Sounds Good

Kate Lochte continues our series of interviews with young people of western Kentucky who are finding success in major markets. This time we meet professional wrestler Leva Bates, former Madisonville resident, Madisonville high school graduate, and Murray State University graduate. She made her professional debut in 2006, and has since won the CCW Women's Championship, SCW Women's Championship, and USCW Women's Championships. In 2012, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her among the 50 best female singles wrestlers. Initially, Leva attended FXE Wrestling School to become a manager, but was informed by her teachers that she wasn't a manager, she was a wrestler.

On Sounds Good, we welcomed Yasamin Ausenbaugh,Director of Christian County Cares 2015. She outlined the events of the International Festival in Hopkinsville at the JEB Convention Center, March 15 & 16. featuring international foods, a global village, international performers from Indian to American, performing Tribal Belly Dance to the Nyama Drum Ensemble. The performers come from the Global Education Center in Nashville. Click here for more information about the festival.

Lin Oliver is the author of the Who Shrunk Daniel Funk series, and the co-author, with Henry Winkler, of the bestselling Hank Zipzer series. She is a writer and producer of movies, books, and television series for children and families. The co-founder and executive director of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and sons. On Sounds Good, we learned more about the event in Madisonville with Lin and fellow writer Theo Baker. Visit her at linoliver.com.

In the second interview of the WKMS Parenthood Project, WKMS Membership Coordinator Jenni Todd interviews Dr. Sharon Gill of Murray State's Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, about the importance of reading to your child.

Accompanying links:

Joe Baust, Murray State professor emeritus, education, hosts Peter Yarrow of the famed folk group Peter, Paul and Mary for a 2 hour free concert in Wrather Hall on April 10 at 6:30 p.m. Yarrow travels spreading the word about his non-profit, Operation Respect, which works to assure each child and youth a respectful, safe and compassionate climate of learning where their academic, social and emotional development can occur free of bullying, ridicule and violence. Joe spoke to Kate Lochte about the upcoming event, during Sounds Good.

Kate Lochte continues our series of interviews with young people of western Kentucky who are finding success “out there” in major markets.  This time we meet a co-founder of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band, Jon Cowherd.

Pianist Jon Cowherd is a member of jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson's band, and his instrumental work has graced albums by the likes of Rosanne Cash, Lizz Wright, Iggy Pop, Marc Cohn, Mark Olson and Victoria Williams. He tours with Ms. Wilson, Rosanne Cash and also his Fellowship Band, which he co-founded with percussionist /bandleader Brian Blade with whom he discovered musical brotherhood while both were students at Loyola University in New Orleans. 

WKMS hosts a special early-bird fundraising event with live string band music in Studio A for Sounds Good with Tracy Ross. One of the rotating hosts of Music from the Front Porch, Mike Gowen, joins in to introduce old-time string music of the Purchase Region with Nathan Blake Lynn and Josh Coffey, known through Bawn in the Mash and other groups. 

As part of today's special presentation, Nathan plays music from his historical music project titled The Places I Used To Know. The album features 10 original songs focused on Lynn’s experiences in the Jackson Purchase. All songs were written, performed, and engineered by Lynn at his farm in Heath, Kentucky. For more information visit nathanblakelynn.com.

See a video describing the album and a special fundraiser premium after the jump.

On Sounds Good, Tracy Ross spoke with to "The Voice of The Racers" Neal Bradley about all things Racer Basketball. They caught up on the last couple of weeks of Racer basketball, specifically the last four games, and preview tonight (Thursday) and Saturday's games. Also, they preview next week's OVC tournament in Nashville.

We continue our occasional series previewing good reads for young adults from Katherine Farmer, Coordinator of the Racers Children's Preview Collection at Murray State University. This week's recommended read is Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage, a Newberry Honor Winner that School Library Journal describes as a hilarious modern day mystery, that leaves the readers hoping for sequels.

Next week, the American Shakespeare Festival returns to the Murray State campus to present Shakespeare's hilarious comedy Twelfth Night and John Webster's gripping tragedy The Duchess of Malfi. Check out the full festival schedule, which also includes an exciting lineup of workshops, film screenings, and stimulating scholar-led discussions at murraystate.edu/shakespeare. Festival organizers Dr. Barbara Cobb and Dr. Rusty Jones came to the studio to read some Shakespeare and talk about some of the more... interesting elements of  both featured productions.