WTMD Keeps My Drive Driven

I drive a lot. Between traveling to and from work, friends' houses, downtown, and the occasional out-of-town weekend getaway, it's safe to say that I rack up a few miles here and there. Driving around Towson can be especially draining since I am too used to the surroundings, having lived here for the most of my life. Everything becomes so familiar that I enter a state like the dreaded "highway hypnosis."

What do I do to combat this? I do what most drivers do and crank up the volume on the stereo, turning to music to soothe some of the boredom. Now, there are a few options from which you, the driver, can choose. If you're fortunate enough to have a car built after the advent of the iPod, most likely you can just plug it in and hit "shuffle." Otherwise, your entertainment is going to come from either CD, cassette tape, or radio or singing if you are so inclined.

I don't know about the other thousands of drivers on the road, but the CD collection in my car is pretty played out. The majority of my options come from albums I collected over half a decade ago. It is under these circumstances that I, and I'm sure many others, turn to the radio for solace.

As a self-professed music fan, the most viable radio option in this area is Towson University's WTMD. I can say with certainty that I have never listened to a station that offers such an eclectic mix as this one. Their slogan, "radio for music people," couldn't be more spot-on.

The station offers a variety of shows: "Baltimore Unsigned," featuring music and interviews with local musicians, and "Thursday Night Mixtape," highlighting favorite tracks by local Towsonites, some musicians and some not. There are also shows devoted to blues, jam-bands, and even The Grateful Dead among others.

I must add that since it's a public radio station, there are no advertisements, allowing for more music as you make it from point A to point B. I urge all local drivers to put the iPods in their glove compartments for just a little while. It's far too easy to fall into a rhythm of listening to the same songs over and over. I know, I've done it. By turning on Towson's 89.7 you will get plenty of new ideas for your iTunes libraries, played for you—the music fan—by other music fans, not by someone getting paid to give airtime to the latest "hip" track. Check it out.