What in thee hell is Wholesome?
We’re a creativity clubhouse founded by a bunch of music fanatics who discovered each other in Chicago and worked together to build physical and digital communities for Chicago musicians and arts.
The Short Story
Launched in as an internet radio station and recording studio in 2009 from the bedroom of a Chicago coach house in Avondale, Wholesome moved to 3 rooms in the executive suite of the former Hammond Organ Factory in 2011.
In 2012, we got ambitious and built 4 rehearsal spaces for bands so that we could finance the website, radio, and our own projects. In 2016, we expanded to a total of 12 monthly sound abated studios and 1 hourly rehearsal studio for audio professionals in and traveling through Chicago.
From 2017 to 2020 we hosted 30+ music focused events in collaboration with WholesomeStudio members, the Workshop 4200 community, PRF community, and more. We have continued with the WholesomePresents live in studio video series to spotlight talented musicians.
With demand high, we decided it was time to grow again. Construction of 27 additional studios and a small event + video production space began in January 2020. We also got back to our roots by connecting with more young people and creators to amplify their art and support their growth.
Covid slowed us down, but didn’t stop us. We currently have 12 of the 27 rooms complete and all 12 occupied. More studios available fall and winter of 2021.
To read the extensive history of Wholesome, starting back in 1984, keep scrolling.
The Team
Stacy Sniegowski
CEO + Head of Operations + Artist Wrangler + DJ
Stacy is always crunching the numbers and creatively solving problems so that this team can keep creating content and making cool art. She’s an educator by trade who has an addiction to starting and learning new things. Whether it’s building this website, snapping pictures, negotiating new business deals, posting on social, coordinating an event, or doing the books, she is always in the background making sure that the ship stays afloat. A lover of all music, especially jazz, rap, electronic, and rock, Stacy has been djaying her own radio shows since she was 8 years old. You can learn more about her solo work here.
Zackary Schneider
Head Honcho + Engineer + Producer + Webmaster
Zack is the creative engine behind the Wholesome team. When something has to be made, he’s the first to create. Almost every logo, graphic, poster, icon and t-shirt design has Zack’s hand on it. When he’s not drawing or coloring, he’s making beats, playing live music, supporting others to release albums, or working on a new tune. He also does a lot of the uncelebrated work that keeps our organization moving - finding new platforms and scripts for the radio, shipping t-shirt orders, and working with clients on their audio and visual projects. A self-taught musician who can play most instruments without any direction, Zack has been an artist since he got kicked out of school at age 7.
Dave Rucins
Founder + Photographer + Curator
Dave is the reason that WHOLESOME exists. When he was in high school, he recorded interviews with musicians and cut, taped, copied, and shipped his own punk rock fanzine. Back in 2008, before we all became phone zombies, Dave introduced the crew to Wholesome. He hasn’t stopped printing t-shirts by hand since.
Joseph ‘Sappy’ DeFily
Engineer + Producer + Builder + Collector
Sappy is scrappy. When he can’t do something on his own, he knows who to call, where to find the supplies, or how to get it down. WHOLESOME feels like a home because Sappy designed it that way. He treats everyone like family and keeps people coming back for more.
Paul Yamada
Writer + Musical Encyclopedia + DJ
Paul is the soul of WholesomeRadio, half of the music comes from his vinyl collection which is the size of his apartment. He has been enlightening the WHOLESOME team with his knowledge of both music and radio since we launched from the coach house and continues to learn new music and contribute to the station.
Rick Sniegowski
Talent Scout + Musician + Janitor
Rick has a degree in "bandvertising" and has been groomed for this role since WHOLESOME started when he was 14 years old. As the youngest member of the team, Rick has a tasteful ear that helps Wholesome to help fresh artists. When he's not networking with new talent or working on his own project, Lime Forest, he's taking out the trash.
Neal Ostrovsky
Audio + Video Production + Musician
Immersed in music since birth, Neal Ostrovsky, the son of a classical violinist, started playing violin, piano and drums as a child. By his teen years he started to focus primarily on drums, and later graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in professional music.
Neal built and ran B-Side Audio, a recording studio in Chicago. Neal continues to keep himself busy recording and performing with various WHOLESOME projects, including the Bon Mots, The House of Soviet Eyewear and his own solo work.
DJ Lobo
DJ + Radio Station Curator
Known by the howling as DJ Lobo. Born from, a parody of, a rendition of, a cover of, 'La Bamba' gone awry.
This creature tends the farm by day, and transforms every night, only to listen to music! He works hard to keep WholesomeRadio fresh and energizes the team with new ideas.
From posting old shows to curating feature albums, this creature keeps the radio Alive! DO NOT FEED! #HowlBack
The Back Story
In 1984, Dave Rucins was in high school and decided to start his own music zine, Wholesome.