Seattle Twist

I’ve been a listener of 98.1 Classical KING FM — Seattle’s classical music station — for many years. I listen to it at home and in my car. Mostly I turn it on for background music, often to facilitate my mood or creativity; but now and again a certain piece of music by a certain composer and/or conductor will jump out at me and grab my attention. If I’m not driving, I then run for paper and pen and await the proverbial follow-up by the host to announce what I just heard. Then I must seek out the music in question to satisfy my ever-present musical greed.

But not long ago, in the wee hours of the night (or morning, depending on your point of view), I couldn’t get back to sleep, and so picked up a book and turned on KING FM. Rather than a piece of music, it was a voice that jumped out and grabbed my attention this time — the voice of the host: a female voice, with a quiet, calming rhythmic dynamic, and a very subtle smokey velvet tone. It was such a pleasant change from the usual roster of male hosts I frequently hear when I’m tuning in to Classical KING FM. Certainly not the first female host I have heard on KING FM (the legendary Gigi Yellen-Kohn goes without saying, though I’ve said it anyway), but there was a quality in this particular voice and a subdued playfulness in her on-air personality, professional but youthful, that I found charming.

Perhaps there was some awkwardness in the voice, some human quality that I don’t normally associate with broadcast announcers (or, in this case, hosts). In any case, from then on, whenever I heard her voice I would pay more attention to the music being played and what she said. It wasn’t long after, when listening to KING FM during the afternoon, that I discovered that she was, in fact, the mid-day host during the week. Her name, Maxine Frost. My interest was firmly kindled; I wanted to know more.

With the recent layoff of three well-known KING FM hosts, I knew Maxine must be relatively new; and being a fresh voice on a long-running, popular radio station, after three seasoned, familiar voices have departed, cannot be an easy position to be in.

What I did not know is that Maxine has been in the broadcasting business for over ten years, has a good deal of experience in voice work, has worked at several different radio stations (including KING FM’s Evergreen Channel), and is not so young as she looks and sounds.

Though I was a little on the late side to welcome her aboard, I did send her an email to express my appreciation. I was a fan. What I didn’t expect is a reply from a very humble, modest and amiable individual; somewhat shy but also very personable. I also learned of her terrific artwork and her continued contributions and correspondence on the KING FM Evergreen Channel’s facebook site.

This creative, seemingly ageless fourty-some-year-old transplant from Portland, OR, is married to a successful man also in the broadcast/media field, and is now living the good life in Seattle. She told me — regarding her good fortune — that she feels like she’s ‘walking on air’.

Well, not having submitted an article to SeattleTwist in some time, I immediately knew exactly what my next writing subject was to be.

Please welcome to Seattle and Classical KING FM, Maxine Frost.

T.G.: Hello, Maxine. You developed a love for classical music from an early age, one that has lead you to becoming a voice on KING FM’s Evergreen Channel, and recently on Seattle’s Classical KING FM Channel as the mid-day host. Would you explain how this love of classical music has influenced your life and lead you to where you are now?

M. F.: My parents had a huge influence. I used to think everybody had a background like mine, but I realize now that my folks were unusual. We weren’t really affluent – my dad was a salesman, my mom was a homemaker – but there was always money for piano lessons or a night at the symphony. As a kid I definitely felt like an aristocrat of taste, if not always of circumstance!

T.G.: Which are some of your favourite classical composers and passages of music? I’m speaking classical in the colloquial sense, including the baroque, romantic, and modernist composers.

M. F.: I’m kind of boring, actually. I love Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. And I adore Saint-Saens – his Organ Symphony is the best thing ever. I’m enjoying baroque guys right now like Purcell and Mondonville. I like Bernstein and Copland, and I’ve been re-discovering Mendelssohn. As for performers, I love the hot young cello-piano duo, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Alexandre Tharaud. Also pianists Jon Kimura Parker and Leif Ove Andsnes. Cellist Joshua Roman totally rocks. And I adore violinist Maxim Vengerov, and am waiting for him to come back. He had a shoulder injury, so that might not happen. I’m depressed!

T.G.: Do you play a musical instrument or instruments, and have you ever wanted to be a musician in an orchestra?

M. F.: I was a piano major in college, but I had performance anxiety. Not a good thing when your major is performance! I haven’t played in years, but I still love it. I’d like to learn how to play the harpsichord.

T.G.: Myself, I’ve always been attracted to the tones of the French horn and the trombone – neither of which I learned how to play. And I really love the flute and woodwinds for their ethereal and warm, earthy tones. Have you any particular favourite orchestral instruments?

M. F.: Since joining KING FM, I’m loving all kinds of solo instruments I hadn’t thought of before – oboe, clarinet, bassoon.

T.G.: What was your motivation to get into broadcasting and when did you start?

M. F.: I was working in computer support at a company that owned a cluster of radio stations in Portland, Oregon. My job was going to be downsized, so I asked one of the production directors if I could learn the ropes. It took about three years to actually get on the air. I’ve voiced and produced hundreds of commercials. Production is fun when it’s creative. I still miss it a bit!

T.G.: What were you doing prior to joining the KING FM Evergreen Channel?

M. F.: I worked at a classical station in Portland, KQAC. Before that I was a host on a smooth jazz station and a classic rock station, both in Portland.

T.G: I can certainly hear your voice complementing a smooth jazz station. What lead you to acquire your position at KING FM Evergreen?

M. F.: I sent the manager a demo tape and he like it. That was it! I know how lucky I am!

T.G.: You are now working at Classical KING FM in Seattle as the mid-day host and are a relatively new voice to many listeners. Some well-known hosts are no longer at the station. How has the acceptance to the new lineup been?

M. F.: I think of my amazing friends and former colleagues every day, and I’m fortunate to still be in touch with them. Our audience has been very accepting of the new lineup, and I’m grateful.

T.G.: Technological and cultural changes have surely made both positive and negative impacts on classical music and contemporary composers – e.g., revenue of recordings versus concert performances; availability of working jobs for orchestral musicians; etc. Would you care to share some thoughts on this matter?

M. F.: There’s a sort of collective hysteria about arts programs being cut, music sales going down, etc. etc. But I’m not sure there’s any real cause for worry. The musicians I’ve interviewed are pretty upbeat about it. They’re reaching audiences like never before, even young kids. And there will always be an audience for classical music on the radio – especially in Seattle.

T.G.: Not only being a voice on the radio and a serious purveyor of classical music, you have a remarkable graphic artistic talent, too. When did you begin your artistic endeavors and what were some of your earliest subject matter?

M. F.: Oh dear, I wish you wouldn’t call me a “serious purveyor of classical music.” It’s so very important to me to present this music in a way that isn’t stuffy or sacred. No one should be cordoning off classical music with a velvet rope. It has to be relevant and accessible, especially to younger audiences, or we’re really in trouble!

About the art: I loved Mad Magazine as a kid, but I would never have thought of doing it seriously. Until recently! I got a graphic tablet and a digital pen a couple of years ago, and life has never been the same. Being able to erase something completely and start over has given me tons of confidence.

T.G.: Though you are now in Seattle you continue to devote time, communications, and upkeep to the KING FM Evergreen Channel Facebook website. .

M. F.: Yes, I’m busy like never before! But I still post my composer drawings to the KING FM Evergreen Facebook page.

Composer William Boyce by Maxine Frost

T.G.: And terrific drawings they are, too! I never tire of looking at them. Who was your first composer subject, and were there motivations other than your profession that lead you to doing artwork of composers?

M. F.: I think Mozart was my first composer. I’m on a composer roll right now because it ties in to my job. But I love to draw all kinds of things. I’ve always thought it would be fun to be a political cartoonist, but it’s hard to do well. And I would love to do a strip with my own characters and have it published as a book.

T.G.: Though the term is rather subjective, you refer to your artwork as cartoons and caricatures. Your work is very distinct and stylized, yet not so unique as to not raise a few comparisons. Are there any particular artists that have inspired you – influenced you in your artwork?

M. F.: I love Boody Rogers from the forties, and have recently gotten into Yoshihiro Tatsumi, whose books are being reissued by Drawn & Quarterly Publications. Adrian Tomine is amazing. And I like the work of Amy Hankins, who has an online comic called The Compozerz. She’s much better than me!

T.G.: You are originally from Portland, OR, yes? Myself, I’m a big fan of Portland, OR. How do you like the transition to Seattle? I’m not speaking so much about the success in your current job situation, but rather the transition from one major NW city to the next; the cultural changes, the vibe, etc.

M. F.: Portland will always be home, but I really love Seattle! It is different from Portland, but I’m still trying to figure out exactly how. This city is really energizing in a way I’ve never experienced before.

T.G.: Thank you for your time, Maxine. And congratulations on your promotion; you bring a fresh and vibrant presence to Classical KING FM Seattle. May your stay here and at KING FM be a long one. We’ll be listening! and watching for more of your artwork!

M. F.: My pleasure, Terence!

More of Maxine Frost’s composer art can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82540&id=94358791632