Name:

Mary

Location:

Rural Western Washington

What music genres are you in charge of?

Most of the non-Spanish language World Music stations plus Americana, Folk, Bluegrass, Female Focus.

What are your favorite stations to program and why?

African, hands down, it's the mother of us all and if you listen well you can hear the seeds of all music rattling about in the various regions.

Who are your favorite artists/bands?

I have no boundaries. Any song that makes the needles on my soul meter jump, then I'm on board. Over the years the people always in the first breath include; XTC, Muddy Waters, Beau Jacques, AC/DC, Toumani Diabate, Kermit Ruffins and whatever the latest previously unknown to me artist or genre that I come across.

What up and coming artists/performers do you think we should be excited about?

I just (belatedly) discovered Fred Eaglesmith so he's up and coming in my book. "Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck" is a fine follow up to "Spend it All", which I played the snot out of. I can't wait to set the lasers on stun and wear out the disc. First blush listenings have given me several favorite new songs. It's rare an artist this prolific and talented gets past me but that he did. Look for more from Fred on the Americana and Folk stations.

Name:

Tad

Location:

Jersey City, NJ

What music genres are you in charge of?

Jazz, blues and Brazilian music.

What are your favorite stations to program and why?

It changes from time to time. I like to program the top jazz station because it keeps me up to date on what's going on in jazz, but then I spend an afternoon with the Acoustic Blues station and it reminds of how amazing those early bluesmen are.

Who are your favorite artists/bands?

I've always considered myself a John Coltrane man. After that there're Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk as well as a host of current day musicians. I'm always interested in what artists like pianist Matthew Shipp and guitarist/bassist Joe Morris are up to. I think that bassist William Parker should be part of the jazz canon. Ken Vandermark continues to challenge me as a listener and I like that.

What up and coming artists/performers do you think we should be excited about?
The Malian desert music coming from bands like Tinariwen and Toumast. Carolina Chocolate Drops are doing a great job of updating the black Appalachian folk tradition.

Each week, we'll be profiling one of the D.J.'s at AOL Radio who are responsible for bringing you the music. Here's a look at Joe, who is in charge of the Classical & Broadway music stations.

Name:

Joseph aka "Opera Joe"

Which music genres are you in charge of?

I program Classical and Broadway

What are your favorite stations to program, and why?

I love to program discovery stations, like Classical 101, it gives me the widest breadth to combine the extremely popular with the random historic yet forgotten works. I like Mash-up stations also, like themed stations that require a little editorial, current events commentary in music.

Who are your favorite artists/bands?

I will be a Pavarotti fan until the day I die, but I can say the same of early Metallica. Hillary Hahn is an amazing violinist and pretty hip. I love the composer Jay Greenberg, he's like a 16 year old musical genius. Bruno Walter, long gone now, is my favorite
Conductor, very passionate and yet patient.

What up and coming artists/performers do you think we should be excited about?

1. Pianist Jonathan Biss, amazing talent and a brilliant maturing prodigy.
2. Angela Brown, The next true Diva.
3. Gustavo Dudamel, Exciting conductor with a master's attention to detail the vigor of youth.