Neil Little

Program:

Notes From The Big Chair.  12.30am - 2.30am Saturdays.  Electronic and experimental music.

Length of time in radio : 

 I was recruited to the Captain Midnight Show by Fusion Australia and Gippsland FM pioneer, Bob Adams, about 1980 - 81.  Firstly as a helper, then as a presenter and before long as a senior presenter, presenting programs and training new presenters up to two nights a week.

Reason for getting into radio : 

 I was invited to assist Gippsland FM technician, Richard Palmer, making mix tapes for Fusions "Captain Midnight's Coffee Shop", a youth drop in centre that operated in the old Morwell town hall soon after it stopped being the civic centre of Morwell.  Once Bob Adams knew that I could operate the studio equipment he encouraged me to assist with the Captain Midnight Show.

Personal likes : 

I have a committed faith in Jesus Christ as the risen Son of the living God.  This is not immediately apparent in the program.  I enjoy motorsport, four wheel driving and Monty Python.

Personal dislikes : 

Shock jocks and shock jock wannabees.

Favourite music : 

Electronic rock, such as Rick Wakeman, Kraftwerk, PFM, Pink Floyd, Jean Michel Jarre, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Synergy, Mark Shreeve, Cybotron (Melb.) and Vangelis.

Hobbies : 

Crafts, photography, travel and surfing.

Brief bio : 

I grew up on a dairy farm and attended a rural primary school.  I have lived in the Latrobe Valley all my life, so far.  My taste in music was strongly influenced by my much older siblings from an early age.  I came to realise that most of the music I liked had one thing in common - synthesisers.  I have never much been interested in lyrics.  I found that most popular songs were about matters that didn't interest me much and when I did like the message of the song, I didn't think much of the music.  Synthesisers have made for far greater creativity and computerised instruments have placed the creation of great music within the reach of backyard musicians.
"Notes From the Big Chair" evolved from it's predecessor "Notes From The Underground" (from the 1864 Dostoevsky novel of the same title) which was named by my co-host Barry Brown about 1983.  This program finished in about 1985 and soon afterwards I started "Notes From the Big Chair" (from the Tears For Fears album "Songs From The Big Chair"), mainly as an opportunity to keep Gippsland FM (3GCR-FM) on air a bit longer as we previously went off the air after the Captain Midnight Show.  I would broadcast one of my favourite albums whilst we packed up after the Captain Midnight Show.  1 hour soon grew to two and Notes From the Big Chair has been on Gippsland FM ever since.
I still feature an entire album each week (two weeks if it's a double) and fill the remaining time with an assortment of experimental, classical, folk, techno, drum 'n' bass, classic rock, comedy, avant garde etc, etc.  You are extremely unlikely to hear anything remotely country.

You can be part of the program : 

Do you, or do you know anyone who creates music at home.  I'd love to share it with the community.  It doesn't have to be good but it does have to be original.  Broadcasting unauthorised covers may have undesirable legal consequences for Gippsland FM.

Especially if the music is electronic and / or experimental, send it to :

"Notes From the Big Chair"
Gippsland FM
PO box 579 Morwell 3840

or mark it :
"Attention Notes From the Big Chair"
and email to :
office@gippslandfm.org.au