Young voices on the airwaves by Mamie Rijks

ON THE AIRWAVES

KBUTEENS AND THE KBUT KIDS CLUB PUT YOUNG PEOPLE BEHIND THE MICROPHONE AT THE PUBLIC RADIO STATION.

By Mamie Rijks

Nathan Bilow

When I was a teen in the 1990s, co-hosting a radio show on KBUT with my friend Pierre was incredible. We read notecards with ads for Angelo’s Pizza, ride-shares and the local lost-and-founds in between playing our favorite songs. It was thrilling to sit in that small, quiet room in front of the microphone, knowing that every word I said could be heard by anyone in the valley listening to the public radio station.

A lot has changed since Pierre and I hosted our show – from the number of people KBUT is able to reach, to the equipment used to broadcast music. Change is good, though, especially for young people who are interested in radio broadcasting.

KBUTeens and KBUT Kids Club are the passion projects of Kelley Dole, the station’s program director, DJ coordinator and host of the “Bohemian Daybreak” radio show. “I’ve always been interested in alternative forms of education for youths,” Kelley said. When the opportunity arose, Kelley coordinated with the Crested Butte Community School Enrichment Program to create the two programs for local young people to learn about community radio.

The KBUT Kids Club is a six-week session that takes place twice a year for third through fifth graders. It offers children the opportunity to see behind the scenes of a radio station. Kelley said, “The goal is for these kids to learn the connection between speaking into a microphone and the community.”

KBUTeens is more involved and takes a much greater commitment on the part of the young people. “The teens participate in the program year round and learn about diction, public speaking, marketing, radio copywriting and what community radio really is,” said Kelley. As they learn these skills, they also gain self-confidence and build camaraderie with their peers.

This camaraderie was important during the pandemic.

“KBUTeens started in 2019 but soon had to pull back on its activities due to Covid. The isolation of the pandemic was hard on people, especially children and teenagers,” Kelley said. “KBUTeens gave the teens a time and place to reunite safely outside of a school environment.” As soon as it was safe to do so, the program returned full force to give the teens a much-needed outlet for their skills and creativity.

At first, the KBUTeens focused on producing weather segments and community service announcements. From there, they worked their way up to creating

their own show, which airs on Saturdays at noon.

The KBUTeens advanced to the point where they were allowed to host live shows during the Winter 2022 Membership Drive, and their friends and family got to see them in action. They even broke the record for the total money raised on a weekend membership drive show.

As part of this fundraiser, the KBUTeens also designed a T-shirt, which sold well. It is available on the KBUT website with a donation of $50. It is also offered along with other KBUT swag for a larger donation.

Their time at KBUT will open doors for these teens in the future, Kelley noted. This unique experience and the skills they’ve learned will be an interesting addition to their college and job applications.

“I want the KBUT Kids Club and the KBUTeens to become institutions at the station,” said Kelley. Now the programs are open to residents of Crested Butte, but she “would love to see them continue to grow to include all of the Gunnison Valley.”

The value of the programs is easy to see. The teens have grown close, sharing laughs and surprising themselves with their own talents as they learn new skills. They’ve gained an enhanced sense of commitment to KBUTeens through their relationships with each other and the community.

I remember that connection to our community from my own short days at KBUT. Pierre and I would take calls from strangers and bring them joy by playing their favorite songs, celebrate people’s special occasions by congratulating them on air, and help find lost pets by announcing their details to the public.

Connecting with our valley is something magical for these teens, especially when so many people have become isolated by the pandemic. Their show is an opportunity to share a little piece of themselves with all of Crested Butte and to bring joy to their friends, family and other listeners. b

To enjoy the talents of our local teens, tune into KBUT on Saturdays at noon or listen to previous recordings on the station’s website. To support these programs for young people, contact kelley@KBUT.com.