Civitan just pressed play on one of its most exciting and intensive ventures yet: an Internet radio station independently conducted by the members of Civitan Village. Civitan Radio was launched at 9:00am, on Monday, September 29th.
The station is a chance for Civitan and its members to embrace a landscape that has seldom been explored by any other daytime activities program. With Members who have trouble speaking getting a spot to introduce a song or speak about baseball, Civitan is sending out a message that everyone deserves a space to say and do things that are widely considered above their capabilities.
“It really excites me when I hear someone’s voice, especially when that individual has a hard time communicating or opening up,” said Hana, the head of Civitan’s Media Department, which houses the station.
The emergence of a realization that members can use their voice and skills effectively is aided by the fact that Villagers are operating the station completely on their own, learning as they go. They are learning the mechanics of a radio station, using microphones, mixing consoles and recording software.
Music featured on Civitan Radio is family friendly and is comprised of a variety of genres and is available 24/7. Members pick the entire docket of the music that is played and introduce songs on the air, giving them a title that they never thought they’d be called: a DJ.
"We're learning stuff that we never would have learned anywhere else,” said Sandra, “There's no other day program teaching media that has a program like this."
But music isn’t the only form of entertainment the station plans to dish out. The station is a platform for Villagers to express to the community feelings and topics that dangle over their passions; it will be a chance to educate the community from perspectives that are often overlooked because of the people who inhabit them. So far, members Tori and Sandra have produced a talk show with topics wide ranging from personal goings-on to pop culture. The show is a chance for Sandra and Tori to let the world into theirs and turn upside down the role that is normally played; now she is the one behind the mic.
"It was fun. I’m a talker, you can't get me to be quiet once I'm in front of the microphone,” Tori said. “We play off each other really well.”
The history of baseball and how Roy Holiday pitched the 20th major league perfect game is well known. But when it was taught by Blake during his radio segment, the audience got a glimpse of how the game of baseball meant so much to him. And he got to see how speaking about it did the same.
“It was pretty interesting, I've never heard my voice on the radio before,” he said with a smile. “I was a little nervous.”
The station is seen by villagers as a safe haven, a place where they go when they desire to express out loud feelings that are normally kept in their head because they don’t want to be embarrassed by the sound of their voice or by the opinions and feelings that accompany it. The radio masks the world and makes them feel as if they are just talking to themselves, even if they know that the opposite is true.
“It's like two friends talking together,” Tori said. “You don't have people watching you, so you become very comfortable without realizing it.”
The station is a partnership with KidStar, a company that helps individuals create their own radio broadcast. The effort is led by Bruce, who works for KidStar and teaches media for Civitan as well.
Civitan radio is cherished like a flag on a hill by its members. It’s seen as a place that has been conquered by weaponry of hard work with a climb of determination. It can now be claimed their own: a victory. When they listen to the songs or themselves, they salute the moment with a smile.
The station is a chance for Civitan and its members to embrace a landscape that has seldom been explored by any other daytime activities program. With Members who have trouble speaking getting a spot to introduce a song or speak about baseball, Civitan is sending out a message that everyone deserves a space to say and do things that are widely considered above their capabilities.
“It really excites me when I hear someone’s voice, especially when that individual has a hard time communicating or opening up,” said Hana, the head of Civitan’s Media Department, which houses the station.
The emergence of a realization that members can use their voice and skills effectively is aided by the fact that Villagers are operating the station completely on their own, learning as they go. They are learning the mechanics of a radio station, using microphones, mixing consoles and recording software.
Music featured on Civitan Radio is family friendly and is comprised of a variety of genres and is available 24/7. Members pick the entire docket of the music that is played and introduce songs on the air, giving them a title that they never thought they’d be called: a DJ.
"We're learning stuff that we never would have learned anywhere else,” said Sandra, “There's no other day program teaching media that has a program like this."
But music isn’t the only form of entertainment the station plans to dish out. The station is a platform for Villagers to express to the community feelings and topics that dangle over their passions; it will be a chance to educate the community from perspectives that are often overlooked because of the people who inhabit them. So far, members Tori and Sandra have produced a talk show with topics wide ranging from personal goings-on to pop culture. The show is a chance for Sandra and Tori to let the world into theirs and turn upside down the role that is normally played; now she is the one behind the mic.
"It was fun. I’m a talker, you can't get me to be quiet once I'm in front of the microphone,” Tori said. “We play off each other really well.”
The history of baseball and how Roy Holiday pitched the 20th major league perfect game is well known. But when it was taught by Blake during his radio segment, the audience got a glimpse of how the game of baseball meant so much to him. And he got to see how speaking about it did the same.
“It was pretty interesting, I've never heard my voice on the radio before,” he said with a smile. “I was a little nervous.”
The station is seen by villagers as a safe haven, a place where they go when they desire to express out loud feelings that are normally kept in their head because they don’t want to be embarrassed by the sound of their voice or by the opinions and feelings that accompany it. The radio masks the world and makes them feel as if they are just talking to themselves, even if they know that the opposite is true.
“It's like two friends talking together,” Tori said. “You don't have people watching you, so you become very comfortable without realizing it.”
The station is a partnership with KidStar, a company that helps individuals create their own radio broadcast. The effort is led by Bruce, who works for KidStar and teaches media for Civitan as well.
Civitan radio is cherished like a flag on a hill by its members. It’s seen as a place that has been conquered by weaponry of hard work with a climb of determination. It can now be claimed their own: a victory. When they listen to the songs or themselves, they salute the moment with a smile.