--Written by Melissa Milton

Thank goodness that Father Ron, aka Ronald Clingenpeel, has, as he says, "allegedly retired." How else would he have the time to be a substitute show host for WWOZ as well as being the volunteer coordinator for the station’s Hospitality Tent at Jazzfest, our annual Piano Night concert, and also the fall Groove Gala? And that’s in between fronting his own band, Father Ron and Friends, writing and recording music, traveling as a consultant for nonprofits, and taking care of a small congregation on the bayou south of Houma. The man is on the move.

"Being a sub is really cool because you get to do contemporary jazz, traditional jazz, New Orleans music shows, you get to do all of these different things. It’s been an education for me to be able to do all these different kinds of shows because it gives me the opportunity to learn more and to stretch into areas I hadn’t been in too deep before. Johnny Sansone one time said, when I had him on the air, if you ever want a PHD in New Orleans music, just listen to WWOZ. And he’s right."

The Nebraska-born ordained Episcopalian priest started at WWOZ like most other volunteers, doing whatever was needed - licking envelopes, answering phones, database entry - until he was drafted for the show host training program run at the time by former staffer Russell Shelton. Later, Father Ron’s skills and professional experience in organizations made him a natural fit to coordinate the volunteers at the station’s flagship events, a job he loves.

"I love to talk to people who come to the hospitality tent - who did you see? what did you like? what did they do that you got really happy about? - I love those conversations because deep down in my heart I believe that music came before language. I believe music was a part of the creation, long before we were even here. I think that is deeply embedded in our DNA - all of creation sings."

Father Ron’s latest project outside of WWOZ is as house composer on a project for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. Families can sign up for a quarterly delivery of a package designed to engage children in the 4-12 age range with activities that the whole family can participate in, centered around easily learned songs of love and joy. The name of the project? Little Boxes of Good News. "It’s the music that holds us together, when everything else looks like it’s falling down around us, it’s still the music that holds us together."

That’s a powerful bond that can hold us all together, much like the connections Father Ron has made through his deep involvement with this community radio station.

"One of the greatest gifts I’ve gotten here is the relationship with all the wonderful people who are committed to the same thing, whether they’re volunteering in the tent or they’re a DJ or they show up to lick envelopes, this is an incredible family of people. The talents, the gifts, the love and the commitment that they bring here is significant, and that feeds me in ways that I cannot sometimes imagine. We’re woven into the culture of this city. We want to be the voice of the music of this city. That is the genius of WWOZ, it’s a part of the community, it loves the community, and it wants to promote the community everywhere."