RIDING THE MUSIC WAVE: KEVIN SAMPSELL

I always wanted to be a DJ when I was a kid, growing up in Kennewick, Washington. When it was time for me to either go in the Army or go to college, I went to broadcasting school instead. My dream was to be a program director at an alternative radio station, but I soon learned that those kinds of stations and the kind of artistic freedom I craved were rare in the job market of that day. Instead, I made mixtapes for friends. I also discovered a love for reading at this late stage (I was 21).  

Listening to music while I write can sometimes give my keystrokes some energy, but mostly I love listening to music while I read, which is as much a part of my writing process/   preparation as anything. My scattershot music choices lately range from the gentle and introspective to the raw and artful. You can probably hear why I was never a good prospect to be a radio station program director.