LISTEN UP: Is there something that sounds
oh-so-Pennsylvania to you?

If so, radio station WPSU-FM is all ears.

Pennsylvania SoundClips is a series it’s planning, and
you’re invited to participate.

Here’s the details: “Sound Clips” are recordings of natural or
man-made sounds that tell the story of this place we call home –
central Pennsylvania.

Examples include the sound of maple syrup dripping into a tin
pail, the toll of a church bell in a small town, the cacophony of a
county fair, or even the signature sound of the rattlesnake.

These and other distinctive sounds that catch the attention of
WPSU-FM listeners – and capture a moment in a uniquely Pennsylvania
place – will be showcased as occasional features during the
station’s evening news programming.

Listeners can submit ideas for Pennsylvania SoundClips by
calling the WPSU Listener Line at 814-865-0270.

Listeners will be asked give their name, tell us the
town they reside in and daytime contact information, and describe
the sound and why it’s meaningful.

If the source of the sound is close at hand, it can even be
played over the phone. If the sound is selected for the SoundClips
series, a producer will be contacted to arrange an in-person
recording session.

Cynthia Berger, WPSU-FM producer, notes, “If this all sounds
familiar, it’s because NPR already airs a national SoundClips
series. But, of course, they can only showcase a few sounds, and
they draw on a national pool.”

“Central Pennsylvania is such a rich sound environment, and we
have sounds that are so distinctive – I wanted to give our
listeners more of a chance to get on the air, and to share all the
neat things in our audio environment.”

We had tried to get that national series to include the sound of
the old pumphouses in the Bradford oilfields during ARG’s 100th
anniversary celebration in 2006 but, alas, it didn’t make it. With
a renewed oil industry now maybe there’s another Pennsylvania
oilfield sound that can hit the airwaves.

Our first thought is peepers – although they’re gone for this
year.

The series has a website, so if you’re interested in
submitting sound clips or learning more about the local or national
series, just visit wpsu.org/sounds for more
information.

The “Pennsylvania SoundClips” series will air on WPSU-FM during
“All Things Considered,” the national news program which broadcasts
weekdays from 4-6:30 p.m.