Interview: Elizabeth Alker

Elizabeth Alker is the BBC Radio 3 host of Unclassified, a late-night show that presents an exciting new generation of composers and performers breaking free of the constraints of practice rooms and concert halls. You may also recognise her voice from Radio 3’s Saturday Breakfast show. Alker joined the BBC as a researcher for Radio 4, and soon after became a reporter and presenter for BBC Radio 6 Music. She regularly pops up talking about arts and music on Radio 2, 5 Live, Radio 4 and the BBC News Channel, and has thrust a microphone in front of everyone from Paul McCartney to Steve Reich.

I asked about the origins of Unclassified and the diversity of its audience, her recommendations for getting music played on the radio, how she copes with waking up so early at the weekend, and of course, about her dog Terry.

Let’s kick off with a quick-fire round...

Early bird or night owl? Night owl
Introvert or extrovert? I spend time with lots of people but I recharge on my own.
What would you be doing if not a radio presenter? I'd like to be a local councillor.
Favourite Radio 3 show (other than your own)? I wouldn't like to choose my favourite but I watched Ian Macmillan do The Verb live at the Free Thinking Festival a few years ago and it was a masterclass in getting between guests and subjects, and just a perfect mix of being humorous and informative and intelligent. I also like Words and Music.
Any pets? Terry, a very naughty Yorkshire Terrier I got just before lockdown. He’s definitely in charge, that’s for sure.
Any new lockdown hobbies? I started writing a book about pioneers from the classical world who've influenced the way that pop music is produced.
Three composers or artists you’re listening to at the moment? Steve Reich, Eve Adams’ new album Metal Bird, and Samy Moussa

What were the origins of Unclassified?

Alan Davey [Controller of Radio 3] was interested in having an ambient show, and neoclassical music at the time was really accelerating in popularity. When I first came to Radio 3, I was still working at 6 Music as well, and it was easier if I could find music I could play on both. At 6 Music you’re always trying to get an exclusive play or be the first person to play something, so I brought that mentality to Radio 3. I was interested in pop music that has the influence of classical, and classical music that has the spirit of pop. There are a lot of composers who write music in a classical style and idiom, but electronic in its sound and production.

What’s been the reaction to the show, positive and negative?

I think we were all amazed when it started just how much people enjoyed it. They liked that it was peaceful, ethereal and dreamy, especially when inhabiting that time of night (11.30pm). It wasn’t like Nils Frahm and Ólafur Arnalds hadn’t been discovered – that scene existed – but it was new to have all those tracks together as an ambient listen. It does seem weird to say that now because there is lots more of this sort of thing around now, but it felt new at the time.

What have you learned from hosting Unclassified over the last few years?

How open-minded audiences are. The landscape now is such that people don't feel like they're just into one kind of music. Everyone's listening is so eclectic. You see it at Unclassified Live [the live concert version of the radio show, hosted at the Southbank Centre] – some of the audience are 6 Music listeners who’ve been open-minded and followed me to Radio 3, and then find themselves at an orchestra concert. I get so many people who say, “Oh, I never thought I'd listen to Radio 3, but I started listening to Unclassified and now I’m going to see the BBC Philharmonic tonight”, so that’s nice. It makes people feel like actually orchestral music and all kinds of classical music are accessible to everybody. It’s helped with finding a way in for them.

How do you go about finding new artists/music to play on the show?

If I'm looking for new acts, I'll look down the bills on festivals to see who has been programmed, and go and see them live (some of the festivals I go to are Le Guess Who? in Utrecht, the Big Ears Festival in Tennessee, Dark Music Days in Reykjavík, and Moogfest in North Carolina). The longer the show’s been going, people send me things. And just the usual places to listen like Bandcamp and SoundCloud. I also find loads of things through Instagram and social media generally.

And how do you go about programming them for each show?

The curation feels very important, like a journey. Overall I want it to be a pleasant listen. it's never going to be relentlessly challenging or relentlessly noisy or dissonant. There's always going to be moments of relief because I want it to appeal to lots of people. Because I curate the show, the balance is usually what I find manageable and would enjoy. It's a gateway to new compositions, so you want it to appeal to people who might not be used to those sounds as well as those people who are. It's our mission to keep finding new composers and new music, and that naturally takes you into more experimental territory sometimes.

When programming, are you actively thinking about getting a balance with diverse artists, female composers, underrepresented musicians and so on?

Yes absolutely. We have set ourselves targets on their show for that, and the BBC has committed to a 50:50 gender diversity split across the whole of the BBC. It's so easy to do because there are just so many brilliant composers from all different backgrounds in this world.

Do you have any tips for artists who want their music played on your show (or on the radio in general)?

Firstly, make it really easy for your music to be heard. So if you’re contacting someone, like a radio presenter, have the record ready to click on and stream. If I’ve got to download WAV files, I probably won’t have time because I’m inundated with links. Secondly, play live. That’s how you find your community and also improve as an artist. That’s the most direct connection you can have with your audience and with people who might discover you.

As you’re inundated with music, how do you choose what makes the cut? What’s your selection process? How can someone catch your attention beyond the music itself?

I play a track if I really like it. In a week I try to have a mix of sounds, but if I really like something and it doesn’t make it in that week, it’ll make it into a future week. Stories are often my way into music. If there’s a really nice story behind a piece of music, or it resonates with what’s going on at that time, that tends to grab my attention. If I understand where the music is coming from, so will the listeners. That also helps it be a more collective experience, all of us listening with a certain context in mind.

“*There’s such a joy in having a shared moment with 1,000 strangers*”

I was really struck at Unclassified Live by how diverse the audience was compared with a typical classical concert (and, indeed, gigs from some other genres). Can you tell me more about your audience and how you cultivated such a wide range of listeners?

I was really keen to reach fans by having exclusive plays. In this world where everything is released and then it’s available to everybody overnight, one thing you can do with radio is get people to tune in at a particular time to be the first person to hear a track. If you get to know the artist, they’re more likely to give you their music to play for the first time, and then their fans come with them. And the more varied my tastes are, the more varied that the audience is going to be as well.

Elizabeth Alker interviewing Rafiq Bhatia at Unclassified Live. Photo by BBC/Mark Allan.

What’s your favourite part about being a presenter?

I love that it’s a way to connect with people. I love to persuade somebody that they should like something, and there’s such a joy in changing someone’s mind and then having a shared moment or experience with 1,000 strangers or one other person. That’s what music is.

How does presenting Unclassified compare with presenting the Breakfast show?

Breakfast is live, so the interaction with the listeners is a bit more direct and immediate. It’s a bit more lighthearted. The time of day makes a big difference – there are lots of different kinds of people listening at that time, as they just want some nice music to wake up to. I can be a bit more creative with the presentation of Unclassified, and try to draw people in with the words, as it’s more of an immersive listen rather than a chatty listen.

It’s good that only Breakfast (6.30am) is live and not Unclassified (11.30pm) too, otherwise you’d have a pretty mad schedule.

Yeah, I basically lose a whole night's sleep once a week. We have to put the dog to bed early on a Friday and even he's confused by it!

Do you have any advice for people who would like to become a radio presenter?

Everyone I know has had such a different way in. I was a music journalist, and that's how I ended up here. If you do something that you like, and it’s really genuine, you’ll either get there or you’ll get somewhere along the way that suits you better. Do the things that you’re drawn to, that you’re most passionate about, and you’ll find your niche.

The BBC seems to be bringing in a range of new, younger and more diverse presenters. Do you think this is something that will help broaden the Radio 3 audience?

If somebody looks and sounds like you do, and they're saying you should listen to this, then you're going to be more likely to listen to it. It’s not just about the music. There's so much good music out there to be enjoyed, and I love persuading people, no matter what their background, that they can enjoy it. If there's a drive within the BBC to do that, then that's brilliant.

*“There are just so many brilliant composers from all different backgrounds”*

The latest Unclassified Live concert is being broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on 17th February 2022 at 11.30pm, with music from Plaid, Rafiq Bhatia and Daniel Elms, in collaboration with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Hannah Fiddy15 February 2022