Much noise is made about the digital age we’ve been living in for a while, whether as part of a discussion of e-books, digital music or new ways to watch movies at home. And among that noise is usually a discussion of how the “gatekeepers” have been removed from the process of enjoying art or entertainment.

Traditionally, the gatekeepers are considered those who limit what we see and hear – editors, critics, programming executives and others whose job is to narrow down our media choices to what is the most salable and profitable.

But gatekeepers have also been the people who let us know about the next new thing. They are the radio DJs or the plugged-in friend – those who seem to always know what’s new, hip and of interest to others, even if the “others” don’t know yet that they’re interested in it.

But those human gatekeepers aren’t to be cast off so lightly. Without similar people in our lives to help our tastes grow and evolve, we run the risk of growing stagnant and stuck in the past.

Particularly in radio, the role of the DJ is still one that can be important. Think of one of those integral moments in your life – whether your radio years involved Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, The Beatles, Michael Jackson or U2 – and consider that your favorite song was likely introduced to you by a person speaking to you from the radio rather than an algorithm that processed your previous selections for things you might like.

As I write this, I’m listening to the final broadcast of a radio personality at my local member-supported radio station. And through his last melancholy moments of reminiscing about how the listeners have meant so much to him, I’m reminded that even though we can be responsible for so much of our own cultural discovery, it’s still important to be able to have that connection with the human being who might have introduced you to that next great thing.

Psychologists have long said that among the senses, smell is the one most tied to memory. I would venture to add that hearing – specifically music – can have the same effect. We tie moments in our lives to the songs we heard at the time we felt a specific emotion, accomplished a task or took a risk.

And if a DJ is good at what he or she does, that memory can also be tied not just to the song but to the voice that introduced the song in the first place, particularly if it’s clear that voice is invested in the music, the artist and the listener’s pleasure.