Meet Ron Tessier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ron Tessier.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My art has always come from an introspective and personal place. At its core it is an internal thing that is not frequently shared with the outside world. As I have matured and my work identity has grown stronger, I have been able to translate my work role as a facilitator to more personal expression in different media.

I grew up in Phoenix and have lived in Arizona most of my life. I graduated from the University of Arizona with a media arts degree and that got me into multimedia event production. I play guitar / bass and have played in a dozen odd bands. Working at the Westwood Recording Studio in Tucson was a great opportunity to participate in different productions and be a first-hand witness to the aspirations of local artists. I come from a mostly technical background and helping other people reach their creative goals is probably my best thing. I don’t always have the creative spark that drives a project, but I embrace the role of technical liaison to help others find their vision.

Please tell us about your art.
Art for me is music, videography, instrument repair and streaming music for others. My latest project, AzPunkRadio.net came from two complimentary thoughts. One was an appreciation for all the great radio stations that we have had in Arizona. I grew up loving KRIZ, KRUX, KDKB, K-15, KSTM, KUKQ, The EDGE, The END and others. I wanted to create a stream with an edge and some depth that played mostly late 60’s to 90’s garage rock. AZPR covers that but we also showcase local music from Arizona. As I have researched local bands, I have been floored by the quality of the music available. We have a great collection of local bands like JJCNV, Scorpions Vs. Tarantula, Father Figures, The Rebel Set, The Darts, Mission Creeps, Shovel, No Volcano, Venomous Pinks, and the Linecutters that have produced multiple albums of great material. AZPR is a desperate combo of music. You have edgy artists of yesteryear that were ignored by commercial radio and you have local artists that deserve to be regularly played on a radio like entity. I hope AZPR draws more attention to local acts – encouraging others to buy their music and see them live.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
I am convinced the biggest challenge facing music artists today is audience interest level. There are so many opportunities to get art out there – but who is consuming it? To be a commercially successful artist in the current environment, you probably have to be a social media and marketing specialist. There is so much competition for eyes and ears that it is very difficult to compete against modern life. I am also not sure listening to music is an active pursuit for many modern adults today. Presumably, you will be able to get your art to people who are looking for it. The question is how to do you get your art to a broader market? The holy grail is of course – “going viral.” So… the art that gets seen in the broader context is more shocking, loud or maybe aesthetically pleasing on a superficial level? I suppose this isn’t new but it continues to spiral and the gap between pop music and artist driven music grows wider.

Marketing is not a natural activity for me. Making art is always fun. Showing /selling it? not so much. On of the things I love about the local music scene is the devotion of the artists. They aren’t doing it for money or quasi -fame. They are doing it because they love it and are driven. The black hole leftover from the music industry has certainly wiped out poser bands and industry leeches. What is left is a pure core but I am not sure how it moves forward – long term. Will people in the future aspire to be background musicians? I think the only thing we can do is continue to appreciate what we have and find time every day to actively listen to music. If you like an artist, you MUST find a way to support their work. Don’t leave it to Spotify or YouTube to send a check for the pennies. It is up to us.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The best way to see what I am up to is check out AzPunkRadio.net. There are some links for live music venues and record stores. You can also find links to support AZPR through Patreon, Paypal and merchandise purchases. On Friday night at 8pm MST, I host the Local Show with one hour of AZ local music (new and old). On Sunday night at 8pm MST, I do an open format show called “The B Side”. I must also plug my associate Miles’ “Something for the Pain” show on Saturday at 8pm MST. Miles has a great show and has helped a tremendous amount with expanding the musical scope of AZPR. We can always use help. If anybody wants to have their own weekly DJ show, they can email me at azpunkradio@gmail.com for more details.

I originally thought I could just throw AZPR up and it would run itself, but keeping it going has taken some work. I have so many photo, video and music ideas that I hope to share in the future. I am also working on expanding my stream offerings in a venture called Peakstreams.com. Details on that are still developing but the goal is to offer a few high-quality music streams with depth in different genres.

Contact Info:

• Website: azpunkradio.net, peakstreams.com
• Email: azpunkradio@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AZPunkRadio/
• Other: https://tunein.com/radio/AZ-Punk-Radio-s287415/

Image Credit:
Ron Tessier

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