Diane Crumley's blog

In honor of “Make Music Day” celebrated across the globe each June 21 on Summer Solstice, today we present the “Make Music Davis-DIMI Showcase 2021” which will air on KDRT 95.7 FM  at 10-11 AM and 6-7 PM. This song showcase highlights five emerging local young musicians/bands from the Davis Independent Music Initiative (DIMI) project recorded by Davis Media Access at the Davis Veterans Memorial Theatre. Additionally, from 11 AM to 1 PM June 21 we will air special extended live recordings of performances from DIMI 2021 Award winner Boca do Rio, and from multi-SAMMIE Award winners The Nickel Slots. We will also feature some highlight performances from the well-loved Thursday Live! community concert series recorded at Davis Odd Fellows Hall.

During the 24 hours of Big Day of Giving (BDOG) on May 6, KDRT and Davis Media Acccess received close to 100 donations, and we exceeded our 24-hour goal for the second year in a row. Thank you for the generous support of our grassroots community media!

The 98 participating nonprofits in Yolo County received $1.5 million -- up 75% from the pre-pandemic 2019 figures, according to the Yolo Community Foundation. Also shattering records was the total of $13.3 million for 688 regional  nonprofits reported by local BDOG organizer, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.

Did you plan on donating to KDRT and just not get around to it? No problem. BDOG2021 served as the kickoff for our Annual Spring Appeal Fundraiser. You can donate throughout May and June at kdrt.org/donate.

The City of Davis will honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a virtual celebration this year on Monday, Jan. 18.   This year's program includes highlights of speakers and entertainment from past years and current messages from local youth, as well as an introduction from Mayor Gloria Partida.  The program will be available beginning 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 18, 2021 through the end of the month via the City of Davis website at  cityofdavis.org Additionally, it will be shown on DCTV Channel 15 and broadcast on KDRT 95.7 FM where you can also can live stream at kdrt.org   This year marks the 27th annual event sponsored by the City of Davis and the Human Relations Commission.

A beloved local tradition  - the"Home for the Holidays" concert - continues this year streaming online.  Concert producer Bill Fairfield has brought together many returning favorite local musicians, as well as adding some new special guests to this year's video program.  Familiar guests include Joe and Hattie Craven, the DHS Madrigals, Rita Hosking duo, Misner & Smith, Alaina Rose, Kora Feder, Boot Juice, Bill Edwards, the Fairfields, Dave Nachmanoff, and Mumbo Gumbo guitarist Brian Rivers. As usual, the event is a benefit for the Davis School Arts Foundation, and viewers are encouraged to make a donation there in lieu of the usual ticket purchase.  DMA and KDRT are thrilled to serve as partners and offer the community a variety of ways to view and listen.  The event will be simulcast Thursday December 17 at 7 PM on KDRT 95.7 FM and DCTV Channel 15, and will be available for video and audio streaming at kdrt.org ( a link will be provided there the day of the show).

As this unusual year comes to an end, we are particularly grateful to ALL our listeners, supporters, volunteers, and extended community. We have rallied together to adjust to social-distancing, and yet remain connected through our uniquely Davis local programming.  We invite you to tune in to KDRT 95.7 FM or stream via kdrt.org to enjoy some special holiday cheer that our DJs are happy to share with you Dec. 15 – 21, 2020.  As an extra special holiday treat, we are thrilled to be airing the 17th annual Home for the Holidays concert, Thursday Dec. 17 at 7PM and an encore presentation on Winter Solstice, Monday December 21, also at 7 PM. Link here for additional information.

Recently, the Owsley Stanley Foundation released the Sixth Chapter of  Bear's Sonic Journals : That Which Colors the Mind, a 2 CD-set featuring Ali Akbar Khan (known as the Bach of India). The album features a 2-hour live recording of a performance at the Family Dog at the Great Highway, in San Francisco on May 29, 1970. Recorded live from the soundboard by the legendary Grateful Dead soundman, Owsley Stanley, a.k.a "Bear", this release is thought to be one of the most evocative recordings of Ali Akbar Khan - a recipient of a MacArthur "genius grant", who has been identified as being a key influence on The Beatles, Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones and Santana. 

Starting in the late summer of 2008, Chris Mussen began airing "A Constant Grin" on KDRT every Friday afternoon 2 at for 30 minutes of hand-picked indie favorites from his substantial collection. Fast-forward 12 years, and today's show marked episode No. 500! In case you haven't  tuned in before, here's the show description, "All things modern indie, from shoegaze to psychedelic, dream pop to space rock, lo-fi to indie folk. Whatever you prefer on your indie playlists, A Constant Grin is sure to keep you smiling."  Today's episode looked back a bit at early shows, and we heard Chris' perspective on starting his program many moons ago.  Stream episode No. 500 at https://kdrt.org/audio/constant-grin-episode-500-12-years-indie-friday-a...

Free Speech Week has been celebrated in the U.S. since 2005.  To kick off this special week, we're joining with non-commercial media centers across the country for Community Media Day on October 20th, and will debut a short video highlighting our wide array of  grassroots activities and local projects. Throughout the week, we will continue to post special videos and photos on our social media pages - Davis Media FB  and KDRT FB .  We'll feature our projects in youth media, social justice, community-based public affairs, local election education, and advocacy for local nonprofits,  arts and music. 

Davis Media Access (DMA) is pleased to announce that one of its youth participants has been selected as a finalist in the national Points of Light Foundation’s Youth Summit Pitch Contest, held Aug. 19, 2020.  The Summit brought together youth aged 13-18 from across the country to reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by the new school year and the “new normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Rohan Baxi, a 9th grade student from Da Vinci Junior High in Davis, CA pitched his project idea, “Timeout Radio: Building Teen Connection in a Time of Distance,” to the Foundation, and was selected as one of 10 finalists. The recognition comes with a $1,000 award to help further his project.