Testimonials

So, the past couple weeks, I've been working on what are called "testimonials."  As many listeners of National Public Radio will already know, most stations are supported in part by underwriters; businesses and organizations who help support a show and in return we mention their support on the air when the show plays.  Testimonials are when we bring in people from those businesses and record them talking about how underwriting has worked out for them, so other businesses can hear that and decide to underwrite as well.

I've been tasked with running the microphone while we record these people and also editing down the interviews; removing all the dead space and cutting down the length so they can be played on the air.  What's amazing, that I've noticed during editing, is that some people (myself included) tend to pepper their speech with so many "um"s and "uh"s that they can't finish a sentence without using them, and some people can speak for several minutes without using them once or pausing to think about what to say.  Equally amazing is the fact that you wouldn't really notice either way unless you're actively listening to tell (or trying to edit those words out). 

We're all finished recording the businesspeople and now all that's left to do is "tag" the spots (record one of us talking about how people can sign up for underwriting) and edit it all together with music.  Then, they should be ready to hear on the air.  So next time you're listening to SPR and you hear someone talking about how great underwriting was for their business, now you know what those little spots are called and how they're made.

A New Blogger.

With Evan gone, there has been a Making Noise power vacuum at SPR. In light

of this opportunity, I, Luke the production intern, have seized power.  But by "seized power," I mostly mean "volunteered to start writing for Making Noise."  But since I will be the new blogger at SPR, here’s a little info about me:

As mentioned, I am the community production intern here, which is a volunteer

position.  About a month ago, I started doing work for the station because I’ve

always enjoyed listening to NPR, and felt like I wanted to do my part after

congress voted to stop funding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

Being unemployed, however, I had more free time than I had money, so

volunteering looked like a better option than donating.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I first came here, but I soon

found that everyone was quite friendly.  Mostly, it’s like a normal

office, wherein everyone has their own tasks that they’re working on in

their own offices, but nobody is so busy that they can’t take a little

time out to give some advice to a new production intern who can’t figure

out why the speakers on the editing station keep playing Beatles music

instead of what’s on the editor.

Speaking of production intern, I should probably talk a little bit about my

duties here.  When I signed up to volunteer, I put three smiley faces next

to the “Computer Help” box  because that’s the kind of thing I’m

good at.  Fortunately, they had a lot of that for me to do.  Primarily, I

put up podcasts onto the Spokane Public Radio website and do the same for

news stories.  I also write some promos, provide a little tech support, edit

audio, and I took photos of Carl Kasell’s performance when he came to

Spokane (more on that later).  I guess you could describe me as an “intern

of all trades.”

And now, I’ve volunteered to start writing for the SPR blog as well, and

that’s where I am.  I’ll be taking Evan’s place writing about the

daily life here at SPR, as well as interesting happenings.  Or, if

there’s anything you want to know about KPBX, KSFC, or KPBZ, or just general stuff

you want to hear about, let me know in a comment.

      Until next time,

      Luke

Fond Farewell

Farewell lunch with the gang

How time has flown over the last several months. The moment has come for me to write my last blog post as the marketing intern. The summer is fast approaching and with school almost done, I will soon be heading home to Denver. It seems like yesterday that I sat down for the first time at the station to write my introduction post. Before this, I had never had to write for an organization or even heard much about blogs before, it was difficult to put pen to paper and find my style of writing. Over time the blog has slowly, but surely improved and matured to what it looks like today. Designing and writing for the blog has been an amazing and enjoyable challenge that has allowed me to express creativity and share my thoughts.

The two semesters I have spent at SPR have been without question a rewarding and memorable experience. I have met some great people and developed new music interests while receiving invaluable knowledge about marketing and business.

The hardest part of concluding my internship is saying goodbye to all the staff that make SPR truly special. Many listeners are acquainted with the station’s program hosts, but I was lucky enough to get to know the staff behind the scenes. Even though I was the only guy in the back office, it was never difficult to strike up a quick conversation with all the women. Whether it was chatting with Ann, about this year’s excellent skiing conditions or discussing with Stephanie, the Volunteer Coordinator, our favorite TV series, I will miss each and every person at the station. It was great to be in a welcoming environment and I always looked forward to arriving at the office each day, except during pledge drives. I think everyone can breathe a sigh of relief now that I will no longer be asking them to take ridiculous pictures with donated items for the website during the pledge drive.

Reflecting back on my time spent in the office, I am amazed at how much I have transformed. Verne can attest to how nervous I was at first of doing even the simplest of tasks, such as take pictures in the studio of him and his guests, while on the air. Now, I don’t hesitate to snap a quick photo of an interview. There have been times where deadlines and unexpected events caused me anxiety, such as answering the phones during the pledge drive. A big thank you needs to go out to all those listeners that called into the station and were patient enough to repeat their contact info multiple times for me. One of the most stressful times I can distinctively remember was the day when I accidentally deleted The Making Noise blog. In a panicked frenzy I tried to remain calm, but was overwhelmed with the task of having to build the blog from scratch without anyone noticing what I had done. In the end everything ended up for the better and all those stressful times were learning experiences that made me stronger.

Last but not least, I can’t forget the readers of Making Noise. Through all the changes you managed to stay with the blog and continue to give your reactions to posts, vote on the poll question and leave comments. One of the most satisfying parts of being the intern at SPR was when I received responses back from people about the blog. Everyone has been so supportive and I appreciate all the feedback. My goal with the blog was to make it an interactive site where a dialogue could occur instead of a one-sided lecture.

I now pass the blog onto the next intern who will give it a new voice. Spokane Public Radio will forever be close to me and I look forward to returning back to school for my senior year, so I can once again volunteer at events and be a part of the public radio family.

 

Will Summer Ever Arrive?

The spring equinox may have passed, but winter seems to not want to take a vacation. Staring out the second floor window at the station on Monday, I was stunned to see such large snow flakes falling. Apparently everyone has come to the same consensus about the strange weather. Martha the front desk receptionist, on the intercom mentioned in a bummed voice that gardening season will be a little late this year.

Not everyone hates the snow. A friend of mine (who wishes it was ski season year round) was celebrating the whole 0 inches of non-accumulating snow, even if the rest of the world criticized his Facebook post. This time last year, I was pulling out the shorts and getting ready to throw on some tanning lotion to begin bronzing up for the summer. This year, my morning routine consists of first instinctively grabbing the t-shirt and cutoffs and then realizing I need to make a realistic switch to jeans and a sweater. Living in Spokane, many people get used to the rainy and cloudy weather, but after a several months of relentless cold and non-stop windy weather it shouldn’t be much to ask for a few continuous warm and sunny days. Looking at the 10 day forecast today, there is some possibility for a sunny and relatively sizzling Easter weekend in the 60s.

What are your thoughts on the strange weather pattern we have had this year?

Sunny Stroll

It seems like every time I stroll by the studio, Verne is in the midsts of another interview. Today, Gabriela Montero stopped by to chat. Last year she had to postpone her visit to the station and for good reason. She got the opportunity to perform with Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman at the White House. The forecast for most the weekend is calling for gloomy weather. In order to keep myself active and off the couch, I might have to make a visit downtown and check out one of her perfomances with the Symphony.

Hot off the Press

In quintessential KPBX Kids’ Concert style, Saturday’s tribute to Django Reinhardt featuring the Hot Club of Spokane had the Bing Theater aisles bustling with kids dancing to the Gypsy-Jazzy beat. It’s a hard task to keep kids attention let alone their parents for an hour concert performance, but the Hot Club did just that. With their catchy rhythm and interaction with the audience via sing along, the group kept the audience active. Guest guitarist, Steve Bauer of 6 Foot Swing had parents laughing feverishly when he mentioned his favorite performer’s eccentric spending habits. The kids got their good laugh when later in the performance he imitated Django’s bizarre playing style. The hour long concert culminated with Miss Lee Lee, a diva that would have had the 1920’s Parisian audiences roaring. I can honestly tell you I did not recognize the music of Django Reinhardt before the concert, but after hearing some of his tunes, I can now say that I have become a fan of Hot Club music. Before starting as an intern at Spokane Public Radio, I thought I was aware of a wide variety of music. After helping out with several KPBX Kids’ Concerts and the R&V Sale, I have realized that I have much to learn. It’s great that the children who attend the station’s concerts get to listen to alternative music at such a young age.    

The Run In

Have you ever unexpectedly bumped into a person you know? Whether it's family, friends, people from your past, or co-workers -- it can be an strange but stimulating experience. Last week, while at a Gonzaga music performance featuring French guitarist Florian Larousse, that’s exactly what transpired. After listening to Larousse play passionately, I was surprised to run into Leon Atkinson. The crowd had exited the concert hall, but the two of us remained to chat. After exchanging greetings and discussing the performance, our conversation had run its course. I like talking to Leon, so instead of ending the conversation there, I prolonged our meeting by mentioning the weather, the ultimate conversation stretcher. While not the most ideal topic to discuss, at the very least, I was able to enjoy the chat a little longer. After we went our separate ways, I realized it was not that unusual to run into Leon at a performance in Spokane, especially since it is Spokane. However, there might have been another reason that we ran into each other. Could it have been the Law of Attraction? The law states that you will attract to yourself whatever you give focus, attention, or energy to; whether wanted or unwanted. For example, if you think about being broke, poor, lonely and believe in your thoughts, then most likely you will be. This extends to the synchronistic "coincidence" of being in the same place at the same time as someone you know. Leon may be the host of KPBX's Guitar Hour, but on that night we both were brought together by the positive energy of a few relaxing acoustic guitar sets. You would have never known that a demanding week-long pledge drive had just concluded. If you have a story about an unexpected meeting or the Law of Attraction feel free to post a comment on the blog.

Drive Update

By now you’re quite aware that the station’s spring pledge drive is in full swing. While the semi-annual drive can be very strenuous, everyone so far has been up to the task of attaining the stations pledge goals. Coinciding with the tremendous financial support from listeners, the down in-the-trenches support from all the staff and volunteers has been sensational. Everyone is working diligently and doing their part to make sure the week-long event ends as soon as possible, even if it means burning the candle at both ends. Several staff are arriving as early as 4 and 5 am and not leaving ‘til evening so that they can complete their duties.

The volunteers answering the phones are working hard too. On Friday, I was lucky enough to answer calls with three ladies, several of which had already done multiple 3-hour shifts for the drive and were planning to do more. They were energized to be there and enjoyed taking pledges so much that at one point in Pledge Central, it was more like the game show Jeopardy when an easy question is asked. It’s all a matter of who had the quicker reflexes and could connect to the caller first. I was never fast enough, which seems to be the story of my life. Even though the drive may still have a few days left, it’s apparent that all involved are staying steadfast in seeing the final hours through.