Bluegrass Pals AudioOn a hot night in June, with storm clouds rumbling ominously in the distance, Pioneer 90.1 set up its microphones in the Gazebo at Floyd B. Olson Park in Thief River Falls to record a live set with Phil Nusbaum and The Bluegrass Pals.

The weather held, and the crowd gathered to enjoy live music and an ice cream social to benefit the Pennington County Humane Society. This hour, we’ll meet the band and hear their brand of old time country and bluegrass. Minnesota Arts on the Road is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

We heard from 18 new members during the Saturday Morning Barndance. If Pioneer 90.1 is your vital link to new music and unique local programming, please consider becoming a member. Click here to donate. Thank you!

A new studio at Northland Community and Technical College’s East Grand Forks Campus is the centerpiece of Pioneer 90.1’s spring pledge drive. “Pioneers Heading West” is the theme of the drive that runs March 30 through April 6. The independent public radio station’s headquarters will remain in Thief River Falls, where the station first went on the air 40 years ago, but the remote studio in East Grand Forks will open the station to involvement from students and staff on Northland’s East Grand Forks Campus.

Plans are for the station’s morning program hosted by station manager Mark Johnson to be broadcast from Thief River Falls, with the afternoon program originating from East Grand Forks with host Ron West. The rest of the program schedule is made up of student hosts from both campuses, volunteer-hosted programs, and syndicated programming.

The pledge drive kicks off Friday, March 30 with a live concert by the band Little Winter at 2PM. It wraps up Friday, April 6 with a Battle of the Bands at 7PM. Both events are at the Northland Community and Technical College Theater in Thief River Falls. Submissions for the Battle of the Bands are being taken through March 29 at www.radionorthland.org. Bands are asked to submit a description of their band and a performance mp3 to ksrq@northlandcollege.edu.

The on-air fund raiser gives fans of Pioneer 90.1 programs a chance to show their support. “The ratings we get tell us how many total listeners we have, but we get a better picture of how much support individual shows have based on the contributions they receive. You know someone really likes a show when they stop in out of the blue with a check for the station. That happens sometimes,” Johnson said.

During pledge week, the station will go on “shuffle” mode, with listeners able to request any song, no matter the genre. “We’ll go to great lengths to play anything that week. We’re going to have fun with this,” Johnson said. The station will also feature community guests to help with the fundraising. “Anybody with a song to sing or a story to tell should stop by. We’ll put them on the air,” Johnson said.

Listeners can contribute any time with a credit or debit card at www.radionorthland.org/support.

Pioneer 90.1 recently added HD Digital multicasting that allows it to broadcast two additional, over-the-air side channels that can be picked up by a digital receiver and online.  The HD-2 channel, “Northern Air,” carries an original mix of Minnesota music and programming featuring Minnesota culture. Pioneer 90.1 HD-3 is a blend of oldies from the 50s through the 70s.

Pioneer 90.1 is a member of Ampers, a group of 14 diverse public radio stations located in communities across Minnesota.

When he was a teenager, Paul Nelson used to “borrow” used cars from his dad’s dealership and drive to nearby Crookston or Thief River Falls, both of which are less than 30 miles from his hometown of Warren. From his beginnings in rural Minnesota, Nelson went on to became one of the most well-respected rock critics of his time. Tuesday evening (3/13) at 8:30, Pioneer 90.1 personality Glen Braget interviews author Kevin Avery. Avery’s book about Paul Nelson’s life is titled “Everything Is An Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson.”

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” This desire to be successful can lead people to places they wouldn’t expect to go. This was the case for Northland Community & Technical College student Britt Duffey.

Coming from a long line of entrepreneurs, she has challenged herself to be successful in all that she does. In true entrepreneurial spirit, she made a move from Phoenix to Thief River Falls two weeks before the fall semester began to jumpstart her education.

And when you don’t know a soul in the area besides family, what do you do to immerse yourself in the community? If you are Northland student Britt Duffey, you become a DJ for Pioneer 90.1.

Music has always been an important part of her life and she appreciates all kinds of music, especially alternative stuff people don’t hear all the time. “I really enjoy broadening people’s horizons when it comes to music,” mentioned Duffey. “I had no radio background whatsoever. I heard an ad about becoming a DJ and wrote the name down, I pondered it for like two weeks before I went there to see if they needed any help of any kind. I had no idea I was going to become a DJ but within the week they had me on the air,” said Duffey.

She has been with Pioneer 90.1 for nearly three months and is enjoying the freedom to share different music that is coming to the area with the community. “The station allows me so much freedom to play what I think is important, I might play a YouTube clip from Family Guy, a lesser known artist, or Rage Against the Machine. It’s up to you what gets played when you are working and I really enjoy that.”

Duffey, who is originally from Bismarck, moved around quite a bit when she was younger living in locales as far away as South Africa and attending high school in Phoenix. Before attending Northland, Duffey along with several family members opened up a chain of boutique stores. She was working 50 to 60 hours per week keeping up with the demands of being a business owner in several different locations. After this, she moved back to Phoenix and her mom and sister were living in Thief River Falls. After a period of time in Phoenix she decided she needed to be back in school. After careful deliberation, she decided to make the move to attend Northland’s Thief River Falls campus.

“It’s just a nice town with nice people. Plus I love the water.” added Duffey. “It was a bit of culture shock moving from Phoenix to Thief River but I enjoy the town and what it has to offer. One of my favorite parts is the great farmers markets,” she said. The town isn’t the only thing she likes; she has found Northland to be a great fit for her educational needs.

“It’s the smallest school I have ever been to but that has its advantages too. The teachers are very personable and willing to help with anything. Plus, this school made it easier for me to get back into the swing of things since I took some time off from school and it would’ve been tougher going to a bigger college. I also really like the advantage of having multiple campuses,” said Duffey. She plans to complete her studies at Northland and transfer to UND for the Entrepreneurship program. After completing her education she has visions of starting up an Ecommerce business as well as a medical equipment sales business.

“I’d like to stay at Pioneer 90.1 throughout college, both at Northland and while at UND,” mentioned Duffey. “I would encourage anyone to give it (Pioneer 90.1) a try because you don’t need any experience, I am proof of that. They are so flexible and it’s a lot of fun. You could do a show or you and a friend could do a show together, there is just so much freedom. Plus it looks really good on your resume,” stated Duffey. “All you have to do is go into the station and talk to Mark and he’ll help you with the rest,” she concluded.

“Action may speak louder than words but not nearly as often,” according to Mark Twain. However, Britt Duffey shows that actions combined with words can be a pretty powerful combination for success. She is a example of the entrepreneurial spirit that is strong at Northland Community & Technical College.