It is often said that to become a writer one must become an avid reader. Logic might also suggest that to become a great storyteller one must learn to listen. Erika Adams, host of the Tale Collector on Two Harbors Community Radio, naturally embodies both of these traits. As someone born with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) she has had to develop a laser-like focus as the ‘disorder’ makes it difficult to screen out background noise. She is also a budding author in her own right.
Erika’s book entitled ‘Allie’s Adventure on the Wonder’ is loosely based on Lewis Carrol’s “Alice in Wonderland.” It tells the tale of a young woman with APD and her adventures. It was through promoting her book that Erika first met KTWH volunteer Michelle Miller at the Two Harbors Public Library. Adams was there to donate a copy of her book when she struck up a conversation with Michelle that led to the suggestion that Erika should host a show.
Tale Collector is a monthly 15-minute review of tales told via book, music, movie or video game. Adams on-air delivery has overtones of Levar Burton’s Reading Rainbow in that there is nothing either infantile or pompous in her tone. Her voice has the measured cadence of someone who has spent years reading aloud for all ages. As Erika discusses the deeper meaning of the symbols used in a narrative, one gets strong hints of Joseph Campbell and his ability to zero in on the story’s central message.
Adams’ growing catalog of shows includes a review of the 2010 video game Limbo. The player guides an unnamed boy through a 2D side-scrolling environment as he searches for his sister and tries to avoid danger. It uses minimalist black and white imagery to create a film noir effect that is reminiscent of Indonesian shadow puppetry.
“I liked this game,” she says, “because of the minimalist aspects in both the artwork and the storytelling. Like a great book or a 1940’s era radio drama, it leaves enough blank space for the player to fill in the back story and missing pieces from their own imagination.” Gamers who are looking for alien soldier cheats and passwords may visit the webpages of GameMite.
Tale Collector airs bi-weekly on Fridays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 11:30 a.m. KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer-driven non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
Two Harbors Community Radio’s program description for the Monday night music show, Northwoods Archive, lists it as “a musical sojourn exploring a common thread.”
When host Shane Dickey was asked how he goes about selecting a particular theme for the show, he replied, “There’s not a solid theme for each show, it’s more of a feeling I’m having that day that connects each song.”
Much like making a mixtape with a friend in mind, the content of the show is a means for Dickey to connect and communicate with his audience via the medium of music. The show is a mixture of genres as well as a blend of both lesser and more well-known artists.
Because he is a music archivist in his personal life as well as managing the station’s collection, his broad goal is to play only one song per artist in order to showcase as many musicians as possible.
“As much as I love Brother Ray, if I play ‘One Mint Julip’ that means Mr. Charles is forever off limits,” Dickey said. “It is easy to fall into a rut by allowing yourself to use prolific artists like Ray Charles, Prince, or even the band Chicago as ‘go to’ fillers in a playlist. The challenge is to keep it fresh. If I want to play ‘Georgia on My Mind’ now that Ray Charles has had his turn, I will select another artist that has covered it. Sometimes that version is a much better fit than if I had gone straight to Ray.”
Dickey developed an interest in music both new and old during the 80’s. Like a lot of kids, he got his start by rummaging through his grandparents’ and parents’ vinyl record collections. But it was hearing the Beatles for the first time that truly fanned the flames of his musical passion.
While not one of the founding Two Harbors Community Radio volunteers, Dickey has become an integral member. Board member, mentor, program producer and host, and manager of the station’s music archives are some of the titles he holds.
Northwoods Archive airs Mondays at 7 p.m. and re-airs Fridays at 3 p.m. KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer run non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
Dave Anderson was always a musical child. In the same manner, most kids were scolded by their parents for sitting too close to the TV, Dave was prone to hugging the family radio, with his head and ear pressed firmly against the speaker until reprimanded by his mother. It is this love for music that leads inevitably to his learning guitar and the formation of his first band Dave & the Wharf Rats in 1960. The next four years saw him playing in several bands including one that went by the name The Pink Panthers. He took a long break from the road, got a respectable job, and soon left the Two Harbors area upon getting married in 64’. He returned to the area after retiring from the Teamster’s Union in 1998. He then set about becoming involved in 4 separate bands as a dobro player.
One of the early volunteers and content producers for Two Harbors Community Radio, Mr. Anderson was involved doing on the spot recordings for the station at various events prior to the launch of the Big Dave’s Beat Farm. He describes the 2-hour weekly broadcast as “an upbeat mix of Tex-Mex, Blues, Boogie, Swing, etc. Each show features a live music segment with area bands and musicians of varying skills, styles and instruments.” The live performance spot is open to anyone from the area regardless of professional experience.
Getting the best performance from someone who has never played ‘live’ requires a bit of wizardry. The magic begins with Dave’s hospitality towards his guests. His demeanor is genial and unrushed. As a musician himself, he can anticipate concerns and questions a first timer might have. Watching him interact with last week’s guest, Larry South, before the show, the outside observer comes away with the sense that Dave is truly interested in the person before him and the story behind their music. The show is not an altar to his ego, and this segment is purely a vehicle designed to showcase community artists of all skill levels.
A few minutes before going on-air the radio station office suddenly transforms into the lobby of a local civic center as friends and fans of both the performer and the show casually file in to lend support and add to the overall energy. Stories and names are traded between audience members until the signal is given for the one-minute to air countdown. The small rows of folding chairs now take on a church-like quality as everyone sits quietly waiting for the show to begin.
One could easily draw parallels between the Beat Farm’s live broadcast and the in-the-field recordings made by the late great archivist, folklorist, and musicologist John Lomax. The musicians, their stories, and their songs that Mr. Anderson makes available to the world are, for the most part, those rarely heard outside of living rooms, multi-family BBQs, or the occasional coffee house.
The wrap party between host, performer and their supporters is brief as there is still another hour of programming to be filled. After each show, at his own expense, Dave snail mails each artist a digitized copy of their performance. For some first timers, this makes all the pre-show jitters well worth it.
Big Dave’s Beat Farm airs Friday nights at 7 PM and repeats again Sundays at 3 PM. KTWH-LP, 99.5 FM, is a volunteer run non-profit serving the town of Two Harbors and surrounding area with a broadcast range of 10 miles. It streams online at ktwh.org.
On May 5, 2015, Big Dave Anderson of Brimson recorded his program demo (The Beat Farm) with guest musician and friend Kelly Lusk at KTWH’s studio – becoming the first person to actually record anything in the new studio – a landmark day for Two Harbors Community Radio!
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Arna being coached by our engineer Bruce Holmen.
Get an idea of what to expect from KTWH from Arna’s program demo recorded May 8, 2015:
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The THUGs (Two Harbors Ukulele Group) have become an integral part of the Two Harbors music scene, often gracing our community events with their songs and tunes. Here you can listen to their performance of White Sport Coat at the Heritage Days 2014 stage.
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