Summer is finally here.
For many of us, this season offers an opportunity to slow down, spend a little more time outdoors, attend a local festival or concert, take a road trip, or simply enjoy a quieter pace. And when the heat becomes a little too much, there is something comforting about heading indoors, turning on the radio, and letting music keep you company.
I’ve been thinking a lot about music lately.
When we talk about community radio, we often focus on local news, trusted information, emergency communications, and civic engagement. Those things matter tremendously. But for many listeners, community radio begins with music.
It begins with hearing a song you’ve never heard before.
It begins with discovering a local artist. It begins with a volunteer DJ sharing the story behind a piece of music. It begins with hearing a language, a tradition, or a cultural expression that feels familiar. Sometimes it simply begins with companionship.
Long before algorithms decided what we should listen to, community radio stations were introducing audiences to new sounds, local musicians, and musical traditions that might otherwise go unheard.
As our nation approaches America 250, I find myself reflecting on how much of our shared story can be heard through music.
The American story has never been a single story. It is a tapestry of cultures, traditions, languages, and experiences. You can hear it in Appalachian ballads and bluegrass. You can hear it in blues, jazz, gospel, Tejano, zydeco, Indigenous music traditions, folk music, hip-hop, and countless regional sounds that continue to evolve today.
Community radio has always helped preserve those stories.
Across the country, community radio stations serve as both a cultural archive and a living laboratory for American music. They preserve local traditions while creating space for new voices and new ideas. They connect generations through shared experiences and introduce listeners to artists and stories they might never encounter elsewhere.
In many communities, especially rural communities, Tribal communities, and multilingual communities, local radio remains one of the few places where culture is reflected back to listeners in authentic and meaningful ways. Community radio reminds us where we come from while helping us imagine where we might go next.
As I have been reflecting on America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, I have also been thinking about Alexis de Tocqueville, the French historian and political thinker who traveled throughout the United States in the early 1830s and later wrote Democracy in America.
What struck Tocqueville most was not our government. It was the way Americans came together voluntarily to build things. He observed neighbors organizing around shared interests, solving local problems, supporting community institutions, and contributing their time and resources to causes larger than themselves. He believed that these habits of association, volunteerism, and philanthropy were among the great strengths of American democracy.
Nearly two hundred years later, that observation still feels remarkably relevant.
Community radio is built on exactly that spirit.
Across the NFCB network, thousands of volunteers dedicate their time, talent, creativity, and expertise in service to their communities. They host music programs, share local stories, mentor new broadcasters, preserve culture and language, raise funds, maintain equipment, and help ensure local voices remain part of the public conversation.
In many ways, community radio represents one of the most enduring expressions of American volunteerism and civic participation.
Radio broadcaster, oral historian, and author Studs Terkel once observed that “listening is a form of action.” Few institutions embody that idea more fully than community radio. Every day, stations create spaces where people can hear one another’s stories, discover new perspectives, and deepen their understanding of the communities they call home.
That understanding has shaped much of NFCB’s work over the past several years.
Through our partnership with Listening Post Collective and our use of the Civic Information Index and Civic Media Playbook, we have been exploring what communities need in order to feel informed, connected, and engaged. Our forthcoming Rural Research Study builds upon the foundation established by the RUN Study and the leadership of Joyce MacDonald at Greater Public, Bill Davis at Station Resource Group, and Abby Goldstein at Public Media Content Collective. Their investment in understanding audience needs and community impact helped create the conditions for the deeper exploration of rural civic life, information needs, culture, and community connection that NFCB is undertaking today.
What we continue to learn is that people need more than information.
They need connection.
They want trusted news and information. They want emergency alerts during moments of crisis. They want local reporting that helps them understand what is happening in their communities.
But they also want music.
They want stories.
They want culture.
They want companionship.
And perhaps most importantly, they want a sense of belonging.
That is why I increasingly think about community radio as essential civic infrastructure.
Not because it simply provides information, but because it helps strengthen the relationships that make communities resilient. Civic life is built through culture, storytelling, volunteerism, philanthropy, and the everyday connections that help people feel part of something larger than themselves.
We see this same philosophy reflected in emerging partnerships across the country. Efforts such as Amplify Rural are bringing together storytellers, journalists, artists, civic leaders, and community organizations to strengthen rural civic information infrastructure and support authentic rural narratives. The work recognizes that storytellers are civic actors and that communities are stronger when local voices are heard and valued.
Likewise, projects such as Yonder Radio remind us that rural America is rich with creativity, resilience, innovation, and culture. These stories challenge outdated assumptions and help paint a fuller picture of who we are as a nation.
Musician and songwriter Bruce Springsteen has often reflected that the America he loves is found in the everyday institutions and people who strengthen communities: libraries, volunteer organizations, houses of worship, neighborhood gatherings, and countless acts of service that often go unnoticed.
Community radio belongs on that list.
Across the country, stations are powered by volunteers, sustained by listeners, and rooted in place. They preserve culture, strengthen civic participation, support local artists, provide trusted information, and create opportunities for connection in communities large and small.
This July, many of us will gather in Chicago to reconnect with colleagues, share ideas, learn from one another, and reflect on the future of community media. At a time when so much attention is focused on technology, polarization, and disruption, there is something powerful about coming together around the values that have sustained community radio for generations: service, creativity, curiosity, participation, and connection.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, it is worth taking time to celebrate not only our history, but also the institutions, traditions, and people who continue to strengthen our communities every day.
Community radio is one of those institutions.
It is powered by volunteers. It is sustained by listeners. It is rooted in place. It preserves culture. It creates connection. And every day, often quietly and without fanfare, it helps communities come together.
Perhaps that is the real soundtrack of the American civic experience.
