WSOU’s former Campus Buzz host Kristin Acheson became known as “DJ Doorbreaker” when she broke the door to the radio station after a flood.
“It’s a secure door–you’re not supposed to be able to get into it…I pulled too hard, and the door came off its hinges,” Acheson said. “[They] thought we got broken into.”
Acheson, who recently graduated with a double degree in marketing and IT, said despite her variety of interests, her heart lies with music.
“I went to a STEM high school, so I was under a lot of pressure,” Acheson said. “I knew I liked marketing…but I knew I always had a passion outside of it.”
In addition to hosting Campus Buzz, Acheson was formerly a daytime DJ, an intern at Atlantic Records, a trombonist and a sister of Zeta Tau Alpha.
Acheson said she initially joined WSOU in hopes of meeting “people that were like-minded” and shared her passion for music. However, she said it took some time to find her “niche.”
“The station has been awesome…it took me awhile because I felt like I didn’t really fit in with the news people, the sports people or the metal people,” Acheson said. “There wasn’t that thing that kind of bound me together with them all.”
She said she eventually went “full force” and took advantage of “everything” the station had to offer her.
Acheson, who programmed a two-hour show each Sunday, said her role included selecting music, interviewing artists, advertising local shows and hosting giveaways.
One of her favorite memories is interviewing indie pop artist Dayglow, for which she received VIP tickets to one of his concerts.
Acheson said upon moving to New Jersey, the New York music scene immediately caught her eye. Given its proximity to the city, she said Seton Hall offered the perfect opportunity for her to explore a career in music.
“I went to a couple concerts when I was a senior in high school, and I was like, ‘This is something I want to be a part of,’” Acheson said. “So when I moved here, I was like, ‘New York music scene’—I just wanted to be near it, and Seton Hall was the perfect fit.”
This semester, Acheson completed an internship at Atlantic Records, an American record label that has signed artists like Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.
As a fan of ‘50s and ‘60s music, Acheson said she was fortunate to have received the interview alone.
“I got an interview, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh—Atlantic Records—major label, not even a small label,’” Acheson said. “These people worked on big names.”
She said the internship exposed her to the various facets of the music industry.
“I got to work on a bunch of different songs,” Acheson said. “I helped get Jack Harlow’s ‘Lovin On Me,’ which hit number one on radio, I got to sit in on an interview session with Oliver Tree…I got to learn about publishing, synchronization and A&R—all these departments that I may have never heard of.”
After finishing the internship last fall semester, Acheson was asked to return for the spring.
“It was just so cool to be that close to everything,” Acheson said. “I had Death Cab for Cutie and Charlie Puth right next to me, and I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m working for these people’...I was experiencing all this history, and I’m just so happy I got to be there for as long as I was.”
Acheson said the role, which involved selling music to radio stations, increased her confidence in her career-related skills.
“Everyone knows something about [music],” Acheson said. “It’s hard to be among people who know a lot about music, but I feel like I’ve been able to sit in the fact that I do have an ear for music…because not everyone has that I would say.”
Madison McKernan, a junior journalism major, is the co-host of Campus Buzz, daytime DJ and soon-to-be promotions director. She said she and Acheson connected because of their love for the same musical artists.
“I didn’t know anybody at the station when I first got here, but then I met Kristin, and we instantly became really good friends,” McKernan said. “She puts her heart and soul into anything that she does…I can’t wait to see what she does after Seton Hall because I know it’s going to be so great.”
McKernan said Acheson is “a great guide and person to look up to.”
“I’ve never met someone like Kristin,” she said. “She’s just very unique in her own way, and she owns it. She’s incredible.”
Acheson said finding your passion is “about how much you’re willing to fail.”
“There is not a place in [WSOU] that I left untouched,” Acheson said. “For anyone who’s trying to get into the arts, start small. Promote your friend’s show…have a gallery in your dorm room. If you want to do anything, you gotta start really small.”
Peyton Hruska is the editor of the Campus Life section. She can be reached at peyton.hruska@student.shu.edu
