My wife and I began listening to “Night Sounds” on a local
radio station a couple of decades ago, and we either got busy, and forgot about
it, or the broadcast was dropped from the station schedule. In the meantime,
years passed and the host of the program, Bill Pearce, passed away, (in 2010).
About a year ago, I discovered that archival segments of
this wonderful radio broadcast are available on the internet. Of course, I was
elated.
Night Sounds is a Christian radio production, and consists
of a half hour format, with Bill Pearce monologuing a particular topic
interspersed with Christian musical selections.
I know I sound somewhat like an advertisement, but as I
previously implied, I absolutely LOVE this broadcast, so much so that I have “saved”
over a hundred of the (especially interesting) daily segments on an attachable
hard drive.
Bill Pearce was an accomplished trombonist and an
extraordinary bass vocalist. He occasionally played his own music on the Night
Sounds broadcast. He produced and narrated the Bible on cassette tapes, and
regularly introduced his music at various venues throughout the United States.
Mr. Pearce was also a member of The 16 Singing Men group which often appeared
live, and made numerous video and audio recordings.
While at a high school graduation exercise I noticed a
poignant phrase on the screen.
“My students are living messages to a time that I will
never see.”
As a former university professor, and current counselor
and formal mentor, I can relate. We simply cannot stay here, but we have been
given the inestimable privilege, while we still live and move and breathe, to
impact those who will “pick up our mantle” and carry on in our place.
Bill Pearce was like that. Even as he neared the end of
his days, he was thinking about his impact on future generations.
It seems that one of the producers of Night Sounds once
stopped by the nursing home where Mr. Pearce resided. And in the course of his
conversation with Bill, and knowing how important humor is to good emotional
health, especially to someone in a skilled nursing environment, he decided to
tease him a bit.
“You know, Bill, some of our accomplishments, some of what
we gleaned while we were here, and what we meant to leave behind for future
generations just aren’t meant to outlive us.”
With this, the former radio host frowned, and the furrows
in his brow seemed suddenly deeper.
“You mean, you mean…”
“Mr. Smith” immediately set Mr. Pearce at ease and
relieved his anxiety.
“Now, now Bill. I’m just teasing ya. You needn’t be
concerned. Those hundreds upon hundreds of radio broadcasts which you narrated
over the course of half a century are meant to outlive you. And we have made
arrangements for those broadcasts to live in perpetuity through means of recording,
radio and internet. Never fear. What you have painstakingly created and given
your best efforts to will go right on impacting the next generation, and
countless generations to come.”
With this, the little man managed a broad smile, and it
seemed the weight of the world dropped from his shoulders.
We all want to leave a legacy. Bill Pearce left a legacy
extraordinaire.
I would encourage you to tune in to his daily broadcast.
As I implied, it is available on the internet 24/7/365,
at nightsoundsradio.org
Bill’s students are living messages to a time that he will
never see.
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