WTJU Jazz Profile: Louise Largiader
For Louise Largiader, WTJU was something of a slippery slope. First, she was a longtime listener. Then she started donating to the Marathons. Then answering phones during them. She says she never thought she’d be on the radio, but she made the jump to on-air DJ a few years ago.
Here at the station, we’re so glad she did. In the photo above, Louise is on the left, photographed with her Wild Women & Friends co-host Sandy Snyder.
What shows are you hosting during the upcoming Jazz Marathon?
I am thrilled to kick off the Jazz Marathon with “Breakfast Blend,” two hours of music about coffee, breakfast, and mornings. I’m also helping Rus Perry with his Wednesday show about Abbey Lincoln and Nina Simone — his shows are so thoughtful and well-crafted.
What do you hope listeners take away from your upcoming Jazz Marathon shows?
Jazz covers many styles of singing and music, which are well represented all throughout the Marathon. Any show you listen to will have an “aha!” moment where you think, “I didn’t know that.” And if you don’t care for a song, just wait for the next one! I play music that I want to share with our listeners. Music is such a connector, isn’t it?
You’ve been hosting Wild Women & Friends for several years… what draws you to that show?
Sandy Snyder invited me to co-host with her, and she’s a delight. Within the framework that she set up for the show, I have so much flexibility in what I play (as all the DJs do), and we feature mostly women, with an occasional boy now and then.
Where does your music taste come from?
My parents’ classical records. The radio — 60’s and 70’s pop and soft rock, with some 8-tracks of harder rock. Jukeboxes with mostly country and “oldies.” I discovered WTJU, which opened up a world of jazz and standards. And my husband was a blues fan, which expanded my horizons further. World music is a recent foray.
How do you choose what you’re going to play?
My shows always start with a salute to a wacky or random holiday. Sometimes I’ll have a theme that then sends me off on wonderful tangents, discovering singers and music I’ve never heard. There’s new music coming into the station all the time, and I try to include some of that as well.
Why have you stayed involved with WTJU over the years?
It’s a passionate group of incredibly knowledgeable volunteers who are a lot of fun and really care about bringing a diverse selection of music to our community and to the world. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
Why should someone donate to WTJU’s Jazz Marathon?
The Marathon is a window into what we program every single week. It’s increasingly difficult to find such variety in one station, and that is well worth supporting. We keep our listeners informed about the community we live in. WTJU is an absolute gem and I care deeply about helping it to shine.
