Bartees Strange performs live during Public Radio Music Day. Photo credit: David LaMason.
The Baltimore station found a way to truly embody Public Radio Day’s theme this year, culminating in a live show of the musician broadcast on hundreds of stations nationwide.
Baltimore’s WTMD was one of more than a hundred stations that celebrated the fifth annual Public Radio Music Day on October 23rd by broadcasting unique music and programming in support of the role noncommercial radio has in the lives of its community and musicians. But the Maryland Triple A station wasn’t content to only celebrate it for one day.
This year, WTMD decided to amplify the day’s theme, “Bringing People Together: From Coast to Coast,” by embarking on an ambitious journey: a musical road trip across America. Over the course of their fall membership drive, the station highlighted all 50 states, playing music and artists from each one. “We usually play music from everywhere, but we don’t stop and really talk about it very much,” Megan Byrd, a host and the station’s marketing manager, explains of the more deliberate programing. “We just really grasped onto this theme and thought it was so cool.”
The idea is as bold as it is timely. “We are in a tumultuous election season, and we really wanted to uplift that music does connect—it has the power to unite no matter which side of the aisle you stand on,” Byrd notes. By weaving this underlying message into their programming, WTMD aims to offer a respite from divisiveness, reminding listeners of the common ground they share.
At the end of the journey on Public Radio Music Day, WTMD returned home and hosted a special performance by Bartees Strange, an artist who embodies the station’s commitment to local talent with a national reach. Strange now calls Baltimore home, immersing himself in the city’s vibrant music scene. “Bartees has been working very intimately with a lot of our local musicians,” Byrd says. “He’s helped produce a few of our local musicians’ debut albums, which is really cool.” For Strange, it was meaningful too. “I have so much love for WTMD and all the stations in the DMV [a local acronym for the Washington, DC metro area: DC, Maryland, and Virginia] that have played my music over the last few years. It was a huge game changer for me. The show in Baltimore we did was also special because it was the first time I’d played a show in my new home,” he says.
The collaboration came together through connections with the noncomMUSIC Alliance, Beggars Group — the label group including 4AD, Strange’s record label — their Director of NonCommercial Radio Ellena Osis, and the team at VuHaus, which runs NPR Live Sessions. “We had been wanting to work with Bartees, and this just happened to be a really great opportunity,” Byrd says. For Osis, Public Radio Music Day’s motto this year resonated during planning. “After some brainstorming, we came up with the idea to build something similar by hosting a live listener event with Bartees Strange in his community with his local noncommercial station: engaging their listeners, but also making it accessible to noncommercial stations throughout the country, leaning in to the ‘coast to coast’ theme, she says. “To me, ‘bringing people together’ is at the very core of what noncommercial radio stands for.
Hosting the performance at Zen West Cantina, a local venue just outside the city, WTMD drew a crowd of about 150 people for an intimate happy hour set. “We packed as many people in there as we could,” Byrd recalls with a smile. “Bartees was so great and played a few songs that are going to be on his new album [Horror] that nobody’s heard before. That was a special little treat for fans.”
The event is not just a local triumph; it’s a testament to the power of public radio to build community across distances. WTMD shared the performance to be broadcast on noncommercial stations all over the US, further celebrating the “coast-to-coast” spirit of the day. “I’ve learned that I really want to work more with other public radio stations,” she says. “I think we should all be communicating more somehow. This was just a really cool way to connect.” For her, it might have started with Public Radio Music Day, but it won’t end then. “I think this is just really scratching the surface of what we’re able to do.”
Bartees Strange performs during live Public Radio Music Day event hosted by WTMD. Photo credit: David LaMason.
WTMD’s innovative approach has connected with their audience, before and after the performance. “We read through all the member comments, and sometimes your eyes well up with tears because people—they really aren’t shy about telling you very intimate details of their life and what music means to them,” Byrd says. These connections also extended to their fundraising effort. By integrating the musical road trip into their fall membership drive, the station surpassed its fundraising goals, engaging listeners in a new and meaningful way. “We did great in our fund drive. We actually surpassed our numbers from last year,” Byrd shares. “People just really engaged with us in a really special way.”
The success prompts reflection on the changing landscape of public radio fundraising. “We know that a lot of public radio stations are struggling with fundraising, especially after the pandemic,” Byrd observes. “We’re just trying to try a different way to reach people and have a little fun instead of just asking them to donate consistently for a week long.”
By highlighting artists like Bartees Strange, the station demonstrates the depth and vibrancy of its local community. “We really wanted to show everybody that all these little pockets of the United States really have some really awesome music communities,” Byrd emphasizes. “Baltimore is certainly one of those.”
Reflecting on the collaboration, Osis finds that it was something that made perfect sense on the station, “Public Radio stations are key building blocks in our artists careers, and we feel incredibly lucky to have had WTMD work with us on this. The station has been very supportive of Bartees since the start of his career along with his personal connection to the local community – it felt like the perfect pairing to celebrate Public Radio Music Day.”
Byrd encourages other stations to take similar steps. “Public Radio Music Day is one of our favorite days of the year,” she says. “It’s something that we’ve really made a part of our programming schedule over the past few years.” Byrd says. “If you have an idea, you can find ways to make it happen, and when it does happen, it feels really great.”
WTMD’s journey across America underscores the enduring power of public radio. “We are going through some hard times, and the world feels so divisive, but this really left a warm spot in all of our hearts,” Byrd reflects. “It just shows the uniting power of music. We’re really grateful to be a part of that.” Osis agrees, “These stations are not only a resource for their local communities but a source to find comfort on the harder days when you need a friendly voice on the air and a playlist to get you through.”
As the notes from Bartees Strange’s new songs linger in the memories of those who attended, WTMD looks forward to the future, eager to continue bridging gaps and bringing people together, from coast to coast.