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High school students try their hand at broadcasting on V.I. Internet radio show [The Virgin Islands Daily News, St. Thomas](Virgin Islands Daily News (St. Thomas) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 07--ST. CROIX -- Several young people from across some of the territory's schools are having their dreams to be radio personalities come true with a new program started on the recently launched New Rhythm on the ViVid Streaming Internet radio station. Along with its regular live programing seven days a week, the station has a unique programming element in the Higher Level High School show, which features teens, their ideas and music. The program currently broadcasts from St. Thomas and St. Croix alternating in one-week rotations with teams from Tortola and Washington, D.C., expected to join the rotation as soon as studios there open their doors in the coming weeks. Vivid Streaming founder Rashidi Clenance, who also has been serving as the students' mentor, said they are divided into teams, each of which consists of students from public schools and private schools. Each team also comprises a DJ and a female host, who are expected to work together to produce their own show. "This show is all about the students and what they want to bring across," Clenance said. "They are responsible for hosting the show, securing guests, developing discussion and entertaining their audience with musical mixes brought by the DJ on the team during the second hour of the program." The program broadcasts from 6 to 8 p.m. weeknights, with the exception of Wednesday, he said. Realizing that the students still must remain focused on their classes, the break in the middle of the week is to ensure that the students meet all their academic obligations, Clenance said. Since the program began last month, Clenance said he has seen great potential in the students, and he tries to give them the opportunity that most students their age and generations before them never had. During his last show, St. Croix Educational Complex senior Dion Redmon, who is a team DJ, was busy and quick with his hands running though songs that kept his teammates and audience hyped. He said he had been playing around with playing music since he was in middle school, and when he entered a DJ competition last February he got connected with Clenance and accepted the opportunity to be part of the program. "I've always liked the feel of being on a station like this," Dion said. "This is a great opportunity because it gives us the chance to do more and learn more so we can find out about the industry." Miguel Jacobs, a senior at Central High School, said he got connected to the station in the same way as Dion did, and while he started with being a DJ only three years ago, being on the air is something that he has been working toward and has finally achieved. "This feels great, like finally I get my dream to come true," he said. Miguel said he is really passionate about music and being on air, and he has found a formula so that he can balance his schoolwork, social life and other activities. Vivid Streaming launched its free downloadable app for Apple and Android devices on Sept. 12, and shortly after that, the station was available on the Tune-in Radio app and on its corresponding website, Visionary-1.com. In the first three weeks, Clenance said the online station garnered more than 59,000 listener sessions as it gives listeners the ability to connect 24 hours a day no matter where they go on the planet. Clenance, a popular V.I. radio and television personality for almost two decades, has made his mark in the radio industry across the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and has recruited Tortola's premier DJ, Birchfield "DJ Bertrum" Lettsome, to open a studio on Tortola. The station uses a Caribbean Urban format and plays a variety of music that ranges from Latin hits to chart-topping hip hop and R&B. The station also plays an array of Virgin Islands artists. "This is the V.I. radio revolution as we have been using revolutionary technology to link the studios," Clenance said. The goal of the station is to provide great music and information for its listeners, and also to breathe life into the community through sponsorships, mentor programs and lots of giveaways, he said. The Internet station's first radio promotion, which will take place later this year, will send one lucky listener to San Antonio to see St. Croix's NBA legend Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. This week, the St. Thomas Higher Level High School team will be on air beginning at 6 p.m. each night. - Contact reporter Fiona Stokes at 714-9149 or email [email protected]. ___ (c)2014 The Virgin Islands Daily News (St. Thomas, VIR) Visit The Virgin Islands Daily News (St. Thomas, VIR) at www.virginislandsdailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |