Voices of KOWS Community Radio

Real MusiciJ ШШГЩ& штть СГ* r r By Robert Feuer Email: roberto777@comcast.net Ш Voices of KOWS Community Radio A gray A-frame highlighted by red trim, located in midtown Occidental between an organic market and a pricey hotel, is home to a low-power radio station. As with most non-commercial community stations, for KOWS every day is a struggle to survive. The transmitter is housed in an abandoned trailer atop a knoll at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC), where a 70-foot high antenna clings to a nearby fir tree. KOWS is the brainchild of Philip Tymon, Administrative Director of OAEC. Community radio licenses are only available to local non- profit organizations, and OAEC, though not actively involved in the radio collective, provides KOWS' legal and fiscal sponsorship. Tymon, who's no longer with KOWS, referred to the unlicensed operation of radio in the 1980s and '90s as "a massive civil disobedience movement engaged in by hundreds of thousands of people." That movement claimed the airwaves belonged to the people, not corporations, and therefore FCC regulations were illegal. "Eventually we forced the FCC and Congress to come around. It was an amazing victory," said Tymon. All-volunteer KOWS has been presenting live shows for over five years, and has attracted some of West County's most creative people as show hosts. Teresa Tudury's Live from the Doublewide presents the songs and stories that make up her fascinating life as a singer /songwriter, actress and comedienne. Tudury considers community radio to be "the wave of the future, at a time when the media has been commandeered by multi-national corporations with agendas antithetical to community and the 99%. People are anxious to hear something coming from an alternative perspective. Music is the most expedient delivery system there is. It goes directly past the brain, into a person's heart and soul. At KOWS we're starting to settle into the real vision, one that's fruity and textured. We're really working at it." Kym Trippsmith, active in music performance and environmental theater in Sonoma County for many years, describes her Feisty Females show as "a way to fan the flame of our female performers." She views community radio as "a gift, a Clear Channel- free zone, a sacred ritual, and a powerful, democratic tool for shifting the paradigm toward sustainability." On Uncle Dave Barsky's Real Hippy Hour, musicians and other friends show up with their instruments and stories, or to create sound effects for what he refers to as the "smartass stories" he tells about his life. "I believe the revolution of the '60s is ongoing," Barsky said. Miss Annie's Vintage Soul Revue gives her the freedom to display her seemingly boundless collection of vocal group harmony, R&B and soul. "I love the unpretentiousness of KOWS. It's very real. I can just come here and turn down the lights and put on music. What's thrilling about live radio is you're in the moment, it's spontaneous and therapeutic." Tune in 107.3 FM in Occidental area , or www.kows.fm for streaming , the KOWS schedule and info on how you can be a part of this community project. 20 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 10/13