WQSV Profile:
Nanci Kalanta
How did you come to be involved with WQSV? And how long have you been involved?
I had expressed an interest in helping out and Deena Warner reached out when the Arts & Events spot opened up. I’ve been involved about 6 months and really enjoying the experience although I still can’t listen to myself!
What is the Community Arts & Events Calendar?
The Arts & Events Calendar is a quick snapshot of local events of interest in the WQSV listening area. I try to highlight a variety of options from music to crafting. There is always something cool going on in Staunton/Waynesboro!
What is the process for putting together each week’s announcements?
I use a variety of sources, the Visit Staunton website, the town of Waynesboro events, Facebook, and emails from local businesses. It’s fun to browse through the events at the various sites but hard to pick just a few for the announcements.
On to music: what was the first concert you attended?
Renaissance, 1976. Four friends and I piled into an old 1967 cherry red Mustang and made the long trip from Northern NJ to the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. I was fifteen and a huge fan. Since that first concert, I went on to see them at least a dozen times when they were in the area. The last time I saw them, sometime in the mid-’80s, I brought my little brother and his girlfriend to see them. They were all fidgety during the opening act but when Renaissance hit the stage and Annie Haslam sang out her first notes, they were as enchanted as I was at my first concert.
Who are some of your favorite musicians and why?
I have very eclectic taste in music. Everything from ’60s to current. I have an affinity for prog rock and ’90s grunge.
When I graduated in 1978, my then boyfriend gave me tickets to see Yes at Madison Square Garden which led to us both seeing them at every venue that summer from NY to Miami (a total of fifteen). Some kids go to Europe for their “gap year.” I became a groupie (LOL). We got to meet the band at a couple of venues which was pretty exciting at the time.
I think music speaks to all of us in its own special way. A song will come on the radio and I’m immediately transported back to that time in my life. I was lucky, there was always music playing in our house either the radio set to a local rock station, or albums on the turntable. I distinctly remember my mother’s affinity for Patsy Cline and my father playing the Herb Alpert Orchestra
What have you been listening to or watching lately?
Currently listening to Evanescence, Stone Temple Pilots, Genesis, Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam (the new album ROCKS), watching Squid Games 2 on Netflix and Silo on Apple+, and reading Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. I’m a huge fan of horror and sci-fi but have found, in most instances, the book is better than the movie.
