thoughts. Well written and I am still smiling from having shared your experience with live radio. I give you much kudos…I tried once and my tongue was so tied I almost imploded from shame…or at least that was my impression of it! Cheers, Yuk-Sem

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  2. This post brings me back to my first broadcasts as a radio announcer…and the first time I said “shit” on the air! You capture the moment well. Including the countdown is a great way to demonstrate the pressure you’re under and the pace of the moment. I think you could have provided a bit more of your internal process. For example, were you thinking ‘what if I say it wrong, what if I forget what I’m supposed to say, what if I blank out?’

    I like the interruption by the old lady. It shows me that there are other elements you have to control while attempting to control your own fears and adds to the pressure. The piece about the other girls being able to pre-record their cut-ins could be cut because it doesn’t add to your experience.

    I like the references to sweating and the way you bring it back with a simple “drip..drip..drip”. A great “showing” blog!

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