Chapter 18 The Traveling Dee Jay
With local concerts and events becoming more successful Theresa was traveling a lot. Sometimes it would be with Ted or with other friends. It was fun as well as tiring. Theresa loved to interview the artists that she played. It was an interesting time. Some of those she interviewed would just let their hair down and talk. Theresa had an interviewing style that was one that said, "let's just sit and and talk." It was more laid back and people liked it. One of the interviews was done in the station van with one of the well known Southern Gospel music artists. As she began to talk about the goodness of the Lord, she began to Praise the Lord. Theresa began to Praise Him as well, because the Lord had been good to her as well.
Some of the most memorable trips were with a local family group. Theresa went with them several places locally and then there were some out of town trips. Theresa often wondered what the neighbors though when they picked her up in their motor home. They called the motor home "Beulah". It was a good way to travel because you had the comforts of home, plus plenty of room to store equipment. There were trips to concert venues an hour away. They got there in time for a nice filling dinner, with all of the groups performing. Before and after dinner, they played basketball until it was time to set up. Then the groups set up sound, they set up their product table and then went to get dressed. That was the way things went. Theresa went to Pennsylvania with this group in their motor home. They were the featured guest at a restaurant called "The Lighthouse", it was a dinner and concert kind of place. What an experience. Theresa worked the product table that night. It was a good trip.
With this same local group, Theresa and Ted were asked to sit in on the mixing of their latest release. They were in the studio working on it and they wanted the input of the DJ's who would be playing it. Sometimes some of the sound coming from the studio, the music would be overshadowing the singing. The mix wasn't very good. It was no fault of the recording engineer, it was the fact that people were in a hurry to get a recording out and didn't know or want to take the time to see that it was mixed properly. The recording went great.
It was during this time that the "Heartlight" went off of the air, because the sponsorship for the program dropped. On Friday nights sports was added to the mix. It was a relief to Theresa, because the program had been nothing but a source of contention and a hassle for her. She was sorry for the person in charge of it, because they were let go. She just couldn't take the struggle anymore.
They were asked to judge a local talent contest to benefit the Ronald McDonald house on a Sunday afternoon. It was fun, the only problem was that, Theresa ran into Nate. She was still healing from that relationship, because the breakup was hard enough, but she had gotten trashed by some of the church people for breaking up with a minister. Didn't she understand that his work was important? How could she have done such a thing. He tried to play it off, but it hurt. With this same McDonald's, they did a car wash to benefit the Ronald McDonald house. It was promoted on air as let your favorite DJ wash your car. It was hard work and fun.
With the concerts getting bigger, Theresa decided it was time to move the concerts to the local high school auditorium. That way, they could charge a small admission price to cover the expenses and have the concert paid for when they group got there. Theresa was always adamant to have the group's money when they got there. She had been to places where the hosts would stand and beg for money because they didn't have enough to pay the group. She would work to book the auditorium, have the groups send posters, then she would get people who loved the station to put up posters. It worked. There was one night at the auditorium, that the group's check was mailed to them. That wasn't the way Theresa wanted it, but when she found out it was too late. The group needed the money, because they weren't going to be home for several weeks. So Theresa had to get permission to write them a check from her personal account to cover the difference from the offering and what the group charged and the station would reimburse her. It was a tense night, but it all worked out.
Because of the local and regionally-known artists that station was always being invited to emcee homecomings and concerts. These were usually a Friday and Saturday event. Theresa looked forward to it. It was tiring, but in a good way. She got to know a lot of the groups. Which ones were entertainers and which ones loved the Lord with all of their hearts. Theresa was asked to speak at several women's ministries. She was starting to think that maybe this was her calling. It wasn't time yet. Her first speaking engagement was in a town called Gilbert. One hour away, across the mountain. Her mom drove her there and the message was "It Don't Mean A Thing If your Heart's Not Right."
Theresa was hoping that all these experiences would help her career. It didn't really because no one took what she did seriously, because it was on a Christian Radio station. It wasn't important to them. It was important to the listeners and the groups, though. It really hurt that no one appreciated her talents to plan ad organize events. It was hard to come off of the road and go to work and be ignored, because you were a Christian. Theresa often prayed for favor, and guidance. She wasn't sure what to do, she wanted to work somewhere else and even called to see if there were any openings. There was a storm brewing and Theresa was sure that she would be one of the casualties.
Some of the most memorable trips were with a local family group. Theresa went with them several places locally and then there were some out of town trips. Theresa often wondered what the neighbors though when they picked her up in their motor home. They called the motor home "Beulah". It was a good way to travel because you had the comforts of home, plus plenty of room to store equipment. There were trips to concert venues an hour away. They got there in time for a nice filling dinner, with all of the groups performing. Before and after dinner, they played basketball until it was time to set up. Then the groups set up sound, they set up their product table and then went to get dressed. That was the way things went. Theresa went to Pennsylvania with this group in their motor home. They were the featured guest at a restaurant called "The Lighthouse", it was a dinner and concert kind of place. What an experience. Theresa worked the product table that night. It was a good trip.
With this same local group, Theresa and Ted were asked to sit in on the mixing of their latest release. They were in the studio working on it and they wanted the input of the DJ's who would be playing it. Sometimes some of the sound coming from the studio, the music would be overshadowing the singing. The mix wasn't very good. It was no fault of the recording engineer, it was the fact that people were in a hurry to get a recording out and didn't know or want to take the time to see that it was mixed properly. The recording went great.
It was during this time that the "Heartlight" went off of the air, because the sponsorship for the program dropped. On Friday nights sports was added to the mix. It was a relief to Theresa, because the program had been nothing but a source of contention and a hassle for her. She was sorry for the person in charge of it, because they were let go. She just couldn't take the struggle anymore.
They were asked to judge a local talent contest to benefit the Ronald McDonald house on a Sunday afternoon. It was fun, the only problem was that, Theresa ran into Nate. She was still healing from that relationship, because the breakup was hard enough, but she had gotten trashed by some of the church people for breaking up with a minister. Didn't she understand that his work was important? How could she have done such a thing. He tried to play it off, but it hurt. With this same McDonald's, they did a car wash to benefit the Ronald McDonald house. It was promoted on air as let your favorite DJ wash your car. It was hard work and fun.
With the concerts getting bigger, Theresa decided it was time to move the concerts to the local high school auditorium. That way, they could charge a small admission price to cover the expenses and have the concert paid for when they group got there. Theresa was always adamant to have the group's money when they got there. She had been to places where the hosts would stand and beg for money because they didn't have enough to pay the group. She would work to book the auditorium, have the groups send posters, then she would get people who loved the station to put up posters. It worked. There was one night at the auditorium, that the group's check was mailed to them. That wasn't the way Theresa wanted it, but when she found out it was too late. The group needed the money, because they weren't going to be home for several weeks. So Theresa had to get permission to write them a check from her personal account to cover the difference from the offering and what the group charged and the station would reimburse her. It was a tense night, but it all worked out.
Because of the local and regionally-known artists that station was always being invited to emcee homecomings and concerts. These were usually a Friday and Saturday event. Theresa looked forward to it. It was tiring, but in a good way. She got to know a lot of the groups. Which ones were entertainers and which ones loved the Lord with all of their hearts. Theresa was asked to speak at several women's ministries. She was starting to think that maybe this was her calling. It wasn't time yet. Her first speaking engagement was in a town called Gilbert. One hour away, across the mountain. Her mom drove her there and the message was "It Don't Mean A Thing If your Heart's Not Right."
Theresa was hoping that all these experiences would help her career. It didn't really because no one took what she did seriously, because it was on a Christian Radio station. It wasn't important to them. It was important to the listeners and the groups, though. It really hurt that no one appreciated her talents to plan ad organize events. It was hard to come off of the road and go to work and be ignored, because you were a Christian. Theresa often prayed for favor, and guidance. She wasn't sure what to do, she wanted to work somewhere else and even called to see if there were any openings. There was a storm brewing and Theresa was sure that she would be one of the casualties.
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