KSU Staff Sounds: Zach Schiller “…into the sun”

BSR Staff Sounds feature different Kent State staff member’s original unique playlists! Get to know the KSU faculty you are around every day via their musical favorites!

This week’s playlist is by Zach Schiller!

Kent State assistant professor of sociology and Kent International Clash Day coordinator Zach Schiller has created a playlist for BSR’s KSU Staff Sounds project featuring music by The Clash, BODEGA, The Dils, Thievery Corporation and more! Check out what he has to say about how his playlist came to be…

I treasure this opportunity and want to thank Black Squirrel Radio for this creative and engaging programming idea. As a former college / community radio DJ in Texas and California, I am especially excited to put together a playlist to share with the masses! It’s called “…into the sun” and celebrates songs of resistance. The selections span a few decades and genres, feature many artists who are women and/or come from diverse cultural and national backgrounds.

I always try to approach a radio DJ set as having the flow of a vinyl LP – the songs should weave together a story arc. Realizing full well that meanings consumed are rarely the same as intended by the DJ, the main themes I attempt to weave together are my ways of representing my sociologically-informed perspectives on ‘where we are’ in contemporary society. Like any artistic product at some intrinsic level, it is a reflection back into the world the impressions that the world gives to me . . .

We’re living in mean times. We need songs to celebrate the powerful spirits of resistance, hope, love, and dance. These are the stories in this set of music. You will hear about the urgent need for seizing the means of communications in society, navigate existential dilemmas of living life in the modern age, feel the power of dance, love, and solidarity. It concludes with a track that ties together all of these themes and many of the genres. I hope you enjoy, and thanks again to BSR for this very fun project!

J. Zach Schiller, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Faculty advisor – Undergraduate Student Sociological Collective
Coordinator – International Clash Day, Kent
Kent State University

Are you a KSU staffer that wants to be featured on an upcoming KSU Staff Sounds? Reach out to BSR GM Brooke Forrest ([email protected]) to submit your very own playlist!