Hello! Let me begin by saying that I'm more than grateful to have the opportunities that WRPS presents...sometimes surprisingly!
On Wednesday, January 22nd, I had the pleasure of meeting producer, disc jockey and curator of my all-time favorite radio program, Breakfast with the Beatles - a show I had been personally listening to for decades!
A few weeks prior, Breakfast with the Beatles Producer Mike Gioscia found WRPS 88.3 FM on the radio dial and called the station to give us kudos and talk about the possibility of doing some work with us. When he mentioned to me that he was a DJ at WUMB, I immediately responded with, "WUMB? What happened to my favorite radio show, Breakfast with the Beatles?" He let me know that the PD had recently changed the air time of the show to Saturday mornings, (much too early for my liking,) but I'm able to listen to it at its regular time on another station, Seacoast Oldies out of Maine. He also divulged that he produces the show...and so it began a series of appointments and postponements to get the host, the one and only ChaChi to come for a visit to our fabulous studios.
ChaChi Loprete is a Boston radio icon! I cannot give enough props to a man who got his start by volunteering to answer phones at night just to get his foot in the door at a major radio station. Meeting ChaChi was like meeting a long distance friend for the first time. His voice is literally in my kitchen every Sunday morning as I clean, cook and prep meals for the week. There is just something about the disc jockey persona that creates a bond with the listener, making them feel as if they know them personally. I started listening to Breakfast with the Beatles because of their music and history and no one seems to capture the Fab 4 essence quite like ChaChi does - so I continued to listen all these years because the interviews and the rare recordings are just such a treat to a mega Beatles fan like myself.
ChaChi and Mike graced us with so much that day. They recorded radio liners and even got to meet some of our students - the real reason behind what we do every day.
To say it felt like a dream come true is a misnomer in a way, because I never actually dreamed I would meet the friendly voice in my kitchen in person and yet, there he was - ready with a hug and a smile!
We are truly lucky to work in an industry that makes connections like this possible.
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