Photo: WPR/Tom Krueger Photography
Jason Heilman in the WPR studios in Milwaukee
Jason Heilman in the WPR studios in Milwaukee
It was something of a homecoming for Jason Heilman when the Wisconsin-born musician, educator and broadcaster began hosting “Drivetime Classics” on Wisconsin Public Radio/WHAD (90.7 FM) in June. However, he left the state with his parents when he was only five and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He learned trumpet in middle school and “got the bug after a while,” he says. “I thought maybe I could do this as a career.” Heilman graduated from Duke University with a Ph.D. in musicology during the 2008 financial meltdown.
With no jobs available in academia, “I had to make my own luck,” he continues. He worked with a newly formed chamber ensemble, the Tulsa Camerata, programming their seasons and giving preconcert talks. This led to college lecturing and a classical music show on Public Radio Tulsa along with his own podcast, “Masterworks in 10 Minutes or Less.”
“I was a concert narrator in Tulsa, not unlike what I do on the air in Milwaukee,” Heilman explains. “The Tulsa Camerata played some out-there stuff—for Tulsa—and my job was to invite the audience in, helping them to hear what to listen for.”
Shifting to the Classics
Heilman broadcasts from the Downtown Milwaukee studio of WHAD. The station switched from news to music earlier this year. “We have heard from Milwaukee listeners for years that they want WPR to bring classical music radio back to the city,” as there hasn’t been a full-time classical station in town since the demise of WFMR in 2007, explained Jeffrey Potter, WPR’s marketing & communications director. “Milwaukee has a thriving music and arts community that we’re excited to be a part of.”
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Like the station’s other classical music hosts, Heilman often gives short introductions to the music he plays. He has “complete freedom” to program “Drivetime Classics” (4-7 p.m. weekdays) within certain parameters. “I know what the expectations are,” he says. “Drivetime is a different listening experience than the middle of the day or late night. Drivetime tends to have a fragmented audience, possibly distracted, listening 10-15 minutes at a time.” Responding to the perceived needs of those listeners, Heilman offers “a friendly format of short pieces,” including individual movements rather than entire symphonies. He enjoys contrast, a Baroque concerto followed by a Romantic overture and a contemporary composition, including works that are new to him.
Heilman talks of music in terms of “smooth vs. crunchy.” By crunchy, he means more dissonant, less familiar, and he often heads that direction late in his shift. He will surprise listeners with a Sibelius piece that flirts with atonality. Schoenberg? Heilman recently played an early Schoenberg nocturne by way of introducing his audience to a challenging composer they might otherwise ignore.
“The challenge of classical radio is that everyone is listening for something different,” he says. “You can’t please everyone at once. Some listeners might want the excitement of a Tchaikovsky finale, others might want to chill out with Delius.”
WHAD intends to bring its musical mission to the public through community events. Heilman will be part of that effort. “I’ve had a lot of experience talking about music. I’ve taught music and led dozens of preconcert talks. I enjoy the give and take of talking to a live audience.”
