What is WHW Rocks?
WHW Rocks is an half-hour, weekly independent music forum. It includes genres of, rock, pop, R&B, jazz, hip-hop and alternative music, featuring group and solo performers. WHW Rocks’ target demographic is families of various ages, races and income levels. The show is taped in front of a live audience at AMTV studios in Rockville, MD and is syndicated on local stations AMTV in Montgomery County and DCTV in the District of Columbia (Comcast & RCN) and can be viewed online at http://whwrocks.com.
“WHW” is an acronym for “What’s Hot Washington”. Our mission is to uncover and promote the best of the local music scene and provide quality programming to area residents.
“WHW Rocks!” is the brainchild of its high energy host, April Watts.
(WHW Rocks is an indie talent showcase Produced and Hosted by April Watts.)
Follow April Watts on twitter at @whwrocks
April Watts is a multi-talented performer best known to audiences for her work hosting television and radio programs in the Washington, DC metropolitan market.
A proud native daughter of the nation’s capital city, April dishes up entertainment news, current events features, and musical performances on a weekly basis with two exciting television shows: “What’s Hot Washington,” a lifestyle magazine, and “WHW Rocks,” an independent music artist showcase. Both shows are syndicated on local stations AMTV and DCTV and can be viewed online at whwweb.com and whwrocks.com. In addition to her hosting duties, April is also the major creative force behind the scenes, serving as executive producer and writer for both programs.
April’s experience hosting behind the radio microphone was the springboard to her on-camera evolution. Her successful career as a radio personality in a top ten market spans a decade and covers several formats. April was the voice of DC on Radio-One’s urban station Majic 102.3 FM, quickly climbing the ranks from overnight/weekend personality to popular midday host. April hosted countless concerts for international music acts such as Patti LaBelle, Teena Marie, War, and Parliament Funkadelic, and conducted on-air interviews with A-list personalities including Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons, Cornell West and DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. During this time, April doubled her duties as news reporter for Satellite-One under the moniker “Karen Taylor.”
Prior to Majic, April was the midday personality at sister station WYCB 1340 AM, interviewing gospel greats Mary Mary and Bishop T.D. Jakes. In addition to her on-air persona, April wrote, voiced, and produced the “Maximum Watts” entertainment segment for “The Bernie McCain Show” on XM 169 The Power.
April credits her first gig in radio at WPFW 89.3 FM with shaping her professional voice. There April spread her wings and worked her way from a volunteer to Programming Assistant, Funding Procurement Officer, and eventually the host of a popular midday jazz show.
Despite her extensive experience in radio, April is no stranger to performing in front of the camera. In 2002, April co-hosted a music video show, “Giant Steps Hip-Hop Urban” for Comcast Networks and in 2004, April enjoyed the distinct pleasure of working with acclaimed actors/producers Tim and Daphne Reid as a celebrity judge on TV-One’s hit reality series, “Gospel Challenge.”
Earlier in 2009, April was sought out by DCTV to host a public service campaign, “In The Know”, a series of tips and information to empower viewers with advice on how to handle critical aspects of everyday life. In addition, April has made numerous television network appearances, including on-camera announcer for NBC-4’s “Food 4 Families” campaign and a promotional spot for the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” airing on WB-50.
As an aspiring actress, April encountered one of her greatest creative challenges yet, the portrayal of a highly functioning crack and heroin addict in a pilot for an HBO series, “Lipstixx Girls” (Indie 5 Films). Through her performance as a reporter on the Comedy Central pilot “Prez II Prez,” April came to the attention of the show’s producers, who cast her as a concerned neighbor in another project, “Through the Cracks,” before offering her the coveted pilot role. April also gained notice as the female lead in Shirley Murdock’s music video “I Love Me Better Than That” directed by Kevin DeFrietas. April also turned heads and caused jaws to drop as the man-eating vixen Michelle in the award winning indie film, “The Ties That Bind.” For this performance, April earned a nomination for best supporting actress at the 2008 Velocity Magazine Awards.
Before television, radio and film, April had a love affair with words. She is a published journalist that has written everything from entertainment to hard news and investigative feature stories. Her articles have appeared in Musician Minds Magazine, The Washington Informer, and Washington Afro newspapers.
April brings her diverse background and depth of worldly experience to every professional project she undertakes, and has been described by co-workers as having “the perfect blend of talent and beauty, intelligence and cultural relevance, polish and edge.”
April attended the prestigious Pitzer College in Claremont, California where she double majored in Anthropology and Black Studies. She was a founding member of the Pitzer Black Student Union and helped create a program that focused on recruiting inner-city high school students to Pitzer College. While at Pitzer College, April travelled abroad to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique –where she studied African history and culture.
