As many of us….present blog writer included….work to successfully segue from radio to full-time, self sustaining voiceover talent, it’s good to have a point of reference, particularly on a day when it seems like we’re treading water.
Joe Cipriano has far exceeded his wildest dreams to have a place near the top of the A-list in our business, and now he chronicles his journey in “Living On Air” (available HERE). Some of us fell into radio by accident, and others are bitten by the bug at a very young age and never lose the passion. Joe is squarely in the latter category, and with the combination of talent, determination, hard work, and luck in various quantities, he became a major market on-air talent at 20. From Waterbury, Connecticut to Washington, DC to Los Angeles, he relives his journey and introduces you to characters we’ve all worked with or known at some point in our career.
“Living On Air” is the story of a guy having the time of his life, and many reading this blog will resemble his remarks when they read the book. Your career mileage will vary, and most likely has if you weren’t in a major market at 20. And while I wouldn’t recommend the path he took from point A to point B, it has worked out nicely for him and will be very relatable to those of us who fell in love with radio and would have done, and still do, anything to follow our dream as it has taken us from an on-air studio to a recording booth.
“Living On Air” reminds us that even on the worst days and most dire of circumstances, i.e. the dreaded “different direction”, format change, or misguided station management, what we do on the air or in the booth still beats working any day of the week…..and twice on Sundays.