Nakusp’s own radio station has some great programming, both local and from further afield. Ty Klassen’s ‘Spirit Song’ joins the regular line up this fall. Here is a look at a few of the programs on The Arrow.
Spirit Song aims to inspire
Airing recently on The Arrow was the first installation of Ty Klassen’s new show “Spirit Song,” the inspiration for which came on a bus ride from Nakusp and Burton. In fact, it came in the form of Kyle Kusch.
“I was looking for a creative outlet,” said Klassen, who clambered aboard the Burton-bound bus last summer while thinking about what he could do when he saw Kusch. “I saw Kyle and thought ‘radio!’ By the time I got off the bus I had the name of the show.”
Between then and now, Klassen has had lots of time to imagine what his show would be. He’s put a lot of thought into how to organize his half hour on the airwaves. Each of the six shows Klassen is bringing to the radio has a guest who will connect with a different theme.
“I knew right away I wanted to have guests,” said the radio host. Each theme is explored through personal stories, music and the input of the guests.
The first episode centred on gratitude, and featured musical duo Colin Kowal and Mary Ellen Harris. Joe Wareham will guest star on the next “Spirit Song,” the Earth and Nature-themed show. Klassen said he’s also dedicating the upcoming instalment to author Bob Harrington, and will be opening the show with an introduction from Harrington’s book Listening to the Earth: A Spiritual Journey with Nature.
Karen Hamling is guest for episode three, and will explore “being in the moment” with Klassen through song and music. In December Cassia Parent will take part in a peace-themed show, and Cliff Wolfendon will discuss aboriginal spirituality. Rosie Lukenda and Klassen explore love in the final episode. Each show airs Sunday around 2 p.m., with a new episode every two weeks.
“I want it to be an entertaining blend of personal stories, music and spirituality,” said Klassen. “I’d like to reach people of different ages and backgrounds.”
Each episode will offer listeners something positive they can do for themselves in the form of affirmations: encouraging phrases that can be used to interrupt repetitive negative mental chatter. Klassen, who is naturally musical, puts these short, catchy phrases to music so they become songs, like jingles of positivity.
For him, affirmations were a tool to beat some serious blues, helping him come out of major depression.
“I could easily go there again,” revealed Klassen, “I’m sure there are a lot of people who could relate to that and are sick and tired of being depressed, and wish they could find a way to achieve peace of mind.”
For him, the radio show is just one more step in the journey away from fear and toward openness, one that he invites you to tune into.
Millie Pawley, Question of the Week
Browsing through the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary Thrift here in Nakusp, I was suddenly stopped by a smiling woman holding what looked like a recording device in her hand.
“What’s the best score you’ve ever found in a thrift store?” she asked.
“Uh,” the best ever was a tough call, having been a devoted thrift shopper most of my life. There have been many things I’ve toted home and worn, used or modified (it’s called ‘upcycling’ now), but there was one hand made skirt with wild embroidery evoking deep sea creatures that came to mind.
The smiling woman asking was Millie Pawley, the person behind The Arrow’s Question of the Week. Her career in radio started right here in Nakusp as part of a Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program. CBAL’s Liz Gillis suggested she do a radio program as part of her involvement in the community, and help contribute talk content to the station.
And thus, the Question of the Week was born. Millie’s show is more than just the question, though. She has brought stories, music and jokes to the airwaves each week for over 35 weeks now, and a funny thing has happened.
“Some are funny and others are just stupid,” said Millie, “Because I read so many jokes, something’s changed.” Her taste in jokes has changed, with exposure to so many jokes, and she’s found her range has narrowed over time.
Humour is what she aims for, and it’s what she often finds from particular people in town. These are her go-to folks that she’ll active search for because they’ve usually got something hilarious to say in response to her question. Sometimes that has meant she has had to censor her noon-hour show.
“I’d rather have something bleeped out than nothing at all,” she shrugged. “There is only a certain amount you can say about the weather.”
If she can’t find someone to talk, Millie just has to be funny herself, and resorts to writing a script full of stories and reading it on her show which airs at noon on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and at 7 a.m. all other days.
Legendary Tunes
Hosted by Burton’s Phil McMechan every Tuesday and Friday at 6 p.m., this show has been a staple on The Arrow.
“We’ve now passed the 100 episode mark and this month we have begun taping the fourth season of Phil’s weekly mix of blues, jazz, R&B, and roots music pulled from his personal collection,” said The Arrow producer Kyle Kusch.
Kusch also put out the invitation to anyone who would like to put together a show: “This is a community station; we’d really love to see it used!”
Amplified Radio
Another new program on The Arrow, the internationally-syndicated electronic music programme Amplified Radio features the best of Trance, House, Progressive, and Techno from around the world, all mixed into a show hosted by Ontario’s DJ Ampz, airing overnight on Friday evenings starting at 11 p.m. Amp Radio Extra, which is broadcast immediately following Amplified Radio, features two international guest DJs.