As an Urban Studies major with a burgeoning passion for music, the summer internship at CKUT’s music department perfectly combined my academic and creative pursuits. Community radio station CKUT reflects the culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse urban fabric of Montreal. Its micro-perspective on city life offers a unique, citizen-minded approach to Urban Studies. Via my internship, I aimed to answer two closely related questions: How is urban life reflected in music? and How is music a reflection of urban life? I also hoped to develop audio production, station management, and music journalism skills, conduct interviews, organize live performances, and host a radio show. I achieved all these goals and more during my time at CKUT.
CKUT is a non-profit, campus-community radio station based at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, broadcasting alternative music, news, and spoken word to Montreal and its neighboring regions on the 90.3 FM dial. CKUT aims to serve as an alternative to status-quo media, a community resource for activism and advocacy, and an educational and information service to students and community members. Its music department oversees seventy-three music programs, including open-format and specialized music programs catering to various musical genres. As an intern in CKUT’s music department, my responsibilities included reporting General Music and Jazz charts to the college radio charts, distributing a weekly music department newsletter, creating content, and running the department’s social media accounts. CKUT grants extraordinary access to new, local music. As an intern, I listened to, sorted, and cataloged this music in CKUT’s physical and digital libraries. Engaging with local music offered a glimpse into community life, revealed current musical trends, and introduced me to growing artists and labels. Once I became well-versed in station responsibilities, I mentored new CKUT music interns, teaching them how to process and archive music in the station library.
During my time at CKUT, there were several memorable events. One highlight included organizing a ‘Tiny Desk’ style concert with local band . This involved repairing the station’s drumset for live use, coordinating with the band, and filming the live performance with the help of the video department. Other highlights included interviewing Brooklyn band Hello Mary after their Bar Le Ritz show, hosting a solo segment of , and hosting music department listening parties every other Friday afternoon. And, of course, I loved getting to know the wonderful people at CKUT. I’d like to emphasize the knowledge I gained working under Alex Moskos, CKUT’s music department coordinator. As someone who has lived, worked, and made music in Montreal for over twenty years, Alex was an invaluable source of information as well as a kind, understanding boss. Spencer Gilley, head of production at CKUT, was also a huge help, as he patiently taught me how to record and edit audio content and was always enthusiastic about my spontaneous project ideas.
My internship experience, however, was not without its challenges. As I spend most, if not all, of my time in the music department, I found getting to know people in the Spoken Word, Finance, and Marketing departments difficult. In addition, I faced difficulties requesting more hours and projects from my supervisor. While learning and practicing basic tasks helped to gain my coworkers' trust, I reached a point where I desired increased roles and responsibilities. Addressing this issue with my supervisor taught me the importance of direct and clear communication. In response to my request, my supervisor increased my hours and organized several long-term projects for June and July.
I did not receive academic credit for this internship experience. Instead, I received a grant from the Arts Internship Office to financially support my work. This grant funded transportation to and from work, tickets for musical and cultural events in Montreal, and general necessities such as rent, utilities, and food. Ultimately, my internship at CKUT allowed me to study a multifaceted city through its music and gain audio editing, archiving, and music industry experience. I am very grateful for the McGill Arts Internship Award committee’s generous monetary support, and I hope to continue working for CKUT during my time at McGill.
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