WTJU's Rock Marathon Fund Drive Starts Feb. 14

February 9, 2011 — Rock music at 6 a.m. on a Monday? Why not?

WTJU (91.1 FM), the University of Virginia's radio station, will kick off a weeklong rock marathon fund drive on Feb. 14 at 6 a.m., featuring musical styles from doo-wop to punk and a lot in between.

"We are dedicated to preserving Charlottesville's only source of independent, free-form rock radio," said Colin Powell, a U.Va. alumnus who is also co-director of rock at WTJU.

Powell said the station's rock DJs have planned a variety of music "from every nook and cranny of that all-encompassing genre we call 'rock,' " including new wave, garage rock, soul, post-rock, prog rock, ska, traditional ragas, Moog synthesizers, jangle-pop, outlaw country, punk, Merseybeat and chiptune.

The jazz and classical music departments at WTJU had their most successful fundraisers in WTJU history during October and December. "We have raised our own bar by setting a goal of $30,000," Powell said. "We're counting on the rock fans in the community and at the University."

DJs will host live programming 24 hours a day, and every evening will have in-studio performances and interviews featuring local musicians and groups, including Borrowed Beams of Light, Andrew Cedermark, Left and Right, Dzian!, Sarah White and The Pearls, Corsair and Invisible Hand.

Three shows will be dedicated to locally grown music: "Virginia Hip Hop" (Feb. 14 at 11 p.m.); "Virginia Jubilee Gospel" (Feb. 20 at 9 a.m.) and "Virginia Soul and Funk" (Feb. 20 at 2 p.m.).

On Feb. 19 at 5 p.m., two WTJU and U.Va. alumnae, Marcia ("Spot") Doran and Elizabeth ("That Girl") Hull, will host "Together Again for the First Time."

"Spot and I have never done a show together, although we overlapped at the station for several years," said Hull, now an English professor at Bethany College in West Virginia. "The one time I can remember the two of us being in the air studio at the same time is when she brought me the unopened copy of the Clash's watershed 'London Calling' LP to play, right off the delivery truck, so that WTJU would be the first to play it for Charlottesville."

A few more highlights:

•    "Singing Valentines," Feb. 14 at 5 p.m. Probably nothing has inspired musicians and songwriters more than love.

•    "Ragas Plus," Feb. 15 at 6 a.m. Host Bruce Penner and members of the U.Va.-Charlottesville Indian community will feature music from the Indian subcontinent, from traditional ragas to film music.

•    "Jagjaguwar: From Here to Ubiquity," Feb. 15 at 10:30 a.m. Tyler Magill presents music from the nationally renowned indie label whose roots are in Charlottesville.

•    "From the Ronettes to Riot Grrl," Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. Hosts Nathan Ragain ("Mother of Pearl"), Charles Marx and instructors from U.Va.'s Studies in Women and Gender present the best "girl groups" from Motown to feminist punk to anti-misogynist hip hop.

•    "Buddy Holly's Record Collection, 1959," Feb. 18 at 11 p.m. When he went on performance tours, Holly brought a collection of 45-rpm records with him that reveal his eclectic musical influences. Hosted by Dave ("Professor Bebop") Rogers.

•    "The Psychedelic Moods of Brian Wilson," Feb. 19 at noon. Host Brian Chidester, one of the world's premier historians on Wilson's post-Beach Boys "Smile" album, presents singles, rare tracks, outside productions and cover versions by the seminal writer/producer.

Rob Nowicki, the station's interim general manager, said community support is essential to WTJU's future. "Nationally, the discussion about cutting or eliminating federal funding for public broadcasting is very troubling," he said. "The more local support we can demonstrate, the better we'll be able to sustain WTJU."

For the complete schedule, visit here.

— By Marian Anderfuren

Media Contact

Marian Anderfuren

UVA Media Relations