This week is KEXP’s spring fundraising drive! We’re sharing listener stories about how music has helped them connect with friends and family.
This week is KEXP’s spring fundraising drive! We’re sharing listener stories about how music has helped them connect with friends and family. Please amplify listener-powered storytelling today at kexp.org/sound.
My story is a love story. When I first met my boyfriend almost eight years ago, I had never listened to KEXP and he introduced m to the station. And I fell in love with him and I fell in love with the station. I've been listening since, and I love to say that KEXP is the soundtrack to our love story. All of the different music that you play and all of the different artists that you showcase is just a part of our love story. I've, of course, since become a donor and an Amplifier and I am so proud to say that and proud to be a part of something that's bigger than myself. I love you, Hunter. I love you, KEXP
— Dawn L. // Rainier Beach, WA
When my brother hiked the PCT two summers ago, he opened a playlist on Spotify for me, my husband, and him to keep connected with. And we added songs to it every day. It still keeps us connected, and we still listen to it every day.
— Sarah // Montesano, WA
Music has always been absolutely central to me and my Dad's relationship. He took me to all of my earliest concerts, and eventually started taking me record shopping when I was just 12. We went to Amoeba in Hollywood or Fingerprints in Long Beach every weekend until I left for college. This shared love of music and crate-digging evolved when we decided to visit the world's biggest record fair which takes place every year in the Netherlands. We found some true "holy grail" records out there, oh my gosh. And this incredible trip spurred on other record collecting trips abroad. In fact, we recently returned from one such trip that took us all over the UK. We went to Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Brighton, and London, and visited over 30 different shops, buying up UK- and European-pressings that we hadn't been able to find anywhere in the States. These music-motivated trips have been great fun, and a really, really wonderful time time spent together with my Dad. I never imagined as a kid that my relationship with him would include worldly travels, gathering of our favorite music relics of the past, and I couldn't be more grateful for it.
— Kirby Gnerre, KEXP Advancement Coordinator // Seattle, WA
Music brought us closer together, particularly KEXP, during the pandemic, specifically on Friday night. At the end of the week, our kids were at home, we were at home, and so on Friday nights, we would make homemade pizza and we sit out on the deck and at 7:00 PM we turn on Friday Night with Michelle Myers, and for those few hours, we would just sit and hang out and say, 'Ah, this is such a good song, that's such a great song...' and we were just together and so we had a really, really great time.
— Ron // Leavenworth, WA
I actually met my best friend [through music]. I was browsing the music tag, and he's from Brazil. We connected over some amazing Brazilian musicians, and
— Lucy // Uruguay
This is about me and my father. When I was younger, he loved the band Everclear. When we were in his Mustang, driving down the road real fast, he would play a song by them for me called 'Annabella's Song.' And my Dad said, 'Just replace every time he says Annabella with Alicia.' I remember him instructing me to tap along with the beat and learn the different instruments through the song. It's about Art Alexakis's distant relationship with his daughter, because he couldn't see her all the time because of custody and divorce and all these other things. Me and my father had a very similar story. Years later, I would see Art Alexakis do a set, and I would end up on stage with him playing the guitar to 'Everything to Everyone.' My Dad ranted and raved, it was the proudest moment of his life. Later on, I actually was in a band and got to open for Art Alexakis. I got to request him to play 'Annabella's Song,' and me and my father got to stand arm-in-arm, in this close embrace, and hear him sing this song to me. That was my song. That was me and my Dad's song. Everytime I hear that song, it really brings me to tears and really moves me and really reminds me of my father. So, that's music, bringing me and my father together.
— Alicia // Cleveland, Ohio
