Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Joy of Radio

Something I rediscovered during the recent knit frenzy: radio.

It's easy to overlook the power of radio, now that we have iTunes and YouTube and TV and TiVo and of course pre-recorded hold music on top of regular stereo festings, but what we hear does take hold of our minds in tremendous ways. The other night I stayed up late when I wasn't supposed to (am I ever?) to read an amazing article about a Russian station that reminded me just how much so.

Print has power too. I read a column recently about one of my two favourite stations eliminating its classical programming in a bow to the mass market. The columnist was upset, and because I love classical music (it sure wasn't because I find said columnist a kindred spirit), so was I. I nearly didn't listen to the new station, even.

BOY, would that have been a mistake. Now, instead of classical in the morning, we get pop and jazz and world music performed by highly trained, extremely polished musicians. And when that show ends, we're treated to modern classical - the stuff I'd never hear otherwise. Classical's great, but it's not like it's a rare breed.

So - yay knitting! even though I'm editing today instead.

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