Dear Listener,

The moment I’ve been waiting years for has arrived--and just in time for Valentine's! I’m thrilled to announce that we’re rounding the bend on one of ‘OZ’s most ambitious projects digitizing our 35,000 CD collection. That's more than 240,000 songs tucked away in ‘OZ’s fifteen terabyte server, songs available to our volunteer show hosts in addition to the hundreds of thousands of songs they drag in from their private collections for your radio enjoyment. This is just so they can say, “Here’s one you never heard before!” (We call it a driveway moment, where you just have to stay in your car until the song’s over even though you’re already home—ever had one of those?)

A super big valentine goes to Music Director Scott Borne and the twenty volunteers who've worked day and night for years ripping CDs and entering all the messy little details that folk want to know about labels, performers, year of release, and more. There’s only about 1,000 CDs left to go, including early local brass band albums, then on to attack our 10,000 vinyl LPs!

From now on, every new CD that comes in to WWOZ will be immediately digitized, ensuring that not only historic material, but new music will be preserved going forward. A result of our resolve way back in the Katrina era to never put our irreplaceable collection in harm’s way for the next weather event or Act of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Special hearts to Louisiana Public Broadcasting for making the mega-server available to us.

Love is in the air.

Yours in plarines and lucky beans,

David Freedman
General Manager

It's the last week of Mardi Gras and it's on full-steam ahead. We're all out at the parades, putting the last touches on our costumes and spending the days (and nights) out on the streets with thousands of other 'OZilians. Check out our parade schedule and tell us about the amazing music you've been hearing.

» Go, go, purple, green, and gold

On February 23rd, pull yourself off the floor, wipe the glitter from your eyes and get yourself out to a post-Mardi Gras live broadcast with the Brass-A-Holics! We'll be over at Le Bon Temps Roulé with Let's Be Totally Clear, having an awesome, smoke-free experience and starting off Lent the right way with a beat-thumping good time!

» Live broadcast details

At this year’s 54th Grammy awards, there were a slew of Louisiana musicians nominated in several different categories, but one band took home the win: the Rebirth Brass Band. After performing live at the Grammy's pre-telecast which was broadcast online, the veteran New Orleans brass band won in the new category "best regional roots music album" for their 2011 release, "Rebirth of New Orleans." We applaud all the Louisiana nominees on their nominations and congratulate Rebirth on their first Grammy award.

» Congrats to Rebirth and all the 2012 Louisiana Grammy nominees

WWOZ’s Operations Department does the seemingly impossible every day thanks to support from a group of dedicated volunteers who work diligently behind the scenes. Maite Vail is one of these exceptional workers whom we’re proud to spotlight throughout the month of March.

» Learn about the Queen of Ticket Giveaways

WWOZ's Spring Membership Drive is right around the corner, and we need your help to make it a success! We are looking for phone bank volunteers to help us sign up new and renewing members at the studio. The drive starts on Tuesday, March 6 and runs through Friday, March 16. With lots of food, fun and live music, the phone bank is the place to be during the pledge drive!

» Read more about volunteering for the drive

Everyone at 'OZ has been living in boxes, and Eddie Bo's piano has been covered up under a dust cloth for the last couple weeks. But finally, we've made headway on the renovations here, and our Membership department's suffering has not been in vain! Check out the photos of all the changes that we've seen here over the last few weeks.

» See the photo gallery of changes

An easy to eat dish that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, we recommend making yourself a large quantity and bringing it out in single servings to the parade route, the Krewe den (for your late-night craft making), or taking the entire dish to your next Mardi Gras celebration. Don't be one of the five people bringing the King Cake, show up with this filling entrée instead! If you like the recipe, then visit Louisiana Cookin' magazine. Subscribe with the promotion code wwoz2012, and they'll donate $5 to WWOZ.

» See this month's recipe