From the pages of
M A G A Z I N E
Sonny Side Of The Street - September 2005
By Sonny Melendrez
Where There’s A Will…
Life is full of surprises,
especially when you are 6 years old and ready to take on a new career. Just ask
young Will Bodnar, whose trip to the movies turned into an afternoon that could
very well have set him on a path to greatness. You see, Will is what we, in the
broadcast business, call “a natural”, and the irony of it all is that his date
with the microphone might never have been.
Our story begins on a Friday afternoon when I phoned my wife, Linda, to remind her of our family plans to take in the premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the local IMAX Theater, or should I say, when she informed me that our teenage sons had made other plans. Quickly, (as wives have a talent for doing), she suggested inviting our little friend Will and his grandmother, Tessa.
Good call.
As I might have expected, Will was enthralled with the magic of a bigger than life movie on an equally colossal screen. What I didn’t realize was how much his fresh mind had soaked up every scene which he talked about non-stop all the way home.
As I listened to his delicious description of the film, I knew I had to capture Will’s “review” to share with my morning audience on KAHL 1310 Radio. Back at our house, I gave Will a tour of my sound studio and casually recorded our conversation about the Willie Wonka story. He never missed a beat and added even more to the already colorful depiction, complete with personal commentary – “It’s a very good movie. It has a lot of candy and I wish I could eat some.”
Will’s ability to freely communicate on mike made for an entertaining and most refreshing recounting of the much awaited motion picture. But, there was something much bigger happening here, as we later found out that Will’s conversation back to his home with Grandma Tessa was about his experience in the recording studio rather than the movie. Getting to record and listen to the playback of his enthusiastic account had made a big impression.
The following Monday morning, Will’s audio performance was so well received with our radio audience, that we also posted it on the show’s site, www.SonnyRadio.com for all to enjoy. This is where my ability to think like a kid (and to dream like one) inspired me to imagine what I would want to happen next as a 6 year old – I invited Will to co-host my show!
The rest is history in the making.
It is very obvious that Will is a future broadcaster and although his dad’s new job means moving his family to Dallas, young Mr. Will Bodner will continue to take in future family flicks and phone in his lively reviews for our San Antonio radio audience.
Sometimes opportunity can knock when you’re barely tall enough to reach the door knob.
Click HERE to listen to Will's review of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
Click HERE to read Will's review of March Of The Penguins.
Click HERE to visit Will's page on SonnyRadio.com.
Listen to The Sonny Melendrez Show weekday mornings on KAHL 1310 Radio and on the web at www.SonnyRadio.com.
