Baldwin Wallace University’s student-run radio station, WBWC 88.3 FM The Sting has three new specialty shows, each featuring a unique, distinctive style of music.  

While the station typically plays modern and alternative rock music, some especially qualified students are allowed to host their own shows to play music that might not fit that genre. 

“They came to us with this idea to expand their role, and all three of them absolutely had earned that chance to get to do a specialty show,” Director of Broadcasting Ryan Radke said. “They’re going for some types of music you’re not going to hear all the time on terrestrial radio elsewhere.” 

Riff Rebellion 

Listeners can jam to some 80s and 90s hard, metal, and classic rock by tuning into Riff Rebellion on Tuesday nights from 10 p.m. to midnight. The host of the show is Alex Dettmer, a sophomore media production and sport management double major. 

Riff Rebellion first aired this semester, and features bands such as Van Halen, AC/DC, Mötley Crüe, Deftones and Queen.  

“I try to play a lot of variety on there. I try to get some deep cuts on there. But, of course, I’ll throw in some classics,” Dettmer said. 

Dettmer said that he thought of the name “Riff Rebellion” when he was trying to figure out a way to combine all the different genres he wanted to showcase. 

“There’s a lot of riffs in hard rock and metal, and then ‘rebellion’ just has that aspect of hard rock and metal,” Dettmer said.  

Dettmer said he likes to play a few full-length songs every show that normally would not get to air on the radio. 

“Other big radio stations won’t play those ten-minute songs because you’re missing out on key advertising time or key time for you to talk to your listeners,” Dettmer said.  

As a huge rock fan and a Queen-lover, Dettmer said that he wanted to start Riff Rebellion not only to play music that he liked, but also to play music that he knows many other people love. He also wanted to bring more musical variety to the station.  

Dettmer said that listeners should tune in if they are fans of hard, metal and classic rock, and if they want a chance to hear “the older songs that you don’t normally hear on our radio.” 

Rocksteady 

Rocksteady offers listeners a laid-back, beachy blend of reggae, ska-punk and surf rock music on Monday nights from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The host of the show is MaKayla Hasselkus, a junior music industry major. 

Rocksteady first aired last semester, and Hasselkus started it because of her hometown roots in Orange County, California.  

“That music is stuff that I grew up listening to, and it was a huge part of my childhood,” Hasselkus said. “I started Rocksteady to spread the love of this genre.” 

Rocksteady includes artists like Sublime, The Dirty Heads, Tropidelic, The Marley Brothers and, of course, Bob Marley. Hasselkus also likes to play artists from California such as The Interrupters, and artists specifically from Orange County, which has a vibrant ska-punk scene.  

“Growing up, my dad raised me on Bob Marley and a bunch of people within these genres of music,” Hasselkus said. “As I got older, I discovered my love for those people and artists.” 

Hasselkus said she thought of the name “Rocksteady” because it is the name of a genre that combines reggae and ska-punk music. Additionally, many artists, such as Bob Marley, have a song named “Rocksteady.”  

Hasselkus said she especially recommends the show to anyone who may not be familiar with reggae, ska-punk or surf rock, and that for her specifically, listening to this music takes her back home.  

“Being here in Cleveland for school, whenever I put that kind of music on, it makes me feel less homesick,” Hasselkus said.  

Hasselkus gives background information on the artists she wants to highlight during her show, and plays such a variety of music, from current songs to 50 years ago. She said there is “something for everyone,” and she also hosts weekly artist interviews and discusses new music releases in her genres. 

“I genuinely just have a lot of fun with it, and I think you can tell that just by listening to my show,” Hasselkus said. “This is the place where possibilities are endless, and the vibes are always high.” 

A K-up of Tea 

A K-up of Tea allows listeners to explore and learn more about Korean music and culture, airing on Fridays from 10 p.m. to midnight! The host of the show is Naomi Miranda, a junior media production and creative writing double major, who describes her show’s vibe as dynamic, warm and fun. 

A K-up of Tea, which began last semester, concentrates mainly on K-pop and K-R&B, and Miranda also usually focuses on a different topic each week. She also discusses different cultural facets, such as Korean holidays and foods.  

“Whether that’s bubblegum pop or underrated groups or K-indie…[I’m] basically just highlighting Korean music but also just Korean culture in general,” Miranda said.  

Miranda said she likes to highlight underrated and indie artists, and her favorites to play are Billlie, Sarah Kang, oceanfromtheblue, and Colde. She said she originally got into Korean music when she found a BTS video during high school. 

“I just remember watching it, being like, ‘Oh, they’re so funny and cool.’ And then from there, just kind of going down the rabbit hole of all the different groups that are out there,” Miranda said.  

Miranda also said that she really enjoys being able to “explore the culture through the music,” and said that there is something for everyone in the Korean music genre. She said that when she was younger, she thought that the Korean music genre wasn’t for her – until she gave it a real listen. 

“I was like ‘Oh, there’s so many cool music and artists that I’ve been missing out on!’” Miranda said. “Once you can get past that [language] barrier, there just a whole new world out there that you can get into…for me, being able to get that new experience is kind of profound.” 

Whether you are jamming to classic rock hits with Alex, taking a windows-down drive along the beach with MaKayla, or exploring the unique Korean culture with Naomi, there is sure to be a show for you.  

“If you want to learn about some new music… get yourself a taste of something new,” Radke said. “These are people in your community doing shows, so I think that’s a good reason to check them out.”