Today's Holidays: National Radio Day, World Mosquito Day, Chocolate Pecan Pie Day
Website of the Day: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/tonys-chocolate-pecan-pie-recipe-1938758
Fact of the Day: Oprah Winfrey started her career on the radio when she was sixteen and was hired to read the news on a Nashville radio station.
Full disclosure: It has been a long time since I’ve listened to the radio. I discovered Spotify a few years back, and ever since then I’ve been loyal to my playlists (even before I upgraded to Spotify Premium and had to listen to all of the ads as well as suffer the abuse of my friends when they would ask to hear a song and my response was always: sorry, I can only add it to my playlist, hit shuffle, and hope it comes on!).
But no matter my music platform preference, I cannot deny the value of the radio. The history of this device dates all the way back to the late 1800’s, and yet it still plays a prominent role in our lives today, though, thankfully, in a much more developed form than it was during the time of its invention. The radio’s impact in the present stretches further than we might realize, so let’s take today to celebrate this holiday properly, and begin by diving a little deeper into how the radio influences us.
MUSIC
When most of us think of the radio, or at least when I do, music is the first thing that comes to mind. This past winter, I went through a particularly sad time in my life, which is rare considering my usual positivity. I was driving one day to school in early February when a Sam Smith song came on: one that I had heard so many times before. And suddenly the blur of every lyric complemented by each note brought forth clarity. In times of utter despair, music sings lyrics of hope, renewing our faith in the goodness of the world. Sure, immersing ourselves into music may seem like a temporary, false hope. It may paint a life that is not ours or reveal to us parts of the world that we have not yet experienced, but sometimes this illusion is a savior from the darkness that somehow finds its way to us. Either way, this darkness, the feeling that we are all alone in our failures or the lack of feeling due to a loss of passion or love fades among the beauty of rhythm. The lyrics seem as if they were written personally for us as they speak to this pain and conversely this love. When I look back now on every moment of anguish this past year as well as happiness, I recognize that music has always been there for me: to provide me with this beautiful false hope that is mine. And if false hope found within the music lightens up the world around us, then I’d say this hope is anything but false; it is true and pure, and it is music.
There exists this indescribable, mutual understanding between people when music is heard. Music has not only helped me through the darkest times of my life, but it has tightened the bond of friendships as I let down all my walls to sing my heart out alongside others until our throats hurt. It has introduced me to people who I can no longer imagine my life without as our worlds of music intertwined and we grew a connection simply from the sound and rhythm.
So how does this discussion of music’s significance relate to National Radio Day? While music is powerful in how it changes emotions and creates a sense of unity, the radio has the power to control the music we hear, playing the songs we like in the order it decides. Many of us, including me, hear our music from Spotify, Apple Music, or other platforms, but at some point in our lives, the music that made our feet tap and our voices grow came from the radio, and for this reason, we have much to be appreciative for today.
ENTERTAINMENT
It wasn’t until my dad made me listen to the phone taps on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on 102.1 did I truly develop an appreciation for radio entertainment. I remember listening to this one phone tap on my way to school, and the whole rest of the day I couldn’t stop randomly laughing thinking back to it. A man from the show called a lady who worked for a horse riding company in panic, saying that the horse had gone crazy and he can’t get off. The lady had no clue what to say to him, but she tried to calm him down as he kept telling her: “I’m so scared!” 94.5 PST Chris and The Crew “set up” dates are also great to listen to, especially when the two people have completely different opinions of each other after the date. We might be inclined to turn to the TV or our phones for entertainment these days, but never underestimate the power of a hilarious phone tap at seven thirty a.m.
Music and entertainment are the two main categories for me when I listen to the radio, but let’s not forget about the news, weather, traffic, or our daily dose of celebrity gossip either! When you’re in the car today, turn on your favorite radio station and celebrate National Radio Day the way you want, whether that be jammin’ out to your favorite songs, laughing during the talk shows, or packing that umbrella after hearing that rain is in the forecast.
Make everyday a holiday: Happy National Radio Day!
How did you celebrate National Radio Day? Comment below or send in a photo! #NationalHolidayMovement #LoveTheWorld #BeHappy