At Bright Eyes, we believe that we are all more than just our roles. We are dynamic people who have families and interests beyond eyecare. For example, Dr. Beth is an excellent carpenter that has made everything from dining room tables to Gaga Ball pits.  Cristina is a life-long Girl Scout leader who plans and leads camps for hundreds of girls and women each year.
 

For Dr. Nate one of those interests has always been music. You might have seen evidence of this by the Lego mosaics of classic album covers that hang on the walls at Bright Eyes Family.

When he isn't taking care of patients at Bright Eyes, Dr. Nate can sometimes be found behind a microphone at WMNF 88.5 FM, Tampa Bay's community radio station, where he goes by “Nate Diggity Dawg”.  He is the host of The Vortex, a three-hour weekly program on Mondays from 3am to 6am that explores music from different eras, genres, and places.

The Vortex might move from rock to funk, folk to electronic music, hip-hop to bluegrass, or from a well-known artist to a musician you have never heard before. It is all about making connections; there is a theme each week.  Past themes have included all-vinyl shows, Women Musicians from Southwest Florida, Funk Around the World, and musicians Leon Russel and Swamp Dogg. 

Dr. Nate has been involved with community radio for decades. His love of music started long before The Vortex, and he comes from a musical family. He has also DJ'd events, announced basketball games, and volunteered at WORT, a community radio station in Madison, Wisconsin and WBEZ in Chicago. Today, in addition to hosting The Vortex, he helps curate WMNF's Song of the Day and writes about music for the station's website.

So what does any of this have to do with being a good eye doctor?

Good radio programming requires listening. You have to pay attention to the subtle differences between songs that might initially sound similar. You have to understand the larger context while still noticing the individual details. And you have to stay curious. Those are qualities that matter just as much in the examination room.

At Bright Eyes, Dr. Nate brings that same attention and curiosity to patient care. His professional interests include pediatric eye care, myopia management, binocular vision, and vision development. He takes seriously the responsibility of keeping up with the research and technology that can help his patients, while also taking the time to understand the individual needs of each child and family.

Music is simply one of the ways Dr. Nate stays curious outside of the office. And if you are a patient who loves music too, you may want to check out The Vortex.

You can learn more about The Vortex and listen to Dr. Nate past programs on WMNF's website: wmnf.org.