Macon Magazine

mentor and manager at the campus radio and television stations since 1988. "ey hired me to manage the TV station," she said, "but when I got there, I noticed there was no radio station, and that just would not do, so I got to researching." Before long, Ellis had WFVS Power Jamz 96.9 on the air. "It's a great teaching tool," she said. "A lot of kids want to be in this industry, and I've had some successful students." In 2017, Ellis was inducted into the Georgia Radio Museum and Hall of Fame. "I was so honored to be in the presence of so many legends. And to be recognized like that while I'm still around to appreciate it is such a blessing," she said. Ellis isn't slowing down anytime soon. She's proud to work with iHeartMedia, and you can find Ellis' radio persona Mama Mia (@MamaMiaV107) hosting the weekly talk show "Middle Georgia Speaks" or spinning throwback jams on the weekly Solid Gold Sundays on V101.7. "To still be able to have this career is awesome," Ellis said. "It feels good to know that somebody still wants to listen to me." TEDDY HERNANDEZ, who goes by Teddy Da Kid (@teddydakid), is an FVSU alum making a name for herself in the broadcasting world. While in school, Hernandez was lucky to learn the radio ropes from Ellis. "She taught me that if I learn how to produce, I will always have a job," Hernandez said. After graduating in 2012 with a bachelor's in mass communication, Hernandez stayed on for a year as assistant program director at FVSU's radio station. She then moved to Macon, spending five years doing on-air and behind-the-scenes work at Power 107.1. "I moved here knowing absolutely nobody and was embraced with open arms. And I got to have a lot of firsts at Power 107.1. I was the first female to hold down the afternoon drive, the first female mixer, first female production director. I did production work for four stations," she said. "I did a lot! I don't give myself enough credit." Hernandez, who plays trumpet, trombone, percussion and "a little violin," credits her musically-inclined family for sharpening her sensibilities. "We'd listen to music all the time – especially Saturday mornings when we'd all clean the house, and Sundays after church. After a while, you start realizing, 'Hey, that's a sample!' or 'Hey, that's somebody else's beat!' en you gotta go find where it came from originally. I can remember digging through crates of my mom's records, looking to find that one thing," she said. Pre-pandemic, Hernandez had several standing DJ gigs around town, but she's had to pivot a bit and is currently working as a forklift driver: "One of my favorite things to do in the manual labor world," she said. Meanwhile, she's remained active as a DJ, making mixes that are available for streaming on Apple Music, Soundcloud, MixCloud and 247mixing.com, an internet radio station. She's also gearing up to return to the DJ booth with Metro by T-Mobile, thanks to A La Carte Marketing. "My passion comes from being able to move people, from getting them out of that rut," Hernandez said. "After a night on the turntables, if I have people come up and tell me they're glad they came out tonight, that gives me a high. at's my addiction. I love to make people feel good." Keeping up the positive vibes comes naturally for Hernandez. "Superman is my favorite superhero," she said. "I'm like Clark Kent during the day, and I change into Superman at night. I gotta put my cape on. I have a job to do." BARRY FICKLIN started his career as a math teacher at Central High School. He'd always loved music, even DJing his first event at age 17. But at first, as he said, "I really didn't know the steps to take to make that my career." He taught for 10 years in Bibb County schools "I'M LIKE CLARK KENT DURING THE DAY, AND I CHANGE INTO SUPERMAN AT NIGHT. I GOTTA PUT MY CAPE ON. I HAVE A JOB TO DO." - TEDDY HERNANDEZ T B OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 | maconmagazine.com 37

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