23 years ago tomorrow, I made my first appearance on WWFM – The Classical Network. Somehow, despite all the challenges – and there have been many: societal, interpersonal, economic, technological, and office-political – I’m still standing.

My first time on microphone was in the 9:00 hour of Bliss Michelson’s morning air shift, on Thursday, September 28, 1995. I took over Saturday and Sunday mornings immediately following and continued to cover weekends for the next 18 ½ years.

Since then, of course, I’ve been on weekday afternoons. Oh yeah. There was that hiatus of a year or so when I had no live air shifts but was kept on invoice as an independent contractor. But we won’t talk about that, other than to say if it hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t be here on Facebook. So lucky you!

Here’s the music I selected for my first ever hour on WWFM:

HOWARD HANSON – Merry Mount: Suite

SIR PETER MAXWELL DAVIES – Farewell to Stromness

MUZIO CLEMENTI – Symphony No. 1

ARNOLD SCHOENBERG – Aria from “The Mirror of Arcadia”

Though I had already had nine years’ experience in community radio, cutting my teeth on a couple of college stations in and around Allentown, PA, I remember I was shaking like a leaf. Sensing my apprehension about going before such an imposing listenership – WWFM covered much of central and southern New Jersey and portions of eastern Pennsylvania – Bliss’ words of advice were sage: “Remember, it’s just you and the microphone.”

It’s been a crazy ride. Looking back, there are times I think maybe I should have worked in rodeo instead of radio.

Check out this old WWFM staff photo!

Pictured in 2003, in the old broadcast booth (we have since moved next door to a room with a better window, and this was turned into a production studio), from left to right:

(front) Darlene Berson, Sandy Steiglitz, and Nancy Fish;

(middle) Walt Gradzki, Marjorie Herman, Diane D’Ascoli, Jeffery Sekerka, and Phil Joiner

(back) Bliss Michelson, Alice Weiss, Andrew Rudin, Glenn Smith, and Yours Truly.

Of those pictured, only Alice and I remain, with Walt and Glenn returning on a contractor basis. Radio is not for the financially needy or the weak of heart!