MUMBAI: Summer vacations are the best time for children as they get to explore their creative side and give academics a break. But, now summer is not just limited to children, adults can also explore their creative side during this time with various masterclasses or workshops. Now for most creative classes, you might have to surf through the internet or check advertorials, but if you want to be an RJ, we have a quick fix.
RJ Urmin of Fever 104 will be hosting a two-day RJing workshop next month. She ran a similar workshop in 2018 and it turned out to be a success. “I did my first two-day workshop last year and it was a massive hit. The workshop was not just about RJing but a holistic one about how radio works. People are still unaware of how radio works and the only way to understand how this medium works is by enrolling in a Masters or BMM course. However, the fees and duration are heavy and long respectively. I have curtailed this to one day, despite great response last year,” explains Urmin.
So, how much can one learn in one day? “My workshop was basically designed to a quick window to understand the world of radio. It covers right from how to formulate a link to how to speak correctly on the mic. People know about the concept of voice modulation, but they don’t know to blend it with public speaking,” answers the RJ.
She explains the basic things like, “After a slow song that we have just played on the show, I can’t be super energetic. For example, after an Arijit Singh’s Tum Hi Ho, if I start speaking over-enthusiastically, it will spoil the mood for the listeners.”
Urmin who is known for her ‘Agdi Wow’ segments, adds, “Also, these workshops can benefit not just Radio Jockey’s career but also public speaking or even corporate life. It helps boost confidence. The bottom line of this course is that every public speaking comes with thought and planning.”
The medium of radio has been present for eons together and continues to have its strong audience base. However, there are many pre-conceived notions despite the long and engaging history of this medium that people carry. RJ Urmin explains, “I get a lot of statements like ‘Oh! You are an RJ, so you must be good at mimicry.’ Or questions like, ‘Who writes your script?’ In Fact, the first thing I told my previous workshop students is that the script is a combination of the producer and the RJ as most of them thought there are scriptwriters for every show.”
Reminiscing her training days, the RJ adds, “Before becoming an intern at Fever and right after my graduation, I happened to attend a ten-day workshop on how to be an RJ. That kind of triggered my interest in Radio Jockeying.”
She proudly goes on to share a case study of her student, “One of the guys was so good that he eventually got through Magic FM. He would create his content, perfect modulation. However, he was extremely focused and sure that he wants to do his career in radio only.”
As a parting tip, Urmin shares a very important piece of knowledge, “In my workshop and otherwise, I insist that every RJ should carry the show suiting his or her own personality.”
This year she plans to host her workshop in June with a nominal fee of Rs. 1500. Interested? Stay Tuned!