Rene Cassano Finds His Rhythm with Wine Country Radio Internship
By Marshall Fiorita
Music is Rene Cassano’s passion and it was the foundation of his internship with Wine Country Radio in Santa Rosa.
Cassano, a Communications and Media Studies major, interned at Wine Country Radio during the fall semester and loved his experience. The radio broadcast operates several programs, including The Crush, Bob FM, Éxitos, and Latino. Each program offers its own unique sound and Cassano loves seeing how it all comes together behind the scenes.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Cassano. “What I really enjoy is the music curation aspect. Figuring out what fits, what works together. That’s the part I’m most passionate about.”
At Wine Country Radio, Cassano handled social media updates and maintained The Grapevine, a weekly online list of live music events happening around the area. He also gained experience in advertising, and enjoyed learning how to produce commercials for local businesses. Cassano not only had the opportunity to help write commercials but participated in the recording of a spot he came up with.
While much of his work took place behind the scenes, Cassano said the environment was relaxed and encouraging for students. In particular, he appreciated the mentoring he received from Eric Madriz, a station host and Sonoma State alum.
“Eric’s been really open with showing me how things work,” Cassano said. “It's been cool to get that perspective from someone who’s been through the same program.”
The internship gave Cassano valuable insight into the world of broadcasting and media production. However, it wasn’t always glamorous. Cassano learned the nuts and bolts of radio production work by assisting with day-to-day administrative and behind-the-scenes coordination.
“I’ve done everything from entering emails for giveaways to updating playlists,” he said, laughing. Noting that it’s all worth it. Cassano hopes to continue working in music after graduation, whether in radio, artist promotion or record label production.