On any given weekday, Jade can be heard spinning The Current’s stacks of wax from 10am – 2pm. She comes across in person much as she does on air: she’s friendly, easygoing, and has a deep knowledge and enthusiasm for the music she plays. She’s been with APMG for 10 years, and agreed to answer a question for each year on the job. You can follow her on Twitter: @jadeisthename

Q: Hi Jade! What did you see yourself doing with your life when you were a kid?

A: When I was a little kid I thought I would be a dancer, but I loved music and when I was in middle school and high school I always told people that I wish you could just get paid to listen to music and talk about it. So I pretty much found my childhood dream job.

Q: Tell us about the first time you opened a microphone. Where and when was this? Were you nervous?

A: I had performed in front of live audiences on mic for plays and while I was working at Camp Snoopy (started that back in 1999). But if you’re talking radio that would have been in 2003 when I was a freshman at the University of Kansas on my 2-4 am shift. And there was no nerves, I was mostly just excited.

Q: You’ve been with APMG for 10 years. How would you describe the workplace to someone considering a career here?

A: I think most people who think about a rock station expect it to be like the movies: rock star cameos, loud music, grungy couches. It’s actually more like a regular job, as Michael Ian Black once said during a brief tour: “This is less rock and more spreadsheets and sadness.” He was joking of course, but we take radio pretty darn serious and probably geek out on the technical and minutia more than people expect. That being said, there are still rock star cameos.

Q: What are some of the career goals you haven’t reached yet?

A: I’d love to write a rock book, but like I said, I’ve always wanted to listen to music and get paid to talk about it. Seems to be going pretty well so far.

Q: Tell us about your pets, if any: what kinds, and how many?

A: Zero pets. I’m a little allergic.

Q: If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

A: I’ve spent many months in Scotland, but I would go back in a heartbeat.

Q: What was the first music you ever paid for? Was it a CD, LP, cassette?

A: An Ace of Base CD is the first thing I remember paying for. I used to record onto cassette songs that I liked on the radio, probably the most rebellious thing of my youth.

Q: If you could invite two famous people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would you choose?

A: This would probably change tomorrow, but today I would love Kurt Vonnegut and Mr. Rogers.

Q: Do you have any unusual skills or abilities that would come in handy in a zombie apocalypse? (e.g., able to fly a helicopter, hotwire a car, pick locks, etc)?

A: I have no useful skills for the apocalypse. I was talking about this with my boyfriend recently since he’s picked up woodworking, and we’ve decided I need to take some foraging lessons, just in case.

Q: What inspires you most about Minnesota?

A: The excitement for growth and change. On the side I have an event planning company and we’ve been collaborating on a project the past few years to create a more welcoming Minnesota. The conversations that I’ve had with new Minnesotans and the people who have volunteered to be part of the welcoming committee have shown me that there are things that need to be changed and worked on, but there are so many people in Minnesota will to do the hard work to listen and grow and make the time, space and put in the energy to keep working towards a better home for all of us.