Danny Coleman: Owner/Creator at ROCK ON RADIO

Musician/radio host Danny Coleman explains the trick of the trade and the inspiration behind the passion: Rock On Radio.

Drummers are amazing! It’s not only because a former student of my aunt(who used to drop by in the age of New Wave music) used to brainwash us about drummers as: “The only person in the band who knows  how to play all the instruments.” A drummer keeps the music together like a catcher in the rye(pun intended). I  think drummers are known to be spontaneous, passionate and  charismatic.

Meet musician/radio host Danny Coleman. His unique way of approaching situations is inspiring. He lives in Trenton New Jersey. A great place  where artistic minds converge. Rock On Radio comes live Sunday Nights at 10pm est. on www.wifiam1460.com www.irnbroadcast.com www.goldfmdublin.bravehost.com  You can also get updates via twitter @ twitter.com/ROCKONRADIO.

Danny Coleman: Creator, Host
Art Gittens: Board engineer
Joe Powell: Photographer – www.jcpowellphotography.com

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 Hi Danny, how do you maintain a level of energy from the beginning up to the end of the show?

Energy? I thought I was kind of laid back…(lol). In all seriousness, the guest really dictates the energy level. There are times that I feed off of their ability to talk about themselves. My program is all about them, some are upbeat and love discussing their music, career or just themselves; others not so much, they’re the ones that cause me to get creative. Overall I just enjoy interacting with people in general so staying energetic is usually not a problem.

You support a lot of indie artists. I am curious about what will we expect from Rock on Radio this 2013?

Let me get through 2012 first (LOL). We’ve been nominated once again this year for an “Asbury Music Award.” This is something that I’m flattered and honored by because it indicates that I’ve been accepted into an amazingly talented community of artists/musicians. There are so many talented people in that area of the Jersey shore, it has a great pedigree with Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, etc. but the new guard is amazing as well. I’m fortunate that I’ve had many of them on my show; so hopefully more of the same. My photographer also has a lot of in studio video so we may put something together that’s going to allow my listeners and guests to see their appearance. I hope to continue to bring quality guests and music to the masses. I hope to continue to grow my listenership/fan base and to support all music and musicians.

Turning the beat around….

You also play drums. I think this is also perhaps one of the reasons why it is easy for you to connect with your guests. There seems to be  that sense of understanding …and also the kind of temperament that you share  with  fellow artistic beings. What are the creative things that you do on your own when you are not representing other talents?

I’m very glad that I’m a musician as well. It does help me connect in many ways with the guests on many levels. I perform with two wonderful female artists, Kim Yarson and Zara Phillips on a regular basis; I also do much freelance work as well. I consider myself very lucky to be asked to “sit in” or fill in for other drummers when needed. I’ve done more gigs stone cold than I care to admit, makes life interesting for sure, although I wouldn’t change it even if I knew how. I love showing up to a gig and the artist saying, “Just watch me for the changes,” makes things fun and it’s a test of my abilities for sure. I must do OK because they keep asking me back (LOL)! I also began playing “Latin Percussion” about ten years ago, congas, bongos, hand percussion and that sort of thing, I get lots of work that way as well. I also write a music column for the Trentonian newspaper in Trenton, NJ. It’s a weekly entertainment column in which I focus on local as well as national acts. I try and give the new talent exposure and I report on established talent who are performing in my area.

What are the lists of things that you do when preparing for a show? I understand Rock on Radio is very spontaneous. Do you have guidelines or rituals that you maintain as part of your career..the secret of your success. 

Nothing! (LOL) I really don’t do much at all. I scan the guest’s web site, usually the afternoon of their scheduled appearance and jot down a few things that stand out. I’m proud of the fact that it’s very spontaneous. I designed my show from the outset to be as if my guest and I are just meeting for the first time at, let’s say, a party, a BBQ or at an affair where we just happen to discover that we both have music in common. This is not unlike what the show really is like, many of these people I am meeting for the very first time when they appear on my program.

” So, tell us more about this album…”

What advise can you give to artists who are just starting to get their music heard out there. How can they get their music across without having to rely on money wagging executives? 

Shameless self promotion. Anyone who listens to my show knows that I promote that angle whenever possible. I tell them not to ever underestimate the power of the grass roots movement. Hey, if you don’t promote yourself, who will? Don’t spam people with your efforts, but be consistent and eventually people will take notice. If you have fan pages on facebook, reverb nation or any other sites with enough traffic to each, people will notice. Send a CD to every radio station in your genre/category, college radio stations are very receptive to new or indie unsigned artists or bands. Get yourselves out there.
I feel that the interview is not complete without addressing the hurricane situation:

New Jersey is one of the places that got hit hard by Sandy. What are the things that the music community are doing there to help ease the situation? 

Well, as you may or may not have seen, there was an event hosted by NBC TV with heavy hitters Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Sting, Billy Joel, etc. which garnered much attention; the reality is that many of us have lost and suffered so much. A guitarist whom I work with on a regular basis lost both his cars and much of his home. There are places that I’ve known since birth that literally no longer exist in any form, swept inland or out to sea. There are many of us though who are organizing fund raisers, setting up donation drop off points in our driveways, going into shelters and performing as well as donating our time to assisting those in need. Most importantly, we’re just being there to help one another as well as others.

Danny Coleman is our featured artist of the week. Thanks to our common friends: author Karen Victoria Smith, musician Deedee Montanaro, make up artist Jennifer Lynn Chlebowski and musician Joseph Milstein for keeping the network ball rolling.

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