Erin Ross has been with CKUA since 2018. It’s a natural fit for the host who says, “I spend all day every day playing, talking about, thinking about, teaching, and listening to music.”
Her Tuesday evening program, The Departure Lounge, is a mix of old and new music, lyrical and instrumental tracks. She chose the title of her show thoughtfully.
“A departure is cool because you’re heading somewhere new, but I also like the idea of a lounge as a place where people can hang out,” she says. “People can listen to music and enjoy each other’s company. I like all those connotations!”
Ross loves a theme show, and over the years has curated many. “Sometimes I get suggestions from listeners. I bounce ideas off friends. And sometimes I just do a little research and realize, wow, there are a lot of songs about one topic.”
She’s curated programs about trains, chickens, and Spring, just to name a few themes. She says once the theme is chosen, it allows her to do research and use the music library in new ways. “I can search by keyword or by title, and what comes up is always varied.”
In addition to her work as a CKUA host, Ross is a working musician and teaches music to others. “I have many jobs,” she laughs. “My primary work is that my partner Shane and I run a music lessons studio in Calgary.”
Ross teaches guitar, piano, banjo, ukelele, mandolin, bass, and singing. Ross says that this year, her youngest student is four years old, and her oldest student is 80!
As we head into Spring Fundraiser, Ross says CKUA is important on many fronts. “It offers a lot to our arts and culture community here in Alberta, and in other parts of Canada. We are very lucky in Alberta to have so many choices and options for radio listening that are not mainstream.”
She mentions the important work that campus radio stations do in Alberta, but also acknowledges that CKUA has the broadest reach. “Because we broadcast across the province, it’s a great way to share arts and culture from Alberta and from all over the world. And it’s a great support for independent musicians, too. They often don’t have an avenue to have their music played on mainstream radio. That’s a big part of community building. And there are real people behind the microphone!”
“A lot of places in the world don’t have the radio ecosystem that we have,” says Ross. “They don’t have independent voices on the air in the same way. We are so lucky that we just make it happen here.”
When we ask Erin Ross to choose a song to send out to the CKUA audience, she picks “Guitar Man” by Jerry Reed. “It speaks to me as a guitar picker, and I just enjoy his sense of humour and his antics.”
Tune in to The Departure Lounge, Tuesday evenings from 6pm – 8pm MT.
CKUA’s Spring Fundraiser begins April 17. Because you appreciate the work that Erin Ross and all the CKUA hosts do to bring you original, authentic programming, make a plan to donate!
