Ann Hood: "Aching Beauty and Indelible Grace"

by Heidi Holtan

This week I get the chance to talk with Ann Hood again - this time she's written a novel that was inspired by her own life and the adoption of her daughter Annabelle from China. It's called "The Red Thread" and Dennis LeHane called it "a work of aching beauty and indelible grace. A novel that elicits nothing less than wonder." Tune in for our conversation on RealGoodWords.

The title The Red Thread, is based on an ancient Chinese belief that connects children to all of the people that eventually play a part in their lives.

Learning Ojibwe: Anishinaabeg

From Chelsea Annette's new book, "Discovering the Little Brothers"

Anishinaabeg: People, human beings

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Feel the Lake Effect

by Doug MacRostie

The human voice can do a lot - from throat-singing to yodeling (I'm still waiting for the forward thinking performer who combines those...). Multiple voices combined take it even further - they can create a powerful wall of sound with intricacies and melodies that go from the lowest lows to dizzying highs. Lake Effect, a vocal jazz ensemble out of Duluth, have a released their first CD, "Live!" and we'll hear a conversation with lead vocalist Jenny Graupmann this Thursday night at 6 on Centerstage MN.

With her degree in vocal performance, Jenny is joined by up to 18 other voices on this CD. A project from the School of Fine Arts' Department of Music at UMD, "Live!" ranges from mystical soundscapes to pop-choruses, including a high flying medley of Michael Jackson tunes. Members of the ensemble are selected after highly competitive auditions in the fall of each year. The students are music majors and non-music majors of varying ages and musical backgrounds.

Speaking of interviews, I'll also be featuring many musicians who will be guests coming soon on Centerstage MN including Mark Olson, Keri Noble, Deb Harley and the Brothers Burn Mountain.

Mark Olson, founding member of The Jayhawks, new solo CD is called "Many Colored Kite" and it's an upbeat (compared to his last solo album, "Salvation Blues") neo-folk expansion of Olson's "desert country" style.

Keri Noble will be performing as part of the 6th Annual 91.7 KAXE Mississippi River Festival - she's an acoustic pop singer with confidence and a beautiful voice.

Deb Harley is new to me, her CD arrived at the station last week called "Flung Wide Open." It's her 4th CD overall, it's upbeat contemporary folk music with a twist of blues, country and swing.

The Brothers Burn Mountain are good friends of Centerstage MN (they've been on 5 or 6 times). They're new CD is called "Partly in the Blue, the White." It's another excellent album from BBM that takes their whimsically experimental style to new heights. The emotion and imagery in their music is truly something special.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on Pioneer 90.1 in Thief River Falls, Saturday nights at 11pm and on KFAI at 90.3 FM Minneapolis & 106.7 FM St. Paul Tuesday nights between 8 and 10pm.

Help Save PTFP!

PTFP is an acronym for a federal program: the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program. PTFP is in trouble.

PTFP is the place public radio and television stations go to apply for federal funds to help build new stations. It also keeps existing stations on the air when the equipment wears out, and helps public radio stations prepare for or recover from hurricanes, floods or other natural disasters.

It is a good program. It has just 3 employees and low overhead. PTFP helped KAXE replace an ailing transmitter in the past, and we hope it will help us build KBXE in the future. It is a small federal program; a drop in the proverbial budgetary bucket. PTFP received a total $44 million in 2011, most of which will be distributed to public radio and television stations.

Yet, for some reason, PTFP has been targeted as one of only 4 programs in the whole government as examples of what the President wants to line item veto this year. Efforts to cancel the program have come from both Democrats and Republicans in congress. They have linked cancellation of PTFP with lowering the deficit.

At the root of this, there seems to be general misunderstanding about PTFP. Some people think it is redundant, because the Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds many aspects of public broadcasting, and has recently provided funding for digital conversion.

Unlike the CPB, the PTFP doesn’t only fund equipment if you're converting a station to HD radio or digital TV. PTFP exists to build stations. PTFP is the only place organizations like Northern Community Radio can go for federal funds to buy actual, basic broadcast equipment. The PTFP’s highest priority is to make sure public broadcasting is available to people everywhere in the United States. It won’t pay for everything—the program requires every applicant to leverage public money with matching private funds.

In 2007, the FCC opened what is probably the last window for applications for new noncommercial broadcast licenses ever (because the FM spectrum is pretty much completely full now). They granted hundreds of new construction permits, many to grassroots organizations—community licensees, colleges, nonprofits and American Indian groups, to name a few. Most of these new stations are not built yet. A loss of the PTFP right now will mean an irreplaceable loss in new community radio stations because the stations in the pipeline—that had counted on PTFP for help—may not be able to find enough money to build. If they can’t build in time, their licenses will go to wealthier organizations that can, and it is likely that no new licensing opportunity will ever come again.

This is a critical issue for all small and community-based radio stations in the public radio system. You can help! Here is a link to a letter you can send to your congressional representatives (by email or printable letter) about PTFP. It is on an NPR website, the Public Radio Action Center (when you fill in the identifying information, most of you will be a “non-station advocate.”)

Here is a link to write to your local congressperson: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

And another link to write to your senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Or, call KAXE if you want more information, and ask to talk to me! 218/326-1234.

-Maggie Montgomery, General Manager
Northern Community Radio

KAXE's Record Setting Summer Fundraiser

by Doug MacRostie

Success!!! With 208 new/renewing members we raised over $24,500 for independent community radio. Thanks to everyone who pledged to KAXE, and thanks to all the volunteers who came in to play music, make food, answer phones, make food, offer services and make food :D This is big news for 2 reasons. 1) This is the largest dollar amount we've ever raised during a summer fundraiser. 2) This is a notable rebound in new membership (though not the highest ever).

Why #1 is important is pretty obvious - we set a goal to reach our operations budget for this fiscal year: $23,977. We raised $24,564 - this is almost $5,000 more than we raised last summer! w00t! With all the financial craziness the last couple years (both globally and locally) a record setting fundraiser represents strong support for Northern Community Radio.

Here's why #2 is important. In the last year we shorted our normally 2-week long Fall and Spring fundraisers to just 1 week, which worked very well overall, but we noticed a slow decline in new members - the money was coming in (about) the same, but it was larger amounts from fewer people. 97 new members this fundraiser is roughly a 25% increase over last summer (and the 4th highest overall). "New members are the most important reason we do on-air fundraisers... it's the only reason," said Maggie Montgomery, "We can find existing members and lapsed members, we know them. Fundraisers reach new people. New members are the lifeblood of the station." And this summer, the lifeblood is pumping strong :)

What's New on KAXE

Dangermuffin "Moonscapes"
Sia "We Are Born"
Sarah McLachlan "Laws of Illusion"
The Cat Empire "Cinema"
Fat Freddys "Drop"
The Derek Trucks Band "Roadsongs"
Robert Randolph and the Family Band "We Walk this Road"
The Gibson Brothers "Ring the Bell"
Read more on the Currents Playlist...

Learning Ojibwe: Amik

A phrase from Chelsea Annette's new book, "Discovering the Little Brothers".

Amik: Beaver

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