We take classical music very seriously here at KUSC. But there is another topic we take equally as seriously: food.
Not only do the membership drives allow us to raise the funds that keep the station strong, they also give us a chance to break bread (or cupcakes) with each other and the many amazing volunteers that give of their time and talent to help make our membership drives a success.

Apple or Sprinkles cupcake? Alan Chapman is faced with this not-so-tough decision.

Alan Chapman and Kimberlea Daggy take a break from pitching just long enough to devour some of the decadent treats generously provided by Sprinkles Cupcakes.

Down in the volunteer room, new volunteer Jessica feasts on enchiladas donated by Rosa Mexicano Restaurant.

So much activity has been happening at Classical KUSC this week, and it all culminates today, the last day of our Spring Membership Drive. So in keeping with Mussorgsky’s Pictures, KUSC presents some highlights of the past several days:

Dennis Bartel left the Microphone and got on the Phone Mic along side our wonderful team of Classical Music Enthusiast Volunteers to personally take pledges.

KUSC President Brenda Barnes came into the studio as well to share her love of both Classical Public Radio and of our Listeners, both in the Southland and around the world thanks to our internet stream.

Longtime KUSC listener and star of HBO’s Big Love, Bill Paxton stopped by to lend his voice of encouragement to the chorus of KUSC Members.

A site often seen at KUSC people using Classical music as a jumping off point to making new connections and friends out of fellow volunteers.

Rich Capparela deftly handles (or is it ‘Handels’?) both his quick wit, the production board & Look Ma! No Hands!

There is still time to pledge your support or renew your membership, click here to donate online.

Or you can call one of our volunteers (or maybe a host or two) at 1-800-421-1717.

As the older sister, I feel it is my duty to tease my brother and the brand new iPod Classic that he proudly showed off to me provided some excellent ammo. I exaggerated a squint and held it close to my face. Then I brought it right up to my glasses. Then I took off my glasses and held it a centimeter away from my eyes. “Yep,” I said, “there is absolutely no way you are going to be able to watch anything on this thing, the screen is so tiny… it’s useless!”

And then I got sick on a family vacation and awoke from a fevered nap to find my mother standing beside me offering a glass of water and some medication and my forgiving brother standing beside her, offering his iPod Classic. I took both and it’s hard to say which helped me feel better.

After listening to his podcasts and thumbing through his music, I checked out the selection of TV shows that my brother had downloaded onto his Classic and saw a few tempting titles. So, I held my breath and pressed play, expecting to be quickly frustrated with poor video quality and the wee screen. An hour later, I was still watching that “useless” screen and enjoying it quite a bit.

The many features of the iPod Classic were a delightful surprise to me, just as they could be for you when you pledge for the KUSC iPod Classic. The first delightful surprise will be the music we’ve pre-loaded onto it, all 1,000 pieces! Even with this instant library, there’s still plenty of room for addition music, podcasts, tv shows, movies, etc. Finding, downloading and listening to or watching audio/visual treats with the Classic is so easy, it’ll make your iPod seem like… well, a Classic.

~ Kelsey McConnell, KUSC Membership Coordinator
1-800-421-1717

After each membership drive, it is my job to read all of the comments that members made as they pledged their support. There are hundreds of these comments and a significant portion of them go something like this, “I don’t know a lot about classical music, but when I listen to KUSC, I just feel more calm/more focused/more peaceful.” There are possibly an equal number of comments describing what a terrifying and terrible experience driving in LA traffic would be without the pacifying influence of classical music on KUSC. Even as KUSC’s signal and our presence on the internet grows, you may still find yourself in a KUSC-free zone once in a while; maybe while you are traveling or when someone else beats you to the radio dial. But you don’t have to spend that time gritting your teeth. You don’t, that is, if you have a secret weapon: the 6 discs of 100 Best Relaxing Classics. This is an interesting compilation in that it really draws from a vast array of classical music—from ancient pieces to selections from contemporary films. What each piece has in common, though, is its guaranteed power to sooth. Aahhhh… I feel more relaxed just thinking about it.

~Kelsey McConnell, KUSC Membership Coordinator
1-800-421-1717

Given the current climate of budget tightening, traveling through Europe may be just as impossible for many people as travelling through time. Fortunately for all of us, 100 Best Baroque can be the frugal man’s trip through time and space. From the comfort of our homes, offices, cars, or anywhere else with a CD player, each of the discs in this 6 CD set transports the listener through a different aspect of Baroque music: England and the Baroque, The Best of Italian Baroque, Treasures of the Mediterranean Baroque, The Glory of French Baroque, Bach and His Time, The Genius of Bach. Just pick a disc, press play, close your eyes and let the music take you on an audio journey. 100 Best Baroque is a beautiful way to see a world of music, with no reservations (or jet lag) required.

~Kelsey McConnell, KUSC Membership Coordinator
1-800-421-1717

Those white iPod headphones have become ubiquitous for a reason: iPods are great! I almost never leave the house without my Nano… it’s how I catch up on my favorite podcasts, it’s my companion on the metro as I commute to and from work, it keeps me going at the gym, it enhances the beauty of weekend hikes, it keeps me calm during plane rides.
I’m sure anyone who listens to the radio has had “driveway moments”: lingering in a parked car so you won’t miss the end of whatever fantastic thing is currently coming through the radio. Well, my iPod has given me more than a few “hallway moments.” On several occasions, I have found myself standing frozen in the hall outside my apartment, keys in the lock, waiting for a song or a podcast to finish. My neighbors are probably wondering what exactly I am doing out there, but then again, if they have iPods too, then they probably know.

Obviously, I can name many great things about iPod Nano’s in general, but the KUSC iPod Nano has several unique selling points. First of all, you aren’t just buying something for yourself when you pledge for the KUSC iPod Nano, you are supporting the only station in Southern California dedicated to playing classical music 24 hours a day. Also, the Nano you receive will be pre-loaded with 400 pieces of music, so there is no learning curve… just take it out of the box, put in the ear buds, press play and voila! Get ready for some hallway moment of your own.

~Kelsey McConnell, KUSC Membership Coordinator
1-800-421-1717

Hello, and welcome to the KUSC Blog. My name is Scott Crowell and it’s possible many of you have talked to me and never known it. I’m on the “front line”, as the person who handles the KUSC front desk. Even with all the phone calls, letters and emails that come through my desk, I can still find immense joy in having KUSC accompany me through my day. As the “Listener and Membership Assistant”, I am here to answer any questions you have about a particular piece of music that you heard on Classical KUSC Radio or assist you with your membership with Classical KUSC Radio. I can even set up a new membership with you if you desire. I too am a member and have my own close connection to classical music.

I was born in Houston, TX and grew up in Bellaire, a city within the city of Houston proper. This is not the same as Bel-Air, CA. The Texas version is definitely a lower-middle to upper-middle class neighborhood, depending on what side of the West Loop Freeway you lived. My mother played piano and it rubbed off on me and I learned to play as well. As I was growing up, she had a set of classical recordings of about 35 LPs that were bound into one album. As you opened the tooled red leather cover there was a stiff cardboard page that looked like an album cover. Just under that was a paper envelope containing that LP. This was then followed by a few pages that were similar to liner notes. This format continued all the way through the set. I would lie down on the floor as early as the 70’s and listen to these recordings, with mom’s assistance, of course. I started learning to read with these liner notes and mom would help with words I couldn’t pronounce or comprehend.

It also helped that Houston was near a very strong Czech community of Nederland. My parents were friends with a Czechoslovakian woman who lived in Houston not far from Bellaire. Her father was named Anton Dvorak and I do not recall the direct lineage, but he was either the grandson or great grandson of composer Antonin Dvorak. So, at home we would play Dvorak’s 9th Symphony as well as Songs My Mother Taught Me. When we had the Dvoraks over, of course, we had to play the latter and featured Anton on his fiddle and my mom on piano as a duet.

Until the late 1980’s I had seemingly been constantly involved in church choirs. My major in school was not music, as I did not think I would ever have a career in it. I had always been in customer service jobs, so it seemed a perfect match. After a friend of mine moved from Houston to Las Vegas and told me what I could be earning, I moved… quickly. After working in the hotel casino industry from 1994 thru 2007, I moved to Los Angeles due to familial reasons. Yet again, I turned to the hotel industry and was hired as Front Office Supervisor at a boutique hotel in Hermosa Beach. I constantly had my schedule changed at the last minute and frequently had unpaid overtime, as a result, I was getting very frustrated, naturally.

One evening, I was browsing the Classical KUSC website and saw a job posting for “Listener and Membership Assistant”. I didn’t think I would be hired but applied anyway. Happily, I received a call from KUSC’s Director of Membership, Carrie Banasky offering the position to me. I started working here in December 2007 and have never been so happy. I am very blessed to work with so many talented individuals who truly love and enjoy their jobs. I have found my dream job and intend to be here until I hit retirement age. Within my position, I not only have the privilege of assisting members with questions about their memberships, but reaching out to our listeners and sharing my love and knowledge of classical music. Having lived in Las Vegas for thirteen years with barely a symphony, and no opera for musical stimulus, I am amazed at how many orchestras are all over our town, not to mention our beloved Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Opera.

I am here to gladly assist you with any Membership questions (existing or new), or help track down that elusive Dvorak Symphony you heard on KUSC, just call us during our regular business hours: Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM.
I Look Forward to Hearing From You,
Scott Crowell

We’re also frequently looking for volunteers. So, if that is more up your alley, call our Volunteer Line at 213-225-7411.

Our Spring Membership Drive is right around the corner and we’d like to invite all interested listeners to sign up and volunteer for our upcoming Membership Drive Wednesday, April 29 – Friday, May 8.
Join other classical music enthusiasts as you answer calls of support from our listeners from around the world. You’ll have a great time mingling with other KUSC listeners, eating great food donated from area restaurants, and most importantly helping out the station you love.

Classical KUSC is centrally located in downtown Los Angeles on the corner of 5th and Figueroa, diagonally across from the Bonaventure hotel. We are located near most mass transit stops and we validate parking.

Click here to sign up today.
Questions? Email volunteers@kusc.org or call 213-225-7411.

A sneak preview of what’s in April’s edition of Classical KUSC Member’s Newsletter.

• LA Phil President and CEO Deborah Borda waxes nostalgic for friend and colleague, outgoing Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen.
• KUSC President Brenda Barnes discusses the similarities between Iowa and Los Angeles.
• Program Director Gail Eichenthal explores Walt Disney Concert Hall’s basement. What she finds is anything but low-brow.
• Jim Svejda’s monthly record review: This month, Hélène Grimaud’s well-groomed Bach.
• And of course, selected KUSC program highlights for the month of April, including several Esa-Pekka Salonen related specials (two live broadcasts, a momentous rebroadcast, and a documentary honoring the tenure of Salonen).

Don’t receive the KUSC members newsletter?

Become a member today by clicking here

Or call 800-421-1717

A sneak preview of what’s in this month’s edition of Classical KUSC Member’s Newsletter.

• Former LA Times arts writer Chris Pasles explores the important role of the safety net for the Los Angeles Opera and James Conlon: The Prompter
• KUSC President Brenda Barnes extolling the virtues of KUSC’s on-air hosts.
• The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s Archives Advisor Orrin Howard stirs up the critical slams of Schumann and Beethoven to make a more Modern point.
• Jim Svejda’s monthly record review: This time, the neo-Classical structure of the young Lukas Foss shines enthusiastically with help from the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
• And of course, selected KUSC program highlights for the month of March.

Don’t receive the KUSC members newsletter?

Become a member today by clicking here

Or call 800-421-1717