DJ Appreciation Post – Michael Schell host of Flotation Device
Join us every Sunday at 10pm for Flotation Device on 91.3 KBCS hosted by Michael Schell. Thank you, Michael for bringing global music to local radio at KBCS and expanding the taste of our listeners in the Seattle region.
One of the most unusual shows on KBCS is Flotation Device, which has showcased creative and improvised music from the Northwest and around the world for over 20 years. Its host since 2021 is Michael Schell, who is a composer by trade, but nowadays focuses mainly on radio and music journalism where he feels he can have the most impact. (more…)
DJ Appreciation Post – Matt Fish host of CrossCurrents
Join us every Thursday for CrossCurrents at 7pm on 91.3 KBCS brought to you by Matt Fish. Thank you, Matt for bringing diverse programming to public radio at KBCS and broadening the horizons of our listeners in the Puget sound region. Matt told us about the origin story of CrossCurrents, his upbringing, how he discovered world music, his work in film, and the inspiration for CrossCurrents. (more…)
DJ Appreciation Post – Tom Voorhees alternating host of Bluegrass Ramble
Join us every other Sunday to enjoy Bluegrass Ramble at noon on 91.3 KBCS co-hosted by Tom Voorhees. Thank you, Tom for bringing bluegrass to public radio at KBCS and keeping the sound alive in the Seattle area. We asked Tom some questions to learn more about him and what motivates him to share his love of bluegrass with the greater Seattle community. (more…)
DJ Appreciation Post – John Gibaut of Sunday’s Hornpipe
Join us every Sunday to hear the sounds of Sunday’s Hornpipe at 3pm on 91.3 KBCS with John Gibaut. Thank you, John for being a part of the KBCS family and keeping local radio thriving in the Seattle area. John provided us details about his life, how he became interested in Celtic music, and how he got involved with community radio at KBCS. (more…)
KBCS DJ Appreciation: Braddah Gomes
Braddah Gomes has been a long time volunteer to KBCS hosting 3rd Saturdays for the Hawai’i Radio Connection. He has been contributing to the KBCS broadcast and listening community for 33 years! KBCS really appreciates the support of Braddah Gomes and all our DJ Volunteers. Learn more about Braddah Gomes responding to some of the KBCS DJ Questionnaire:
KBCS DJ Appreciation: Michael Olsen
Michael Olsen aka DJ Mikey Oh brings an exciting range of sound selections for Freedom Sounds Fridays at 7pm. KBCS is excited to have these mix styles for your Friday night and appreciate DJ Mikey Oh’s contributions to the listening community. Be sure to tune in after Roots Rock + Soul evening mix at 7pm FRIDAYs for Freedom Sounds. Learn more about Michael with responses to the KBCS DJ Appreciation Questionnaire:
KBCS DJ Appreciation: Oneda Harris
Oneda Harris has been a long time volunteer to KBCS and hosts THE VAULT on Mondays at 9pm and alternating co-host with Winona Hollins-Hauge for Living the Blues Wednesdays 7pm and Gospel Highway Saturdays at 7am. Take time to listen in and hear a prolific program producer, audio enthusiast with an aficionado of music. Oneda has been a long time support and stalwart of producing for KBCS Broadcast. KBCS appreciates so much of the volunteer time spent to produce programs for broadcast.
KBCS thanks Oneda Harris for her dedication, skill and audio support to KBCS. Tune in TONIGHT for the latest episode of THE VAULT! Oneda hosts next Wednesday’s Living the Blues at 7pm for the holiday day, and next weekend, Saturday’s Gospel Highway at 7am. You can also take a listen to the last 2 weeks of archive audio on the program pages. And learn more about Oneda from responses to the KBCS DJ Appreciation Questionnaire:
How long have you been hosting your show?
3 years for the Vault; 20 years for both Gospel Highway and 13 years for Living the Blues
What song or album do you most identify with, which inspired your energy to be a DJ?
Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder because the content, poetry, production, and lyrics.
Your most recent concert:
Seattle Opera’s masterful production of Jubilee, which highlighted the fundraising efforts of the first university dedicated to the education of African Americans post civil war.
Recent Feature film or a Favorite film:
The Big Sleep with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Written by one of the true mystery writers of the twentieth century. Dashiell Hammett who also wrote the Thin Man series and the Maltese Falcon.
Favorite recommended song or album for the evening:
Miles Davis’s recording of So What. It is a rapture of improvisational jazz.
Favorite recommended song or album for sunset:
The Essential Recordings of Lead Belly. It has his gut wrenching, heart pounding, blues guitar which he plays like a percussion instrument.
Favorite recommended song or album for the morning:
My favorite morning song is James Brown’s Think. It is recorded Live with the Fabulous Flames. It is R and B funk perfection.
Favorite recommended song or album for dawn:
The music soundtrack for the movie Diva, which borrows heavily from classical music and modern opera.
What album do you love or really enjoy that might surprise your listeners?
Led Zepplin’s Houses of the Holey. It imitates the music inspired by Robert Johnson and Lead Belly and honors both of these African American blues pioneers.
What album do you feel changed your life?
Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man. It introduced me to jazz as an original American art form.
Pen, typewriter, computer, device: -please elaborate why-
Pen, because as a part time playwright, a handwritten document is instantly verifiable as an original no plagiarized document. And a pen is easier to carry.
Favorite 21st Century read (book, poem, essay, writing):
Population by Elizabeth Stephens. Because of its dystopian and gothic horror landscapes.
Favorite piece of art:
The first lady portrait of Michelle Obama by Amy Sherald. It uses vibrant colors that accent the first lady’s skin tone by an artist that shares that same skin tone.
A favorite quote or song that keeps you going:
Ain’t No Stopping Us Now by McFadden and Whitehead. It’s both motivating and inspiring.
THANK YOU ONEDA! for all your support and time producing for KBCS! Thank you!
Oneda Harris
KBCS DJ Appreciation: Mike Biggins
KBCS DJ Appreciation: Tom Keeney
Tom Keeney – KBCS DJ Appreciation Profile
Bluegrass Ramble first aired on KBCS in the early 80s, and Tom started hosting the show in 2000. You can hear him on the 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays from 12noon to 3pm.
As he starts his 25th year, he feels just as passionate about this music and how it resonates in our community as ever. Tom played banjo in bluegrass bands which helped him develop a working knowledge of the music.
Before Bluegrass Ramble, Tom was always the one to make mix tapes for parties & road trips. He’s always had a love for blues, jazz and rock with a lot of time spent with long Grateful Dead jams. Big, deep grooves can be found in all these genres and Tom especially loves them in bluegrass. Hot Rize is an example of a band Tom says has crafted that groove so well, blending new approaches to traditional & original songs. He would also point you to all 6 of the Bluegrass Album Band recordings made during the 80s as the place to start if you’re new to bluegrass. They reinterpreted the old classic first generation of bluegrass songs with a fresh, new approach that inspired generations of artists that followed.
Tom says he feels like a bit like a chef as he curates a show, thinking of what tunes complement each other to how to create something bigger than the sum of the parts. Tom’s goal is to never make you want to change the station as he keeps the flow surprising and engaging. He feels he owes a huge debt to the music that he loves and he wants KBCS listeners to feel the same way. He says that bluegrass can be so beautiful and unique because of the gorgeous harmonies, the virtuosity of its practitioners, the stories being told, the fortitude of its founders and the adventurous spirit of the innovators who push and erase the boundaries. Tom has found a tear in his eye on many occasions watching live bluegrass when the joy just wells up and overtakes you.
He’s also been fortunate to connect on a national level to the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and serve on the showcase band selection for the annual convention/festival and on the awards eligibility committee. Attending that event nearly every year for the past 10 years has energized him and brought him closer to many of the artists you hear being played on Bluegrass Ramble. Staying up till 2 or 3 in the morning for 5 nights in a row watching his favorite and new bands performing and jamming brings a delight unlike any other. Tom has also helped out at Wintergrass as an MC over the years, being part of a KBCS presence to that incredible festival.
Thank you Tom Keeney!
Tom Keeney
Tom Keeney
Tom Keeney in Home Studio
Tom Keeney Thank You
KBCS DJ Appreciation: Tracy Yang
Program and airtime: K-Wave, Fridays @ 9pm
KBCS is excited for Tracy Yang to bring K-Pop and this fresh sound to the KBCS airwaves and listening community. Tracy shares more with our DJ KBCS Questionnaire
THANK YOU, TRACY!
How long have you been hosting your show?
I have been hosting K-Wave since March 2024, so about 9 months. I have so much fun sharing my love of K-Pop with KBCS listeners!
What song or album do you most identify with, which inspired your energy to be a DJ?
Hmm….currently, I am loving Babymonster’s 1st full length album, Drip. Babymonster also serves as K-Wave’s opening background track. J I like to play music that makes people want to get up and dance or feel happy and I always want to dance whenever I hear Babymonster!
Your most recent concert:
I just saw Usher at the Climate Pledge Arena! It was a SPECTACULAR show! I have a wish list full of artists that I want to see live in concert and Usher was on that list. So glad I had the opportunity to check that off my list!
Recent Feature film or a Favorite film:
My favorite movie of all time is Sleepless in Seattle. I know, I know. Super cliché, but hey, it ended up bringing me to the area!
Favorite recommended song or album for the evening:
D.O.’s 3rd Mini Album “Blossom” – you will especially love it if you’re an acoustic music junkie like me or you want a nice chill evening.
If you’re in the mood for something upbeat or want something to hype you up before you head out for a fun evening – Karina’s (aespa) solo track “UP.”
Favorite recommended song or album for sunset:
DAY6 – You Were Beautiful – A heartbreaking power ballad that is a K-Pop classic.
Favorite recommended song or album for the morning:
Young K’s “Bungee Jumping” if you want something light and mid-tempo. Or, if you’re like me and you like dancing the moment you get out of bed, NCT Dream’s “Hello Future.”
Favorite recommended song or album for dawn:
Bang Yedam’s 2nd Mini Album “Good Vibes” – I mean, ‘nuff said. The title of the album says it all!
What album do you love or really enjoy that might surprise your listeners?
Prince’s 1988 album “Lovesexy.” Yep, I’m a Prince fan! I’m from the Twin Cities area though so, this should come as no surprise. Something I really miss about living in the Twin Cities is hearing Prince’s music wherever I went.
What album do you feel changed your life?
S.E.S’s 2nd Album “Dreams Come True.” If I never heard that song or that album, I don’t think I would have become a K-Pop fan.
Pen, typewriter, computer, device: My phone! I can do nearly everything on it, and I must have it on me at all times.
Favorite 21st Century read (book, poem, essay, writing):
“The Latehomecomer” by Kao Kalia Yang – As a first-generation Hmong American, this book was very impactful for me. Reading it played a big part in why I decided to return to school to finish my undergraduate degree. If you like books about culture or want to learn more about the Hmong, I highly recommend reading this book.
Favorite piece of art:
Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker.” The beauty and sophistication in its simplicity is like none other to me.
A favorite quote or song that keeps you going:
“Good things take time; better things take a little longer.” – Sanhita Baruah
I love this quote. I have it on a post-it note next to my computer. I’m not the most patient person so seeing that quote reminds me to practice patience.
Tracy Yang
BAS Digital Marketing Student
Bellevue College // Class of ‘24
Thanks TRACY!
Tracy Yang
