WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Today Interchange and WFHB mourn the passing of our friend and colleague, Rob Schoon. Rob was an assistant producer and editor for Interchange from May 2016 through August 2018.
Rob’s favorite work was mixing the program–cutting music into the interview for breaks in particular. You may never notice it but Rob was always mindful of how a song can punctuate an assertion in the introductory remarks or draw one’s attention to an incisive comment made by a guest. In this way the program becomes a kind of orchestration. [His least favorite thing was when I would share an 85 minute conversations needing to be cut down to 44 minutes! You’d think that losing 41 minutes might do real damage to an interview–not in a Rob Schoon edit.]
Rob was a kind of Interchange conductor for just over two years. We’ve missed his talents here since August; and now we are faced with always missing our friend.
Our opening song is one of Rob’s all time favorites. This is “Ceora” a “jazz bossa” composition by trumpeter Lee Morgan which first appeared on Morgan’s album Cornbread. The lineup includes pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Billy Higgins, saxophonists Jackie McLean and Hank Mobley, and bassist Larry Ridley. And we’ll close with the Charles Mingus Sextet’s “Take the A-Train” from a 1964 concert in Norway–a favorite of Rob’s for Jaki Byard’s great stride piano break.
I had thought to make a compilation of selections from Rob’s favorite shows – programs where his mix particularly pleased him. One of his favorites was “Lynchings on Loop” with guest Courtney Baker. The sound quality of the interview is lamentable because the mix is wonderful. But I wanted to hear Rob’s voice and for you to hear him smile. And there was only one way to do that.
Rob was never comfortable in front of a live microphone but he did step into the role of host for one episode we called “It Takes a Democrat.” Rob interviewed Historian and bestselling author of What’s the Matter with Kansas?, Thomas Frank, when Frank came to Bloomington in March of 2017 to promote his latest book, Listen Liberal. It’s an attempt at diagnosing a decades-long liberal malaise and ineptitude in the Democratic Party.
This ineptitude was only full display as, to quote Rob Schoon, the most qualified presidential candidate in history lost to the least qualified presidential candidate in history. Donald Trump became president…and continues as such. In consequence Rob begins the interview with the question, “Whatever Happened to the Party of the People?” — a party once dedicated to the working class and the commonwealth turned into a political operation dedicated to professional class interests and obsessed with Ivy League expertise.
For this hour, in honor of him, Interchange is once more conducted by Rob Schoon. We’ll miss you, Rob.
It Takes a Democrat (original edit)
MUSIC
“Ceora” by Lee Morgan
“Working Class Hero” John Lennon
“Aquarius” The Fifth Dimension
“You Think You’re So Smart” Aaron Neville
“Take the A-Train” performed by the Charles Mingus Sextet
CREDITS
Producer & Host: Doug Storm
Assistant Producer and Episode Host: Rob Schoon
Executive Producer: Wes Martin
