The regular cadence of life has given way to the flurry of Challenge 2009 at Hawaii Public Radio. The station continues to run smoothly through the collective effort of dedicated volunteers and supporters who gather at the HPR Plaza on Kaheka Street. These twice-a-year pledge drives are markers of time… just as one sees the changing foliage as a sign of the season, whenever I spot a phone technician in the music library it signifies a fundraiser is right around the corner. This year three of them were testing KIPO’s phone bank whilst ”A Whiter Shade of Pale” was playing on FM89. Interesting how my brain works. I can’t remember what I wore last week, but ATC’s story about Procol Harum’s classic being named Britain’s most popular song is still vivid in the memory banks.
Instead of tip-tapping away in the News/Traffic/Ops departments, my responsibilities have shifted to being the daytime sound engineer for Gene Schiller and the classical pitching staff. I’ve been stationed in CR5 for the past two days, monitoring levels in the Atherton Studio, depressing buttons, watching the clock and running the knobs to play CD premiums, which include Jonathan Cohler & the Claremont Trio, violinists Lara St. John and Anne Akiko Meyers and conductors Paavo Jarvi and JoAnn Falletta. Sol Gabetta’s album is my favorite of the drive so far… each track showcases the beautiful sound of the cello, accompanied by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Another indicator that we are in fund raising mode is the cacophony of ringing phones… music to our ears and a sign that people understand the value of having two public radio streams here in the middle of the Pacific. This spirit of community is the foundation upon which HPR is built and continues to grow. Thanks to @bytemarks for rounding up his wonderful friends to work the phones tomorrow.
I’ve managed to catch another cold and am drowning in Vitamin C in the hopes of being healthy for the rest of Challenge 2009. I’ll also be emerging from behind the board to do a couple of shifts in front of the mic with Ray Cruz. Due to this week’s topsy turvy schedule, I’ve had to postpone the recording of episode 13. Tune in to the pledge drive edition of Playlist International, Saturday at 4 pm on FM89, via the worldwide web http://tiny.cc/qpv74, or as @exbor pointed out there’s even an app on the iPhone too.
