Sep 12 min read

Guest presenting The International Americana Music Show

Earlier in the summer, I was both surprised and delighted when, out of the blue, I was invited to guest present an episode of US based radio show: 'The International Americana Music Show'.

'The International Americana Music Show' or 'TIAMS' is the brainchild and creation of presenter Michael Parks - a Scottish broadcaster based in Brooklyn, New York. He has in the past contributed to radio stations all over the UK and written cover stories, interviews, and features for numerous British newspapers and magazines, including the award-winning Sunday Times Magazine. His adventures include trying to "escape" from Alcatraz by swimming from the former prison to San Francisco, been heli-biking in Canada, participating in a prison rodeo in Louisiana, interviewing countless celebrities, and sailing across the North Atlantic in winter.

Michael conceived and created The International Americana Music Show as a way of introducing Americana artists from all over the world to radio listeners across the United States.It is a weekly radio show, featuring Americana music made exclusively by non-American artists. It is available for broadcast on radio stations around the world and is currently broadcast on a range of public radio stations across the USA, and on various global, online radio stations.

Michael gave me the freedom to decide on the artists I would include in the show, and I based my choices on the principals that guide my work as a presenter with Community Radio Youghal and, in particular with my show 'The Musicians' Hour with Jo Bell'. My goal is to seek out and give a platform to musicians from or based in Co. Waterford. As a result, in selecting the songs I would play for the show, I decided I would play songs by local musicians. Some are musicians who had already appeared on 'The Musicians' Hour', while some I hope to have on the show in the future. More details about each of the musicians are below.