On May 7, Laura Sutnick, AKA Laura (of Miami), said goodbye to her longtime Monday-evening slot on WVUM. Her show, Vamos a la Playa, was arguably one of the station's most recognizable, thanks in large part to Sutnick's mix of indie rock, dance music, and local acts.
Why did she leave? You've got to be a University of Miami student to work at WVUM, and Sutnick's collegiate career was over. But as Sutnick admits, it was also time for her to move on.
And that move is taking her to Wynwood Radio, a local Internet radio station that has tapped Sutnick and her promotions company-slash-blog, Nightdrive, to give it a jolt of musical power.
And yes, Vamos a la Playa lives on from 2 to 4 p.m. every Monday.
Crossfade: First of all congrats on graduating. What degree did you earn while at UM?
Laura Sutnick: Why thank you! I earned two master's degrees: an M.M. in music business and an M.A. in arts presenting and live entertainment management.
You arguable were (at least for as long as you were there) WVUM. Was it hard to say goodbye?
Wow, that's a huge claim. I had a great four years at WVUM. It was a great experience and I had the opportunity to do what I love best: playing music for people. It was a bittersweet departure, of course. I'll miss it and always support the station but it's time to move on from college radio. I think having Wynwood Radio as my next endeavor makes the break a bit easier. I also love the new WVUM staff, hopefully they'll have me back for some guest sets and alumni shows.
How did the partnership with Wynwood Radio come about? What can we expect from you on the internet radio station?
Nightdrive moved into a new office in Wynwood a couple of months ago; coincidentally, Wynwood Radio rented the adjacent room. I was looking for a new home for my shows and it seemed like the most logical step. They're all about representing the community and highlighting Miami's talent, which is something I definitely want to help with.
I'm the new programming director at the station and Nightdrive (Patrick Walsh and myself) will be curating the daytime rotation music. I plan to get local taste-makers, labels, DJs, and notable local personalities involved with specialty programming. The goal is to have a community-based radio station run by like-minded people that plays great music.
Does Wynwood Radio provide you some freedoms you didn't have at WVUM?
Given that we're not owned by a university, a student organization, or policed by the FCC, we have a lot more freedom. WVUM has to abide by University of Miami policies and procedures, FCC FM radio rules, and cater to the UM student body. While they're a huge help to the community and pretty damn awesome, they are limited to what they can say, promote, and play.
Some internet radio stations obviously have much less exposure than well known FM college stations but can get away with making calls to action, promoting, sponsoring, and hosting events where liquor is sold (or wherever), making quantitative and qualitative announcements, speaking our dirty minds, and selecting music and show hosts without any strings attached. There's only a few of us running things at Wynwood Radio which also makes it a less bureaucratic and more laid back environment.
Can loyal listeners of Vamos a la Playa on WVUM expect the same kind of show on Wynwood Radio?
Absolutely! Vamos a La Playa will stay the same. We're in the process of building out the studio, ordering new equipment, programming software, and setting everything up so it might take a minute to iron out the kinks. However, the music selection, mix quality, weekly playlists and downloads, silly Photoshop pics, and me will be provided on a weekly basis as usual. The only difference is the show is now from 2 to 4 p.m. EST since we're online and drive time is not a priority.
"Loyal listeners" can tune in while at work (or at home) instead of during their commute. Although they can also stream wynwoodradio.com from most smartphones and plug into their car's AUX audio port while on the road.
Will you still keep DJing around town? And if so, where can people catch you live and in person?
Yes, sir! I'll continue playing once a month at the Pickle and at Bardot. The Biltmore just hired me as their Sunday pool party resident and Nightdrive will be throwing down at Wood's Backyard Boogie on a monthly basis. I'm leaving to Europe for Sonar for a month but I'll be at Soho Beach Club on July 28 when I get back. After that I'll still be involved in all sorts of one-offs and Nightdrive events.
People can find out more about my whereabouts through my Vamos a La Playa | Laura of Miami fan page on Facebook.
Listen to Laura (of Miami) every Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. at WynwoodRadio.com.
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