By Naima Mark
On Tuesday evenings, Valeria Perez says goodbye to the poster of rock guitarist Joan Jett over her bed, dons her platform boots, and makes the trek to the KCSB-FM studio to record a new episode of her radio show, Grrrls Who Rock!!!
The third-year UC Santa Barbara Communication and Art History student – a bass player, art lover, and prospective DJ – is deeply integrated into the world of arts and culture.
Valeria Perez’s art for Grrrl Who Rocks!!! on KCSB.FM
“I’ve just been around music my entire life,” said Perez, who has hosted over 52 shows during their career at UCSB, each with its own unique theme from “Punk Gothic Architecture” to “Vehement Valentines.” Weaving firsthand rock scene experience and personal anecdotes into her repertoire of music knowledge, Perez explores the various rock subgenres.
The Los Angeles native sat down for a recent interview to discuss her show Grrrls Who Rock!!!, her passions at UCSB, and the importance of women and gender-expansive people in the rock genre.
Q: Where did your passion for music come from?
A: I have always loved music since I was younger. I would say the main source of my love of music would come from my dad. Whenever he’s working at home, he will have music playing, no matter what. I have always grown up around music and many different kinds of genres. I’ve just been around music my entire life. And so I just really have a passion for it because of that.
Q: And you are double majoring in art history and communication. How does this relate to your interest in music and radio hosting?
A: I chose to do Communication because I wanted to do PR management, sound engineering, or broadcasting. And I took an art history class and it was my favorite class I ever took. And that really changed things for me. I thought, “why don’t I just double major?” because I have always been interested in museum studies or art history. You get to have art and then also historical context – I love that about art history. I just thought they would be the perfect combination.
Valeria Perez, host of Grlll Who Rocks!!!
Q: Are there any specific classes you’ve taken that have supplemented your show or broadened your interest in music or art?
A: Definitely Art History – it was mostly about Renaissance and Baroque art, which is still one of my main interests. It was just so incredibly well taught. The professor was amazing, the lectures were amazing, and it made me realize that I love the subject. The current course I’m taking right now is Modern Contemporary Art. What I really love about art history is you can learn past the material because you have people participating and giving their thoughts. And art is subjective, so everyone’s going to have a different opinion, which is really interesting.
Q: You describe your show as featuring “women and gender-expansive people in rock.” Where did this idea come from?
A: I just immediately had the idea to do a rock show, and rock is a genre that has always been dominated by men. I thought it would be a really fun and also challenging endeavor, making a show that’s about women and gender expansive people. Women and rock have always been separated – they’re “women in rock.” They’re just rock stars. I thought that was important to convey. So that’s why I focus on women and gender expansive people.
Q: Run me through your routine when you go to the studio and sit down to put on a show.
A: I’ll get to the studio about 30 minutes before my show starts, do last minute checks, make sure the sound beds are good, and do all the technical stuff so that I have less things to worry about. I like things to run as smooth as possible. I also don’t like to write down or plan what I’m saying on air because I think it’s really fun to be put on the spot and let myself speak about the knowledge I have, which gives me leeway to give my opinions on what I’m playing. But I will jot down bullet points for the start of the show just so I can explain the theme, explain why I’m here.
Q: And what is the future of Grrrls Who Rock!!!?
A: I want to continue the show for as long as possible. It’s been about a year and a half now, and I still haven’t gotten sick of it. I would obviously like to continue doing the show, branching out, really digging for new music, new artists, do things that I haven’t already done, because routine is boring.
Q: Do you have any advice for other prospective radio hosts?
A: If you want to create a show, don’t think about what other people are doing or what will get you the most listeners. If you know what you want to play and you’re really passionate about something, just do it. I’ve heard so many different shows that are completely different. There are listeners out there that want to hear whatever it is – there’s a market for whatever you want to do. If you’re really passionate about it, start! And stay true to what you’re passionate about.
Naima Mark is a third-year Communication major at UC Santa Barbara. She conducted this interview for her Digital Journalism class.