Welcoming Kara Dotten, our new Programming Coordinator!

After a swift hiring process, we're excited to welcome Kara Dotten on board as our WMMT Programming Coordinator! Since late November, Kara has jumped into her role, producing a Mountain Talk episode about the state of local ATV trails, planning awesome programming with our DJs, and getting a feel for our corner of the W-H-I-R-L-E-D. Read on to learn more about her! 

1. Tell us about yourself!

My name is Kara Dotten, and I have lived in Southwest Virginia my whole life. I received my degree in Performing & Visual Arts from the University of Virginia's College at Wise and have had other academic interests including Education, Earth Science, and German. I really love the movie "Clue." 

 

2. How does your background in theater interact with this job? What was your favorite role on-or-off-stage?

With the competing demands of streaming, "binge watching", and on-demand content, there are parallels between theater and radio: 1. they are humbling in that they take away some of the freedom we are used to having in choosing our content, and in that limitation give us some freedom to just relax and listen to the content that is available, and 2. listeners and audience members are experiencing something in real-time that cannot be experienced in the same way and under the same circumstances again. I strongly believe that there is something so beautiful about those temporary art forms in a society that that encourages us to "own" everything including experiences for us to command on a whim. In terms of my participation in theater, I have been an actor, a scenic painter, a technical director, and more - but my favorite role was in my one-woman show that I received a grant for at the college entitled Mock & Mummery - an abstract puppetry and mime compilation inspired by the Swiss mime troupe Mummenschanz. If that sounds pretentious, please rest assured that it was just me playing onstage and making meaning out of various objects for an hour. This project was produced by myself and Michael McNulty, my mentor.

 

3. What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, you can find me in the woods! I love hiking with my cousin Shane and our two furry hiking companions Tucker and Zeus. Our goal this year is to log more miles on our local favorites, complete the Foothills Trail, and re-hike the Pine Mountain Trail as a through hike. I also quite like to eat.

 

4. Quick! Pick 3 flora and fauna.

Lady slippers, black bears, ahhh, er... I panicked, um... oak trees. (Oak trees? Yeah I'll go with oak trees).

 

5. What are you most looking forward to in your position as WMMT Programming Coordinator?

I am most looking forward to learning from my coworkers who have been dedicated to community radio for a long time, and I am excited to have time carved out as "work time" to do things I care about anyway - learning about music and Central Appalachia, bringing attention to important issues, and chatting with folks! Anyone from here knows we love a good chat with folks... preferably on a porch and in a rocking chair.