“When I was looking at schools last year, when I was transferring, I wanted a school that I knew would ha ve a good, strong-enough radio department,” said Andrew Derby, PSU student and soon-to-be certified WPCR radio DJ.

Derby is a media studies major with both a passion for being behind the microphone, as well as listening to music.

He transferred to PSU this year from Landmark College in Putney, VT. He was also a radio DJ at Land- mark, where armed with his favorite tunes, The “DJ Derbs Show” first came to fruition and hit the airwaves.

Derby’s favorite bands include The Front Bottoms, The Story So Far, Swimm, State Champs, Four Year Strong, and New Found Glory. However, he has eclectic taste. About his Spotify playlists, Derby said, “One song is Rap, one song is Country, one is Electronic.”

As an avid music fan, he has over 6,000 songs compiled on his Spotify music library. When it comes to what he has been listening to lately, the list is just as eclectic as his playlists. “I’ve been listening to a wide array of stuff,” Derby said.

The first record that Derby acquired was Green Day’s American Idiot, when he was around six or seven years old. “The thing about Green Day’s American Idiot was the fact that each song was so different from the last, and all the hidden tracks on it--they each told a story.” Derby was struck by the power of an album that followed a narrative.

The second album that Derby acquired was a James Taylor CD, as his family would always play the likes of classics such as Taylor and Bruce Springsteen. “It [the Taylor album] was a blend of old and new,” said Derby. The Taylor album, in conjunction with American Idiot, are what initially sparked Derby’s interest in music, which would follow him until the present.

As far as sharing his musical choices with the masses, Derby has not gotten to do so yet. He has completed one training session, and is still in the process of adjusting to policies and protocols at WPCR. Compared to the radio program setup at his previous school, Derby said that WPCR is “different,” but also “very helpful” in his learning the ropes.

Adjustment is definitely a topical term for Derby as of late. He said about being new at PSU, “It’s a transition, because Landmark was, like, 470 students. So, it’s a big change of a smaller environment to a larger one.” In addition, he estimates that the radio station roster is about double what it was at Landmark.

Even so, Derby is taking everything in stride, and plans to have the “DJ Derbs Show” on the air in two weeks, after he has finished training. He looks forward to sharing the music he loves with the masses.

About what he is hoping to gain from his show, Derby said that, other than the obvious goal of gaining listeners, he is interested in “proving to people that certain genres of music should be celebrated.”

He said that his focus will be on “bringing bands like the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers back to the forefront, and not as much about the One Directions of the world.” When it comes to the mainstream, and Top 40 radio, Derby said, “I’ll admit that some of it’s good, but some of it’s trash.”

He often feels a general “lack of authenticity” in today’s music, especially with programs like Auto-Tune at artists’ disposal.

Derby said that music used to “tell a story,” and he will be “trying to bring back classics” with his new position. Still, he plans on staying true to his overall eclectic taste, with the aid of bands like The Eagles, to Mac DeMarco, to the Story So Far, and the seemingly-mismatched list goes on!

The relationship between Derby and radio will likely reach beyond college, as well; he would like to take on radio as a profession. He grew up not only loving music broadcasting, but baseball broadcasting, as well.

“I’m in love with baseball. So, if all else fails going into a show about music, I could resort to what I’ve always wanted to do, which is baseball broadcasting,” Derby said. Regardless of the content Derby will work with in his future endeavors, it looks like he will reside behind a microphone.