May 4th, 2017 by Gary Osberg
I am planning on planting Yukon Golds tomorrow, so this is going out early. The author Richard Ford was a guest on “Fresh Air” hosted by Terry Gross this week. He has written a memoir about his parents titled “Between Them”. He was born in 1943, fifteen years into his parent’s marriage and as an only child, he always thought that he had come between them. His father died when Richard was young and his mother died a few years ago. It reminded me of my Dad and this story that I wrote shortly after he died.
“Clearing out Dad’s room has been quite the experience. Many years ago Dad went to work as a dishwasher at Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul. His boss was Maxine Rowan and they became good friends. When Maxine died, Dad asked me to sing two songs at her memorial service. I sang The Lord’s Prayer and Amazing grace a Capella.
One of the pieces of furniture that Dad brought with him when he moved in with me was a glass front corner unit with glass shelves. One of the items on a shelf was an egg with silver decorations on the top and a seam around the middle. I was thinking that it had a doll inside of it, but when I tried to lift the top part off, it would not easily come apart. I took it into the kitchen and using a table knife, I pried it open. What I found was ashes! “Oh my God, it was Maxine”. I spilled a little in my haste to replace the top and quickly returned it to its place in the curio. A few years later I dug a hole next to Dad’s headstone and buried it there.”
The APHC this week is a rebroadcast of the season finale in Saint Paul, Minnesota with The Avett Brothers, Jesca Hoop, and Jen Kirkman. Tune in this weekend on your local public radio station. Chris and the gang will be back at The Fitzgerald Theatre with a brand-new live broadcast next Saturday!
More from this Episode
“Find expression for sorrow and it will become dear to you. Find expression for a joy and it will intensify its ecstasy.” Oscar Wilde
April 28th, 2017 by Gary Osberg
Another event filled week at Collegeville, as we continue to celebrate 50 years of broadcasting. Tuesday was MPR Day all day long at St. John’s ending with Garrison Keillor’s Gratitude Tour show at Escher Auditorium on the campus of the College of St. Benedict. Cathy Wurzer did an awesome job broadcasting from Brother Willie’s Pub in Sexton Commons. There were archival clips from MPR’s early days and interviews with folks who helped to make MPR great. Alison Young hosted Classical MPR from 10 until 1 PM and The Current’s Host Jill Riley was on the air from Brother Willie’s in the afternoon.
Garrison was on stage at the Escher Auditorium for almost two hours. He entertained a sold out house with stories, starting with the farm house in Freeport where he spent many hours in the upstairs bedroom with an Underwood typewriter trying to craft a story worthy of The New Yorker. He had made a trip to Freeport that day to Charlie’s Café to visit with the folks that inspired his News From Lake Wobegon. The sing-a-long was my favorite part. He even had us sing `Silent Night’, the one song for which I know the bass part well enough to feel like a real Lutheran Choir Member.
The next evening “Bring the Sing” filled the Abbey Church with a blend of voices from all over central Minnesota. G. Philip Shoultz III , who directs VocalEssence, was able to conduct a group of several hundred men and women, most of whom had never sung together before. Choirs from SJU and CSB, along with a chamber orchestra directed by Axel Theimer, and The Saint John’s Boys Choir were part of the performance. Michael Barone, the creator of “Pipe Dreams”, introduced St. John’s organist Kim Kasling. Michael Barone started working for MPR, here in Wimmer Hall, on August 20, 1968. Someday you will be able to listen to this great music online or on your smart phone at www.classicalmpr.org/choral I will be sharing the date and time thru this Friday note when it becomes available.
The APHC show this week is a February 2017 rebroadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Lucius sings “My Heart Got Caught on Your Sleeve” and “How Loud Your Heart Gets”; Brad Mehldau teams up with Chris Thile for “Scarlet Town” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” and he demonstrates a bit of piano improvisation; Tom Papa ponders the news, life as an adult, children, and marriage. Plus: Chris’s Song of the Week, “Valentine’s Day for Parents of Small Children,” and messages from SCAT-3000 — a smart car calibrated for Minnesota drivers — and the Catchup Advisory Board.
Those who live here in central Minnesota will be able to enjoy more choral music this weekend. Minnesota Center Chorale is performing “Oye la Musica” at First Methodist Church in Sartell Saturday evening at 7 and The Great River Chorale is presenting “A Mosaic of Gifts” at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud this Sunday afternoon at 4.
“Run a moist pen slick through everything and start afresh.” Charles Dickens.
April 21st, 2017 by Gary Osberg
What a week! Minnesota Public Radio is celebrating 50 years of broadcasting all year long. On Monday, Bill Kling, Gary Eichten and Cathy Wurzer were in our studio to film a segment for tonight’s Almanac show on TPT. Almanac airs at 7pm. It was great fun listening to Bill and Gary reminisce about the first year and the start of what was to become the largest network of public radio stations in the world. The story about some guy strapping a grand piano on his back and carrying it up 3 flights of stairs was worth the price of admission alone. I am not sure when they removed the piano.
On Tuesday of next week, Cathy will be in Brother Willie’s Pub at 6 am broadcasting Morning Edition live until 9. Alison Young will broadcast Classical MPR from 10 am until 1 pm. `The Current’ host Jill Riley will be on the air from 3 until 6 pm with a live performance by Communist Daughter during the 5 o’clock hour. It will be MPR Day all day long on St. John’s campus, with studio tours from 11 until 2:30. Garrison Keillor’s “The Gratitude Tour”, sponsored by Eye Associates of Central Minnesota, will be performed live from Escher Auditorium at College of Saint Benedict at 7 pm. Details are at www.mpr50.0rg
The next day “Bring the Sing”, a free community choral event, takes place in the Abbey Church from 5 to 8 pm. All three SJU and CSB choirs will participate. G. Phillip Schoultz from VocalEssence will conduct.
The APHC show this week is a look back to February and the broadcast from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Amos Lee sings “One Lonely Light” and “A Change is Gonna Come”; Jenny Lewis performs “Just One of the Guys” and “Heads Gonna Roll”; and Nate Bargatze shares a few thoughts about dog medicine, time travel, and friendship. Plus: host Chris Thile will perform his Song of the Week, “Falsetto”; Noam Pikelny joins Chris to play “Waveland”; the story of country music legend Buddy Lee Bedford; and a message from show sponsor Le Poulet Chaud Café.
“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind and the third is to be kind.” Henry James.
March 31st, 2017 by Gary Osberg
This is a reprint of the very first posting of my Friday notes on the website www.garyosberg.com March 28, 2008.
“It is a bright sunny day in Collegeville today. It is still cool, but with no wind and the sun higher in the sky, it is starting to feel like spring. We took a mini-vacation and visited some friends in Sioux Falls this week. It turns out that the economy is doing quite well in South Dakota. Housing is not in the dumps in Sioux Falls and the same is said to be true of Rapid City. Steve and I tagged along on a short shopping trip in downtown Sioux Falls. It was fun to drop in on some of my underwriters. I was able to find a hard copy of “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, for only seven dollars at The Book Shop on Phillips Avenue. A “heck-of-a-deal”.
“When I started in sales, I was terrible at it. I was trying to sell automated drafting service to various department heads at Control Data. I had worked at Control Data before we launched Norwood Engineering and it seemed logical to call on my previous co-workers. I managed to alienate every one of them. Butch Herter, a co-worker at Norwood, suggested that I might be well served if I read “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dales Carnegie. It made a huge difference.”
The APHC show this week is a return to January and the first broadcast of 2017, at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington. The Shins play “Name for You” and “The Fear” and Regina Spektor sings “The Trapper and the Furrier” and “Samson.” Plus: Chris Thile starts things off with “’17 (Modern Friendship)” and the band members share a few of their resolutions for the new year. We’ll also visit the renowned Cup & Clam with Bertrand Falstaff Heine, and it’s all brought to you by sponsors Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie and Memory Foam Mattresses. Tune in!
Brother Bill and I are flying to Arizona on Sunday, so there will not be a Friday note next week. Have a great week.
“To live is to think and act, and to think and act is to change.” James Allen
March 24th, 2017 by Gary Osberg
I did see a robin the other day. No earth worms crawling on the sidewalk yet, but we are hoping that spring will arrive soon. “in a little while” was one of Jimmy Dorr’s sayings and sometimes that is the best that we can do.
This year Minnesota Public Radio is celebrating 50 years of broadcasting on what started as Minnesota Education Radio with the broadcast of a pre-recorded concert by the Cleveland Orchestra on KSJR 90.1. That day was January 22, 1967. On April 25th we will celebrate “MPR Day” all day here on the campus of St. John’s University. We will start at 6am with a broadcast of Morning Edition with host Cathy Wurzer, live from Brother Willie’s Pub in Sexton Commons. Allison Young will be live from the same pub from 10am until 1pm and The Current will be there from 3pm until 6pm. That evening Garrison Keillor’s Gratitude Tour will be at Escher Auditorium on the campus of the College of St. Benedict. Details on all of the yearlong events is online at www.mpr50.org
This week the APHC show is a look back to early December and a show at The Town Hall in New York City. Marcus Mumford sings “Kansas City” and “When I Get My Hands on You,” Corrine Bailey Rae performs “Put Your Records On” and “Like a Star,” and Trevor Noah will chat with Chris Thile and share a few stories from his book Born a Crime. Plus: Chris Thile’s Song of the Week, “Thank You, New York”; the continuing adventures of Mando Man; Gaby Moreno sits in with the band for “Cucurrucucú Paloma”; and Bertrand Falstaff Heine interviews a band of “San Francisc-ish” musicians.
“Hope is the source of strength. We can depend on our arms and hands, but we can’t do anything without hope.” Starhawk (Miriam Simos)
March 17th, 2017 by Gary Osberg
“Today is St. Patrick’s Day, the annual feast day celebrating a patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick was born around the year 385, in a village in Wales. When he was 16, a group of Irish pirates raided his village and took many of the young men back to Ireland to work as slaves. Patrick worked for six years as a herdsman in the Irish countryside. In his sixth year, he escaped and made his way back to Wales. But, according to his autobiography, soon after he got back home he heard a voice telling him to go back to Ireland and convert the Irish to Christianity. That’s eventually what he did, but first he went to France to visit monasteries and study religious texts. After 12 years in France, he went back to Ireland, where he founded monasteries, schools, and churches and converted much of the island to Christianity.” Source `Writers Almanac’ by Garrison Keillor
This week, the APHC show is a look back to the November broadcast from the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver, Colorado. Trey Anastasio joins Chris for “Back on the Train” and “Miss You,” The Staves harmonize on “Blood I Bled” and “Sadness Don’t Own Me,” and Tig Notaro shares a few stories about life as a comedian. Plus: Chris Thile’s Song of the Week, “The Elephant in the Room”; a chat with our favorite astronauts on their way to Mars; a message from Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie; and a late November crop of musician birthdays.
“Ring of Kerry”, with the St. Paul Irish Dancers, is performing today at 1:30 and tonight at 7:30 at The Paramount Theatre. Tickets are available at www.paramountarts.org
“The greatest achievements were at first and for some time dreams.” James Allen
March 10th, 2017 by Gary Osberg
I don’t get to many of the Friday morning Chamber Connections, but the CMBA Home Show is one that I never miss. The president of the CMBA this year is Matt Cecko who works with one of our sponsors, Dale Gruber’s Home Check Plus. They have been a local sponsor of A Prairie Home Companion for many years. There are two huge displays, one of which is a patio with all of the best in stone from another one of our sponsors, Borgert Products. If you have never been to a Chamber Connection you won’t know that they take the time for everyone to introduce themselves and end with a tag line or slogan. Tom Albers with Borgert Products has the best, “Stones With Style”. The Home Show opens at noon today.
The APHC show this week is a rebroadcast of the November 12 show at The Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jason Isbell sings “Something More Than Free” and “Cover Me Up,” Angélique Kidjo gets everyone dancing with “Afirika” and “Orisha,” The Dover Quartet plays Barber’s Adagio for Strings, and Billy Collins reads his poems “On Rhyme” and “Only Child.” Plus: Chris Thile and the band present the Song of the Week, “I Made This for You,” and take on “Blackbird” for our Powdermilk Biscuits Instant Song Request; a message from the new dating app “Hinder”; and our staff critic Bertrand Falstaff Heine (remember, that’s pronounced “hiney”) reviews Philly’s famous cheesesteaks. Tune in on your radio or online.
“The bitterness of poor workmanship remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” Longfellow
March 3rd, 2017 by Gary Osberg
Today is Walleye Willie’s 8th birthday. He is a hoot. He sleeps with a “fish pillow”. Every year he creates a “bucket list” of 10 fish species that he intends to catch. In 2016 the only one that he did not catch was “Salmon”. Because of the world wide web and the website that his dad posts on, www.theoutdoorreport.com , a charter boat captain from Lake Michigan offered to take Willie out, but we were not able to fit it into the schedule. Maybe this year.
Brother Bill and I are taking a flight from the St. Cloud airport to Mesa, Arizona. www.burschtravel.com We are on a mission. Bill has a house in Sun City West that he would like to sell.
Check out the listing: Click to view listing(s)
We plan on spending the week and I am going to visit Sedona for sure. Bill has a Mazda convertible that he will have to drive back to Minnesota unless he can find someone in Arizona that needs it.
The APHC show this week is a rewind to last October 29 and a broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Esperanza Spalding performs “Judas” and “Good Lava,” Dawes joins Chris for “Roll with the Punches” and “We’re All Gonna Die,” Aparna Nancherla shares a few thoughts on fruit as a dessert and life in New York City. Plus Chris Thile will perform the spooky “The Dark Half of the Year,” and Gaby Moreno sings “La Malagueña,” a visit to Deplorable Manor. There will be a message from the Catchup Advisory Board.
“Life is accepting what is and working from that” Gloria Naylor
February 24th, 2017 by Gary Osberg
The snow has missed us again. I recall winters in Upsala that were amazing. Maybe it was because I was a child, but the snow piles seemed huge. In fact, I have seen pictures of the area around Grandma Ramlo’s grocery store that are proof positive. In Upsala there was a “Dead Man’s Corner”. It was the first 90 degree turn as you drove north out of town. Many cars ended up in that ditch. I doubt if they even refer to the corner that way anymore.
Entertainment in Upsala was a “do-it-yourself” project. After a big snow storm, we would take to the Burtrum Hills in our cars and blaze paths through the snow drifts. I recall us boys tying a hood from a DeSota to the bumper, getting into the hood and riding the surf in the ditches. It is a wonder that none of us were killed. Now, my son takes the time to bring his children with him ice fishing. Walleye Willie caught his personal best through the ice on one Sunday and he speared his first Northern the next Sunday. Proof positive is attached.
The APHC show this week is a look back to the October 22 broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats perform “Wasting Time” and “Out on the Weekend,” Anäis Mitchell sings “Why We Build the Wall” and “Clyde Waters,” and John Hodgman shared a few thoughts on beards and septic systems. Plus there will be Chris Thile’s Song of the Week, “Dates”. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors will share a few new Grandparent names and Bertrand Falstaff Heine will review this season’s snow tires. Plus, there will be a rollicking medley of Swedish fiddle tunes. Tune in Saturday at 5 CST or Sunday at 11 am on the MPR News network.
I will be working the table at Escher Auditorium at The College of Saint Benedict tomorrow night. The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble will take the stage at 7:30. I hope to see you there. Tickets at www.csbsju.edu/wow
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau
February 17th, 2017 by Gary Osberg
I celebrated my seventh birthday in Vienna, Austria. I was an army brat. Dad served in the navy during the war and later he joined the army. In 1950 he was a Sergeant in the 5th Army stationed in Vienna. As “dependents” we were housed in an apartment building that was quite nice. There were two marble faced fireplaces and a baby grand piano along with a crystal chandelier in the dining room. I ran with a group of other army brats and I was the oldest in the group.
One day in February we were hanging out in front of the large estate on the corner next to our apartment. One of the kids stuck his hand in the fence opening and a dog took his mitten. I bravely offered to go through the gate and recover the mitten. I still remember starting my walk across the large yard toward the two “Boxers”. They greeted me by jumping up and knocking me to the ground. They proceeded to chew on my arms and legs until an Austrian man who we referred to as the “fireman”, (he took care of the furnace in our apartment building) came in and pulled the dogs off of me. I walked home nearly naked and my mother fainted when she opened the door. I spent about 6 weeks in the army hospital. It took me a while to get over my fear of dogs. The occupant of the estate was a Colonel in the U.S. Army and they gave me a new winter coat.
This week the APHC show is live from the famed Fitzgerald Theater, in sunny Saint Paul, Minnesota. Prepare to be blown away by the new host Chris Thile and guests The Avett Brothers, Jesca Hoop, and comedian Jen Kirkman. Plus: there will be the Song of the Week from Chris and the band (singers Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan, pianist and music director Richard Dworsky, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, bassist Alan Hampton, guitarist Julian Lage, and Ted Poor on drums). The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Serena Brook, Tim Russell, and Fred Newman will entertain with a variety of skits. Do send in your suggestions for the Powdermilk Biscuit Instant Song Request. It’s two hours of public radio you won’t want to miss — tune in on your local station or watch live (Saturday, 5pm-7pm CST) at prairiehome.org!
“You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizon. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about – the more you have left when anything negative happens.” Ethel Barrymore
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