Posts by John Wright

Let’s Help Gary Froude Comments Off on Let’s Help Gary Froude

Let’s Help Gary Froude

SWS (Summer Water Sports) raises funds for “Bring Gary Home” – Monday, August 4 For the Daily Rehearsal on Monday August 4 only please:  At 7pm on Monday, August 4, Summer Water Sports “SWS” will donate the proceeds from their weekly Monday evening waterski show to support the “Bring Gary Home” fund. Every Monday, SWS ‘passes the hat’ at Clevelands House and the marina next to the resort, to give audience members the opportunity to show their appreciation. More than a year ago, Muskoka’s Citizen of the Year, Gary Froude, became ill with an unknown virus.  Since then Gary has been on life support due to paralysis throughout most of his body including his diaphragm.  He remains active in the community through communication with his wife Gayle Dempsey, and his sense of humour is intact. A fundraiser concert was held by the local Rotary Club in January at JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka, with Canadian celebrity musicians Ian Thomas and Marc Jordan.  The concert raised over $25,000. Last week, Gary learned that the “Bring Gary Home” vision will soon be a reality.  Gary has been accepted into the West Park Home Ventilator training program.  He will soon have a new wheelchair that he can control on his own, and...

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Clowning Around With Peppy Comments Off on Clowning Around With Peppy

Clowning Around With Peppy

Growing up as a child from age 4 – every summer in #Bala, #Muskoka, I have, of course, some specials memories.  Going to Cunninghams (now purksplace) for worms to fish and fish and fish, would be one…. but often, on rainy days (and others too) I’d be fortunate to go visit Paul Arnie at the #BalaArcade. Paul, the Bala Arcade owner, if you do not know him, is ageless. My wonderful wife thinks he has a magic potion in the back, an elixir, because he has not aged.  He was there when I was a child, then our 2 children, now our 3 grandchildren.  July 26th was MAGIC, as my eldest grandson and i walked in, just as Paul opened the store, and all the lights came on – around the store and on ALL the machines – the games in full color regalia – the sites and sounds – oh my!!  It was a scene out of Willy Wonka ! Finns eyes (and mine too ) LIT UP…. I must admit that i was so surprised that Peppy the clown and the old fortune teller still worked!  Paul must be an engineer as well!! Pictures can tell a story too but hopefully these words conjure some fun images.  My grandson...

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Less is More?

Is less really more?  An overused expression to be sure.  Often verbalized by yours truly, and many others who ‘get it’.  As a Radio writer, and a voyeur and creator of clients print and graphic display ads, relative ease of listening or reading, is crucial for the message to be viewed, listened to and remembered.  After all, you must remember, to be persuaded. In Print it is iconic memory we utilize, and in Radio it is echoic memory.  In Radio, (and often on TV), how often do you hear the writers and production gurus speed up an ad right at the end to ensure they get all their ‘conditions’ bleeted out.  Horrible. My point is, writing 30 sec radio or 15 second radio, LESS IS MORE.  A pause in the action can be a head –turner.  A nicely paced, perfectly read script, is just SO MUCH more effective.  Next time you want to add a location or a telephone number or some feature or benefit to an already jammed up script…. consider giving your voice professional a little breathing room and your audience a chance to use their echoic memory without trying to jam it between their ears.  Is Less Really More?  You bet it...

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Early Adopter Comments Off on Early Adopter

Early Adopter

I guess this is the time to elaborate on my latest project for added growth of my North 45 business in Muskoka. I took delivery today of a new DRONE! For those not in the know, these are aerial technology wizard flying machines that can take still and video pictures with amazing accuracy in high definition. For the faint of heart, for the un-determined, for those with a fear of flying – forget it!! Hire me! The work involved in terms of set up, wiring, actual flying skills, and all the pain and suffering of getting ‘off the ground’ well, let’s say one of my most impressive attributes is persistence! More on this later… A few years back, I took ground school (with my very clever wife) at the Parry Sound Airport and was learning to be a pilot. LOVED the idea, loved to fly small planes as I have many pilot friends who encouraged me, and I was quite passionate about it. Was flying ‘circuits’ and having a jolly time “stalling” the aircrafts – you gotta do it in training….Until I had to have yet another knee surgery. This got me out of sequence, and along with the knowledge that I might not have a fat enough bank...

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A Voice Makes A Difference Comments Off on A Voice Makes A Difference

A Voice Makes A Difference

It’s a small world – even smaller in Muskoka. I have the pleasure of working with the Dunn family at Walkers Point Marina (WPM) and looking after their Radio. We’ve had some nice success and like many clients I work with, they trust me to be organized, detailed and creative. To be persuasive and as ‘they’ say in Radio jargon, you must ‘cut through’ be ‘intrusive’ ‘memorable’ ‘effective’ – yada yada. Over my career, Ive had the good fortune to work with some of Canada’s finest and talented announcers. For WPM, possibly my finest work surfaced a few years back with a ‘boating memory’ campaign ( check it on my web site – MP3 Highlight reels) voiced by the fabulous Carl Banis. Carl once recorded the entire “A Christmas Carol” and did ALL the voices! I still have the album. Ah, but I digress….. This year, heading into the July 1st weekend WPM had a complex scenario arise whereby they had TWO events taking place at virtually the same time – how the heck do you differentiate and promote that?! Bring in a great and well know voice to broadcast the Radio – that’s how! WPM had their traditional July 1st wakeboarding and wakesurf demos at the marina, plus...

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