Austin's National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate, KUT 90.5, has been a fixture in my life since arriving in Texas nearly eleven years ago. KUT fills my day with the sounds of Central Texas and the world, keeps me company on the commute to work, serenades my dinner table, informs and entertains. Rarely a day passes that I do not find KUT on the dial.
When the station initiated a project in 2006 to create a "sound portrait" of life in Austin and Central Texas, I recalled an amusing incident that took place on my very first trip to Austin and wrote a letter to KUT requesting participation. The project is called 'Sonic ID' and continues to this day. See here for the official description:
"K.U.T. is creating a sound portrait of life in Austin and Central Texas, comprised of dozens of short audio vignettes from ordinary people in the community, prominent citizens, those who have just moved to the area as well as those who have lived here all their lives. Each Sonic ID shares a personal memory, bit of advice, or story about life in Austin and Central Texas."
Below is my Sonic ID recorded in 2006. The producer edited the final version to just one minute, omitting much of the story. Still, it is amusing and gratifying to hear from friends on occasion who ask, "Hey, was that you I heard on the radio last night?".
PS: if the Dallas reference is lost on you, ask a friend who's lived in Austin. They'll explain it to y'all.
