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| Photo by HOLLY SHANKS of the Forum |
The April 30th edition of the Forum's "Rock Block"
A Rock and Roll Conversation With B.A.
By HOLLY SHANKS of the FORUM
If all you have to do is care in order to make a difference in someone’s life then Barry Yoakum cares a lot. He tries to make that difference by giving his radio listeners an entertaining, rock and roll fueled distraction from whatever it is they might need it from, even if it’s only for a few hours every week.
Since 2008, Yoakum, a.k.a. B.A., has hosted, “The Rock Show,” a high RPM, boring not allowed, old school, Friday night rock and roll show, and it is the longest running rock based program currently on air at STLCC-FV student radio station, KCFV 89.5, The Wave. The hard rock and metal music genre appeals to Yoakum he says because the “music makes you feel like your kicking ass, having fun and doing what you want to do and it calms me down and pumps me up all at the same time.”
There was no lighting bolt moment when he knew he wanted to be a DJ on the radio. Instead it was a process that started with his Mom and Dad. Yoakum credits his parents with pushing him to figure out what he wanted to do after he graduated from high school. His dad told him to make sure he was doing something he liked and was challenging, find something that he can be happy doing that’s work, but not something that he hated going to everyday.
While building his knowledge of radio at STLCC-FV Yoakum credits Professor Scott Dorough, who laid the intro-foundation of radio and the KCFV Station Manager Tim Gorry, who built the application side of the radio house, and then Broadcasting Program Director Steve Bai, who was there to make sure nobody knocked the house down.
“Steve can pump you up like nobody else in the world, and it’s hard not to start believing in yourself when Steve Bai believes in you.” He said, “Tim Gorry helped me find what the remaining pieces were that I needed and pushed me in the right direction and I consider Tim my mentor and I will never be able to repay him for all the stuff he has taught me. Any future success I may have will be because of what Tim has taught me and made me learn.”
It all clicked for Yoakum when he did an internship at a local radio station and he thought, “Ya, okay, this might really be possible, I was looking at my dream job through the window and that is when my focus clicked and I knew I needed to get back to Flo and finish learning because I know I can get back there one day.”
Three of Yoakum’s most memorable moments at Flo-Valley are winning the 2009 Grogg Award, a yearly award that recognizes an outstanding student who demonstrates excellence in the areas of broadcasting skills and leadership. The second was the radio moment when he first heard his radio promo for his show, which he had personally made, on his car radio. Tossing up a rock and roll horned hand in the air to help describe what it felt like, “Ya, that was me, I did that.” He said it was the coolest thing and a huge rock nerd moment for him. Third, was being part of creating an incredibly fun April fool’s broadcast named “Rock Show Live” with two other KCFV radio personalities, Mose and Big Mike. Yoakum conveyed that the two are not just his friends, but his radio family.
Piloting his rolling chair with the same RPM’s as his music, Yoakum speeds around the broadcasting booth pushing buttons, sliding keys on the board, rapidly tapping the play list touch screen with deadly accuracy, updates his show’s tweets and answers the request line, once-in-a-while all at the same time. His energy comes from his music and simply having a good time doing what he does. He says he is grateful for the time his listener’s give to him and he wants them to have as much fun as he is.
“I don’t know where I’m going to end up, but if you focus too much on the goal you may forget to focus on the steps it takes to get there.” Yoakum says, “If I’m doing something I love, or something close to it and I’m happy, and as long as I have my music, I’ll be fine.”
Since 2008, Yoakum, a.k.a. B.A., has hosted, “The Rock Show,” a high RPM, boring not allowed, old school, Friday night rock and roll show, and it is the longest running rock based program currently on air at STLCC-FV student radio station, KCFV 89.5, The Wave. The hard rock and metal music genre appeals to Yoakum he says because the “music makes you feel like your kicking ass, having fun and doing what you want to do and it calms me down and pumps me up all at the same time.”
There was no lighting bolt moment when he knew he wanted to be a DJ on the radio. Instead it was a process that started with his Mom and Dad. Yoakum credits his parents with pushing him to figure out what he wanted to do after he graduated from high school. His dad told him to make sure he was doing something he liked and was challenging, find something that he can be happy doing that’s work, but not something that he hated going to everyday.
While building his knowledge of radio at STLCC-FV Yoakum credits Professor Scott Dorough, who laid the intro-foundation of radio and the KCFV Station Manager Tim Gorry, who built the application side of the radio house, and then Broadcasting Program Director Steve Bai, who was there to make sure nobody knocked the house down.
“Steve can pump you up like nobody else in the world, and it’s hard not to start believing in yourself when Steve Bai believes in you.” He said, “Tim Gorry helped me find what the remaining pieces were that I needed and pushed me in the right direction and I consider Tim my mentor and I will never be able to repay him for all the stuff he has taught me. Any future success I may have will be because of what Tim has taught me and made me learn.”
It all clicked for Yoakum when he did an internship at a local radio station and he thought, “Ya, okay, this might really be possible, I was looking at my dream job through the window and that is when my focus clicked and I knew I needed to get back to Flo and finish learning because I know I can get back there one day.”
Three of Yoakum’s most memorable moments at Flo-Valley are winning the 2009 Grogg Award, a yearly award that recognizes an outstanding student who demonstrates excellence in the areas of broadcasting skills and leadership. The second was the radio moment when he first heard his radio promo for his show, which he had personally made, on his car radio. Tossing up a rock and roll horned hand in the air to help describe what it felt like, “Ya, that was me, I did that.” He said it was the coolest thing and a huge rock nerd moment for him. Third, was being part of creating an incredibly fun April fool’s broadcast named “Rock Show Live” with two other KCFV radio personalities, Mose and Big Mike. Yoakum conveyed that the two are not just his friends, but his radio family.
Piloting his rolling chair with the same RPM’s as his music, Yoakum speeds around the broadcasting booth pushing buttons, sliding keys on the board, rapidly tapping the play list touch screen with deadly accuracy, updates his show’s tweets and answers the request line, once-in-a-while all at the same time. His energy comes from his music and simply having a good time doing what he does. He says he is grateful for the time his listener’s give to him and he wants them to have as much fun as he is.
“I don’t know where I’m going to end up, but if you focus too much on the goal you may forget to focus on the steps it takes to get there.” Yoakum says, “If I’m doing something I love, or something close to it and I’m happy, and as long as I have my music, I’ll be fine.”
To hear “The Rock Show” hosted by B.A. every Friday night at 7 p.m. tune into 89.5 FM or find it streaming live at http://www.stlcc.edu/FV/KCFV/ or to contact B.A. e-mail him at ba.rockshow@gmail.com
Rock News
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 2012 Induction ceremony went ahead as planned even if Axel Rose refused to show up. The rest of Guns n' Roses were inducted and preformed with Myles Kennedy, lead singer for Alter Bridge filling Axel's frontman position. See the 27th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on HBO, May 5, 2012 at 9 p.m. EST.
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| Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage |
Slash,Myles Kennedy, Duff McKagan and Steve Adler Preform at the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony April 14th.
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