Steve Earnhart

I’ve been at WCPE since June 2023. I’d been interested in the station since moving to Wake Forest in 2016, when I saw the sign. Both my parents were violinists in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under Raymond Leppard, and this music has been in my blood since I was conceived.  I’ve performed on radio stations many times with music groups, but this is my first experience as an announcer. I grew up acting, so I enjoy the performance aspect of it. I try to make it fun and engaging.

I attended Berklee College of Music as a bassist and was scooped up by a touring band Junior Year. From there performing music has been a key component to my life. I took this to LA in 2001, where I spent the next 15 years touring, doing sessions and playing live dates around town.

On my honeymoon in Rome, Italy, my wife and I were out on a late night stroll when an Italian fellow randomly invited us into a huge apartment party he was hosting or something. I heard jazz coming from inside so we went in. It was amazing. We were there for hours, served incredible food, and treated to wonderful music until the sun was rising. To this day I don’t even know if it was a club of some kind of what. No one spoke English, and we don’t speak Italian. Unforgettable. Our next stop was Venice, where we got to enjoy Bach chamber music performed live in a small chapel.

My favorite genre is jazz, both classic and fusion. I love artists from classic to modern, such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Weather Report, Terrance Blanchard, Kamasi Washington, Snarky Puppy, etc, etc, etc.

I can be seen playing bass all over the Triangle with such artists as Jason Adamo, Liz Hopkins (from Delta Rae), and Love Tribe!