Pronunciations can be tricky. I am working weekends on the air at KNBT 92.1 in New Braunfels, Texas, and whenever you start at a new radio station, you have to be very careful to pronounce things properly. It adds to the mystique that you actually know what you are doing. I've worked in several areas of the country that have a wealth of Native American names, and it can be really hard to ascertain where the emphasis should be. Like Osceola, for instance, which is pronounced “os CEE ola”, not “O cee ola.” These kinds of things make for blink moments...“You’re not from around here!”
Sometimes it's even difficult nailing the names of the artists you play. For instance, Roger Creager is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable, and with the “A” present and accounted for, so Creager sounds like ‘CRAIG er.’ And Zack Walther is pronounced Walter, without the ‘H'. Now I wish I would have known that a couple of weeks ago when I played a tune of his, and Program Director Mattson Rainer called to correct me. Whoops! Well, at least now you know. The Zack Walther Band put out "Into The Fray" in May. Back in January, we had a smashing time with them during The MusicFest at Steamboat Springs. Zack on mellifluous vocals and guitar, Robert Cherry on guitar, David Pettit played bass, Tory “Thumper” Childers was on keyboard, and Don Dulaney was on drums. The song? “If Love Was Enough,” a cut off the new album, done Music Fog style.
-- Jessie Scott
