Renaissance and Revival

0
545

Editor,

On Halloween, a friend asked me to help hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters on Oak Street, where 1,500 kids stopped by last year. That intrigued me so I went.

It was awesome; far beyond what I had expected and then some.

There was not a sad face anywhere and every child and adult said “Thank you” upon leaving and “Happy Halloween” upon arriving with the same smile. I was blown away!

Two hours felt like minutes.

I experienced the same joy that was everywhere on Oak Street, which looked like a Hollywood film set: ghosts and goblins, witches and pumpkins, webs with giant spiders lined the driveways.

It was a wonderful night. Right down the street, radio station KX 93.5 was taking in all the sights of the evening.

KX 93.5 was to come into my life two nights later when I was invited to the radio station’s anniversary party. What a night that was, as equally thrilling as Halloween had been.

Upon entering the Festival grounds, I was blown away again by what I saw. Crowds of people, all looking young and under 50, enjoying the music. The crowd estimated at 1,300, again as on Halloween, all were smiling, well dressed, polite and orderly.

As a community volunteer in many of Laguna’s music executive boards, we have all spent many hours trying to get just this response from young adults to the programs we have put on. I figured that the under 50 crowd in Laguna just liked art, and music was not their “bag.” Was I ever wrong, and I felt it in every pore of my body Saturday night.

I started asking questions of everybody sitting around me and of Tyler Russell, the founder and program director of KX93.5 FM.

The comments were all the same; we listen to their music on the radio and love it. And all these people were paying to be here.

The music was mellow, again the crowds were respectful, and genuinely appreciating everything they heard.

I have been reborn, experiencing my own music renaissance and feeling a revival of my own soul.

Laguna Beach does have everything going for it. I can rejoice again with the joy that comes from a shared community. And after all my questions of why they like this station. I got the same answers. “We like the music they play. It is mellow, well performed, peaceful, and speaks to our souls.” That’s what is needed by not only the under-50 crowd but by all of us.

Bravo to KX 93.5 FM, and Laguna Beach’s awesome Halloween!

Carol Reynolds, Laguna Beach

 

Share this:

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here