Eoghan: "The man behind the curtain"...
... Notre Dame! One of the newest voices to "Sounds of the Notre Dame" is none other than Steds very own, Eoghan (pronounced Owen) Fay. If you're not in Steds to see Eoghan, then you can hear him on 88.9FM as he hosts his weekly radio show broadcasting to northwest Indiana and beyond. When Eoghan wasn't playing music and taking calls, I managed to ask him a few questions about being the "Voice of the Fighting Irish."
St. Ed: How did you learn of ND’s radio station moreover that you, a student, could be a radio host?
Fay: In September, on Activities Night, I signed up for ND TV, and I went to the student media information night. Somehow I ended up with a radio show on WSND FM. I guess I have a face for radio… and a voice for silent film.
St. Ed: Okay, so you sign up and go to a meeting. What radio show do you host? Does it focus on any particular musical genre?
Fay: My radio show is Daybreak from 7-9AM. It's a light listening and classical music breakfast show. All the music is classical but sometimes I play more modern pieces, like John Williams' "The Imperial March" to celebrate the release of Disney's "The Mandalorian."
St. Ed: The glamorous world of radio can all go to one’s head, so how do you keep it down to earth?
Fay: Yes, the glitz and glamour of radio certainly can go to your head. I keep myself grounded by checking the number of listeners - one day I hope to hit double digits.
St. Ed: What do you hope your listeners walk away with when they tune in and start their mornings with you?
Fay: I hope my listeners walk away with the knowledge that I'm doing my best to bring them good music in the mornings. I can't promise great conversation but I can guarantee brilliant music. In Ireland people sometimes talk about "craic agus ceol" or “fun and music.” On Daybreak there is ceol (music) but not much craic (fun).
St. Ed: Let’s get real. How do you keep it fresh on the radio?
Fay: To be honest, it's difficult to keep things fresh when none of the artists have not dropped fresh music since before the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I like to try though, by mixing in some different stuff, for example having Fr. Ralph on to play Bach's "Coffee Cantata" and provide an insightful commentary with it.
On hearing that Eoghan has a weekly radio station show and that Fr. Ralph joined him on the air, Frank Spesia, Steds AR and musical troubadour, said, "Sadly, it really is as the song says, 'Video killed the radio star.'"
... with "the man who should never have an open mic", Fr. Ralph.
