Hello, world! Intern Debra here! I’m having the time of my life as an intern on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. I am working alongside the coolest, most down to earth people in media, meeting some of my favorite artists, and am constantly in the presence of entertainment greatness. If that doesn’t sound like a dream come true to you, just listen to how much of an amazing, pinch-me-moment this is for me.
Let’s start off by throwing it wayyy back to my middle school days. If I remember correctly, One Direction were guests on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in 2012 just about a month before my birthday. I had casually listened to the legendary radio show every single morning before school courtesy of my mom, but never considered myself a truly dedicated listener until that fateful 2012 day.
Like every other middle school girl at that time, I was a massive One Direction fan (and still very much am), so that meant their appearance on Elvis’ show was the absolute biggest deal to seventh grade me. The band talked about their debut album, which was just hitting shelves, their crazy fans (of who only got crazier as the years progressed), and their UK roots… Harry’s face was actually shoved into an intricate iced Union Jack cake, getting red, white, and blue food coloring all over him and his then-long, curly hair. To make a long story short, that was not only the first and only time that I was ever late to school, but the first time I realized that I wanted to be able to do two things in the future: talk for a living and smash Harry Styles’ face into a cake. (I am currently on my way to achieving one of those goals, thank you for asking.)
Fast forward about three and a half years later to being 15 years old. I was still risking being late to school every single day because I never wanted to miss a second of the hilarity, drama, and gossip that filled the Z100 airwaves every morning thanks to Elvis, Danielle, and the gang. It was the summer of 2015 and my internet best friend (of whom I met through One Direction!) was flying from Texas to New Jersey to meet me, see the Big Apple, and go see 1D’s One the Road Again Tour.
Sounds like a dream, right? Wrong! Well, sort of. The tickets we had bought for hundreds and hundreds of dollars ended up being fake, which meant that two teenage girls who were some One Direction’s most dedicated fans were crying hysterically outside of the stadium while the show was getting ready to start. The story doesn’t end there, though! Because Mo Bounce, another fantastic Z100 DJ, just so happened to be going to the show with his family, and his wife spotted my friend and I in full-blown meltdown mode. Another long story short, with the help of Mo and his lovely wife, my friend and I were given tickets to the show and we were sitting right on the side of the stage having the absolute best time seeing the band that brought us together. It was then in that moment that I knew I wanted to be able to do what Mo did: bring people joy, music, and hope. (The exact things that Elvis brings on his show, as well.)
Fast forward another four years and I have a radio internship in the same building where Harry Styles was caked, the same building where Mo Bounce works, and the same building where Elvis Duran and the Morning Show has gone live from over the many, many years of listening in with my mom on my way to school. Elvis, Brody, Skeery, Greg T, Danielle, and the rest of the gang are actually real people with as much spunk in them in real life as they do over the airwaves (or over streaming, depending on how you listen to the show). It is an honor to work for them and alongside them – what a dream it is!
Not only am I learning the ins and outs of this show that I grew up listening to, but I am getting an in-depth behind the scenes look at how the world of radio works. It’s exactly what I expected and also nothing like I expected. There is a lot more hustling and bustling from everyone than I thought, but even more laughs. There are a lot more buttons that need to be pushed and audio that needs to be checked than I anticipated, as well, but it’s all a learning process. The studio itself is much smaller in person than I previously thought, but it definitely adds to the tight-knit feelings of the hosts and the comradery that is evident during every single show.
I am so grateful for this full circle moment and all that is to come over the rest of the semester. Fingers crossed that Harry Styles drops by one of my days in the studio! (Harry, if you’re reading this, I promise I won’t shove your face into a cake or do anything to you…except maybe ask for a photo.)