And the IAAIS winner is…

Sun Sounds of Arizona takes home a record breaking six programming awards during the May 2007 International Association of Audio Information Services Conference in Jackson, Mississippi.

Sun Sounds of Arizona has won more awards this year than any other service of its kind in the world! There are approximately 150 radio reading and information services around the globe and Sun Sounds has won at least one first place award every year since 1998.

Congratulations to the 2007 IAAIS winners:

Community Calendar
Producer, Talent, Audio Engineer: Vicki Balint.

The Wonderful World of Storytelling and Song
Producer and Talent: Judy Bartelstone and Sharon Ritt. Audio Engineer: Margie Zebell. Short Stories Producer, Talent, Audio Engineer: Lexie Stevens

Sun Talk: The New Voting Machines
Producer and Audio Engineer: Margie Zebell Talent: Christie Ferris.

Living Simply, Spending Smart
Producer, Talent, Audio Engineer: Karen Moore.

Dear Alice
Producer: Phyllis Thompson; Talent: Don Jerome, Colleen Tucker, Bryan Cooperrider, Karen Whitten, Ana Flores and Jacki Thompson; Audio Engineer: Aaron Cox.

Beer Festival Breaks All Records!

There were no dud suds at this year’s Great Arizona Beer Festival. The weather was great, the crowd was the biggest ever and that turned into record proceeds for Sun Sounds. More than $110,000, double last year’s proceeds. Many thanks to the Sun Sounds Foundation and committee volunteers who made this the most successful fundraising event of the year. CHEERS!

Join in the FUNdraising.
Head down south for the Foundation’s Great Tucson Beer Festival Presented by Desert Diamond Casino. September 22, 6:00-10:00 PM. Music by Neon Prophet and Descarga. Order your tickets today at www.azbeer.com.

Volunteer Week: Gold & Silver Mic Winners

National Volunteer Week was a busy one. It’s the week we host volunteer receptions at all three stations.We passed out a lot of awards and certificates, including the Gold and Silver Mic Awards. The Gold Mic Award goes to a volunteer who stood out above the rest in the last year, while the Silver Mic Award goes to a volunteer who has shined over an extended time.

Congratulations to the 2007 Winners:

Flagstaff Gold Mic
Don Reader

Flagstaff Silver Mic
Don Jerome

Tempe Gold Mic
Kevin Wright

Tempe Silver Mic
Rickie Sorensen

Tucson Gold Mic
Sandy Scott

Tucson Silver Mic
Steven Auslander

Volunteer Week: Recognizing Years of Service

The Volunteer receptions also gave us an opportunity to extend our heartfelt thanks to these dedicated volunteers for their many years of service.

Flagstaff: 5-years: Linda Carlson, Don Jerome, Jan Shaffer. 10-years: Arline Lonon, Colleen Tucker.

Tempe: 5-years: Jim Cox, Rich Kirchner, Lee Klose, Dick Lovins, Mike Miller, Lee Murray, Gregg Radel, Joyce Vesper, Paul Wheele. 10-years: Betsy Bombeck, Heidi Capriotti, Jennifer Colbert, Bill Davis, Bill Diekmann, Frank Scheeland. 15-years: Jim Amdahl, Jean Bailey, Diane Gardner, Liz Osborn, Rickie Sorensen, David Woodland. 20-years: Sue Berliner. 25-years: Irene Lubin, Molly Mudick, David Sprehe.

Tucson: 5 years: Steven Auslander, Nancy Blackwell, Judith Doran, Murry Everson, Lloyd Hulse and Barbara Kuelbs. 10 years: Marilyn Kaniowsky, Jeff Kercher and Sally Million. 15 years: Nubia Benchoff, Gerry Gilbert, Jan Graunke, Bob Kelley, James Logan and John Mills. 20 years: Agnes Moses.

Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless.
~Sherry Anderson

Speakers Bureau Dream Team

Within weeks of posting a sign up sheet for the new Tempe Speakers’ Bureau, 25 volunteers responded to the challenge!  Their mission: to increase listenership and awareness of Sun Sounds of Arizona. They will begin by meeting with local businesses that serve listeners.  We’ll keep you posted on their progress. In the meantime, let’s give a hand to our team for not hesitating to take on additional responsibilities and for using their skills to make Sun Sounds a Household name.

Tempe Dream Team 2007
Judy Bartelstone, Kim Corrigan, Bill Diekmann, Grace Dolan, Gene Giesaking, Anne Halvorson Marilyn Holmund, Lesley Hunt, Pamela Kellar-Hallows, Richard Kerr, Lee Klose, Wendy Lee, Harlene Marley, Mike Miller, Karen Moore, Arline Salbe, Diane & Harry Schoolitz, Rickie Sorensen, Mary Ellen Stepanich, Ron Tang, Joyce Totlis, Keith Tyler, Charlie Walker and Kevin Wright

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.
~Elizabeth Andrew

Welcome New Volunteers!

Flagstaff: Diane Brennan, Ronni Davis, Glenda Foust, Derek Humetewa, Roberta Learner, Kathleen Mitchell, Daniel Overman, Don Phillips, Russ Werner.

Tempe: Michael Bryant, Anna Carter, Carol Loven, Katie Dalton, Tom Gariepy, Lenore Grimwood, Marilyn Holmund, Laura Kennedy, Bonnie Lassen, Dave Mason, Ann Mihalek, Robert Neighbors,  Bruce Novkov, Sherry Ponte, Veronica Postal, Arline Salbe, Bonnie Werner, Marsha Zenderman.

Tucson: Edward Bolding, Patricia Becker, Katherine Cipriani, JoFrances Collymore, Neil Dale, Patrice Davison, Laura Dwyer, Herbert Erickson, Amy Gonchansky, Kristen Green, Tyrone Henry, Jacob Lingofelt, Tom Mack, Robert Marsland, Bill & Sally Middleton, Donald Phillips, Dennis Pasternak, Elliott Pritchard, Rick Sankey, Philip Supina, Joe Talvy, Charles Taylor, Stephen Thompson, Laura Weingartner

Welcome to all the new volunteers! There are a lot of new people at all three Sun Sounds studios. Please take the time to introduce yourselves to each other. You never know when you will be working together or helping each other out!
~Andrea

Your Story

There are a lot of volunteer opportunities out there.  Why do so many people choose Sun Sounds?  Some of you do it because a family member is living with vision loss.  Many of you have an affinity for reading and want to share your love for it.  Most of you do it because you know you’re making a difference in people’s lives.  We would like to hear from you, to find out why you volunteer with Sun Sounds… and to feature your stories in future Volunteer Newsletters and press releases. 

Send your stories to: andrea.pasquale@riomail.maricopa.edu

My father died blind… and I promised myself that when I retired from teaching school… that I would read to the blind. It’s a wonderful opportunity to serve people.
~Rickie Sorensen

A New Generation of Sun Sounds Volunteers

Ricky Sanky wants to be in radio. He’s  getting his start as a Sun Sounds intern.  Rick is a student of the foundation for Blind Children.

Ordinary?  No way.  Rick is an active kid who enjoys wrestling, swimming, and is learning to play the guitar and trombone. He’s even been known to wield a spatula in the kitchen to show off his culinary skills.

During his 5 weeks at the Tempe station, Rick learned how to operate an audio board and even made live announcements between programs. He’ll use his new skills when he returns home and begins volunteering at the Tucson station.

3 Pageants, One Year. . . Oh My

Eventful is a good word to describe this past year for Mesa, Arizona resident, Wendy Lee. Wendy was crowned a Miss Phoenix Chinese Princess in July 2006, a Miss Asia Arizona Princess in March and Miss Congeniality at the July 2007 Miss National Asia Pageant in San Francisco.

Behind the gown, tiara, makeup and talent is a young woman with an extraordinary passion for helping people through her small  business and her work as a Sun Sounds volunteer, which she continued to fulfill in spite of her busy pageant schedule.

“This past year of pageantry has certainly been a whirlwind…I would never have envisioned all this last June,” says Wendy, who reads books and specialty publications for Sun Sounds.  Wendy dedicated part of her time on stage to increase awareness about Sun Sounds.

I am extremely excited to be able to share my volunteer work with Sun Sounds in my advocacy platform.
~Wendy Lee

Start Spreading the News

Sun Sounds serves 49,000 Arizona listeners on any given day. While that’s great, it’s only one in four eligible listeners.You can help change that by telling someone you know about Sun Sounds.  Everyone knows someone who can benefit from Sun Sounds... so start spreading the news today.

Your Voice: The Magic of Sun Sounds by Volunteer Dick Lovins

Just some thoughts to share in the newsletter from one volunteer to others. I have been a volunteer broadcaster for about five and a half years, rotating amongst Wall Street Journal, Business World, occasional stints with the Arizona Republic, and just lately the Christian Science Monitor.

Not to mention the obvious contribution we're making to those who are living with disabilities, I want to speak about what the activity is doing for me,  a retiree from two exciting and stimulating professions.

I feel like I'm having a frequent conversation with the listeners, that I'm coming into their homes, which I guess I am. I enjoy the task of keeping my remarks enthusiastic, articulate and nuanced.  The challenges inherent in the reading process keep my own self stimulated and alive, as well as maintaining my function as a literate person at the highest level possible.  It's part of the fountain of youth.  It's magic.

Further, I can only give huzzahs to the people with whom I associate; fellow volunteers, all the engineers, and the constant congeniality of every member of the staff. So I say hooray for Sun Sounds. It's magic. So far I think it's giving more to me than I'm giving to it.

Dick Lovins
Tempe Volunteer

Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself.   It's what you do for others.
~Danny Thomas

Swing into Action

There’s a quick and easy way to add 10 percent to any Sun Sounds donation by using a Birdies for Charities pledge form.

It’s a no-fuss, no-hassle fundraising program in which Sun Sounds receives 100 percent of all pledges plus an additional 10% donation from Thunderbird Charities. You can’t beat that with a seven iron!

The pledge cards are already available at your station.  Be sure to include with every brochure you distribute. Every one who pledges has  a chance at winning 100 prizes, including a new Buick.

Volunteers raised $400 in Birdie pledges for Sun Sounds in February 2007.   

Food for Thought

A good volunteer is like a good pizza…

A bit saucy, a little spicy, many layers, a good edge… and even a little crusty. Some may be plain while others have many ingredients, but all add to the flavor of Sun Sounds.  The key to any good pizza or volunteer reader is consistency. It’s the consistency in the quality, the dependability of knowing what you’re getting… and the expectation it will be delivered on time.

Many people say that I can use food as an  analogy for anything. Please don’t take offense to being reduced to a pizza. Different foods stand for many different things in our lives.  For me pizza, New Haven-style pizza in particular (thin crust, brick oven, flavored sauce and cooked mozzarella), is home.  It’s the  epitome of comfort food… a staple dish.  That’s what each of you brings to the Sun Sounds listeners… individual personality and the comfort of knowing you’re going to be there when they tune in.

Next time you get a good pizza, don’t just eat it, savor it and appreciate what makes it good. And the next time you read, know it’s the  listeners doing the savoring and appreciating.

Andrea Pasquale,
Manager of Programming & Volunteers

Speaking of food…

A big thank you to the following establishments for providing treats to Sun Sounds Volunteers.
Albertson’s (Dobson & Baseline)
Cervantes
Cookies from home
Food City

From the Corner Office

Sun Sounds and the Future: A Technology Update

As broadcast and internet information and entertainment technology are evolving so rapidly with new and cool capabilities being added practically daily, I get asked a lot about what all this will mean to Sun Sounds and information access for people with Print-Disabilities.  Well, there is no  question that all this change, both what has already gone on, as well as what is coming, have and will continue to have a major impact on how Sun Sounds does its work.  I have no doubt that ultimately blind and disabled people will have the same information access opportunities as that enjoyed by the general public.However, that day is quite a bit further off then you might think. There are many issues of universal design, economics, age, and attitude which will need to be addressed before that great day arrives. In the meantime, a period of many years I'm afraid, Sun Sounds will continue to develop and operate technologies designed to help people who cannot otherwise access all the information necessary to an "independent, self directed life".

Our radio services will continue to be the primary means of delivering reading and  information for the foreseeable future.  However, how these services are designed and used is due to change radically within the next ten years.  Sun Sounds has provided  reading over FM/SCA since 1979.  This will continue for a while.  However, a couple of newer technologies will greatly enhance the radio service shortly providing a much more pleasant and useful radio experience for our audience.

HD Radio:  High Definition Radio is being rolled out around the country as you read this.  This is a form of digital radio which offers many benefits to listeners.  HD radio will provide crystal clear reception with no static, and excellent fidelity.  KJZZ FM, the main carrier and transmitter for the Phoenix and central valley branch of Sun Sounds is in the process of purchasing and installing this new digital transmission equipment.  We don't yet know the plans for KUAT, KNAU  and KTTI, the carriers for the three other branches, but all FM will be digital eventually.  The great thing is that Sun Sounds will  become digital also.  So listeners will be able to say good-by to cross talk, static, less than good fidelity, and all the other issues currently associated with SCA transmission.  This change will also make it possible for listeners to buy an off-the-shelf   radio like anyone else, and use it to hear Sun Sounds.  It will be available in car radios, portable radios, and on stereos.  In short, it will be much more convenient.  It will also enable Sun Sounds to offer multiple channels to serve up more variety.  The HD radios of the near future will be able to record and store programming for more convenient listening, and this capability will also be available for Sun Sounds listeners.

Sun Dial II:  We have operated for nearly a decade now a telephone system which   allows listeners to access archived Sun Sounds Programming and read text based information on the World-Wide-Web.  Though the system is already pretty cool, it is due to undergo a major overhaul shortly.  A new system we are calling Sun Dial II will be voice controlled in addition to the keypad control already present, and will enable a user to access a much broader slice of what is available on the web.  It will remember  a person's place, so if interrupted, a caller can pick up right where they left off.  It will allow the reading of books, newspapers, product catalogs, and anything else available on the web by simply picking up the phone.  Cell phones have become so common and they are so much less expensive than computers, this will be a real aid to many of our listeners. A listener will not need to purchase adapted computer equipment, roughly twice the price of a regular computer, and will not need to learn a complicated machine.  They will simply make a phone call and have everything available to them that a web connected computer does plus archived programming for those on the go who prefer the sound of volunteers like you reading to them.

Podcasts, MP-3 Files, and DAISY:  A great injustice which has evolved with the rise of the web is the total inaccessibility of the equipment designed to use it.  MP-3 players are mostly unusable by a blind person, and the couple which have been adapted cost many hundreds of dollars. We've already mentioned the expense of adapted computers.  The result is an explosion of wonderfully available information and entertainment easy to access and use by everyone, except blind people. This should be the age of access now that most everything is electronic rather than on paper, but in reality, it has become, in many ways, worse than ever.

There is hope on the horizon though with the proliferation of something call the DAISY standard.  This is a digital recording standard increasingly used by publishers of both written and aural books.  A player equipped with DAISY technology enables a blind person to navigate texts like never before.  Sun Sounds in coming years will likely begin producing its recordings and programs using the DAISY standard so that as players become available, Sun Sounds listeners will have access to information in a convenient storable form, like never before.

Sun Sounds of Arizona has been a constant advocate for development of better access technologies for print-disabled people.  Though progress in the industry has been disappointingly slow, progress is being made.  As long as blind and disabled people need and want an audio solution for obtaining print and other information, Sun Sounds will commit itself to making that audio access as convenient and useful as technology permits.

By Bill Pasco
Director, Sun Sounds of Arizona

Tempe: Programming & Volunteers

I’m not in Connecticut anymore

Over 2,000 miles, and 110 degree temperatures— I’m not in Connecticut anymore.  Coming to Sun Sounds from Connecticut was not only a huge step for me but the right one.  A week before coming here in March, I was snow blowing my driveway with the wind whipping snow all around me. There was not a doubt in my mind that I was making the right decision.  I left behind family, friends, a boyfriend, a house and a cat, but from the time I stepped off the plane I knew this was where I was suppose to be.

One of my favorite parts of my last job at CRIS, Connecticut’s version of Sun Sounds, was the volunteers.  They were the ray of sunshine on too many rainy days.  They were my friends and we were their extended family.  Their smiles, bad jokes and goodies helped ease the stresses of the job.  Some moved on or away, some passed away (and we felt it  as much as any blood relative), others stayed and were as dedicated as the  people here.  Saying goodbye to them was a month long process, and not an easy one.   I still hear from many of them and their calls and e-mails brighten my day and give me that warm fuzzy feeling.  They were my friends.

Coming here and meeting a whole new set of volunteers was a little overwhelming.  All I kept thinking was, “how am I going to remember everyone’s name… especially those that I don’t see every week?”  Well, you’ll be glad to know I still don’t know everyone’s name, but I’m getting there.  I am truly grateful for the way you have all welcomed me and made me feel like I am among friends.  Leaving one life for another isn’t easy, but you have made this transition easier than expected.  Thank you for your support and encouragement.  Believe it or not, I’m enjoying this 110 degree dry heat— it’s a welcomed pleasure… and so is everyone here.

Andrea Pasquale
Manager of Programming and Volunteers

P.S. There were 90+ volunteer cancellations in Tempe in the Month of July alone!!!  It was Connie to the rescue in Tempe, working the phones to get all those slots filled.  Many of you Tempe volunteers probably received a call from her, or you will in the future.  We appreciate all the volunteers who helped us fill in for the vacationing folks not only in Tempe, but Flagstaff and Tucson as well.  And a big thanks to Connie!  If you haven’t met Connie, do yourself a favor and say hi.  She’ll make your day.

Tempe: Volunteers

Connie to the Rescue

Hello. My name is Connie Ryan and I work in the Tempe office of Sun Sounds.  My job title is Assistant Volunteer Coordinator, but my working title should be Sub Finder. When a reading volunteer is unable to come in to read a show, I’m the one who calls and asks for help.

I really enjoy my job. I get to talk to so many nice people. In fact, I have never been said “no” to so nicely as you guys do it. We are most appreciative when notice is given as much in advance as possible when you can’t do your show. We understand that things happen, but when  possible, the more notice the better.

As a member of the Sun Sounds staff, as well as a Sun Sounds Listener, I’d like to thank all of you volunteers for the work you do.

Connie Ryan
The Tempe Sub Finder

Tempe: Development

Where There’s a Will

You know the old adage “Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today”?  It’s true about making your estate plans too.   Sadly, according to a survey by lawyers.com, more than half of American adults do not have a will – the first step in creating an estate plan.  The figure is even worse in non-white populations.

The reasons for not having a will expressed by respondents to that same survey betray a misunderstanding of what the document is supposed to do.  The Will is a description of what a person wants done with their property after they have passed away.

10 % of persons without a Will don’t want to contemplate dying, and therefore don’t make a will.  Hmmm, and I thought no one leaves this life without, well, leaving it!

9% don’t know who to speak with about a Will.  The American Bar Association has helpful information about Estate Planning Attorneys.

24% (that’s nearly 1 in 4 people) felt they don’t need a Will because they are not wealthy.  Without a Will, the State will decide, not the deceased and not the bereaved family.  Are you familiar with the phrase, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”?  Enough said there too.

The amount of a person’s assets doesn’t matter – we all have something to pass along to others. “Surprisingly, the majority of Americans still aren’t planning for the distribution of their estate after death,” said Alan Kopit, a lawyers.com legal editor. “Virtually every adult dies possessing some form of property, but without a will, it’s up to the state to decide how those assets are distributed – which may not reflect an individual’s actual desires. People often attach the need for a will to having a lot of assets, which reflects a misunderstanding about a will’s actual function.”

In other words, Grandma’s antique teacups, Dad’s pocket-watch, coin collection, or totally restored 1957 Chevy could all end up in the “wrong” place without a Will describing where these family treasures are supposed to go.

Planned Giving Is Just What It Sounds Like – A Plan To Give!
You can secure your legacy.  Start by creating a Will.  You can send treasured items to family or friends who you know will appreciate them and remember you fondly.  Talk to an attorney who may recommend a financial planner who can help you take care of dependent or grandchildren’s college funds, long term care for your spouse or parents, and you can make gifts to charities that were important to you or your family over the course of your lifetime.

Sun Sounds of Arizona recently benefited from one such gift.  The gentleman was a listener who valued the work of 17 local charities.  His  estate plan established a Trust that took care of his widow and only after she passed away and her estate costs settled, the remainder of the trust became significant gifts to Sun Sounds and those other charities.

It makes good sense… DOLLARS and cents to have an estate plan.  With a little help and a little planning, you can save estate taxes, attorney fees, and more.  We won’t even detail the amount of trouble you will be saving your loved ones.

If you need a little more encouragement to move out of the 52% of adults who have no Will, or have questions about including Sun Sounds in your estate plans, talk with the station manager where you volunteer, or call me at 480-774-8300.

Other resources:
American Bar Association: www.abanet.org/rppt/public/home.html
AARP: www.aarp.org/families/end_life/a2003-12-04-endoflife-guide.html
State Bar of Arizona: 602.252.4808, www.azbar.org.

David Noble
Development Director

Tempe: Marketing

Keep on Keepin’ on

In the last Volunteer Newsletter, Bill talked about all of the losses and stresses volunteers and staff experienced.  His response to the question about how you were going to deal with the changes was, “I’ll tell you what we were going to do… keep on keepin’ on!”  I rolled up my sleeves to take on the job as your new Marketing Coordinator with that mindset. 

My primary job is to increase listenership and awareness of Sun Sounds.  To do that, we created a new information brochure and a new Speakers’ Bureau.  We’re sending out press releases, meeting with members of the non-profit and business community, and taking advantage of any free advertising we can.  Coming soon… a new marketing kit, a statewide media and public service announcement campaign and so much more!

Key in all of this is cohesiveness… in the stationery, the brochures, the web site, the marketing kits, the press releases, posters… and above all else, the message we convey.  That’s my other job, helping you and Sun Sounds articulate a message that’s engaging and inspiring.  To tell the Sun Sounds story in ways most people can relate to, connect to and easily understand, so we don’t have to fight for attention but draw attention.  That’s what I strive toward every time I write copy for Sun Sounds.

I know many of you end up talking about Sun Sounds.  As such, I encourage you to visit the web site from time to time, read the new stuff on the new press page.  Read through the new collateral we’re producing and consider attending a Speakers’ Bureau workshop so that what you say is in-sync with what we’re saying.   I also encourage you to participate in some of our Speakers Bureau projects, including the Birdies for Charities program.  It’s a quick and easy way you can make a difference.

On a side note, I have to say it’s been a great pleasure getting to know all of you.  I’ve worked with a lot of volunteers and this group is just terrific! 

Until next time… keep on keepin’ on.

Annette Flores
Tempe Marketing Coordinator

Tempe: Operations

Sound Advice

This year I had the honor of picking up five of the six program awards at the IAAIS Conference Banquet Dinner May 19th in Jackson Mississippi.  I was acting producer/engineer on several of the programs that won awards and was asked to bring the stack back home to Arizona.  Lucky for me I packed light and had room in my suitcase.  Sun Sounds has received awards in the past but not quite to this extent.  It led me to wonder why Sun Sounds continues to be an award-winning service.

Sun Sounds staff provides you with show formats, publications, and technical training but some readers have developed a skill set that puts a stamp of par excellence on their program, making them award winners.

So what is that skill set that makes a program shine above the rest you are asking?   Keep in mind that it takes time and perseverance to record a show that is close to excellent every week.

Here are some of my pointers for developing that par excellence tool set to produce an award winning show.

First you must sound enthusiastic about what you are reading.  Your enthusiasm engages the listener and makes the show interesting to listen to whether you are reading about what’s on sale at Basha’s this week or the history of the Roman Empire.  If you are just reading words on a page the material does not come to life.

Your pacing is very important to the listenability of the material.  If it does not flow from sentence to sentence with appropriate pauses at commas, periods, and paragraphs, let’s face it, it will be hard to follow the unfolding of ideas or plots of the story.

Making smooth transitions between articles can be really challenging for some.  Jumping abruptly to the next article, without some type of pause or comment at the end of the article, makes it  difficult to tell that a new article is being read.

Lazy mouth affects us all from time to time which has a direct impact on our enunciation.  Your voice is your tool and like all tools it needs to be maintained and sharpened from time to time.  This can be accomplished by doing about five minutes of voice exercises before you record.   Please check with me if you want some of the “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickles” exercises.

A proper Open/Close is a must for every award-winning program.  Both of these items are so important that they are rated separately on the judging forms.  Opening remarks should include an introduction of the show and the reader, and some of the articles you plan to read.

Closing out your show should include again your name and show title and don’t forget to thank listeners for tuning in. Your closing remarks are a good time to remind listeners to tune in again the following week, giving the day and time the show airs.

Lastly, the technical skills can be daunting at times but you must learn to make clean corrections when you mumble, stumble, cough, sneeze, sniffle, and especially mispronounce words. 
(Next to the article is a picture of a microphone)

There is no getting around it; mistakes are unacceptable in the award arena.  If you need to be retrained on how to make clean edits in the mini-editor, check with the operations staff; then practice, practice, practice.

Audio levels are very important in recording.  Do you do a sound check before you begin recording and do you know how to adjust your mike levels if they are too hot?  If you are drawing a blank on these questions, maybe it’s time for some, retraining in the booth.

My final recommendation is one of the best things you can do to improve your show is listening to it on occasion.  You can do that by requesting a CD copy for a self evaluation or if you have the time, reviewing it after recording and saving it to the show file.

I know we all have bad voice days when the frog stays lodged in your throat or your tongue has a mind of its’ own but, keep this quote from Aristotle in mind,

We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Margie Zebell
Operations Manager

Tucson: Mitzi's Desk

Thank You!

I want to thank all of the volunteers  working on the beer festival this year. There are many changes this year and there is a lot of work ahead of us but it is looking to be our biggest, best and most profitable fundraiser ever. Thank you, for making this happen.

In November we will start up a speakers’ bureau in Tucson so we can go out and spread the word about what we are and what we do. The speakers will need to learn everything there is to know about Sun Sounds. If you are interested please give me a call.

We still have over 200 volunteers in Tucson which is GREAT, but we still need more board operators. If anyone is interested please call Debbie and let her know you could help there We are going to resume going to ASDB again to read to the younger kids there. They really love it. If anyone is interested in that program please call Claire.

Thank you all for being involved with Sun Sounds. Without you, we could not do what we do.

Mitzi Tharin
Tucson, Station Manager

Tucson: Marketing

Our volunteers look after Sun Sounds but on their "days off' they’re very active with more good works.

Volunteer, Molly Stockton works with the Twilight Wish Foundation to make wishes for elderly people come true. She recently worked with a 91 year old gentleman, Harley, who gets dialysis on a weekly basis. He was drafted as a cook but met with the wrong end of a machine gun after he sailed from Southampton, England and  landed at Omaha Beach.

Molly comes from Southampton and wrote to the Mayor who sent a nice letter to Harley. She presented this to Harley on May 29th along with a stone that Molly had picked up along Omaha Beach when she visited there in 2000.

Claire Weeks
Tucson Marketing Coordinator


When you extend yourself in kindness and spirit, one to another, that comes back to you
~Oprah Winfrey

Tucson: Volunteers

Greetings to All!

I hope this finds all of you enjoying the "warm" weather we are having at present!  Just
kidding!

So many of you have been on vacations the past few months, I am sure you have enjoyed yourselves. I am in the process of calling all of you about volunteering for the Beer Festival. It's my first year  scheduling volunteers for the festival so thank you so much in advance for your patience, understanding and hard work.

If I haven't called you yet and you are interested in helping at the festival, please call me at (520) 296-2400.  I am at the office on Monday and Wednesdays from 9 AM to 2 PM.  The Beer Festival is September 22nd at High Corbett Field.

Just a reminder, please remember to sign your time cards each time you come into Sun Sounds to volunteer for anything. We need to track the hours and this helps so much.Thanks!
 
Many thanks to everyone, as I have had to call you to substitute more than usual the past few months. Because of all of you, Sun Sounds works!

Call me anytime you need me.

Debbie Schaab
Tucson Volunteer Coordinator

Life can be so stressful and volunteering should not be one of them.  Volunteering should be enjoyable, something to look forward to each time you come into Sun Sounds.
~Debbie S

Flagstaff: Eleanor's Desk

Gratitude

Entertainment III category at the International Association of Audio Information Services Conference held in Jackson, MS this year.  It was the first IAAIS award for the Flagstaff Station and everyone is very proud of the honor.  The program that brought in the honors was Dear Alice.

Our 15th Annual Made in the Shade Festival was July 14th and another huge success for the Flagstaff station and for Sun Sounds in northern Arizona.  Approximately 3000 people came out to enjoy the beer sampling and after a week of rain preceding the event we were once again blessed with sunshine the day of the event.  In addition to beer tasting, attendees were treated to a live remote from radio station Sunny 100, magic with Shawn Greer and Vera the balloon lady was a big success with her balloon animals.

A huge thank you goes out to the 110 volunteers who worked very hard to make the festival a success including 31 volunteers from the local business NEBS Corporation, which for years has supported the Sun Sounds Flagstaff station with funds and volunteer support.  We also want to thank other local sponsors who were instrumental in bringing the event together: Pepsi Bottling and Golden Eagle Distributors for providing drinks for the designated driver booth, a very important part of having a safe tasting event; Kirkpatrick and Harris, a local law firm that provided the designated driver wrist bands; Radisson Hotel, also a regular sponsor, that provided the VIP mugs this year; Beaver Street Brewery, which has been a festival ticket outlet for years also provided support in bringing out of town brewers to the event.  On board were two new sponsors this year, Museum Club, which sponsored the general admission wrist bands and Mazatal Casino, which was our stage sponsor.  MSP Contracting paid to have 5 foot  balloons mark the VIP and DD tents and Frisco Street Grille and the Coordinating Council provided the VIP food. Without your help we wouldn’t be the success we are so thank you very much to all of you.

Welcome to our new volunteers, we are happy to have you with us. They are; Glenda Foust, Ronni Davis, Don Valich, Kathy Mitchell, Diane Brennan and Piper Cooke. 

We also have a new employee, Tressa Wheeler who takes care of the control room and the volunteers for the evening shows.  Tressa did lots of pre-festival work in the office, coming in early and staying late all of which saved us lots of time the day of the event.  This year we had a centrally located information booth at the festival which was designed, set up and run by Sharon to let people know about Sun Sounds.  This was a very important addition to festival layout this year.

Eleanor Mooney
Flagstaff, Station Manager

Flagstaff: Marketing

Can You Hear Me Now?

In northern Arizona with our unique and stunning geography, the most difficult part of outreach by far is ensuring and mapping a clear signal.  Over the last year I have personally both heard and not heard Sun Sounds in Flagstaff, Sedona, Holbrook, Kingman, Ashfork, Cottonwood, Cornville, Payson, Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Dewey.  So the new issue that I came across last month I see as a gift rather than a curse.  We now have 3 separate signals, 88.7, 102.5, and 103.3 which all work in various parts of the Verde Valley.  We are well covered in that area and just have to find out which signal is the most ideal for each street and neighborhood.  How nice it is to have options.

Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom
Flagstaff Marketing and Outreach Coordinator

Sun Sounds Foundation - Board of Directors

Sue Berliner,
Sweat Magazine

Paul Campbell, 
InterTech Communication Group

Bill Davis, Chairman

Murry Everson
UPS Logistics

Greg Fretz
Pyramid Brewery

Diane Gardiner

Dion Isom, Treasurer 
InterTech Communication Group

Scott Law, Secretary
Coconino Community College

Heather Lovett Dunn
KPNX

Carl Matthusen
KJZZ/KBAQ/Sun Sounds

Linda Montgomery
Braille & Talking Book Library

Bill Pasco
Sun Sounds of Arizona

Mike Scarborough
DPR Realty

Harry Schoolitz, Vice-Chairman

Rick Scott

Kevin Wright
APS

Underwriters

RIO SALADO COLLEGE
SUN SOUNDS FOUNDATION
ARIZONA LEGISLATURE
DEL E. WEBB FOUNDATION
ARIZONA LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT (AZ LSTA)
BANK OF AMERICA
COUNTY FAIR WHITE ELEPHANT
PENDLETON MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
ALCOA FOUNDATION
ENHANCED VISION
DAVIS MONTHAN FCU (VANTAGE WEST)
SUN CITY WEST COMMUNITY FUND
SUNDT
GANNETT FOUNDATION
SOUTHERN ARIZONA ASSOCIATION FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED (SAAVI)
TUCSON ELECTRIC POWER
JIM CLICK
FIRST CREDIT UNION
NEW FRONTIERS
DIAMOND FOUNDATION
ELIZABETH READ TAYLOR FOUNDATION
GENEMATAS FOUNDATION
HIGGINS FOUNDATION
SHURTZ FOUNDATION
WELLS FARGO BANK
ALTRUSA

And a special thanks to our public and commercial radio partners who help deliver our signal throughout Arizona:

KJZZ-FM Tempe
KUAT-FM Tucson
KNAU-FM Flagstaff
KTTI-FM Yuma.

We would also like to thank Time Warner Cable in Yuma for their unwavering support and transmission of Sun Sounds' programming on cable channel 70.

Vision Statement

Sun Sounds of Arizona will make creative use of technology and talent to ensure that every disabled person has the opportunity to access the current and local information necessary to a self-directed, productive life. As a result, the inability to read print will no longer be considered a disabling condition.  Sun sounds of Arizona will continue to be a leader in the field of information access services and a willing partner to organizations with like goals.  Sun Sounds of Arizona is innovative, committed to quality and to customer satisfaction

I truly appreciate Sun Sounds radio!  I never knew this type of service existed until I became blind…. It is like having a coffee table with every publication you can think of, right in front of you!  My only problem is there are only 24 hours in a day, and I wish there were more to enjoy all of Sun Sounds radio!
~Daniel S

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