Meet WTJU Producer, Ben Larsen
By WTJU
Ben Larsen is a WTJU audio producer and lead sound engineer. He started at WTJU as a volunteer but his dedication and professionalism led him to a full time position. He makes the station’s live shows sound top notch, while also teaching others how to run sound. Ben we are so grateful that you are here and wish you a very happy November 25th Birthday!
Please enjoy this brief interview with Ben (pictured above is Ben, left, running a remote broadcast, and Steve Kindig, right, announcing for Atlantic Weekly at the Charlottesville City Market):
Tell us a bit about your title and tasks at WTJU
I am the station’s producer, which means I handle most of the pre-recorded material that goes on air and online. People may know me from the local news, offstage on-air, or my other role as the lead engineer for all the station’s live events.
When did you start working at WTJU?
I started working for TJU in January of 2022 as a student volunteering with the live shows.
What drew you to working at the station?
I grew up in Cville, so TJU has always been in my life in some way. As a student studying music and visual art, I wanted to find a way to get involved in creative work that also supports my community.
What do you love about WTJU?
I love the community of curious people. It’s rare that I turn on the radio and hear something that I’ve heard before. I get to learn something new every day from people who are just as passionate as I am!
What do you love about running sound during WTJU’s live shows? What are the challenges?
Running sound can be a chaotic experience! We put on an incredible number of shows every year, and each has so many moving parts. Not only am I working with bands to set up, but also college and high school students who want to learn more about engineering. I love being the one to steer the ship and make it all come together (as well as making sure everyone is enjoying themselves)!
Do you have any live shows that stand out as your favorites, either because of the music itself or because of some aspect of running the sound?
At this point, I’ve done hundreds of shows. There are so many great acts that have come through here, it’s hard to remember them all. As a former Jazz student in the UVA music dept, I particularly love when my old professors come through to play. It was a real treat getting to engineer all of the shows for the 2024 Jazz marathon honoring John D’earth.
What is your biggest gaffe when running sound?
Oh man! There have been a few over the years. As I tell all the interns, mistakes will always happen and something will usually go wrong. As engineers, it our job to fix them quickly.
Luckily, nothing that I’ve messed up has ever got the performers too upset with me.
What are your personal favorite podcasts (they don’t have to be ones that you record, just in general)?
We have so many podcasts that I work on and that we host at the station. I basically spend most of my day making podcasts, so when I do listen to any for pleasure, it’s usually political ones.
If you could interview anyone for a podcast, dead or alive, who would it be?
We have already had some incredible guests across the various shows I put together. Around this time last year, I did an episode with Jim Ryan and Will Shortz from the New York Times. And a few months before that, Brendan O’Donnell and I got to chat with N. Scott Johnson, an artistic collaborator with Barbara Hammer. Honestly, just about all the shows we do have incredible guests on. I hope that people go and check them out!
What are your passions outside of radio?
Honestly, I’m a pretty huge fan of media in all forms. I’m fascinated by the contexts in which people create things, and the culture and interactions that come out of the creations. In college, I spent most of my time studying music and photography. When I’m not working on projects for the station, my most recent passion has been finding obscure foreign movies and translating them into English.
Why does WTJU matter?
TJU is for the people! The folks on the radio are here because they want to share their music, their time, and their message with all of us. There’s nobody telling them what to play or what news stories I cover, and I think that’s special. I love TJU because I love Cville!
