THE INTERVIEW

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)

Most of us have watched the auditions for “American Idol” at one time or another; we’ve been astounded by hearing and seeing some extraordinarily talented young people, AND we’ve laughed and shaken our heads at the dreadfully untalented ones. I never thought I’d have both an audition and an interview, but I DID YESTERDAY.

It’s left me doing a lot of thinking and soul searching.

I realize putting this out there for public scrutiny can be very risky because the people I interviewed and auditioned before could read this. Honestly, I have nothing to hide and it won’t bother me if they do read it. I “got saved” in 1970 (and I know all of you don’t necessarily understand what that means) and since 1970, the weirdest year of my life, and the year which has contained scads of events and experience which are very difficult to understand and process has been 2009. Yesterday’s audition and interview was just the latest somewhat strange event of the year.

No, I did not audition to be a singer! I don’t have a bad singing voice, but I’m no Frank Sinatra. I auditioned to see if I have any talent and potential as a radio broadcaster. When I was around 16, my ambition was a career as a radio broadcaster. My father had a close friend named Bill who HAD been a radio broadcaster as a very young man and whose father was a high level executive at a major radio station. Bill told me, “Bob, you’re too nice of a guy- like I am. DON’T go into radio! It’s a cut throat business!” (Bill had become a schoolteacher, instead.) Ten years ago, I DID do some radio broadcasting at the now defunct J-LIGHT Christian Radio in Framingham (WJLT). I even got paid for some of it. Tim Horton, the owner and operator of the station told me I was “a natural”.

This has been a very difficult financial year for our church and for our family. Some weeks ago, it became evident that I need to get a part-time secular job outside of the church, and perhaps even a full-time secular job. At 55 when all you’ve done is pastoral ministry for the previous 28 years and when you DON’T have loads of talents and abilities, you can feel pretty intimidated and like you don’t have much to offer any prospective employer. I WILL say I do have a part-time job pending now as a “product presenter” in a department store. It’s a “salary plus incentive” job but if it doesn’t produce any leads in a couple of weeks time, you can easily be let go. I found that job on Craig’s List. I also found a job for broadcasting over the internet (out of MASSACHUSETTS) on Craig’s List. That’s the job I auditioned and interviewed for. On a total lark, I sent them an inquiry. I was shocked when an executive from there called me a few days later and did a brief interview over the phone. He then set up a time for me to come in and have a formal interview and audition.

The “radio station” is strictly on-line- over the internet. Even so, it’s been around since 1993 and has thousands and thousands of listeners in North America and the rest of the world. The studio is located in a Boston suburb. I was nervous and did not know what to expect as I arrived early for my 1 p.m. appointment. The executive who’d called me was there, dressed VERY CASUAL, like he was going to go out and play a game of touch football or something. (He explained he’d been out until 3 a.m. entertaining clients.) His assistant looked like a skinny kid you’d see happily dozing in a high school study hall. I will call the boss Ted and his assistant Rufus. Ted was in his late 30s and a TOTAL “Type A”. He made it a point to tell me of the talent level that’s on their internet station. While I was there, he fielded calls from some of his “A list talented broadcasters” that he somewhat tongue-in-cheek referred to as prima donnas. A technical thing was NOT going right and Ted was irritated, and engrossed in the problem. Oh, I forgot to tell you that as I was arriving, three young guys who looked like what I’d call “heavy metal types” were entering a studio.
“Do a good show! GET ME SOME RATINGS!” Ted told them.

The time got to be 10 minutes after 1. I was very nervous and very tense. I just didn’t feel welcome or comfortable. I wondered if I’d made a terrible mistake showing up. I glanced at the clock and thought, “If it gets to 1:15, I’m walking out of here and not looking back!”

Shortly before 1:15, Ted said to me, “Come into the back room!”

We went in there and the interview began. To my surprise, Ted calmed right down and became very personable. He did most of the talking. On this all internet station, they DO have several big name people who make very big money. They also give opportunities for people with little or no experience to get on the air (well on the air on the internet). Such people do not initially make any real money...in fact, initially you’re getting sponsors and paying a small fee for air time. (That’s why you’re encouraged to get a sponsor.) New people go through several training sessions. If all goes well, they are given a half hour show once a week that they pre-record there at the station. The show is initially podcast once a week. If it’s deemed to be good enough and gets enough hits, it will be on several times a week. If a person is really good, they will get more air time and may eventually get a live show and start earning serious money. Ted stressed that anyone they work with has GOT to have a voice for radio and has got to have a good concept for a show. I discussed some ideas with him. Ted asked, “Is this something you really want to try because I don’t want to waste my time and I don’t want you wasting your time?!”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that. I had no idea if this was a waste of time or not.
I decided to try the audition. For the audition, I had to read a 45-second-spot for a product, pretending I was on an FM station in Los Angeles. In broadcasting terms, Rufus was stunned because I “nailed” the spot in “one take”. (I also used to “nail” spots like that on J-Light Radio. There, I was called “one take Bob Baril”.) Rufus smiled, looked amazed, and told me, “You’re a natural!”

Honestly, I’m a terrible athlete. I’m a terrible mechanic. I’m mediocre with computers. I’m nothing special in a lot of areas...but when it comes to radio broadcasting, I truly AM “a natural”. Tentatively, they’ve asked me to come back on Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours of training for a modest fee.

What do you think? Should I do it- or is this crazy? No kidding, I’d really like to know what you think!