Monday, December 27, 2010

This is the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Greetings to you wonderful volunteers and readers of the volunteer blog.
Glancing down at the date of the previous entry to this blog, I notice it's been a few weeks. So here goes, getting back on track.
I'm still hearing about what a great fund drive we had, and how much people enjoyed folks' "Pick 5" songs. And thanks cannot be given enough to each person who supported us and continues to support public radio in Kodiak!
December has always been an important and enjoyable month for me. As I stated before, I love Christmas and the music that comes with that. That's been the case since childhood. More recently, however, my wife and I began our courtship in December several years ago, we were married in December, my nephew (the first of the immediate family) was born in December, and now 2 more birthdays are added. On December 12, my wife gave birth to our first two children. Aldous James and Ivy Adele were born at 8:31 and 8:32 a.m. respectively, a few weeks early, but healthy as can be. They went home together 2 days later. Many thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff at PKIMC for taking such good care of Heather, Aldous, and Ivy. So that's where my focus has been the last 2 weeks. This experience has been a vivid example of how supportive and awesome this Kodiak community is. Thanks to everyone for everything!
Many thanks to Mike, Pam, Jay, Fred, Jacob, Maggie, and you, volunteer, for picking up my slack here at the station while I was gone. I'm glad to be back at my desk and looking forward to working with you to meet your goals as a volunteer. There's now a KMXT Volunteer Twitter feed (@KMXTVolunteers), so click on over and follow for short and sweet volunteer updates.

Happy Holidays to you and your friends and family!

Matthew T

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Membership Drive Redux

Wow!
That's about sums it up. This week was all kinds of fun and the pace was at times hectic. If you haven't checked out our Facebook page in the recent past (i.e. the last 7 days) do that now. There you'll find photos of all the folks who participated in our Pick 5, as well as their song list. Stay tuned to our website, all of the Pick 5 interviews will be put up there soon. This couldn't have been possible without our volunteers and the support of our listeners. I think we all heard some songs we haven't heard in a while (or ever), and it was a nice glimpse into the psyche of the Pickers.

December is shaping up to be a busy month! I suppose that's no surprise. Skate with Santa is coming up on Saturday, December 18, from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Baranof Ice Rink. Ron and Sally will once again be spinning some holiday tunes for your skating pleasure. I'm looking forward to it. Tell your friends, and have them bring their children. Let's make this the most well-attended Skate with Santa yet!

Matthew T

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

December 1

Welcome December!
Seems like just yesterday it was November. I'm one of those people that love this time of year. I always have. Around the Martens household, in Pasadena, Texas in the 1980s, there was a rule that no holiday music could be played until Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure my mom would have started playing the Carpenters Christmas albums around Halloween otherwise. So there's a special place in my heart for holiday music. The album that seems to have always started our season was Light of the Stable by Emmylou Harris.


As young children, my brother, sister, and I thought the cover was odd, but then we'd hear the pop and scratch of the needle settling into the groove, and that familiar tune of the first song on Side A: "Christmas Time's a Comin'" would flood our senses. This album  and this song in particular have stayed at the forefront of my holiday music selection as I've progressed into adulthood. I bought the cd, and it had 3 additional tracks! Sweet.

Speaking of holiday music, it's beginning to trickle in here at the station. You can find it on the new music shelf in the studio, on the lower left corner. You'll know it by the red & green tape on the cds, and the little sign above it. :)

How about this Pick 5 train? The station has been a busy place, with lots of people coming in and going out, and meeting and mixing in the lobby. It's quite the example of "Getting to know KMXT" and how KMXT keeps us all connected. Wow! Folks have been donating their money to support what happens here, and we crossed the halfway point sometime yesterday! Our phone and on-air volunteers are donating that most valuable of resources: their time! Many thanks to you all for your continued investment in KMXT. Without you, this radio station doesn't happen! Keep up the good work, and here's to a happy holiday season!

Matthew T