Presenters
Chris Deacon
Chris is the Managing Director of Deacon Communications Pty Ltd, an international consultancy group specialising in space and telecommunications strategy. Chris graduated from the ANU in 1974 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Physics. He has over 30 years of experience in the communications field. This included major satellite planning assignments for Telstra and Optus and 15 years with the former Department of Communications and the Australian Space Office, where he held senior policy advisory positions in broadcasting and telecommunications. He has represented Australia on international technical and regulatory work, with a major emphasis on satellite policy and radio communications spectrum issues. He currently provides business development advisory services to the CSIRO's Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems. Since the early 1970s Chris has been a radio producer/presenter, broadcast and recording engineer. A former President, Chris has personally designed and constructed much of ArtSound FM's facilities. He has been a foundation Board member since 1983, and was awarded life membership in 2000. As honorary Development Manager of ArtSound FM, he is supervising a range of projects including the Manuka studio design and relocation.
Christine Cansfield-Smith
Christine Cansfield-Smith has been a passionate volunteer and member of ArtSound FM for many years, formally serving as Board secretary and now presenting Sunday Sounds Early programs each week. She was formerly the Director of the CSIRO Discovery centre which she established in Canberra. Christine moved to the country recently and lives for some of the time in Beechworth, northeast Victoria. Her hobbies include trekking and botanical art which fits in perfectly with her current position as Director of the Canberra Institute of Botanical Art and the Beechworth Institute of Botanical Art. Luckily for ArtSound she still finds time for music and therein lies her link to ‘the best radio station in Australia'. Sounds Early Sunday mornings 7am to 9am.
David Pearson
ArtSound's current Broadcast Coordinator, David has a passion for world/folk music, and can be heard on 92.7 presenting programs ranging from Afro beat to Zydeco. Such is his passion for music listening; his family believes that he was born with a pair of Sennheiser headphones permanently attached to his head. David dreams one day of convincing ArtSound management to build an ArtSound FM repeater transmitter in County Donegal, Ireland, and to amend the Broadcast Coordinator's job description to feature regular inspections of it! David is one of the presenters for World Vibe Monday to Friday7 to 8pm and Down in the Basement Monday to Friday 8 to 10 pm.
Peter Field
M Def Stud, B. Com, Grad Dip App Sc (Information Technology)
Peter came to Canberra from Sydney with his wife and young daughter in 1974/75 to join The Treasury. His career includes market research and corporate planning in private enterprise in Sydney, and as a member of the Senior Executive Service in the Departments of Industry & Commerce, Transport & Communications and Communications & the Arts in Canberra. In the mid 1980s and before self government for the ACT he was Executive Director of the Canberra Development Board. He is a strong believer in voluntary community service and has been a volunteer at the Australian War Memorial for many years and is also a Guide at the National Gallery of Australia. Peter is keenly interested in all forms of music. "I want to see ArtSound grow and prosper, taking its unique message to an ever growing audience." Peter is one of the presenters for Down in the Basement Monday to Friday 8 to 10 pm, Classical Mood Monday to Friday 1:30 to 3PM, Ambient Moods and CD Collector 5 to 6pm Saturdays.
Eric Harrison
After Eric retired for the third time (twice from Private Sector management and once from the Public Sector), he had sufficient time on my hands to indulge myself in my passions - wine, food, classical music and cats. Eric was invited to consider becoming a Presenter at ArtSound FM and after a bit of mentoring went on air in 2003 and has settled into a regular weekly Classical Mood spot with occasional Sounds Classical programs thrown in. Bye the way - the kittens name is Rachmaninoff. Eric is one of the presenters for Classical Mood Monday to Friday 1:30 to 3pm, Sounds Classical Sunday 2 to 4pm.
Frank Madrid
Frank Madrid is a Venezuelan journalist and music producer who regularly tours international acts. As a DJ he takes his "adventures in future World beats" to venues such as Hippo Bar, Trinity, The Basement and The Studio at the Sydney Opera House. His favourite music includes retro sambas and alterlatin, folk-electronica and ethnic drum n base, intelligent world beats and quirky classics, edgy world music that pushes the boundaries and defies classification, rarely heard on Australian radio. Frank is one of the presenters for World Vibe Monday to Friday7 to 8pm.
Colleen Hills
Colleen Hills is a long term Canberran and passionate music lover with wide ranging interests including travel, gardening, crochet and community volunteering. She also plans to trawl through all seventy vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula. Colleen is a devoted fan of football teams Brumbies and Carlton and can be counted on to provide interesting commentary on her teams' performances - especially when they lose. Colleen is one of the presenters for Disc Drive Monday to Friday 5-7PM, Sounds Early Monday to Friday 7-9AM, Meridian weekends 12-2PM, and Classical Mood alternate Thursdays 1.30 to 3.00pm.
Lucy Baker
Lucy's show has been a cult favourite for the past 12 years, and remains kaleidoscopic in its mix of rock, blues, swing and comedy. A nominated screenwriter, former journo and busy stress management trainer and hypnotherapist, her tones will either relax you entirely and get you inspired. For leisure she writes, paints and no longer leaps out of planes at dizzying heights, these days preferring the pleasures of high quality chocolate and laughing at her strange family. Lucy is the presenter for Kaleidoscope Wednesday 10-1130pm once a month.
Terry Giesecke
Terry has been involved with ArtSound since 2001, and previously with TripleS and 2XX. He was board member of ArtSound for 2003/2005. Originally from South Australia, Terry moved to the ACT 1972 and never left. He is an Economist by trade but has always enjoyed radio and taking on his alter-ego 'terryg' while on-air. Terry studied economics at Flinders University and still works in that field occasionally. He loves music with a bit of an edge; be it pop, folk, jazz classical or world and is interested in the visual arts as well as being crazy about time travel movies and television shows. Terry is a regular presenter of Sounds Early (7-9am) on Wednesday mornings.
Jon Millard
Jon is a classically trained flute player and singer whose musical interests range from singing opera and playing jazz to a love of Irish folk music. He performs with the corner House Ceili Band among others and his musical eclecticism is evident in his style of presentation of shows such as Patchwork (Sunday, 10-12noon) and weekend program Meridian (Saturday, 12-2pm) as well as classical music programs from time to time.
Deborah Hamilton
Deborah presents world vibe and music mix shows. She loves all musical forms, and is a sucker for great voices and lyrics. Previously a presenter for Down in the Basement for a number of years, Deborah enjoys Opera and country blues equally. Sharing the music she loves over the airwaves give her the energy and inspiration to deal with a demanding day job. In her spare time Deborah makes art and gardens, sings Blues and Jazz and sees as much live theatre and performance as possible. Deborah is one of the presenters for World Vibe Monday to Friday7 to 8pm.
Annabel Wheeler
Annabel has been involved with choirs and sundry (mainly classical) music groups since she arrived in Canberra as a postgraduate student in1969. She discovered ArtSound (then CSPR) back in 1989 when it was broadcasting only for a few weeks each year. Soon she was hooked on recording everything from classics to cabaret and now enjoys presenting a range of music on air with special emphasis on the local classical music scene. Annabel is one of the presenters for Sounds Classical Sunday 2 to 4pm and Concert Hall Saturday 7 to 9pm.
Phil Birch-Marston
Phil has a long history of involvement in the performing arts for over 40 years. Heavily involved in Community Arts in Canberra since 1973, he was a foundation member of Blue Folk Community Arts Association and a Board Member for a number of years. He has also worked as a script writer and scripted an internationally syndicated strip panel cartoon that appeared in newspapers in Australia, the United States and several European countries. Phil has been heavily involved with ArtSound FM since 1994 when he left the Australian Public Service. He currently works on a voluntary basis in the office and presents live-to-air shows. He has been a Canberra resident since 1974. Phil is one of the presenters for Sounds Early Monday to Friday 7-9AM, Arts Cafe 12 to 1pm Monday-Friday, and Aladdin's Cave, Kaleidoscope, Sitting in the Back Row, Sat 6-6:30pm. Saturday 11pm-1am.
Clinton White
Clinton's endeavours in the world of the arts are purely part-time, amateur and for pleasure. Even so, he leads a busy life in that field, apart from a host of other activities in business and the community. His efforts in the arts have included concert performances featuring the cinema organ as well as piano and choral conducting, and has adjudicated music competitions. As well, he has accompanied silent films, has been a concert manager, magazine editor, concert tour organiser for international artists and involved in organising national and international music conventions. Clinton caught the community radio bug when he joined ArtSound in 1983. As well as being a volunteer presenter, he trains new presenters in the art of voice technique. He is the regular presenter for Friday Sounds Early (7-9am), and presents other prime-time music mix programs, as well as specialist programs such as jazz and classical music.
Jim Mooney
Jim Mooney has been on the committees and boards of various organisations in the ACT over many years. These have included: committee member of the Management Committee of the Griffin Centre, committee member of the Recorded Music Society, President of the North/South Social Club Canberra, committee member of the ACT Lieder Society and board member of ArtSound FM. Before retiring, Jim was a controller at David Jones in Sydney and London and later at both David Jones and Myer in Melbourne. At present he is Arts Liaison Coordinator for ArtSound FM. Jim, is a passionate music lover and is proud to have given the pre-concert talk for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra at the orchestra concert on 30th June 2005. Jim presents Classical Mood on Monday 1:30 to 3PM.
Krista Schmeling
Krista has been with Artsound for several years, and currently presents Bluebird on Friday nights from 10-midnight. Her time in Canberra has included working with migrants and refugees, and with the National Multicultural Festival. She has a degree in Anthropology which she has yet to use, has studied several ethnic/cultural dance forms, sang in a world music choir for several years, and currently sings in a trio called The Rooftop Revellers. She loves a diverse range of music from Klezmer to African, but has a soft spot for the music from ‘back home’ in America including old-time, gospel, western swing, bluegrass, alternative and traditional country and delta blues.
Ian McLean
Ian manages and conducts the Canberra Pops Orchestra which he founded in 2005. He is a renowned musical theatre conductor and has directed over 20 productions for the Canberra Philharmonic Society and the Canberra Theatre Trust including "Cats" and "The Producers" in 2007. Ian is Musical director of the Blamey Street Big Band, plays drums with numerous jazz bands, teaches music at Radford College, and is a judge for the Canberra area theatre awards. Ian has twice been awarded the Canberra Critics Circle Award for Music for his "outstanding contribution to the musical life of Canberra". Ian regularly presents the Saturday morning "Sounds Early" program and is a member of the ArtSound Board.
Don Thomas
Although Don had a love for music from an early age his involvement was always limited to passive listening. After retiring to his hobby farm, complete with bicycles, goats and his dog, he decided it was time to explore his love of jazz and blues. Don now spends his spare time in the air-conditioned comfort of ArtSound’s CD library and occasionally gets let out to play classical music for the enjoyment of the wonderful listening public
Listen to Don on Classical Mood from 1.30 to 3.00pm every second Monday.
Mick O'Donnell
Mick O'Donnell began announcing in Sydney after graduating from the Max Rowley School of Radio & TV in the late 70's. He joined ArtSound in 2006 and was the narration behind the National Art Gallery exhibitions including the Egyption Antiquities and the George W Lambert displays, and many voice-overs, commercials and promos. His interest is in programs that are informative, insightful and middle-of-the road easy listening music particularly late night cafe and lounge jazz.
Gerry Kay
Gerry Kay has recently retired after spending more than 30 years in uniform, firstly as a private soldier doing national service, then as a commissioned officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. In his spare time he has been involved in theatrical productions and radio work, and he was the second President of Katherine Community Radio (now 8KTN) in the Northern Territory. Apart from presenting programmes to air, Gerry was involved in organising the procurement of the station’s transmitters, and the submission to the then Department of Communication for the licence to broadcast. Gerry is an active member of ArtSound’s Audio Services Department. When not slaving over a hot tape recorder, he enjoys digital photography and keeping his 1963 Morris Mini in concourse condition.
Gerry is one of the presenters on Classical Mood 1.30 to 3.00pm weekdays and on Arts Cafe from 12.00 to 1.00pm weekdays.
Lauren Black
Lauren discovered ArtSound FM while studying journalism at the University of Canberra. Armed with enthusiasm and a love for the arts she join the team as their publications officer and became editor of the quarterly Fine Tuning Program Guide and Website. After graduating Lauren became ArtSound's Sponsorship and Audio Services Manager and soon took the plunge into presenting. She joined the teams of Sounds Early, Down in the Basement, World Vibe, co-produced the popular Friday Night Live and now keeps a hand in with the SwingTime team. Lauren now separates her time between working as publicist for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, singing for a 20 piece swing big band; In Full Swing and travelling to weird and wonderful places.
Bill Stephens
One of the region’s best known theatrical personalities, Bill was the proprietor of Australia’s longest running cabaret venue, The School of Arts Café for 15 years, during which time he produced the Aria award nominated CD series Legends of Australian Showbiz at The School of Arts Café. Since the café closed Bill has spent 8 years as a member of the advisory committee for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and instituted and curated cabaret seasons at the Southern Cross Club, The National Press Club and the Street Theatre.
He is music and dance reviewer for City News, an interviewer for the NLA Oral History program, and is a presenter for Dress Circle which is broadcast by Artsound each Sunday evening between 5 and 6.30.
Alison Spence
Alison doesn't know where her obsession with music began. It could be from her Irish Gypsy roots or her banjo and harmonica playing grandfather. Her musical tastes are diverse, yet linked by six degrees of genre, and go something like this... Reggae, Dub, Ska, Rockabilly, Neo-Surf, Gypsy Punk, Zydeco, Desert Blues, Blues, Soul, Funk, Swing and Jazz.
Alison presents World Vibe and Down In The Basement fortnightly and Kaleidoscope monthly. She plays the harmonica... badly.
Graham McDonald
Graham has been presenting folk music on community radio since 1976, which might well make him the second longest lasting broadcaster of this music in the country. He has been a taxi driver, community radio employee, arts administrator, mandolin builder, folk festival organizer and currently collects sound recordings of all sorts for the National Film and Sound Archive. He has been involved in ArtSound since 1991 when he moved to Canberra and spent several years on the Board. He has a longstanding passion for folk music in its many forms, and has written about music for the Canberra Times over the past fifteen years. Graham presents Folk on Sunday (Sunday, 7-8pm), a weekly progam of newly released folk recordings and occasionally some old ones.
Marcele Martins
Marcele is a Brazilian journalist with experience on TV and written media. After 3 years living in Canberra she decided to get some experience in Radio and joined the volunteer team at ArtSound FM. She loves photos, old movies, and music. Her musical taste is eclectic but she has particular interest in jazz, and, of course, in Brazilian music. As a good journalist, she is fascinated by the stories behind the songs, the life of artists and has been collecting books on the subject.
Francis Mahanay
Francis has had many careers in his life time including trainee retail store manager, composito, proofreader and public servant. He grew up in Sydney but has lived and worked in Canberra and Wollongong for the past twenty-eight years as a primary school teacher and is now an executive member of the NSW/ACT IEU (Independent Education Union). His interests include wine, arthouse movies, visual arts, and jazz music and it was the latter that attracted him to community radio. Although his first years in radio were spent at another station, ArtSound FM is where he always imagined he would find kindred spirits. Francis thoroughly enjoys presenting Down in the Basement on Firday Evenings (8-10pm) as he loves to relax and listen to good music after a busy week at work. While he takes pride in presenting good local, contemporary jazz, he also loves to offer a broader spectrum of jazz to his listeners.
Kathy Syrette
Kathy joined Canberra Stereo Public Radio in 1990 and, after doing a course with the station, began presenting during test broadcasts. She became hooked on radio and continued presenting, recording and interviewing for a range of programs. She was involved in ArtSound’s successful licence bid, was a member of the Board for a number of years, served on the Program Committee, was a program coordinator and a Volunteer coordinator. She is also a Life Member of ArtSound. She currently presents Disc Drive on alternative Mondays and on Fridays once a month. She is also an occasional presenter of Meridian, Classical Mood and Swingtime. Kathy has an eclectic taste in music and is particularly fond of Jazz, Ballads, World music and the Classics and everything in between. She manages to meld her love of music and the Arts with her devotion to the Brumbies and Carlton of which, like Colleen (Hills), she is an avid supporter.
Bill Quinn
Bill Quinn is a rusted-on folkie, and flits around the edges of the Australian folk/world scene as an MC and writer, with an occasional dab of photography and singing. Bill joined Artsound in 2008 on the Patchwork roster of presenters (Sundays, 10am-midday) but he can now be found filling in on a variety of mixed programs, his favourite being Friday Disc Drive. Bill has now learnt how to spell ‘jazz’ and ‘blues’, and is working on ‘classycal’.
Jim Street
Jim became a volunteer presenter at ArtSound in 2005 when he was about to take early retirement. He obviously loves retirement, he’s done it several times now! A green-eyed Raiders season ticket holder, Jim can be found at Canberra Stadium during winter. Musically, Jim likes anything with a good beat, with swing and trad jazz being his favourites. Jim also performs with the Shiny Bum Singers, a well-known group of public servants and outsourced partners who write and perform wicked parodies of folk and popular tunes that lampoon public service life. Jim is a regular presenter of Disc Drive (Monday-Friday 5-7pm) and Down in the Basement (Monday-Thursday 8-10pm).
Bill Oakes
Bill Oakes has been a member of ArtSound FM, formerly Canberra Stereo Public Radio (CSPR) since 1984. He was a Board member from '85 to '97, with terms as President and Vice-President and was appointed Life Member in 2005. A former senior public servant (SES) in a wide range of social policy areas, including management of the arts and indigenous broadcasting, he has been a tutor, and occasional lecturer, in management with the University of Canberra College since 2006, following service from '87 to '01 with the University of Canberra. He is a member of the volunteer JP roster for attendance at the ACT Magistrates Court. He co-authored Volume 4 of 'The History of Canberra - Reluctant Democrats' published in 1996. Bill has been a long time producer/presenter of programs on ArtSound FM/CSPR and records and produces many local concerts for broadcast. He is producer/presenter of Discovery, Saturday 9 to 11am, and is one of the presenters of Down in the Basement, Monday to Friday 8 to 11pm.
Brian Leonard
Brian entered community radio in 1984, originally with Canberra’s Radio for the Print-Handicapped, and subsequently with stations in Sydney and Queanbeyan before joining ArtSound in 2007. Brian is a graduate of the Australian Film Television & Radio School AFTRS, with certificates in Radio Presentation and Studio Skills. Brian has lived in Canberra since 1957; he is married to Sue and they have 3 children and 2 grand-children. Brian held several management and senior executive positions during a 38 years’ career with the Australian Public Service. He holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the ANU. Brian is presently semi-retired, and works as a part-time consultant specialising in business planning, cash-flow, and financial modelling analysis. He very much enjoys the ArtSound ‘family’.
Peter Crossing
Peter Crossing has taught chemistry and science and coached cricket in schools in Adelaide and Canberra for several years. A baby boomer who grew up listening to the music of the 60’s, he was a school truant on the memorable day of the Beatles 1964 motorcade in Adelaide. Musically Peter’s tastes are wide-ranging, from the Blues, urban and country to contemporary artists such as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, and Steve Earle. He also dabbles in jazz and world music. Peter enjoys tracing the history of the rise and rise of contemporary music and in making the links between the music of different eras. Peter is one of the presenters of Down in the Basement Monday to Friday 8-10 pm and Disc Drive Monday to Friday 5-7pm.
Dave Rees
Dave Rees has often been told that he has the good fortune to have both the perfect appearance and the right dress sense for radio. So a few years ago he succumbed to public pressure and joined ArtSound. He likes classical music (thanks to his father) and often rises early (because there is no heating in his house), so presenting both Sounds Classical and Sounds Early was the logical outcome.
Lee Hardwick
Lee Hardwick has been presenting on community radio since the early 90s. A music collector from way back, Lee specializes in the best selections from the past 50 years of Funk; Blues; Soul; and Jazz.
Lee is a presenter of the Down in the Basement Program (Mon-Thurs, 8 to 10pm).
Rebecca Scouller
Rebecca grew up with Frank Sinatra records playing in the house peppered with some Dean Martin, the Beatles and occasionally some Kamahl for mum.
But it was not until Rebecca moved to Tasmania that her love of jazz and blues developed simultaneously with her love of swing dancing. Not long after moving to Hobart, she and some friends started a swing music show called Well Swung on the local community station Edge Radio. Rebecca also co-presented and co-produced a science show for Edge called Take Two Science that won a Women Tasmania Award from the Tasmanian Media Awards in 2004.
Rebecca’s love of radio continued on a short sojourn to Sydney where she was on the science show Discovery (now Diffusion) produced out of 2SER and then in 2006 Rebecca joined the Down in Basement team on ArtSound.
Rebecca can also be seen ‘spinning tunes’ at many of Australia’s swing dance festivals and socials and has DJ’d at events in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.
Ultimately Rebecca would love to play in the Art Sound library more but is always far too busy with extra curricular activities including learning tango, teaching swing dancing and much much more.
Check out one of Rebecca’s shows which normally has a theme like ladies night, fast and furious, good vibe or food (one of her other favourite pastimes is eating).
John Fanning
Liverpool is my town of birth. I took an interest in music and entertainment from my early teens. Most of my working life has been in the music industry: a road manager/tour manager through the 60s; the 70s spent as a stage manager / front of house sound engineer; and between 1983–1988 I was with Polygram Records in Sydney before moving to Canberra to join Abels Music in Manuka as manager and music buyer until my retirement in 2008. While there I was a member a few voting panels for the ARIA AWARDS. I now spend my time as happy volunteer/presenter at ArtSound FM.
Bruce Bowman
Bruce Bowman has been involved with Broad and Telecasting since 1969.
After 22 years with the ABC mostly in Canberra, he read articles for 'Print Handicapped Radio' for a time. Then with David Webb, Bruce co-produced a Sacred music programme for Radio Rhema, now 'One Way FM'. They moved to 'ArtSound Fm' 11 years ago to produce 'TAPESTRY' which has run continually since.
Bruce is a committee member of 'Artsong Canberra'. He is also an Elder and resident Audio Engineer at Wesley Uniting Church and Wesley Music Centre.
Robert Beattie
In the 1970s and 80s, Robbie sang in various Canberra bands including Heaven and Rigby. Over the years he’s worked as a writer and marketer with a number of cultural institutions. He also writes freelance travel stories, his favourite places being Turkey and Tassie. Likes singer/songwriters who can craft a song lyrically and vocally – people like Neil Finn, Missy Higgins, Adele, James Taylor, Norah Jones and Colin Hay. Swims regularly and plays golf and tennis.
Sofia Majewski
Having travelled extensively throughout Europe, lived in The Netherlands, Turkey, Crete and Poland, Sofia has an ear for European languages and a love of World Music; the more exotic and emotion-charged, the better.
She comes from a family of singers, has sung with world music and early music choirs and is especially passionate about the spoken word and public speaking.
Len Power
At a lunch early in 2007, a casual discussion with ArtSound’s Bill Stephens about Len’s hobby of restoring music from battered old LPs to CDs resulted in Len being invited by Bill to try his hand at sound engineering at ArtSound for Bill’s new program, ‘Red Velvet and Wild Boronia’. A year later, the show won ArtSound’s ‘Best New Program’ award. To date over 60 ‘Red Velvet and Wild Boronia’ programs have been produced by Bill and Len and is now being broadcast nationally.
In 2009, Len wrote and produced ‘The Gershwin Project’, which also won ArtSound’s ‘Best New Program’ award. It has since played nationally around Australia and also in Europe.
On air, Len presents ‘Sounds Classical’ on the third Sunday of the month and ‘Dress Circle’ twice a month and presents other programs on occasion.
Recently retired after 38 years in the Public Service, Len can also be seen now and then onstage in local theatre companies’ productions.
