DOMINICK CORSI
Staff Writer
Friendly, passionate, enthusiastic, inspirational, silly.
The list goes on.
These are just a few characteristics that Alex Erwin’s collaborators and friends would use to describe the former Fredonia Radio Systems personality.
Erwin’s legacy at Fredonia Radio Systems is well-versed through his involvement in a plethora of shows, support of local artists and positive impact on the culture at Fredonia.
After three days of being a theatrical design major, Erwin made the switch to audio production and discovered his passion for music, radio and all things audio.
“What I liked about theatrical design was all the tech stuff and equipment. Using lights and sound things was cool,” Erwin said. “I knew as soon as I came to Fredonia that I wanted to be a part of a club and FRS hit all the bills. I love audio; I love music; I love podcasts.”
While the behind the scenes aspect of Fredonia Radio Systems is interesting enough to want to join the club, being an on-air personality and contributor is something Erwin was able to do so naturally.
“I love getting into the nitty gritty of editing and producing, but I also love to spit silly on-air,” said Erwin. “If I had to choose to do one for the rest of my life, I’d probably do the behind-the-scenes work, even though I love spitting silly. That’s a real tough question.”
The natural conversion to a contributor (and eventually a staple) for Fredonia Radio Systems is evident in the number of long-running shows he hosted or worked on.
Erwin eventually assumed the role of Station Manager, a remarkable reward for his consistency at Fredonia Radio Systems.
“Just the Facts” is Erwin’s longest-running show, running for about two years.
The show’s origin is a perfect representation of how easy and rewarding it is to get involved at Fredonia Radio Systems.
Erwin’s most common collaborators, Chloe Kowalyk and Hunter Halterman, were Erwin’s co-hosts for a 5-10 minute long casual talk show where the three hosts shared interesting and unique facts about a specific topic.
Kowalyk mentioned that the show was a great way to decompress from the stresses of being a college student.
Halterman remembers the iconic moment that the trio conceptualized “Just the Facts”.
“Chloe, he and I were sitting in his common room of Hemmingway and [Erwin] pitched the idea of starting a High Noon Friday segment. We sat there throwing out ideas; originally we were going to do a segment about video games,” Halterman said. “I threw out some loose idea about discussing random obscure facts, and Alex was instantly on board. We started talking about the name, and Alex threw out ‘Just the Facts.’ Two years later, us three created over 50 episodes and had so many adventures together.”
“Just the Facts” is worth the listen for a taste of on-campus banter and is still available on the Fredonia Radio Youtube channel.
Erwin’s work ethic and clear intention to take Fredonia Radio Systems to the next level were noticed and appreciated by friends and peers.
“He was always the first person to walk into the radio station and the last one to leave. He started the archival project, which helped digitize and preserve our old reel-to-reels and other old content,” Kowalyk said. “He also began posting frequently on our YouTube page, which helped get student voices and shows more exposure. Alex’s dedication to the station was unmatched.”
Erwin’s commitment to providing the highest quality content for the audience and providing the best resources for contributors at the campus station is captivating.
“His dedication to music was also shown through the relaunch of The Local Lo-Down, a podcast at FRS that interviews local artists and has them perform live sets on air,” Kowalyk said. “Alex was integral to relaunching The Local Lo-Down, along with alum Mel Fajardo and current student Jordan Budd. He also introduced a video component to the show.”
The Local Lo-Down is still running with Budd and Erin Wagner as hosts, and Cebastian Spisak and Elena Fitzgerald as producers/leads.
Erwin’s love for music, live performances and merchandise influenced his most recent project, Merch Gremlin Records.
Merch Gremlin is a continuation of Erwin’s philosophy he followed at FRS.
Local artists deserve recognition for their contributions to the music scene in any way they can get it.
Erwin started Merch Gremlin to help different artists build their platform and gain more of a following.
The idea of Merch Gremlin came from Erwin’s self-proclaimed obsession with the merch that different bands would have available during their time on the Local Lo-Down.
“Jordan would call me the ‘Merch Gremlin’ because I would always ask the band what merch they had. So I kind of took that name and started Merch Gremlin Records,” Erwin said.
Merch Gremlin Records was made to repurpose and produce cassettes, while also collecting different types of merch from the Fredonia and Long Island music scenes.
“All bands should be able to have their songs in physical form. There’s nothing cooler than holding a piece of music in your hand.” Erwin said.
It’s widely known that the streaming era of music is upon us, but there are also many downsides to the commercialization and digitalization of music.
“Smaller artists are not represented enough, especially when it comes to physical media. It’s very unfortunate. Artists don’t get paid that much from venues themselves,” Erwin said. “They make most of their money to complete their projects through merch. I wanted to highlight their merch to kind of help them continue doing what they love; making music. So I thought why not continue that passion?”
Erwin has carved out a reputation of being an ally to artists around Fredonia, even going out of his way to provide exposure for local artists and content for Fredonia Radio Systems.
“Alex has done so much for the radio station that he would even interview artists at shows he went to during breaks or summer vacation,” Kowalyk said.
It’s only right that the Merch Gremlin has its own line of merch as well.
Accessories, stickers and more have been created in the Merch Gremlin name.
Erwin stressed that his involvement with FRS isn’t exclusive to just him, audio production majors or other majors.
“It’s super important to get experience by getting involved as much as you can. You’re not gonna find success if you just stick to the coursework, and that’s it. The thing about getting involved with some of the student media is it’s also a ton of fun,” Erwin said. “There’s events all the time. [At FRS,] there’s always people in the station, either planning shows, playing Super Smash Bros or doing schoolwork.”
Fredonia Radio Systems thrives by giving students creative freedom and the experience of being in a functioning station.
“I definitely think that Alex, Hunter, and I’s involvement with FRS really made a significant impact in our academic careers,” said Kowalyk. “Getting to have hands-on experience with audio equipment helped us learn the skills we need for our future careers or future projects in general.”
Since graduating in the spring, Erwin hasn’t left Fredonia behind, and has stayed in touch with his friends and trying to stay involved from afar, in his home area of Long Island.
He even attended Rockin’ the Commons in September, and even ran a stand for Merch Gremlin Records.
Now, he is hosting a show on WCVF 88.9 through Fredonia Radio, which he pre-records and edits to be broadcasted on air.
His impact on Fredonia Radio Systems goes far beyond contributing to a few shows or working behind the scenes.
Erwin’s positive and welcoming attitude is reflected in the station itself.
Halterman, current Fredonia Radio Systems general manager, has continued to keep the station thriving and credits Erwin for his growth in involvement with it.
“Honestly, I’m not sure if I would’ve ended up in the general manager position today if it weren’t for Alex pitching the possibility of a High Noon Friday segment,” said Halterman. “Because of that segment, my involvement in the radio station grew, from High Noon Friday segment to High Noon Friday producer, to production director, to general manager. And I owe it all to that silly Alex Erwin.”