Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Corliss McCallister. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Corliss thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
My father instilled a love of music in me since the moment I was born. He was a “hobby musician” himself, and started to teach me to sing and perform as soon as I could talk. Although the musician profession wasn’t the path I ultimately chose, I do believe it’s where I can credit my unique knowledge that made me stand out while building my career in radio.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Growing up, my father was an incredible storyteller. Especially for a man that, from the outside looking in, seemed to have a very moderate, middle class, small town Kansas life. He had a way of making his entire life sound like an adventure. When describing his time in the Navy, he was a man of the world. Collecting vinyl records and adventures and other numerous inanimate objects from every stop along the way. To the untrained eye or with no context, it was all junk collecting dust, but to him, it was his life’s work that he squeezed into a short six years. The military, in my mind, was the only future I saw for myself. If you would’ve asked 5-16 year-old Corliss what she wanted to do when she grew up, I would have told you that I was enlisting in the Navy. In June, 2007, I was 17 years old, getting ready to start my senior year of high school, the vision of my future took on a completely different vision. My parents took me to a country music festival every year since I was 6 called “Country Stampede” in Manhattan, KS. This particular year, my favorite country single (at the time) was performing, and I had a history of getting teary eyed while experiencing music live. A nice woman stopped to ask if I was okay as I was wiping away tears after catching a glimpse of this artist. I explained that I was just being dramatic and that I was just overwhelmingly excited for his performance. She then replied “If you’re that big of a fan, you shouldn’t be sitting all of the way back here,” then took me by the hand and led me to the front row. I learned that she was there with the radio station that sponsored the festival. When I saw her again the following day, I approached to thank her for her kindness the day before and noticed she was wearing a t-shirt with another band that I admired greatly. Her only reaction to that compliment was, “Let’s go meet them!” Afterward, she gave me a tour of their remote studios that they worked from while on site, and I left that weekend with a much clearer view of what path I would be following from that moment on. March of 2008, still 17 years old and two months shy of graduation, I got my first part-time job at my local radio station and grew and learned from there. I think that’s the cue where people typically say, “The rest is history,”
The radio I learned 16 years ago is definitely history, but as an ever changing entity, I’m still here learning and growing as if I did back then. People view radio as many things, like, a way to get your music for free, or as the outlet for free concert tickets, or maybe it’s where you still hear a familiar voice that you enjoy spending your commute with. Radio is those things, but it’s also a lot more. I’m often perceived as someone who “just talks for 4 hours.” If that truly was my only responsibility, it would still be a challenging one. Curating entertainment for thousands of people that you do not know and that you can not see can present it’s own sets of challenges, both from the view of the performer and the music director. Like many industries, radio companies have started operating on what has commonly been described as Skeleton Crews. Meaning, one person doing the job of many. So, on top of being a friendly, familiar voice to my community and the one who chooses what music people will hear on this particular chosen station, the responsibility I hold can often be much greater. Radio in it’s entirety is an advertising company. To put it plainly, we sell commercials. But for any size of residential city or town. we’re often the driving force of an entire economy. The lifeline between consumer and the consumed. Not much in life is free anymore. So how do you learn about community events, fundraisers, education, or even where to eat dinner on any chosen evening, without having to pay for it. In a world where so much information is at the palm of your hands, we’ve been tasked with the responsibility making sure that information is received in a way that is also entertaining, and not so overwhelming. While also being free and available to everyone. For all of my doomsday preppers out there, radio will be your last form of communication.
From the personal standpoint, I’ve gotten to share music with people all over the nation, like my father did for me. I also get to share the kindness that another broadcaster showed me all those years ago. When a worldwide pandemic or a catastrophic natural disaster hits, we’re there. When our local animal shelter is at three times it’s capacity, or a new safe house for human traffic survivors has been funded and built, but the survivors themselves still need clothes on their backs, we’re there. Maybe it is just music, or maybe it’s a little bit more. Either way, it’s a form of communication that I have gladly immersed myself in and will probably continue until the end of my days.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
This could be a two-part answer. 1. The community. I currently reside in College Station, Texas, but have also worked in markets across Oklahoma and Kansas. All of which have been considered “home” at one point and time in my life. When describing economics and advertising in my previous answer, I didn’t get to accurately describe what it feels like to be a small part in a new/small businesses journey. You’re there when they first open their doors, being the driving force or a voice for them and speaking on their behalf. Then to revisit and see the fruits of not just their labors, but your own. I love so see others succeed. Or even just getting to know my community on a more personal level. For example, we have a summer long, family friendly concert even where I get an opportunity to see audiences face-to-face. I often take stick-on tattoos with my radio stations logo on it to every event, along with a few clean wash clothes and a gallon jug of water. Children and parents line up to receive theirs, but I’m the one who is rewarded with conversation with people from all walks of life and background.
2. My music community. I’m the rare breed of broadcaster who has also immersed myself into the music industry as a whole. If you haven’t heard the term “Texas Country,” I highly recommend you check it out. Somehow, I became a mentor in this community. Mentor is a term I would like to use loosely, I think I’m just really good at pep-talks. Either way you look at it, seeing a young musician grow and succeed has been an absolute honor. The word “rewarding” almost seems underwhelming.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Without sounding selfish, the obvious answer would be radio. I often get to share information about local art exhibits, concerts, album releases. And then there is the music that we play itself. Just by listening to radio, for free, you are helping artists in more ways than you realize. You could say that I’m privileged by my industry in the fact that I receive a lot of opportunities for free. So there are a few personal rules that I follow to ensure I am still helping the artists and creatives, and not taking from them. I am often invited to concerts for free, or I am the presenting radio station that has to be at a concert. If that’s the case, I never except merch, or really anything for that matter, for free. If it is up to me, I will insist on paying to attend a show on my own. The independent musicians that I often spend my time with, have to invest heavily into their own career. The are no labels or investors paying for them to put out music. To explain this rule simply, don’t ask for freebies or discounts. Buy the tickets, buy the merch, and buy physical copies of their music if at all possible. I mentioned that just listening to music on the radio can help. That is also in place on many streaming services. Unfortunately, even if you listen to a song on Spotify a thousand times, the artist would be lucky to receive a penny. Radio has to track the music that’s played and pays for licensing that ultimately goes back to the artist as royalties. Although an artist has to make the initial investment tp provide physical media, such as CDs (rare) and vinyl, the overall profit can more often than not be substantially more than their return from streaming. If you ever have the opportunity, ask an artist the best way to benefit them. Now, to support a creative such as myself? It’s not really a profit that benefits us since we receive a paycheck just like any job. The best way to support radio would be to actually visit the businesses that you hear advertised. Keep the online shopping to a minimum, and support local businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MaverickRadio.com
- Instagram: @CorlissOnAir
- Facebook: facebook.com/CorlissRadio
- Twitter: @CorlissOnAir
- Youtube: Corliss Radio