Five Years, Hundreds of Shows, and Almost No ASMR
By DJ KJ | KJ's Paws of Aurora ASMR | KSUA 91.5 FM

I have a confession to make.

Despite having the letters “ASMR” proudly displayed in the title of my radio show, I think I've actually done ASMR a grand total of...once.

Once.
In five years.
Look, nobody said I was particularly good at staying on theme.

In fact, there was a period when I’d regularly introduce the show with something along the lines of, “Welcome back to KJ’s Paws of Aurora ASMR, which we haven't actually done yet, but we’ll get there eventually. Buuuuttt it is also my show, and I can do what I want.”

And apparently, I took that philosophy to heart.

Because on October 21st, 2026, KJ’s Paws of Aurora ASMR officially celebrated its fifth anniversary. Five years, hundreds of shows, countless stories, plenty of music, and more than a few unexpected tangents later, I’m still here.

And the funniest part? I never actually intended to become a radio DJ in the first place.

It All Started with a Little Halloween Mischief

Picture this: It’s 2021, and I’m taking my very first acting class at UAF.

One day, our instructor, Carrie Baker, received a message from KSUA’s General Manager at the time, Kevin Swenson. The station was looking for actors to record spooky scripts and stories for Halloween.

Now, I’d never done voice acting before, but the idea sounded fascinating. Getting to record something spooky for the radio? Sign me up!

I reached out, fully expecting this to be a one-and-done experience. I’d record my script and poems, have a fun little adventure, and go right back to my regularly scheduled life.

That was the plan, anyway.

Except I had an absolute blast.

I loved recording, experimenting with my voice, and discovering this whole new world of audio storytelling. So, naturally, instead of simply thanking everyone and going on my merry way, I asked how I could get more involved.

One thing led to another, I completed DJ training, and on October 21st, 2021, KJ’s Paws of Aurora ASMR officially hit the airwaves for the first time.

And, well...
Here we are.
Five years later.
Apparently, I have a habit of turning one-time opportunities into long-term commitments.

So...Where’s the ASMR?

An excellent question.

When I first started the show, the format was fairly straightforward: I’d read short stories, play some music during breaks, and generally try to create a nice listening experience.

Some of those stories were written by other people. Others were pieces of my own creative writing, which was both exciting and a little nerve-racking to share over the radio.

Simple. Cozy. Relaxing.
And then I started talking about music.
And concerts I’d attended.
And musicals I’d seen.
And reviewing those musicals.
And eventually, pretty much anything else that caught my attention.

Somewhere along the way, the show stopped being particularly easy to describe. What began as a storytelling program slowly evolved into a wonderfully unpredictable collection of music, theatre, conversations, reviews, and whatever else I happened to be excited about that week.

Which brings us back to the ASMR.

Have I actually done much of it? No.

Do I still want to? Absolutely!

And now that I have a good external microphone, I’m hoping to experiment with more actual ASMR in future episodes.

After all, it’s only been five years. There’s still time to live up to the title. Probably.

The First Guest and the K-Pop Rabbit Hole

Of course, a show can only remain a one-person operation for so long before someone else gets dragged into the fun.

Enter Dulce.

Dulce, one of my best friends and my first friend in college, was my first guest on KJ’s Paws of Aurora ASMR. We spent the episode listening to and talking about K-pop, which, if you know either of us, probably isn’t particularly surprising.

What started as a guest appearance eventually helped inspire Dulce to get involved in radio herself, and she went on to host her own K-pop show for a while, Everything’s OK-Pop.

And honestly, that’s one of the coolest things about radio.

You invite a friend to join you for something fun, and suddenly they’re discovering an entirely new creative outlet of their own.

Apparently, radio is contagious.

From DJ to Station Staff (And Everything in Between)

What I didn't realize when I first walked into KSUA was just how big a part of my life the station would become.

Not only did I become a DJ, but I also ended up working at KSUA from 2022 to 2026, spending much of that time as the Programming and Volunteer Coordinator.

So, in addition to creating my own shows, I got to work behind the scenes, help other DJs, coordinate programming and volunteers, and learn an incredible amount about what goes into keeping a radio station running.

And let me tell you, there is a LOT more happening behind the scenes than most listeners probably realize.

But more than anything, KSUA introduced me to some truly wonderful people.

Over the years, I’ve met so many different DJs, coworkers, guests, and volunteers, each with their own interests, personalities, and reasons for getting involved in radio. Some of those people have become dear friends, and I'm incredibly grateful that our paths crossed.

It’s funny to think that a single Halloween recording opportunity led not only to hundreds of radio shows but also to friendships and experiences that have become such meaningful parts of my life.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I gained something else I hadn't necessarily expected: confidence.

When I first got involved, I’d never done voice acting, much less hosted a radio show. Over time, I learned how to speak comfortably behind a microphone, communicate with an audience I couldn’t see, organize and produce content, interview guests, experiment creatively, and adapt when things didn’t go quite according to plan.

And trust me, in radio, things do not always go according to plan.

Those skills have carried over into so many other parts of my life, and I genuinely don’t think I’d be quite the same person today without the experiences I had at KSUA.

All because I thought recording a spooky story sounded fun.

Life is weird.

Enter Bethany (And the Chaos Multiplies)

One of the more recent chapters in the show’s history began when another of my best friends, Bethany, became my long-term guest.

Now, having someone to bounce ideas off of is wonderful.
Having someone to bounce ideas off of who is also your best friend? Well, let's just say things can get interesting.

Over the past year, Bethany and I have explored all sorts of musical rabbit holes together. We’ve reviewed EPIC: The Musical, delved into its cut songs, talked about our favorite songs, explored Alien Stage, TROY’s Zodiac album, and covered plenty of other topics along the way.

And because we both have opinions, these episodes have become much more than straightforward reviews.

We react. We analyze. We discuss. We get distracted. We occasionally remember that we’re supposed to be recording a radio show.

It’s a system.

...sort of.

But that’s one of my favorite things about having Bethany on the show. There’s something special about sharing the microphone with someone who knows you so well, especially when you’re discussing music and stories you're both passionate about.

A Little Hiatus, a Lot More Chaos

Now, if you’ve been wondering where we’ve been lately, you’re not imagining things.

Over the summer of 2026, KSUA experienced technical issues with Zetta, the station’s automation system. Since my shows are now prerecorded, that meant our episodes couldn’t air as usual for a while.

Thankfully, the system is back up and running, and we’re getting back into the swing of things!

Among our latest recordings are Bethany’s and my reactions to and analysis of Ren’s The Tale of Jenny and Screech, which we recorded over the summer.

And let’s just say that when you give two people who love storytelling and music something like that to discuss, you're probably not getting a short conversation.

There’s plenty more where that came from, and I have no intention of running out of things to talk about anytime soon.

Coming Soon... Eventually... Probably...

Oh! And speaking of things I've been working on...

I’m also hoping to launch a YouTube channel for KJ’s Paws of Aurora ASMR!

You see, I’ve actually been recording my radio shows for the past five years. Well, most of them.

There were definitely a few occasions when I forgot to hit record.

We don’t talk about those.

But I have quite the collection of old episodes sitting around, and I’d love to make them available for people to revisit or discover for the first time.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to hear what I sounded like back in 2021, revisit some of our older discussions, or experience the evolution of the show from its short-story beginnings to whatever wonderfully chaotic thing it’s become today, stay tuned!

When will the channel launch? Soon!
How soon?
...that's an excellent question. Moving on!

Five Years Later...

When I think back to that first acting class in 2021, it’s funny to realize how differently things could have turned out.

I could have recorded my Halloween script, thanked Kevin for the opportunity, and never thought about becoming a DJ again.

Instead, I found something I genuinely loved.

Over the past five years, KJ’s Paws of Aurora ASMR has grown and changed right alongside me. What began as a little short-story program has become a place where I can explore my interests, share things I’m passionate about, and bring other people along for the ride.

But it’s also become so much more than a radio show.

It’s given me opportunities I never expected, helped me develop skills and confidence I continue to use, introduced me to some incredible people, and given me a creative outlet that has remained part of my life through all sorts of changes.

And I think that’s what makes this anniversary so special to me.

It’s not necessarily the most predictable radio show in the world. In fact, I think we’ve established that the title itself is a little misleading.

But it’s mine.

It’s a place where storytelling, music, theatre, friendship, and the occasional completely unexpected topic can all coexist.

And I'm incredibly grateful that one little Halloween recording opportunity led me here.

So, to everyone who’s listened over the years, joined me behind the microphone, worked alongside me at KSUA, encouraged me to try something new, or simply happened to stumble across one of my episodes: thank you.

Here’s to five years, hundreds of shows, wonderful friendships, one actual ASMR episode, and whatever ridiculous adventures come next.

And who knows?
Maybe by our tenth anniversary, I’ll have done ASMR twice!

— DJ KJ