From this column to my radio show, I have been fortunate to find ways to share my passions with many

By Doug Kroening

Featured Columnist

Today I would like to talk about how music has taken me down paths I never would have expected.

Take this column for example. Never in a million years as an 18-year-old in his first band would I have thought I would be able to sit and write this. I would have never believed anyone would want to read my insights into these topics.

The feedback I have received from readers has been incredible. What started out as an email asking if I would be interested in writing this column, which I thought would just be a train of thought sort of thing, has turned into something into which I put copious amounts of thought.

It is both humbling, and extremely satisfying to hear from everyone who enjoys reading it. While it can be a bit stressful to come up with a topic week after week, I enjoy it immensely.

Another opportunity that has come as a result of playing music has been a weekly radio show I do for WCCN.

My initial idea was to do a show that showcased independent artists. I wanted to play music that does not normally get airtime.

With the music industry having gone through so many changes in the last decade or so, I came to realize there was an incredible amount of quality music that was not getting any airtime. When I combined that with all the people I know who create music, I thought I had something to offer to a listener.

I approached WCCN with that idea, and they were generous to allow me to record my first show so that they could hear what I had in mind.

The result was “Doug’s Voodoo Lounge,” which airs every Tuesday at 5 p.m. It is an hour-long show where I get to play music sent to me from all over the country and in some cases the world.

It was not easy at first. Those first few weeks were spent putting in countless hours looking for music online. Little by little, things started coming in. Now it seems that I spend the same amount of time listening to submissions as searching for music. I absolutely love it. At this point I have almost 100 shows under my belt.

The show has afforded me the opportunity to do interviews with some of my favorite artists. To be able to talk to someone you have listened to for a long time and to relate to them on a musician to musician level is, for me, very interesting.

I have been very lucky to have been led down these paths. Hopefully, I have been able to educate and entertain along the way. Whether this is the first article of mine you have read or you have been here from day one, whether or not you have listened to me on the radio or put one of my CDs on your stereo, I want to thank all of you who have allowed me to share my passion for music.