Heaven's Jam Podcast

Heaven's Jam

A Child’s Love

Can you believe that January is almost over? I’ve always seen the first month of the year a bit slow; not this year though. To quote Bryan Duncan from a 1980’s CCM tune, A Child’s Love, “…I see the pages fall from the calendar like the leaves falling from the trees.”

 

I first played that song in 1986. It spoke to me in a way few songs have ever done. At the time I didn’t have children but very strongly identified with its message. “Teach me, dear LORD, to have a love for you, a child’s love” These days are filled with lessons learned from my 4 kids foreshadowed by a song from 25 years ago. I am blessed. Allow these words to soak into your spirit:

I see the pages fall from the calendar
Like the leaves falling from the trees
Feel a chill in the fear of the future
As I weather this autumn breeze
I watch my red-haired inspiration
Playing games out on the lawn
Such an innocent joy of living
He's his father's only son
Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love
I let the changes in my season
Steal the passion from my heart
Like the roses fade in the winter
All the petals fall apart
Until a young voice gives my withered soul
A rejuvenating smile
And those small hands clasped around me
Erase the hardship for awhile
Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me again about a child's love
And sharing the best of my time,
Oh, and don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love
Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me again about a child's love
And sharing the best of my time,
Oh, and don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love
A child's love
A child's love
A child's love

Stay tuned

The Peanut Explained

Once a man named Riddle called a small town radio station a peanut whistle. With a chuckle I adopted it to mean any scruffy enterprise.

Originally, a peanut whistle was a miniscule ham radio (shortwave) transmitter with only a single watt or two power output that the “hams” (amateur radio operators) used. It was also Bob Riddle’s humorous semi-offensive metaphor for a low power, usually AM, radio station; those at which I spent most my broadcast career. By the way, Bob was a newsman who worked for me at radio home three where I was program director.

In the USA radio stations are limited to a maximum of 100,000 watts on FM and 50,000 watts on AM. Most of my radio homes have been 5,000 watts or less. I feel the power “disadvantage” made me more inventive than those big budget facilities ever could.

Well, the Peanut Whistle Audio Podcast is coming very soon. The equipment is up and running; I just need to find the time to get some episodes recorded. Ideas for new shows are appreciated.

Stay tuned

©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved

We're Back!

Whew! what a crazy few days. My darling daughter Abbey just hosted her first sleep over party for her 7th birthday. She seemed to have the time of her life with several other girls screaming and having a good time as well. My son Luke and I were the only boys there. He found no problem in crashing the party, though. Oh my aching head; the noise and preparation took its toll on me. Her having a birthday so close to mine overshadowed my turning 44. That is a good thing; I really don't like too much fuss placed on myself. The last couple of days I have spent sick due to, I think, over indulgence in party food. One of our adult guests was sick, but I hope the former explanation is reason for my little 48 hour stomach bug.

Stay tuned

 ©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Gospel Rewind Webcast Returns

Well, the podcast and possibly the New Gospel Rewind Internet (the GRIN) radio station are closer to becoming a reality; we have ordered new equipment for the upload location here in metro Atlanta: turntable, mixers, digital media recorder and so on. Last year we worked very hard at bringing a podcast to the masses but were limited by our primitive equipment. At the time we used an inexpensive Realistic microphone and a DVD player with a karaoke feature then mixed in the computer using free Audacity audio editing software. It worked surprisingly well but did not meet my high production standards gleaned from years of pro studio experience. We have big plans for the new show and we'll be uploading the new webcast soon.

Stay tuned

© 2010 Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved.

Pandora’s Box

  Many music fans with high speed Internet already know of the vast streaming audio choices the web offers. Today I am listening to Pandora radio. The service is awesome and it is free; you can tailor according to your own tastes. Type in your favorite song or artist and, voila, it chooses a mix of selections especially for you with very minimal ads. To me; as soon as most Americans have a computer, Wi-Fi or WiMax receiver or web enabled cell phone, traditional radio is dead. That may be sooner than most people think. I hardly ever listen to AM or FM for anything more than news or the occasional talk show. I suspect many others have similar listening habits. Unfortunately, the market cannot withstand the infinite choices available and needs to be sifted because no company can make money when the audiences are so diluted. When any average 16 year old can start an on-line radio station in his basement and can pull away just one listener from more traditional media who knows what kind of Pandora’s box we’ve opened.

Stay tuned

copyright 2010 the Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved

The GRIN returns

  Oh the memories, below is a short recording of my Internet radio show Southern Gospel Favorites from March of last year, enjoy...

Powered by Podbean.com

copyright © 2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

The GRIN Aircheck

  Do you call a recording of an Internet radio an "aircheck"? I guess; I submit the new term "netcheck." Whatever you call it below is a recording of my web show Southern Gospel Favorites that I featured on the GRIN network last March, enjoy...

Powered by Podbean.com

copyright ©  2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Change of Season

  Today has been crazy; in a good way. As I emerge from a wintry depression funk Angie has come up with a remarkable idea that will affect our lives in a very positive direction. Problem is: not all of the pieces of the plan and how they fit are known to either of us. All that I can reveal now is that it is extremely exciting and for our family. (God willing, to borrow an uncharacteristic phrase). If this idea materializes we all will begin to feel a sense of independence and higher purpose previously unknown in our very happy marriage.

  I am cautious, but optimistic. 2010 is going to be a pivotal year bringing a brighter season in our lives. I wait, impatiently.

Stay tuned

copyright ©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

New GRIN

  I have been wavering for so long between terrestrial vs. Internet radio. If you’ve read my last few posts on where I intend to place the GRIN, an Internet streaming audio “radio” station started back last march. I am in favor of the old fashioned business models. However, the monetary investment involved in starting a conventional  radio station from scratch is huge. An LPFM, discussed in my previous post, would require at least $5,000 to do it right. This is an educated guess for sure. The Internet option becomes much more attractive at this point in the game.

  Last year I put a free station on the web; wow, that’s saving at least five grand as I see it. The trouble I had with delivering a viable product proved to be a false economy. My home computers were tied up 24/7 with unacceptable amounts of downtime due to a faulty modem. There are services as cheap as twenty bucks per month that will host a station and take care of the fees involved with keeping the music flowing legally. Their servers also host the Mp3’s uploaded from my location along with the ability of doing live shows from my studio. In their parlance, both archived and live streaming is offered without overusing my resources. The downside: the streaming is limited to a certain amount of simultaneous listeners at a fixed audio quality with options that vary from less than AM radio to Mp3 (subjectively better than stereo FM.) The higher the quality and/or listeners varies the cost. The fees are a la carte; question is, do you want more listeners listening at a crappy 32kbps or a handful at the pristine 128kbps? One could have both, but the cost is extreme for a self-supporting broadcaster. Prioritizing which is more important is a slippery slope. I favor the best audio available. The bean counters of this world would recommend the larger audience potential at the expense of sound quality. This is my baby so I won’t compromise on the product.

Stay tuned

Copyright © 2010 Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved

LPFM & Internet Radio

Ok, so I’m on this new kick. Why couldn’t I combine a terrestrial Low Power FM signal with an Internet radio station? Last December the U.S. congress passed H.R. 1147 or Local Community Radio Act of 2009. The bill will now move on to the Senate then to the president’s desk for approval.

This is seen as a victory for small time broadcasters, myself included. As soon as possible we will get the ball rolling on an actual radio station home for the GRIN. I am optimistic the bill will be passed into law with all the full support of the broadcast community and the FCC.

A 100 watt FM radio station in a major population center, Atlanta Metro, would potentially reach a large population. Previous LPFM’s were not allowed in a major market such as Atlanta. The new bill reverses the FCC’s previous restrictions on major market penetration. The good news is that the FM dial here is not overcrowded either. Obtaining a good frequency should be a painless process.

There is talk now of repurposing the vacated analog TV frequencies on channels 5 and 6 for both troubled local AM facilities and future LPFM’s. Audio quality, especially for the AM’s would become 100% digital stereo thus producing an even playing field when compared to conventional FM. I am not too excited about this due to the non-existence of receivers. Although; as a former AM broadcaster myself, pristine digital quality would be heavenly. It would take years for the electronics industry to catch up. (Frankly, I hope that AM disappears entirely. It is 80+ year old technology 30 years past its prime.)

Internet radio faces many hurdles as well. Most listeners are tied to a PC. Live streaming over the Internet must become more portable before it catches up with terrestrial AM & FM. WiMax  and Wi-Fi show promise. But, I would wager that most folks would rather have their radio free of a monthly fee. I have reasoned that combining both LPFM and Internet steaming are a great strategy for a budget minded broadcaster such as myself. The GRIN will return. Just what type of carrier or simulcast combination is yet to be decided.

Stay tuned

Copyright © 2010 Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved

Flashbulb Elvis

  An earlier generation would ask, "Do you remember when JFK was assassinated?" The inevitable response was a detailed recollection of exactly where one was and precisely what one was doing when the tragic news struck.

  Well, I was born three years after that black day in Dallas. So my personal flashbulb memory is the passing of the King of Rock n Roll, Elvis Presley, on August 16, 1977. I was eleven; buying a 35 cent comic book at Reddings supermarket in Savannah, Georgia, when I overheard Beth, the cashier saying, "I can't believe he's dead." Not knowing who she was referring to I paid for the comic book and ran home. There, my mother was on the phone with my friend Daniel who had broke the sudden news to her. She was incredulous, Daniel had been known to stretch the truth a time or two. The pieces of the puzzle fit and we all realized he was not lying.

  Today is the King's 75th birthday so happy birthday Elvis; your fans still miss you. 32 years later and his popularity has not diminished.

  stay tuned

copyright ©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Confirm Me

  My 44th birthday approaching I feel less and less inclined to feel validated by anyone. Take for example the ever popular social website Facebook. More than once I have sent out those silly friend requests only to never be "confirmed". Take it as maturity setting in; but, these things just do not bother me as they once would. When I was 17 or 18 such behavior from a prospective friend would have been devastating. Honestly, Bill Gates never imagined Myspace or Facebook in 1983 or 1984 when the world was much less virtual.

  Stay tuned

 

copyright ©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

August 6, 1995

It’s been 14 years since I last made an appearance on real radio. It was an honest to goodness frequency modulated signal emanating 3,000 watts in stereo out of Carrollton, Georgia. Sorry, you new age Internet radio types, but nothing compares to an actual FCC license pinned to the control room bulletin board along with your fellow DJs’ operators permits, telemetry readings, etc.

Having my own Internet radio station last year was a great learning experience; but it would have never passed as a legitimate station, no matter how many listeners were “tuned” in, I felt like a pirate. To quote a comic hero, Jerry Seinfeld, “I don’t wanna be a pirate!”

That brings me to a very interesting development in the world of broadcasting LPFM or Low Power FM. The FCC has passed legislation (Which I will research for a later blog in full detail.) that will allow us enterprising programmers an honest to God FM radio station that will serve a 7 or 8 mile radius. While that may not sound like much, a suburban Atlanta area like mine has a population concentrated enough that I could reach a considerably diverse base.  As I figure it, my future low power station could potentially reach far more listeners than my last radio home did with 3Kw out in the boon docks. That first Sunday in August of 1995, I never envisioned the options available today. There are almost too many choices, but that is another story.

Stay tuned

Finger Nails on a Chalkboard

  Well, I broke a New Year's resolution; I promised to write a new blog every day. Even though I missed posting yesterday here's what I would have wrote. Have you ever been to a church service or a concert where the person behind you was singing loudly off key? On Sunday the tone deaf of a neighboring row were so distracting that a pew in the back seemed inviting. If it had been a paid event I would have wanted my money back.

  Do these people not know that they sing so badly? Forget monotone singing, sometimes they clap off rhythm and everybody seems out of sync. Maybe it's just me. Probably not, my wife agreed when she stepped down from the choir and thought I had made a poor seating choice; funny,  "Caruso" was seated after me along with her companion who frequently punctuated with loud comments to the preaching. OK, lesson has been learned for next Sunday. Please, my musically challenged friends; if you frequent church or the concert halls refrain from unsolicited participation unless you plan a stage career we didn't come to hear you perform. I'll get enough of your type on American Idol this month.

Stay tuned
copyright ©2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

The Holiday Road (to recovery)

Happy new year my friends! Wow, twenty ten; that just sounds nice and futuristic. Seeing that I have always been an early adopter of all things new this year has a good vibe to it.

My wife Angie and I have had a blessed 2009 and look forward to the good things in store for 2010. 2009, what a great year it was: Angie got a fantastic new full time job she loves while I was allowed the privilege of becoming Mr. Mom with my proudest achievement, my family. We all enjoyed a Myrtle Beach vacation with Angie’s mother and my brother-in-law and his crew. The ‘09 holiday season has been my all time favorite. Thanksgiving was a blast; then Christmas Eve at my house with my sisters, my mom, the nieces and nephews joining my gang at our house; another celebration in north Georgia with my dad’s sisters on Sunday and yesterday, New Year’s Day, we opened gifts at my mother-in-law’s. Whew! What fun we all had.

The Turning Point

Through a process that has taken about 2 years to fulfill I have discovered with self-taught study of the human psyche that I fit into a melancholy temperament.  I have fought deep depression my whole adult live through  introspection and will. I have not been very successful, especially in the will department. Introspection has been a heavy burden because I have had my head stuck in an unremarkable past thinking this was truly therapeutic. I was dead wrong. One day recently, during the holiday season, I had an aha moment. I had been going through the motions letting one day melt into another when I realized that have so much to be thankful for here and now. I have a wonderful wife and great kids. They are what I have always wanted. Angie is a companion in the truest sense of the word, she is the model wife. My kids are my most valuable education; I have learned far more from them than they have from me.  And I continue to evolve personally and desire a more positive forward thinking outlook. Now I have a more keen since of purpose that I feel was lacking before. A new focus on the present has emerged and our hope is for a brighter future.

Stay tuned

© copyright 2010 the Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Blog in Transition

  Welcome readers to a new decade; the Two Thousand Teens, I suppose. If you read my companion blog, the Peanut Whistle, you'll know that this blogger has decided to make it more topical. I have been writing for at least 25 years for my own pleasure and have found the relatively new field of blogging a nice fit.

  In order to prove my commitment to making two quality blogs, this web log you're reading now has a domain name of its own, gospelaircheck.com. If you like reading about my adventures in gospel radio, youth skate parties and church sound, then this is the place. I will continue this mostly true narrative of my life. The only times that I veer away from the truth is to change names of people to protect their privacy or combine events for the sake of brevity. It is my hope that you will enjoy the posts as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Have a happy new year.

Stay tuned

© copyright 2010 The Peanut Whistle / Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved.