Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Stop and Listen

Today I was doing the usual morning things to get ready for the show (preparing the weather - as if anyone CAN do that!, pulling CDs, reading through the day's news...) when the familiar sounds of Willem Lange's perennial favorite, “Favor Johnson” came through the radio. I was immediately drawn into the nostalgic world of Hercules the Hound, drifting smoke through the falling snow, and soup cans filled with fruitcake. I stopped what I had been doing to sit for a moment and listen - just listen, undistracted - to the rest of it.

When I'm asked, 'how do you choose programming?' it's experiences like this I recall. Is it meaningful, or relevant? Do I care about it? Can I learn something? Does it make me think, or feel something extraordinary? When the answer is 'yes', the choice is made for me. It's that easy.

Whatever else your holiday plans may include I hope that the hand-picked sounds and stories you find on VPR and VPR Classical help to make your experience that much more special. To paraphrase Willem Lange, "it's just our way of saying 'Merry Christmas'!"

Best wishes for the holidays and New Year from all of us at VPR!

Cheryl Willoughby
Interim Director of Programming

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