Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Moshier.
Hi Jon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The youngest of five growing up in a house full of music, I found a love for a wide variety of music as well as drumming and was introduced to radio during high school. Having fallen in love with the medium as well as the cultural impact of public broadcasting, I immersed myself in various roles at multiple student/community radio stations here in Southeast MI as well as Windsor, Ontario during my college years. Upon graduation in 1996, I accepted the position of Music Librarian and substitute music host for WDET. One year later, I was given my own overnight weekend show and held various shifts for the next nine years eventually becoming the station’s Senior Music Producer. After those formative years of absorbing as much musical knowledge as possible, playing in local bands and hosting radio shows, the station’s format moved away from a focus on music and the station’s music department was eliminated in 2005.
At that time, I continued sporadic volunteer and contractual work on other public/community radio outlets in the area, pursued commercial voice over work and continued to produce my own music. With an awareness of the current trends in advertising music licensing at that time and connections within both the advertising and music industries, I was offered a music supervision role for an ad campaign for Doner advertising in Southfield in late 2005. After helping to launch that successful campaign, I shifted my main career focus to advertising music production and signed on as Doner’s contract Music Producer in early 2006. I continue this work at Doner, currently holding the full-time position of Executive Music Producer. There I help place or produce music in ads for iconic brands like Jeep, Ram Trucks, Chrysler, Dodge, Meijer, The UPS Store, Tylenol and many more.
In 2010, I was also brought back to the WDET airwaves to produce and host my current radio show, “Modern Music”, spotlighting both emerging and trailblazing underground artists Saturday afternoons from 4-6p.m. with a repeat airing Tuesday night from 10p.m.-midnight.
In addition, my voice work grew to include stints as the brand voice for Fiat as well as commercial and industrial work for Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln, Volkswagen and more.
I think my dual roles in advertising music production and radio and a lifetime of musical exploration and learning have suited me well for successful careers at two iconic and important organizations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always challenges and struggles. Certainly during the early years at WDET there were unique challenges, foremost was jumping into the role of substitute music host. All of WDET’s hosts through the years have been experts in their field, and the learning curve was high in order to successfully sit in for hosts like the great jazz legend, Ed Love, or the late-great Larry McDaniel, who hosted the long-running bluegrass show “The Arkansas Traveller”. In addition, public media always struggles with funding, especially with our current challenge of losing federal funding.
Advertising had its own challenges. When I joined Doner, It was “trail by fire”. Advertising is a very fast-paced and often frantic process with both internal and client pressures and often, substantial money at stake. Having not had anyone in my exact role prior to my arrival and no one else in Detroit doing similar work, there was no guidebook and a lack of mentorship. I had to figure out the role very quickly on my own in order to be successful!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I like to think that I provide a unique set of skills. My knowledge of music is vast and deep. My background as a musician gives me a unique perspective on music creation and I’ve always prided myself on my ability to successfully interact with different personalities, which is essential in any collaborative creative role.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think we all like to think that it’s our hard work, skill, personality and personal relationships that get us where we are, but luck always plays a role, good and bad.
When I lost my full-time position at WDET back in 2005, I was devastated and had to make a major pivot. It was scary, but had that not happened, I never would have carved out my career in advertising!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wdet.org/modmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ModMusicWDET
- Other: https://www.doner.com/
