By Juli Reppert, student writer/photographerTerrance Cuff, better known to his fans as "Miztasand," is the host of "The Sandman Show" on Pennsylvania College of Technology's radio station WPTC 88.1 FM, where he has attracted a diverse fan base.
WPTC streams live on the Web; as a result, anyone around the world with an Internet connection can tune in the station's radio programs. Cuff has taken advantage of this technology and gained fans from around the globe.
On top of his international radio audience, he has created his own independent record label, Sand Entertainment, with the help of his cousin Derek Walker. They have a recording studio in downtown Williamsport, where they record local artists, as well as commercials, and do other types of production work.
Cuff started the business after listening to others who were trying to get into the music profession complain about not making enough money.
"If I can learn off of somebody else's mistakes, without making them myself, why not?" Cuff asked. "I always wanted to do something I liked and get paid for it, as well as be my own boss. Why not, instead of trying to get signed, just start from scratch with your own label?"
Cuff became interested in music around the age of 10. He was born in Williamsport, but was living in Arizona when one of his friends introduced him to rap, letting him listen to one of his tapes.
"It was nothing like I ever heard in my life, and I just wanted to hear more and more," Cuff said. "My mom finally broke down and took me to an NWA concert for my birthday, and man, the feeling you get from seeing someone you only have heard or seen on TV is unbelievable! I knew from that point on, that I one day wanted to leave people with that same feeling."
Working hard toward his many goals, Cuff wants to make music and continue his rapping career, as well as produce quality material for others. One of his favorite emcees, Fifth-N-Indie, happens to be another Sand Entertainment artist that he is producing.
"I'm just tired of working a 9 to 5, because I've been doing that since age 16," Cuff explains. "Now we are trying to better ourselves, as well as our community by showing these kids that there are other ways to get money, and dreams do come true."
Cuff's greatest musical accomplishment so far is a song called "DREAMZ." It's about something being both true and a dream.
"I put so much of my heart in that song," Cuff said. "By the time I was done and reading it back, I was crying. It's weird, because in a lot of cases, your dreams could possibly be true."
When asked where he sees himself in 10 years, Cuff answered: "Mailing my platinum-selling album to everyone who doubted me. One day, I just want to give something back to the people who did believe. I want them to see that what they thought was right. We really could make it."
The album "Exclusive 8" is available at Rockstation in downtown Williamsport. The CD also comes with a DVD that Cuff and some of his close friends put together for his fans. He also has a mixed CD out that showcases his radio show on WPTC.
"The Sandman Show" airs every Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. on WPTC 88.1 FM or online .