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Novus Renaissance homo
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Lloyd King - I write, therefore, you read
I used to think the "Renaissance Man" (or "Woman") was a species on the verge of extinction. In a world where technological proficiency is honored more than literary appreciation and artistic achievement; where written expression takes a back seat to texting; where bloggers are revered and essayists are forgotten; where electronic wizardry passes for musical talent and sampling "beats" is on a par with composing an intermezzo; in a world such as this, rare is the individual that can appreciate, and contribute to, all those things that appeal to a more lofty aesthetic. Yes, I thought the "Renaissance Person" was going the way of the dinosaur and 8-track tapes but my prediction of his/her demise was, at the very least, premature. The "Renaissance Person" is not dying, but evolving. The 21st century "Renaissance Person" not only has knowledge of, and acuity for, the best of those cultural effects we commonly refer to as "Old Skool," but also embraces all that modern technology offers, and can tweet, hack, surf, grab, podcast, download, uplink, program, html, cc and defrag with the best of 'em. And a stellar example of this novus Renaissance homo can be found in the person of one Mr. Lloyd King.
Lloyd King is, among very many things, the content director at something called Vocalo.org. I say "something" because Vocalo.org has proven to be different things to different people simultaneously. Some say Vocalo.org is a "radio station;" and it is true that you can hear it at 89.5 FM on any standard radio (where it's also identified as WBEW, Chesterton, Indiana). But where other stations have "talk" or "music" or maybe "sports," Vocalo.org has conversations and discourse and stories and dialogue and competitions and sounds and stuff. The fact that Vocalo.org is light years ahead of standard commercial and public radio is due in large part to the vision of King. He came to Vocalo.org after teaching at the college level for 18 years and if you listen to the station for only a few minutes, it will be obvious that he didn't come to do more of the same. With Vocalo.org, King, the staff he works with and the volunteers he is instrumental in training, create radio that refuses to be background noise and forces you to actually listen. Vocalo.org is infused with King's Renaissance persona. It also stands as evidence of an "evolution" in radio broadcasting.
Most people would be satisfied with being at the vanguard of 21st century broadcasting. Most people aren't "Renaissance Persons." Lloyd King has the audacity to be musically proficient, also. The over-achiever has 2 (count 'em) degrees in music, concentrating on jazz and flute performance. He can express himself coherently on various woodwind instruments, a coherency that is most often on display with Funkadesi (pronounced like it sounds), a 10-member band that, according to most rational accounts, jams. Hard. The words one would use to describe the sound of Funkadesi would include "world beat," "reggae," "jazz," "classical (East) Indian music," "rhythm and blues," and, of course, "funk." Lloyd King's involvement, however, leads me to believe that these terms are hardly adequate. I suspect one will have to experience Funkadesi in order to know Funkadesi.
At any rate, dear readers, you now have your "marching orders;" your "homework assignment," if you will. Listen to Vocalo.org on either your standard home or car radio at 89.5 FM, or check 'em out on the web at http://vocalo.org/. Then, after you've scooped up and reassembled your gray matter (the result of a blown mind), go to http://www.funkadesi.com/ and make plans to attend the next "gig" of Funkadesi. And while both the radio station and the band are definitely collaborative projects, be aware of the singular contributions of Lloyd King to each. True "Renaissance People" are a rare breed at any time, but perhaps now more than ever. We, the culturally starved public, would do well to appreciate those individuals and entities that can appeal to our intellect while nourishing our soul(s). I hope that's not too grandiose because I'm not predicting that Lloyd King or Vocalo.org or Funkadesi will change your life. I do believe, however, that they can be 3 enjoyable components of it.
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