KBOO gives opportunities for individuals to learn skills FOR FREE!

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KBOO is open to the public! To visit the station, contact your staff person or call 503-231-8032.


Community Radio Takes Community! Meet Jessy Damon and donate today, you may be matched!

Meet Jessy Damon, one of 100's of talented volunteers who help ensure that KBOO runs smoothly. It takes all of us to keep KBOO strong!

Donate today and you may be matched!  Who is matched?  Click here to find out more about our December match.  

Tell us a little about yourself - where are you from?  What brings you to Portland?  I'm originally from Southern California (born and raised in the Mojave Desert area). At first, it was painful for me to move to Portland, since I loved the sunshine and being close to the beach. However, my husband was pursuing a degree in Theology and found a college in Portland he wanted to attend. He was able to keep his SoCal job and 'telecommute' from Oregon, so we moved just over 3 years ago and it has been great!

What's a nickname your family calls you?  Here's a little insight into what makes me Jessy :) Growing up, my family had several nicknames for me, including "kiddo", "punk" (a variation from "pumpkin", not because I was a punk of a child) and others that have long backstories to them! Nowadays, most people call me Jess.

How did you first hear about KBOO and how did you get involved?   I first heard about KBOO from a friend at church who knew I was job searching. He told me that while I was looking for jobs, maybe I could do some volunteer work and keep my skills up to speed in the meantime. I have an audio engineering degree so working in radio seemed like a good fit. I attended a Volunteer Orientation, met Ani and from there, started taking classes and getting involved in the KBOO Community :)

What roles have you had at KBOO?   I have had several roles at KBOO, including but certainly not limited to:
-receptionist

- live music mixologist
- remote broadcast engineer
- membership drive phone answerer
- membership drive shift supervisor
- live music mixology trainer
- book&record sale cashier
- interim volunteer coordinator (or "pretend Ani" as I like to call it)


What's your favorite thing to do here?  My favorite thing to do at KBOO is record bands that come into the station to perform live on the air. It's such an intense and exciting experience, because not only to I get to hear diverse music, but I also get to meet some interesting and unique people that I probably wouldn't meet on a regular basis.


What is the hardest thing you ever had to mic?  Outside of the KBOO studios, I had a gig where I ran sound for an all-brass band, which I had never done before. There were 12 people in the band, playing a variety of brass instruments (trumpets, saxophones, trombones, etc) so the energy level was surely high that night! Several of the instruments were so loud that they didn't need any microphones! It was difficult to mix them all together, but after the first couple songs, the people in the room were so enthusiastic that I just sat back and let it ride. It really was an awesome night!

What is one lesson you've learned at KBOO that you are grateful for?  One thing that has definitely stretched me at KBOO is the exposure I have had to the diverse community of people that I get to meet day-to-day. It has challenged me to discuss my beliefs and thoughts on topics that are deemed controversial, and has shown me how to be respectful and kind despite our differences, in order to make a harmonious community. I am truly grateful to KBOO for this exposure because it has definitely grown me and made me into a better person.

Tell us about your degree?  My degree is a Bachelor's degree, titled "Digital Media Arts with an emphasis in Audio Recording". Basically, it's a degree that all encompasses audio engineering. I was one of only 5 women that was in the degree program, but we definitely kept up with the boys! To this day, I keep in contact with some of those women and are stoked to see where their degree has taken them. One of whom actually works at a radio station based in SoCal, which is totally cool!

Do you have any pets?  Currently, we are "fostering" 2 cats for our friends who are in Belgium for 4 years. They are super grateful to us for taking them in, and we are super blessed to have some "kids" running around, even if they are a bit more hairy than human children.

What's your favorite band or type of music?  My all-time favorite band is No Doubt, a So-Cal pop punk band led by Gwen Stefani. I enjoy their up-beat tunes, Gwen's amazing "front man" persona (rockin' out while looking great), and they are from my neck of the woods so I'm all for supporting local music!

Why should people give to KBOO?    People should give to KBOO because of how they want to impact the local community. KBOO is one of those rare entities that embodies originality and thrives upon bringing a "voice to the voiceless" and "power to the people."  KBOO also gives opportunities for individuals to learn skills FOR FREE, and use those skills to impact the community around them, through news, public affairs, music and outreach. I have been fortunate enough to learn skills at KBOO, take those skills to teach others, and the results have been awesome! So if people are driven to make an impact in their community in some way, giving to KBOO would be the way to fuel more opportunities for encouraging diversity, uniqueness and overall community wellness.

Thank you, Jessy, for bringing all you do and giving so much to KBOO!

View a list of trainings currently offered by KBOO here.

Make a  generous donation to support the vital work of KBOO today - thank you!