JULY 2009

Dear Friend,

When I find out that I'm speaking with a public radio listener, whether it's here in Wisconsin or outside of the state, I always ask, "What are your favorite shows?" I love to see people's eyes light up when they begin telling me what they enjoy. I find that NPR News shows like Morning Edition and All Things Considered are staples all over the country, and the weekend shows really make people smile as they speak. If ever in need of a conversational pick-me-up, get someone talking about their favorite public radio shows — it's guaranteed to liven things up.

This month in RadioWaves: a treat of an interview with WPR intern, Britny De Anda; Simply Folk's 30th anniversary show; the Capitol Steps Independence Day special; an award-winning WPR documentary about the Hmong-American experience; the new WPR online community; new MemberCard benefits; and great regional events, including trips to Big Top Chautauqua.

And a special note: if you missed the WPR screening of the documentary Garrison Keillor: the Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes in your region, you can catch it on Wisconsin Public Television tonight (Wednesday, July 1) at 8 PM.

Happy 4th of July,

Susannah Michaels

WPR Photo-of-the-Month

This home-made contraption was used in a radio program long ago, to make
the sound of a marching army. As you listen to programs like Old-time Radio Drama
and A Prairie Home Companion, imagine all the strange devices that must go into making
sound effects.

In this issue:

Staff interview – Britny De Anda, intern
You can find it on the NPR website ... newsletters
Music notes
Ideas Network notes
Introducing WPR's online community
Use your WPR MemberCard to golf!
Regional events and news
          Eau Claire area
          Green Bay area
          La Crosse area
          Madison area
          Milwaukee area
          Wausau area
Helpful links

Staff interview – Britny De Anda, intern

"I can't walk down the hall without someone asking me to do something," I once heard Britny De Anda confide to a colleague. And I couldn't resist being one of those opportunistic people to ask Britny for something — an interview. Britny is an intern who has been with us for two years. She is a Jill-of-all-trades, helping out with so many tasks, from stuffing envelopes to booking talk show guests. To read about the unique method Britny has come up with for managing her time, and her dreams for the production studio she co-owns, click here.

You can find it on the NPR website ... newsletters

Would you like NPR book reviews to come right to your email inbox? Or alerts for new products and sales at the NPR store? Or do you want to keep your finger on the pulse of classical music news? Whatever your interest, it's likely that one of NPR's newsletters can deliver the content you've been waiting for. Browse the options, view sample copies, and sign up on the NPR newsletter page.

Music notes

Did you hear a piece of music last week on WPR that stuck with you? Want to know what it was? I offer a friendly reminder that you can find playlists on our website. Each day's playlist is added to the website the following day, and these are archived for one year. Just click on the week in question, scroll through the dates and times, or press Ctrl-F to open a search field, and type in part of the title or composer name. If you still need help, call Audience Services at 800-747-7444.

For July's "Music from Wisconsin" selections, click here. And if you'll be in the Madison area in July, check out the Madison regional section of this newsletter for opportunities to see Jonathan Overby, host of Higher Ground, perform at Art Fair on the Square, and Tom Martin-Erickson, host of Simply Folk, emcee the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival.

Simply Folk 30th anniversary celebration

Tune in on Sunday, July 5, 5 - 8 PM, for a very special edition of Simply Folk — the live 30th anniversary show from Big Top Chautauqua in Bayfield. The concert will feature The Blue Canvas Orchestra with Randy Sabien, John McCutcheon, Curtis and Loretta, The Pines, and Take 3. For more information, including purchasing tickets to attend in person, click here.

The Midday Live

Tune in to The Midday (weekdays, 12 - 1 PM) with Stephanie Elkins and Norman Gilliland for live music and interviews on:

Thursday, July 23, interview with Commander Ken Megan, music director, and Amanda Baker, flutist (and Wisconsinite), of the U.S. Coast Guard band.

Friday, July 31, live broadcast with the Kat Trio, a lively clarinet, violin, and piano ensemble originally from Russia.

Ideas Network notes

Tune in for an Independence Day edition of the Capitol Steps' musical comedy. We'll see what these political satirists have in store for us this holiday.

We will air a one-hour NPR daily wrap-up of the Sotomayor nomination hearings for the U.S. Supreme Court. Details are not yet known; however, this special will likely air in place of one of the On Point hours (Ideas Network, weekdays 6 - 8 PM) the week of July 13. There may also be some special coverage on the first and last day of the hearings during Talk of the Nation (Ideas Network, weekdays 1 - 3 PM). The hearings are expected to last three or four days. Listen for on-air announcements and check www.wpr.org as the time approaches for more specifics.

Bridging the Shores: The Hmong-American Experience, July 25
Saturday, July 25, 3 - 4 PM, Ideas Network stations

Tune in for a rebroadcast of the WPR documentary "Bridging the Shores: The Hmong-American Experience," which will air in the "Saturday Special" time slot, 3 - 4 PM, on Saturday, July 25. This program, which originally broadcast in September 2008, has won three awards so far, including the Radio-Television News Directors Association UNITY award. This award, given to just two radio news organizations nationwide (National Public Radio received the other award this year), recognizes the commitment of WPR to covering the cultural diversity of our community. The hour-long special covers an array of issues faced by Hmong-Americans today, including politics, education, settling into Wisconsin, religion and many more. You can also listen to the documentary online.

Introducing WPR's online community

Check www.wpr.org and listen for on-air announcements about WPR's new online community, which will be making its debut later this month. This forum gives you the opportunity to chime in about what you've heard on the air. Have your say, and interact with talk show hosts and other WPR listeners by participating in this online community. Initially, this platform will revolve around Ideas Network talk shows; however, over time, it will expand to include even more of WPR's offerings.

Use your WPR MemberCard to golf!

With your WPR MemberCard, you can stay at an inn, treat someone to a free entree, check out a museum, and now, play golf! When you donate $120 or more to Wisconsin Public Radio, you get a MemberCard, good for 2-for-1 discounts at participating restaurants, bed and breakfasts, cultural attractions, and now, golf courses. If you already have a MemberCard, summer is a great time to get it out, go online and look at the latest benefits, and get some mileage out of it. To donate to receive a MemberCard, click here. For more information about WPR's MemberCard, including how to order MemberCards for other states and how to use the MemberCard, click here.

Regional events and news

Eau Claire area

Madison area

Milwaukee area

Join WPR for a trip to Riding the Wind at Big Top Chautauqua, August 19 - 20

Join WPR on a motor coach trip from Milwaukee and Madison to Big Top Chautauqua in Bayfield, to see the show Riding the Wind, Wednesday - Thursday, August 19 - 20. Riding the Wind, a musical, is the first Big Top show ever presented, and still a perennial favorite. Prices are $210 for single occupancy and $175 for double occupancy. These per person prices include travel, lodging, a ticket to the show, and a fish boil dinner beforehand. Call 414-227-2047 for more information and to reserve tickets, or email katie.madsen@wpr.org.

Join WPR for a trip to see Gaelic Storm at Big Top Chautauqua, August 23 - 24

Join WPR on a motor coach trip to Big Top Chautauqua in Bayfield, to see the band Gaelic Storm, Wednesday - Thursday, August 23-24. For this trip, a double-occupancy room is $129. This per person prices includes travel, lodging, and a ticket to the show. Call 800-749-3906 for more information and to reserve tickets.

Helpful links