Learn more about Radiolab by reading an interview by CNN with Radiolab co-host Jad Abumrad here.

Park Falls musician James Corbett

The Northland College radio station 97.7 WRNC-LP will feature local musician James Corbett on the next installment of “Studio Sessions” on Friday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. Corbett will discuss his debut album “Coming Home,” which he released in January.

James Corbett is a singer-songwriter from Park Falls, Wisconsin. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Corbett returned home and began playing acoustic folk music, drawing influences from artists like Chuck Ragan and Dustin Kensrue. The Park Falls native writes personal songs with universal themes.

“[The album is] kind of looking back on past things in your life and deciding I’m not going to worry about those anymore and I’m moving on from this point. It’s kind of about forgetting about the mistakes you may have made and forgiving yourself for that and moving on to a better place,” says Corbett.

Corbett says he wants people to connect with his music on a personal level. He’s working on a new project with friends and family in Park Falls. He hopes to release another album sometime this summer.

To learn more about Corbett, tune in Friday at 7:30 p.m. on 97.7 WRNC-LP. Listeners can stream the show online at www.wrnclp.org. People can also listen to his debut album online at www.jamescorbett.bandcamp.com. For more information on upcoming shows, call (715) 682-1664 or email md@wrnclp.org. WRNC welcomes local musicians who live in and around the Chequamegon Bay area to be interviewed on the program.

“They are going to take off the upper structure and all the fixtures attached to it and get down to the cement structure itself – everything but the base,” said Whalen.

Whalen hopes Canadian National will finish work on the first two phases of demolition by the end of the year.

“I know they’ll have all the chutes off it, all the attachments: the metal, the steel, some of the wood attachments. Whether they’ll have the entire structure down, we don’t know yet,” he said.

The city plans to begin negotiations with the railroad about the base of the oredock.

“I’d like to keep the base and have a real nice pier there, but it’s going to be an awful lot up to the railroad itself,” said Whalen. “If we can save  them money by not having to demolish the base itself and it’s a win-win for both of us, we’ll move forward on this.”

The City of Ashland will do water quality monitoring tests by the oredock to ensure that no debris from the demolition is contaminating Lake Superior. The city’s water pickup is about 1300 feet from the oredock.

Whalen adds the city is considering buying parts of the oredock from Canadian National to commemorate the near century old landmark of Ashland’s lakefront. The oredock, which was built in 1916, took its last load of cargo in 1965.

Ashland Mayor Bill Whalen talked about the oredock demolition on Northland College radio’s program “Leaders’ News & Views,” which airs weekly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. on 97.7 WRNC in Ashland. People can view the oredock demolition through a live webcam on the City of Ashland’s website.

Ashland Mayor Bill Whalen

Ashland Mayor Bill Whalen is the next featured guest on Leaders’ News & Views this Tuesday, April 24. Whalen talks about ongoing work with the oredock demolition, Northern States Power Bayfront Superfund site, faulty sewer lateral connections on U.S. Highway 2 and construction of a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 2 and Highway 13 this year. Leaders’ News & Views airs weekly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. Listeners can tune to 97.7 WRNC or listen online at www.wrnclp.org.

Northland College student and Romano’s Rage host Dan Romano is back for another installment of Romano’s Rage today, April 19, at 3:30 p.m. on 97.7 WRNC. This week Romano zeroes in on fights in NHL Hockey and the suspensions and penalties plaguing the league, including the Flyers fall yesterday evening in Game 4 against the Penguins. Also, Romano recognizes Colorado Rockies pitcher Jamie Moyer for becoming the oldest pitcher to win a major league contest at the age of 49. Romano wraps up the show with a look at Northland College’s athletes in the spotlight this week: Peter Aerts and Kylie Garing. Romano’s Rage can be heard weekly on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. or Saturdays at 4 p.m. on 97.7 WRNC.

Rep. Janet Bewley

State Representative Janet Bewley (D-Ashland) is the next featured guest on Northland radio’s segment “Leaders’ News & Views” on Tuesday, April 17, at 9 a.m. Bewley will reflect on the mining debate in northern Wisconsin, the end of the legislative session in Madison and what the recall of Governor Scott Walker means for the state. In addition, Bewley talks about bills that may be in the works for the next legislative session. Listeners can tune in to 97.7 WRNC or stream the program online at www.wrnclp.org.

Dan Romano

Dan Romano is back on Romano’s Rage as he and Danielle Kaeding, station manager at WRNC, take on Marlins Baseball Team Manager Ozzie Guillen’s remarks about Fidel Castro. In addition, Romano reflects on playoff hockey and recent matches between the Flyers and Penguins, as well as the Canucks and Kings. The Rage wraps up with a preview of games for Northland College Baseball and Softball teams this weekend.

Local musician Marlin Ledin

The Northland College radio station, 97.7 WRNC-LP, will feature local musician and Washburn native Marlin Ledin on the next segment of “Studio Sessions” on Friday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. WRNC Music Director and Northland student Jeremiah Cornehl interviews Ledin about his life as a musician and what influences his work. Ledin performs a selection of songs from his EP “Home” with themes touching on common people, hometowns and Lake Superior.

Ledin learned how to play music at a young age, honing his talents on drums and bass. Since then, his musical repertoire has featured a variety of instruments, such as the tenor banjo, harmonica, accordion, and more. He lives on his 20-foot sailboat, recordingsongs under the moniker Small Boat Voyageur. Ledin has released his EP “Home” ahead of his plan to sail around Lake Superior this summer to record his debut album.

“I’m just going to vagabond around the lake and I’m bringing my guitar and my recording device and video camera,” says Ledin. “I’ll be making a bunch of field recordings of all different things from around the lake whether it’s sounds of ore boats or waves crashing or interviews with old fisherman.”

Ledin hopes to create a documentary from his experiences during the trip around Lake Superior. For more information about Marlin Ledin, go to www.smallboatvoyageur.com.

WRNC welcomes local musicians who live in the Chequamegon Bay area to be interviewed on “Studio Sessions.” Musicians are encouraged to share their thoughts about why music is important to them, as well as what inspires or influences them. Programs are recorded ahead of time and aired at a later date. Any local artists interested in being interviewed on the show may call (715) 682-1664 for more information or email md@wrnclp.org. Listeners can stream the show online at www.wrnclp.org.

“We’re grateful to the Alley Restaurant for partnering with us to support public radio,” says Danielle Kaeding, WRNC station manager. “WRNC values the local community and broadcasts programs that examine the social, political, cultural and economic landscape of the Chequamegon Bay area. To help us provide such programming, we hope community members and listeners will share in a “piece of the pie” to support our efforts to highlight the issues, values and people that define our region.”

The fundraiser will feature live music from Ashland musicians Eric and Adam Doane of Hoff Stevens, as well as a performance by the Northland College music duo Tim & Rose. In addition, a costume contest will be held for the best costume representing a famous musician, band or artist. Northland radio will also auction off WRNC disc jockeys who have volunteered to co-host a radio show or create a custom music show for the highest bidder. Cost to attend the pizza buffet is $10.

WRNC-LP is a noncommercial educational station broadcasting at 100 watts on the campus of Northland College in Ashland. In the past year, WRNC has developed and aired local programs on sports, arts, entertainment, social, cultural and economic topics of interest for Chequamegon Bay area residents. Northland radio has also formed working partnerships with Wisconsin Eye and local Wisconsin Public Radio stations to provide coverage of public meetings and forums on mining and more. WRNC features weekly local programs, including “Leaders’ News & Views,” “Romano’s Rage” and “Studio Sessions,” as well as numerous community and student-driven music programs. In addition, Northland radio produces a monthly environmental program called “Ecotopia,” which airs on WRNC and Wisconsin Public Radio stations.

Local musician Danielle Nepstad

Northland College radio station 97.7 WRNC-LP features two talented young women performing on the local music scene this Friday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. Local musicians Danielle Nepstad and Yazmin Bowers are the next featured guests during a special one-hour installment of “Studio Sessions.” WRNC Music Director and Northland student Jeremiah Cornehl hosts the radio segment, interviewing local artists and bands about the music they create. Musicians perform live in-studio or bring tracks from their latest work for broadcast.

WRNC web audio special:

Danielle Nepstad started singing as a child while living in the Black Hills of South Dakota. In 1998, her family moved to the shores of Lake Superior, settling in Washburn. Nepstad says the Chequamegon Bay area has helped her grow and thrive as a musician.

“This tiny little area just amazes me, and it was just a blessing to grow up here where I could have my talent and let it mature with me,” says Nepstad.

Nepstad, who writes her own songs, won Big Top Chautauqua’s first “Big Top Idol” competition in 2010. The next year she was cast as a member of Big Top Chautauqua’s recurring show, “Ladies of the Canyon.” She graduated from Washburn High School in 2011 and is recording her first album in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nepstad hopes to release the album sometime this summer.

Local musicians Yazmin & Bruce Bowers

Yazmin Bowers is a member of the father-daughter duo Beat Zero. Bowers has been performing with her father, Bruce Bowers, for the last two years. She also performs her own original songs in Beat Zero. Bowers says as the daughter of two professional musicians — her father plays violin and guitar while her mother, Hope McLeod, writes songs — that she was “reared on a steady diet of diverse, worldly music emanating from inside The Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.”

WRNC web audio special:

“In playing music on stage, the biggest thing I hope my audience comes away with and what makes me feel like I’ve done my job is when someone says to me that they’re inspired to do their own music or dance or whatever,” says Yazmin Bowers.

“When I play music, I feel better,” added father Bruce Bowers. “It’s almost like I’ve got a little bit of illness when I’m not playing music.”

Yazmin Bowers won first place at Big Top Chautauqua’s “Songwriter of the Year Competition” with her song “Working in the Shadows” in summer 2010. In 2011, she released an EP entitled ‘Solo,’ touring solo around the Midwest and in California with Beat Zero.

Bruce Bowers is an award-winning violinist, guitarist and composer. Bowers plays with the Blue Canvas Orchestra of the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.

WRNC welcomes local musicians who live in the Chequamegon Bay area to be interviewed on “Studio Sessions.” Musicians are encouraged to share their thoughts about why music is important to them, as well as what inspires or influences them. Programs are recordedahead of time and aired at a later date. Any local artists interested in being interviewed on the show may call (715) 682-1664 for more information or email md@wrnclp.org. Listeners may stream the show online at www.wrnclp.org.