WPR’s weekday afternoon musical offerings start off with the popular Midday Quiz, a collaboration between classical hosts Norman Gilliland and Vicki Nonn. And be sure to listen for the 12:30 Quiz Question! You can call in with your quiz answer at 800-442-7106 (in Madison call 263-1236) or send email comments or quiz guesses to: Midday@wpr.org. A winner’s name is chosen each day from "the hat" of correct responses.
The music between 1pm and 3pm is likely to include a mix from solo piano to large orchestra and lots in between. Occasionally you'll hear an early Renaissance harp piece or works with a more contemporary sound from many parts of the world. You'll hear old favorites; or discover an irresistable piece of music for the first time.
"Maybe it was my organist training that made "combo operation" at WPR appealing to me -- announcing while operating the CD players and faders on our broadcast board. This is a job that combines my love of music and cooking. What makes programming a joy and a learning experience is discovering music new to me and being able to share guaranteed favorites. How does it relate to cooking? For one thing, I’m usually listening to music of some kind while I cook or bake. Choosing music for my program is not unlike combining ingredients for a tasty dish I’d serve to good friends. (Occasionally, I do bring something from my kitchen to share with hungry colleagues.)
I’ve "crossed the line" - living in Wisconsin longer than my native New York State. I first entered the WPR workforce as Traffic Manager and Continuity Director. No, that doesn’t mean standing at a busy intersection, waving your arms. In radio parlance, it’s typing logs, booking production studios and coordinating program tapes and announcements. I learned a lot about WPR from the ground up with a broad menu of tasks over the years -- producing several School of the Air music programs, various documentaries, and a daily two-hour news/interview magazine hosted by Larry Meiller and Ronda Allen. In the late 1970's, working with then Music Director Linda Clauder, I began overseeing concert recordings around the state and their broadcasts, producing Sunday Afternoon Live from the Elvehjem (including scheduling performers and recording intermission features). Since 1986, I’ve hosted weekday classical music programs. In December 1999, I became Music Director, hoping to give back some of what I’ve learned here. I’ve enjoyed the challenge so far and on good days, go home to my kitchen hoping I’ve fixed more than I’ve broken."
