I discovered the Bonnaroo college DJ search through an Instagram post. I was walking home and I initially blew it off because the odds of winning internet competitions are slim to none. However, the odds that my favorite music festival would hold a competition limited to my major are pretty slim too, so I decided I would enter.
The object of the competition was simply to make a radio show that promoted the Bonnaroo music festival.
Contest Rules:
- Must be a student radio DJ a nationally accredited College/University
- Upload original radio show to mixcloud dedicated to Bonnaroo 2015
- Must be less than 60 minutes and include:
- A minimum 3 songs by artists from the 2015 Bonnaroo lineup
- Information about the festival: Name, Date, Location, Website, and Artists
- Excitement from DJ
- Share on social media
Judging:
- Judged by on-air presence
- Overall flow and comfort on air
- Creativity used to promote show
- Song Choices
- Artist & Festival Knowledge
- Winners selected based purely on opinion
- Semi-Finalists chosen based on ratings, comments, and number of favorites/reposts
I was actually really sick when I recorded my radio show. There were only a few days left before I had to leave for spring break and there would only be a week of voting left when I got back. This left me with no choice but to make the best of my situation.
My Radio Show Submision:
The Results:
I waited and I waited but weeks passed by and I still hadn’t heard anything back from the competition, so I accepted my defeat and bought my ticket to Bonnaroo. It left me a little bummed, but I gave it my best shot and I was still going to Bonnaroo, so I really wasn’t disappointed for long.
At the time I only worked at the radio station for 2 hours a week and this was to do my radio broadcast. One day when I walked in I had a message and it left me baffled because I’ve never had one before. The office manager proceeded to tell me that I won a Bonnaroo College Dj competition. They had been trying to reach me for weeks but I signed up through facebook and no longer used that email……
I don’t remember the rest because my heart stopped beating as my jaw dropped to the floor. I was certain it was a joke, but I didn’t tell anybody about the competition. I spent the next couple minutes gathering my thoughts before I made the call and confirmed the win!
DJ Ryan Blair impressed all of the judges with his professional on-air personality presence, delivery, programming skills, and Bonnaroo-centric music mix. We are proud to welcome him to the farm as Bonnaroo’s All-Star College Radio DJ for 2015! – Mixcloud
Festival Forecast 
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