Most of you know me as Kenny Perez, Imaging Manager for 88Nine, on-air personality Saturday evenings from 6 p.m. to midnight and mix show producer/DJ for In The Mix. What you may not know is that I am the podcast editor for 88Nine's podcasts on dining, music, historic Milwaukee and film.
Before this position I wondered what it took emotionally, physically and financially to start a podcast from scratch. In the Fall of 2019, I decided to attend a new podcast festival put on by The GoGedders, hosted by Nō Studios called Podfest MKE.
I admit that I learned a lot from all the presenters that day. It is easy to say that successful podcasting doesn't come over night and that you need to have great ideas, proper equipment, and help in accomplishing it all. I get that, but there were two presenters that fed a lingering thought in my mind as I sat amongst the crowd of future and established podcasters. Access and education, does everyone have it? The answer was simple: NO. Are there unheard voices in our community that have minimal to no resources? Absolutely!
The team of Milwaukee's new poet laureate Dasha Kelly Hamilton and 88Nine's Kima Hamilton addressed some of the realities of becoming a potential podcaster from an underserved community. They talked about the challenges these communities face in a market that continues to grow. The lack of funding, the need for spaces to be creative and the confidence to share thoughts and ideas. Yes, podcasting isn't for everyone, but have we reached out to everyone? In 2020, the Hamilton's have set out to combat those questions and close the gap with their new venture called The Retreat. So, if you're an aspiring podcaster, but lack the resources and skill to get into this, they have FREE classes coming up soon at their new space just for you.
