Listeners of Keene State’s WKNH radio station may know the voice and music taste of Tyler Desjardins, host of “Ty Happy’s Happy Hour,” which airs on the station on Thursdays at 7 p.m. But who is Ty Happy outside of the radio studio?
Desjardins, a junior film production major, serves as one of the music directors at WKNH alongside hosting his own show.
Desjardins said their role as music director, to which they were elected in their sophomore year, entails curating the selection of music that is played on the station’s automation system whenever there is not a DJ on air.
“I’m a big rap guy, so I’ve been focusing on putting a bunch more rap, hip-hop, R&B, just more of that onto automation, so that’ll just get going on the airwaves,” Desjardins said. “It’s far more focused, which I prefer a little bit.”
As for “Ty Happy’s Happy Hour,” Desjardins said he considers it a “variety show” where he plays a selection of songs with a unique unifying theme each week.
“Week-to-week I’ll have that little theme and I’ll go for an hour, playing everything and I’ll talk about the songs as they go … It’s incredibly fun,” Desjardins said.
Desjardins also said the inspiration for their “Ty Happy” alias came from a play on the name of an artist called “Sad Pablo.”
“That’s been my little online brand for a little while, and then I figured, ‘Hey, might as well move this over into this new medium that I’m starting up here,’ and then it’s just kind of stuck,” Desjardins said.
Desjardins said he would be stepping away from the radio station next year for scheduling purposes, but his favorite part about working at WKNH has been the people that he has gotten to work with.
“There is such a distinct and wide variety of music that people like on this board,” Desjardins said. “The pure variety of tastes and opinions that can come out of here is just fascinating. It’s fantastic conversation, that’s really what it boils down to.”
Senior and WKNH General Manager Ryan Rotigliano said Desjardins regularly brings fresh ideas to the organization.
“He’s shown in his two years here that he really cares about the station, and he does that by showing his true colors and also by sharing ideas for events or automation, whether that’s music or more hands-on ideas,” Rotigliano said.
Rotigliano said he has known Desjardins for two years and was able to describe his outgoing personality.
“He’s such a lovable guy. He always brings a smile to a room, whether it’s his unique way of saying stuff or his knowledge of music and other internet culture and he brings all that to his work,” Rotigliano said.
“I’ve been starting to become closer friends with him and I would say that my life is better for it, and anyone that comes in contact with [Desjardins] would probably say the same thing,” Rotigliano continued. “He’s so valuable to the station. I know he’s stepping away next year to focus on his own commitments and I’m sure he’ll go to great places.”
Aside from WKNH, Desjardins said they have been a part of the KSC Film Society since their first year at KSC and that the organization was a decision-making factor that influenced their decision to come to Keene State.
Desjardins is the vice president of the film society, which he said makes him the “voice of the people of the club.”
“If anybody has a problem going on in the club, I’ll raise it to my fellow e-board members and we’ll figure that out, we’ll get it done,” Desjardins said. “I also am responsible for putting up all the posters that you see around campus.”
Desjardins said their favorite parts about being a member of film society are the opportunities it provides and, once again, the people they get to work with.
“The people are up there. Just being with people that enjoy film in the same way week-to-week, getting to see people’s film taste blossom as the meetings go, as the films that we screen go,” Desjardins said. “And then actually being able to show the films that we’re able to show. We have a great arthouse theater here. This is a fantastic thing that I don’t think I’d be able to do if I wasn’t in film society.”
Desjardins said his passion for film originated as a child from the Thomas the Tank Engine television show.
“The first few seasons, they were all made with models, little miniatures. As a kid I was like, ‘Whoa, this is real!’ and then as I got older I was like, ‘Wait, how do they make this?’ and then looked into it more, saw the specific behind-the-scenes stuff and found out how it was made. I was like, ‘Whoa, I want to do that,’ and now I’m doing that,” Desjardins said.
Film Department Chair Jo Dery has known Desjardins since his first year at KSC, and has taught him in courses including video production, animation and collaborative filmmaking. Dery described Desjardins as a “gem” and talked about how he has stood out as a film student.
“[Desjardins] is super engaged with his courses and with co-curricular activities outside of class. Beyond that, he’s also just a team player who is really excited to help other film students with their films,” Dery said. “He’s very curious. He is open and creative and really kind and funny and a really positive presence in every class.”
Dery also talked about the growth that Desjardins has demonstrated in their time at KSC.
“He has really gravitated toward cinematography and he’s put in extra effort to spend time with cameras and really learn them and offer to shoot projects for other people so he can get extra practice in. As far as developing as a film student, that’s just ideal,” Dery said. “He’s opened himself up to everything he can do as a film major. He’s taken advantage of all the things we offer and that’s what we hope every student will do.”
Desjardins said his goal after graduating is to become a cinematographer in the future.
“Those admittedly are pretty difficult things to get into, so if I can even get into a TV studio or a news studio or something, I know that’s a decent place to start out for a camera person,” Desjardins said. “Hopefully a job at WMUR for example, if I could start out there, then I think I got a decent base.”
Justin Dearborn can be reached at
