"Since I was a little kid, I've loved radio," says Nalvarian, who cites Dr. Don Rose as his personal hero. "I used to record his show when I was a little boy and memorize it when I got home from school."

Rose, who died earlier this month, was a popular morning show host on KFRC-610AM in the '70s. His show featured the disco hits of the day, interspersed with sound effects and silly songs, and Rose himself was loud and goofy enough to rouse the soundest sleeper.

"He was kooky, funny and quick," Nalvarian says. "He was also tame and clean. It goes to show you didn't have to cuss like crazy and go to the lowest common denominator."

Nalvarian tries to apply Rose's methods to his own afternoon drive-time show on KEZR-106.5 FM.

"When I'm on the radio, I always think of who could be listening," he says. "What if there's someone in the car with their kids? I plan the show accordingly and get creative in delivering my message."

Nalvarian, who lives in Willow Glen with his wife, Karen, and their two children, has been creative in building his career as a nightclub DJ and radio personality.

At San José State University, he majored in public relations and hosted reggae and alternative music shows on KSJS-90.5 FM from 1985 to 1990. During that time, he spun tunes at nightclubs around the Bay Area and managed two local bands, Epic Rumors and Inka Inka. He also handled the marketing for One Step Beyond, a popular club in Santa Clara, where he managed to book Epic Rumors as the opener for many of the major acts that played there.

"I couldn't have scripted it better," says the DJ. "It all went hand in hand. I learned a lot about the music business back then."

At the same time, Raffi was running a DJ business called Music a la Carte, which provided tunes for weddings, school dances and other events. He eventually hooked up with childhood friend Adrian Cavlan, who was booking Inka Inka and had his own DJ business. The two decided to merge and formed Sound in Motion. The company employs 11 DJs.

"We've worked together in different capacities over the years, and we've always gotten along great," Nalvarian says. "Adrian's more the organizational guy, and I'm more freewheeling."

"We're yin and yang, and it works out great," Cavlan says. "He sets 'em up, and I knock 'em down. He's more conceptual and creative: He gets people to look in the store; I'm the guy who created the store."

When Nalvarian landed his show at KEZR in 2000, Cavlan took care of their DJ business for a few years.

"If we can weather that, we can weather damn near anything," Cavlan says.

"Don't ask me how it's worked, but it has," says Nalvarian about their partnership. "I like to think it was good decisions, but a lot of it was luck."

Cavlan says luck has had little to do with his friend's success. "He worked his way up diligently from the ground. He had a vision in junior high, and he pursued it. It wasn't given to him; he earned it."

Nalvarian says juggling the radio show, the DJ business and family can be challenging.

"I'll have a school dance on Friday and a wedding on Saturday, but I don't do Sundays," he adds. "It's quite a balance, but it works. Luckily, I have a good wife. Karen's really cool about everything. She knows I love what I do."

Karen Nalvarian says she listens to her husband's show when she's driving.

"When I'm at home it's hard because the kids are really loud," she adds.

The Nalvarians have been married for four years.

"I wasn't in a position to be married before that," says the 40-year-old DJ. "I wanted to be established and support my family comfortably and not feel like I was scrambling."

While Nalvarian's plate remains full, friends say he's settled.

"He's exactly where he should be with his life," Cavlan says. "He was very lucky to even visualize what he wanted, then have the ability and the breaks to make it happen."

At times reality has tempered Nalvarian's vision. When the DJ landed a show at Live 105, an alternative-music station in San Francisco, he thought he'd arrived.

"My dream was to be at Live 105," Nalvarian says. "It was the form of music I loved. It was the vibe, the station, everything."

The DJ says he eventually lost his job at Live 105 because management thought that his on-air style was too upbeat. Ironically, it was this quality that drew KEZR producers to him.

"He's got one of those personalities that make it seem like you're hanging out with your best friend when you're stuck in traffic," says Tim Bednarz, a producer at KEZR. "He and Nate, the traffic guy, sound like they're best buddies. They make the commute a little easier."

That upbeat personality wasn't there internally after he was let go from Live 105. Cavlan says his friend's outlook was grim.

"He thought radio had left him for dead when KEZR picked him up," says Cavlan, adding that San Francisco's loss was San Jose's gain. "You don't find any other DJs that have the public presence he does. For a time he was the number one-rated drive- time host. I think a lot of people missed the boat with him."

Nalvarian is philosophical about his career ups and downs.

"When you get into radio, you just know there's no job security," he says. "You can be on top of the world today and gone tomorrow. So keep your relationships because you never know who's going to be your boss someday.

"You want to know lots of people," he adds. "You can help them or call them when you need something."

Recently Nalvarian helped out at "Time Warp," a fundraiser for Schallenberger Elementary School. Nalvarian's stepson, Henry, 9, is a third-grader there.

"He works full time, but he stepped up to the plate when we needed him," says Anna Holder, vice president of the Schallenberger Home and School Association.

He provided so much information about how to make the school's events successful, Holder says. Nalvarian has access to a lot of opportunities and knows a lot of people and is very well-liked.

"People are willing to step forward for him," she adds

Cavlan says Nalvarian is the same guy he met on the soccer field in seventh grade.

"He was exactly this way in school--extremely social," Cavlan says. "He was always searching for the big happy. He's not a guy who likes to deal with a lot of negativity."