Sunyata Music

out of hundreds of entries from across Canada

Hi, I’m Jim.

I just spent 72 intense hours with DNTO’s Sook-Yin Lee as her lucky co-host to make 4 hours of pop culture tourist guide radio for CBC’s DNTO. I won their ‘Take Me Home’ contest with my wacky 5 minute demo.

click to zoom

Sunyata's Jim Gawne won the DNTO "Take Me Home" contest. Seen here with CBC's Sook-Yin Lee in Sooke

» Jim's demo tape

» Jim gets the call

Out of hundreds of entries from across Canada they chose to unleash the DNTO media blitz on my small town, Sooke, BC. Was I excited when I got the call from Sook-Yin? Boy, was I! Listen to the near hysteric drooling recorded live and broadcast nation wide.

unrelenting pursuit of awesome radio

Sook-Yin and the DNTO microphone followed me more relentlessly than my dog through a Sooke sonic adventure. Who knew just talking could be so hard? At least talking coherently, with witty and pithy commentary. And on cue. I have gained a new respect for the raw talent and radical work ethic of Sook-Yin and her team of DNTO maniacs. Sook-Yin is astoundingly talented with such a courageous spirit. And so much fun to work like-a-dog with. A true professional dedicated to bringing you the best that radio can be.

Like I said on the show, making great radio is the toughest Xtreme sport you’ll ever play! While the bruised ego, the swollen tongue, the sleep and food deprivation are tough, it’s the unrelenting pursuit of awesome radio that is most grueling. And they do this every week! I only played with the team for a single game and my tongue is going to be a sling for days. And I thought karaoke was hard.

It was also the most fun I’ve had since sleep deprivation was invented. I’m finally coming out of closet, now everyone will know: I am a goofball! I’m the luckiest goofball in the world. I got to co-host the coolest radio show in the world with coolest radio host in the world. And I get to play in Sunyata with the coolest musicians. And I got to play a Sunyata track on the coolest radio show in the world.

are you nervous yet?

At times I thought I would crack under the pressure. Oh, wait. I did crack. Sixteen hours a day in the one-liner factory can do that a person. They told me not to always go for the cheap jokes, but since this was an unpaid gig, it was all I could afford. See. I can’t help myself. I was a mildly irreverent guy, now I’m a national goofball. A goofball with a website and a very hot band and a national radio show. Are you nervous, yet?

I would like to thank CBC Radio One, the DNTO mavens and especially Sook-Yin Lee for making my DNTO co-hosting premiere the most amazing, tonguenastically terrorizing thing I’ve ever done for no money. It was a dream fulfilled. A fitful dream where you awake exhausted and bewildered with a big smile on your face.