Resound Radio’s music testing event: Juice n Jams

By Balen Allain

On April 16, the student-run Resound Radio held an hour-long music-testing event, Juice n Jams. With the offer of free Capri-Sun’s, fruit snacks and prizes for simple games, they were looking to get the students’ feedback on music new and old. 

The team used to send email surveys, so this live event is new. 

“We thought this would be a great way to get people actually in,” Matt Wood, head of the video department said. “This is a real opportunity for us to go, ‘What do you guys want to hear?’” 

Professor Craig Vinson, the general manager for Resound, shared the same sentiment. 

“We wanted to try to do something new and exciting to get a larger group in,” Vinson said. “This will be the first of many, I’m sure.” 

The event was split into four rounds of surveying music, where 25 song clips were played back-to-back and in each round. Students followed along in a Google form, marking whether they knew the song, whether they liked it, and whether they wished it was played more or less on the radio. 

Between each survey, a different department head held a short game: a rock-paper-scissors tournament, a Kahoot and a game of Would You Rather? Each game had a small prize, though the last had a pack of merchandise gifted by the Campus Store. 

“I came here because my friends are in charge of it, and it seems like something fun,” Broadcasting student Eliana Wiseman said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to a Resound event. I always have a great and I always think there should be more people at them.” 

At the end of the event, Music Department Head Gwen Reckelhoff addressed the students. 

“You are who we keep in mind when we add new songs to the station,” Reckelhoff said. “We want to hear what you guys like, because this station is for you.” 

Balen Allain is a junior Broadcasting, Digital Media and Journalism major focusing on Audio and Journalism. He enjoys gaming, writing fiction, and making music, and is working on a book.