Signal Newsletter | October 2009 | WSIU Radio

Issue 13: October 2009

Signal

An Online Newsletter from WSIU Public Radio

Start Your Day with Morning Conversations WSIU Radio host Jennifer Fuller will speak with a variety of guests on Morning Conversations this month.

October 5: Author Robert Hartley joins Fuller as he talks about his new book, Paul Simon: The Political Journey of an Illinois Original.

October 6: Representatives from the Varsity Center for the Arts will preview an award for SIU alumnus and civil rights activist, Dick Gregory.

October 8: Katherine Poulos, president of Green Earth, Incorporated, will talk about her organization and its upcoming 35th anniversary.

October 12: As part of the Carbondale Community Arts’ Cultural Heritage Tapestry project,

Morning Conversations will feature artists who blend Italian and Latin American influences in their performances.

October 13: Representatives from the University Museum, Black American Studies Program, and others will talk about new exhibits and gatherings to coincide with Dr. Frank Chipasula’s new book, Bending the Bow: An Anthology of African Love Poetry.

October 20: SIUC Chancellor Samuel Goldman will make his monthly visit to discuss university topics, including budget planning and enrollment.

October 21: Zoologist and mammal expert George Feldhamer will preview his “Science Cafe” and discuss various types of mammals native to southern Illinois.

Jennifer Fuller, host of Morning Conversations.

Photo: Monica Tichenor.

October 27: Representatives of the Newman Catholic Student Center in Carbondale will talk about an upcoming celebration and fundraiser.

Morning Conversations airs at 8:30am on Tuesdays and other days of the week, as needed. If you miss the live broadcasts, you can listen to our podcasts at www.wsiu.org and also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Local Events Support The National Parks series National Historic Trails System and the National Historic Trail of Tears.

In partnership with The Shawnee National Forest and The Illinois Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, WSIU will host community engagement activities to raise awareness of the National Historic Trail of Tears, the path taken by the Cherokee during their forced migration west in the 1830s, and to explore the public lands of the Shawnee National Forest.

A volunteer rakes the soil during a previous Trail of Tears workday.

Photo: Shawnee National Forest.

In association with the new Ken Burns’ documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, WSIU is hosting its own local initiative, “Touch the Trail,” which focuses on our local connection to the National Park Service through the

On Saturday, October 10, WSIU and partners will host the Trail of Tears Volunteer Work Day from 8am to 3pm on the Crabb/Abbott Farm in Pope County. Participants will help restore a segment of the original trail bed of the Trail of Tears and enjoy hands-on experiences learning about our region’s history and Native American heritage.

Transportation is available, but limited.

Anyone interested in participating must pre-register by Thursday, October 8 by calling the Shawnee National Forest’s Volunteer Hotline at (618) 687-1731, extension 125. Volunteers must be at least 12 years old to participate and an adult must accompany all children.

Lunch and drinks will be provided.

On October 17 from 9am to 5pm, WSIU will host a special one-day bus tour beginning on the western side of the Trail of Tears in southern Illinois and ending at the Trail of Tears State Park near Jackson, Missouri. Board members from the Illinois Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association will provide interpretation of the sites that are visited. Space is limited to 40.

Reservations must be made by October 8 by contacting Vickie Devenport at (618) 453-6148.

WSIU Radio Launches New Music Show Local jazz has returned to WSIU Radio!

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the new music series, Rhythm in Bloom, coming to WSIU Radio on Sundays from 7-8pm beginning October 11. Hosted

by Dr. John Hochheimer, a professor in SIUC’s Department of Radio and Television, this recorded program will feature a variety of jazz and blues tunes that have helped to shape America’s musical landscape.

The title of the show interestingly stands as a double pun. It combines the musical genre of “rhythm and blues” with a tribute to a special collection of records presented to Hochheimer by his late friend and jazz enthusiast, Augie Blume.

“I received this big collection of records, and I wondered what would I do with it,” states Hochheimer. “The nature of my relationship with Augie was such that I couldn’t imagine anything pleasing him more than to find an outlet to share this wonderful music with listeners.”

Blume’s collection includes a variety of artists and musical genres. “Augie had a very eclectic taste,” says Hochheimer.

“He was in to jazz, swing, bebop, and Mongolia Tuva, which is known as throat singing.” However, on Rhythm in Bloom, listeners can expect to hear exclusively jazz and blues music.

Hochheimer’s love for music, specifically jazz, is not something that arbitrarily happened. “I’ve always been interested in where music comes from,” he says.

“When I was a kid, I went to the local public library, expressed my interest in jazz music, and checked out three records – one by Nat King Cole, one by Count Basie, and one by Duke Ellington.

Those were three great places to start.”

Hochheimer’s list of favorite jazz artists goes beyond these three musicians to include John Coltrane, Fats Waller, Lee Morgan, Ray Charles, and more.

Hochheimer has been affiliated with the radio business for over 40 years. He got his start in the radio industry at WBAI in New York, working with the Saturday evening news. After moving from New York to Boston, Hochheimer hosted his first radio music show in 1969. For two years, he entertained listeners with a variety of music for approximately 7 hours each night, 5 nights per week.

Rhythm in Bloom gives Hochheimer the opportunity to return to his roots as a radio DJ while paying tribute to his dear friend and the world of jazz music.

“I always loved doing radio, and there is really nothing locally produced for this genre of music.” Hochheimer feels that WSIU Radio is the ideal outlet to

Dr. John Hochheimer records audio for WSIU’s new series, Rhythm in Bloom. Photo: Rachel Snow.

broadcast the new show. “Most of my career has been in community and public radio, and I have always supported it one way or the other,” he states. “I believe in WSIU’s mission, and I feel it is also a great opportunity to bridge the mission of the stations and the mission of the Department of Radio and Television.”

Hochheimer hopes that the sounds listeners will hear during Rhythm in Bloom will inspire a greater appreciation of music. “One of the things that I take great pleasure in doing is juxtaposing different kinds of music to see how they work with each other and crafting appropriate segues to provide a seamless transition between songs.”

Be sure to tune in and to let us know what you think of the show!

Classic Vinyl and Media Sale a Success The Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS) and WSIU Public Broadcasting hosted the second annual Classic Vinyl and Media Sale on September 12 at the University Mall in Carbondale.

Center in Murphysboro. Each venue received generous amounts of public donations, then transported those items to the University Mall.

“This year, the event doubled its earnings from last year, raising $8,000 for SIRIS!” stated Vickie Devenport, Director of SIRIS. She added that the success of the fundraiser was made possible by the generous support of a number of businesses and individuals.

The sale was supported by 53 volunteers who assisted throughout the course of two weeks by sorting and organizing large quantities of donated record albums, DVDs, CDs, stereo equipment, turntables, and other merchandise. Volunteers also assisted on the day of the sale and helped with our post-event clean-up.

Three locations served as donation sites for the sale: the University Mall, the SIU Credit Union branch in Marion, and Wright’s Do-It

SIRIS would like to thank our advisory board and volunteer readers, the WSIU Friends’ Board, WSIU member supporters, WSIU staff members, the

Shoppers eagerly search for records at the second annual Classic Vinyl and Media Sale.

Photo: Rachel Snow.

IOTA PHI THETA Fraternity, Inc., WIDB Radio, WSIU Radio, faculty and staff from MCMA, regional media outlets, Bost Trucking, and community volunteers from Carbondale and Carterville.

SIRIS and WSIU Radio look forward to seeing you at next’s year sale!

Underwriter Profile: Forbes Financial Group Sambursky and Nancy Lindsey, believe that investing is not a one-size-fits-all proposition so they offer solutions tailored specifically to individual objectives. “We work closely with clients to develop long-term investment plans that will help them reach their goals while making necessary adjustments along the way.”

Staff of Forbes Financial Group.

Photo: Katrina Stackhouse.

Forbes Financial Group of Carbondale, owned and operated by John Forbes, is a regional investment firm that specializes in identifying and implementing personalized financial solutions for clients.

According to John, he and his team, including fellow SIU Alumni Joel

Thank You, Underwriters!

Together, our members and underwriters make public radio possible! Please join us in thanking the underwriters who recently began or renewed their partnerships: Adam E. Stone of Global Dialogue Press Advanced Energy Solutions Group Marion Subaru Modern Tile and Carpet P. Rath Couture The Rosebud Theater Southern Illinois Metalsmiths Society For more information about underwriting WSIU programming through your business, group, or organization, please contact us at (618) 453-4286.

Forbes, an SIUC alumnus, has been a corporate underwriter of WSIU Public Radio for over a decade and has helped the stations attract other underwriters from the WSIU listening and viewing areas. Currently, Forbes Financial Group sponsors a wide variety of programs on WSIU, including the news, classical music, and Sunday public affairs programming.

They also underwrite many of WSIU

Radio’s weekend entertainment programs.

John is a passionate supporter of public radio and television. He volunteers regularly during member drives, and he has served as a member of the Friends Board of the WSIU stations and on the Auction Steering Committee. This spring, Forbes celebrated his sixth year as a WSIU Auction sponsor. He describes his commitment simply as, “I believe that, by investing in WSIU, I also am investing in my community -- and in quality of life for the entire region.”

For more information about the Forbes Financial Group, contact John or Joel at (618) 529-1940 or visit www.forbesfinancialonline.com.

Underwriter Profile: Southern Illinois GI Specialists Dr. Zahoor A. Makhdoom and his team at Southern Illinois GI Specialists (SIGIS) have been serving the region since 2000. In addition to his own practice, Dr. Makhdoom works with several hospitals in southern Illinois.

A board-certified physician of internal medicine and gastroenterology, Dr. Makhdoom specializes in gastrointestinal problems such as reflux, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer prevention, and chronic liver disease. Last year Dr. Makhdoom’s office introduced nonsurgical hemorrhoid treatment to the region, and this year added a “virtual colonoscopy” colorectal cancer screening technique new to southern Illinois. The virtual procedure is a non-invasive, computer/scan-based approach to avoid sedation and pain.

A longtime supporter of WSIU, Dr. Makhdoom not only has sponsored the Friends of WSIU Auction but also underwrites WSIU Radio news programs, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air, and weekend news. His entire family listens to WSIU

Staff of Southern Illinois GI Specialists.

Photo: www.sigis-carbondale.com.

Public Radio and watches WSIU Public Television regularly. He supports public broadcasting not only because of the value it brings every day to his own family and staff members, but also as an investment in education for the region.

Dr. Makhdoom sums up his belief in WSIU as a matter of trust and quality. “I know what I hear on WSIU is unbiased; it’s information I can trust. I have confidence in everything I see and hear from WSIU, and I have confidence that my children can listen at any time, and it will be safe and educational for them.”

You may contact SIGIS at (618) 549-8006, at their offices in Carbondale on West Diann (off Striegel Road) and in Herrin on Park Avenue, or online at www.sigis-carbondale.com.

Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at 6pm Oct 3 • New Releases Join host Bryan Kelso Crow for some great new vocal and instrumental tracks from both sides of the Atlantic.

Oct 10 • 40 Years with Christy Moore One of Ireland’s best known and loved singers, Christy Moore, has been recording and performing for more than four decades.

He has been a member of some of the most influential bands, like Planxty and Moving Hearts. This week’s program features favorite songs from Moore’s career.

Oct 17 • Band Medleys The music this week is primarily instrumental, as we feature medleys of tunes by some of the best bands in the Celtic genre.

Oct 24 • Celtic American Women Some of the finest Celtic musicians are from within our own shores, and this week’s program features some of our leading female singers and instrumentalists, including Liz Carroll, Joanie Madden, and Eileen Ivers.

Oct 31 • Old Favorites After rummaging through the record library, who knows what we will come up with for this week’s mix of older songs and tunes? We promise it will be good!

Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness October 6 • 7pm With October 5th-9th serving as National Mental Illness Awareness Week, WSIU Radio will air a one-hour special on Tuesday, October 6 that discusses issues related to mental health.

Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness will be hosted by Cokie Roberts and Frank Sesno.

More information about the effort can be found on Roberts’ and Sesno’s website at www.mindsontheedge.org.

WSIU is my source for programs that feed my heart and mind night and day.

-Rita Lovell Moss, Carbondale, Illinois Public broadcasting has something ffor everyone. For 85-year-old Rita Lovell Moss, a Carbondale, Illinois resident since 1964, WSIU Radio is a source for interesting programs and entertainment around the clock, including classical music, NPR and local news, and Fresh Air. “I’m often awake for several hours after midnight,” says Moss, “so I enjoy the voices of Scott Blankenship and Ward Jacobson introducing the classical music selections during those early hours.” Moss also counts on WSIU Radio to bring her the best news programming available. “Shay Stephens, Steve Inskeep, and Jennifer Fuller keep me informed and report relevant events,” says Moss, who confesses that on Saturday mornings, “I would follow the voice of Scott Simon to anywhere.”

Share your story online at wsiu.org/mysource.

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