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This story originally aired on February 4, 2017. Pastor Pat Wright can't read music, but she made a hit single as a solo R&B singer, performed for three U.S. presidents including Barack Obama, and sang at Jimi Hendrix's funeral. Wright began and continues to direct Seattle's renowned Total Experience Choir. Founded in 1973, the choir has performed for presidents, and toured in 28 countries and 33 states. She attributes its success to the type of music they perform. "You can't make old folks

The Thanksgiving holiday is a time for friends and family to gather together, share a meal and express gratitude. But sometimes things can go wrong. We asked some of the staff in the KNKX newsroom to share their own Thanksgiving mishaps. Youth and education reporter Ashley Gross, All Things Considered host Ed Ronco, News Director Erin Hennessey and our South Sound reporter, Will James, had stories to tell. We hope things go better for you on this holiday. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at

This week on Sound Effect, our theme is "Can’t Let Go." KNKX newsies Ariel Van Cleave and Ed Ronco reminisce about their obscure instruments. Then we talk to Jillian Venters, who gives advice to people of the gothic subculture , including those who are aging within it. Next, we head to Tacoma where a man is making an effort to celebrate author Frank Herbert. Then we take a ride in one of the oddest vehicles you’ll ever see: a hearse, decked out in pink , and available for parties. We get out of

All Things Considered host Ed Ronco and Morning Edition producer Ariel Van Cleave came to learn their respective instruments after things didn't work out with their first choice. Ed started with the trumpet, but the combination of the smaller mouthpiece and a mouth full of braced turned out to be a painful experience. So he moved to the baritone horn, which had a larger mouthpiece, and never looked back. Ariel, on the other hand, just had a distaste for her assigned instrument, the trombone, and

There are still certain parts of our youth that we identify with and often don’t want to let go of. And the number of subcultures out there that people have come to identify with is expansive. For Jillian Venters, there is little question in her mind as to the subculture she identifies with. “I’m kind of a romantic goth with Victorian goth tinges. I get more Victorian goth as the weather gets cooler. It is really hard to wear velvet frock coats and top hats during high summer.” Jillian has been

"You Can do anything in the Barbie Dream Hearse, except smoke” laughs Kat Taylor as we enter the world of white leather with pink accents. Perhaps you’ve seen it, The Barbie Dream Hearse, driving around Seattle, shuttling people around who might be watching a movie in the back, or pouring another glass of champagne from the ice bucket. The white hearse turned party limo is hard to miss. It all started with a play on words. “The words Barbie Dream Hearse were funny to me,” says Kat, “Because,

When it comes to scientific arguments nowadays, there’s a good chance sooner or later someone will be compared to people who believe the earth is flat. Most would consider that an insult, but not Mark Sargent. The Whidbey Island resident spends much of his time promoting the belief that the earth is not round or spherical but actually, definitely flat. He’s not joking. And he claims that there is plenty of proof out there to prove him right. That is why Sargent created Flat Earth Clues , a

Anyone who has ever loved a dog, and who has been on the receiving end of a dog’s unconditional affection, would agree that the grief you experience when that animal dies is deep and painful. In this story, which originally aired on the podcast SquareMile , producer Joel Shupack introduces us to his friend Lela who recently said goodby to her beloved Catahoula , Coltrane. A quick battle with cancer took Coltrane's life. Joel and Lela hike along the White River in Central Oregon in search of the

If you go to the base of Point Defiance in Tacoma and look east, you'll see a finger of earth jutting into Puget Sound. It formed as toxic slag spilled from a copper smelter during the city's industrial heyday. For years, it was a foreboding sliver of black, glassy material. Today, workers and machines roam the peninsula as they transform it into a grassy park with Puget Sound views. Tacoma Metro Parks Commissioner Erik Hanberg has a space-age term for what's going on there. He calls it "

This show originally aired on May 27, 2017. This week on Sound Effect, our theme is "Up in the Air." We open the show by meeting Space Needle elevator operator B.J. Listman gets to see one of the best views in the world every single day for his job. We then talk to UW Earth and space sciences faculty member Robert Winglee who has designed a drone that can fly at an altitude of about 80,000 feet. Next, a conversation with Jesse Hayes, a Boeing engineer and president of the Red Tailed Hawks Flying