Catch old-time radio at ECC

To hear Denny Farrell's voice is to know he belongs on a radio broadcast from a long-gone era.

If you've rubbed elbows with the great big-band and swing musicians of our time, and have more than 40 years of radio broadcasting skills under your belt, it's a safe bet that you have plenty of knowledge and interesting stories to share.

Farrell, host of "The Original Big Band Showcase" radio program syndicated across the country and on the Internet, shares those experiences in a classroom at Elgin Community College.

More than five years ago, Farrell approached a program manager at the college with a question that had him curious about how area students could learn about the world of radio.

"Denny had called me and asked why we had no radio station at the college," said Deb Keisler, who oversees the current radio broadcasting course offerings.

"From there, we figured out what we could do."

Part of what they could do resulted in Farrell teaching Professional Voice Career, a course that helped students understand the distinctive vocal sound of a radio broadcast or voiceover professional, and resulted in many audition CDs being created in his private studio in St. Charles.

Later, Farrell pursued his passion by convincing Keisler that a fun course revolving around old-time radio broadcasts could be appealing to those who might enjoy the nostalgia.

This suggestion resulted in Old Time Radio Show being offered.

Students will complete the first-ever semester of this class with their "final exam" -- a radio-show broadcast in front of a live audience at 7 p.m. today in the Advanced Technology Center Auditorium on ECC's main campus.

"This is a class for fun," says Farrell, whose "Big Band" radio show, which he created in 1971, was heard regularly on WFXW 1480-AM for about five years in the Fox Valley in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and remains on stations across the country today.

"It is for everyday people who are interested in old-time radio, and the magic that took place back then."

Farrell said the class of nine students, ages 30 to 70, has worked on all aspects of a broadcast from the radio-show era of the 1940s.

"The students are learning to recreate sound effects for everything, and realizing that there is a lot more to it than what they heard on the radio," Farrell said.

At the live show today, which is free and open to the public, the plan is for Farrell to record the session -- a Richard Diamond murder mystery -- and make the CDs available for class members, Keisler said.

Students Alan Sauer, 65, of Carpentersville and Bob Allison, 70, of Elgin, are looking forward to their roles in the show.

"I'm an old-time radio buff and always wanted to work in radio," Sauer said. "I'm fascinated with how they produced these sounds with voiceovers and sound effects."

Sauer will be in charge of sound effects and the sound mixing board at the 45-minute show, in addition to playing the role of Mr. Gibson -- who happens to be the gentleman murdered in the show.

Allison enjoys the class because of a long-time interest in acting.

"I've learned a lot about reading scripts and microphone etiquette," Allison said.

Farrell has plenty of experience in creating the sounds of one of America's most noted musical time periods.

"I have worked with Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Larry Elgart, Les Brown and Tony Bennett, among others, in shows where I am on stage with them, and bring it to life as in an old broadcast over the radio," Farrell said. "I have great memories of places like the Willowbrook Ballroom (in Willow Springs) and other theaters and dance halls in Chicago."

Keisler describes the course as perfect for "those interested in learning to read a script, learning about sound effects, having fun and being enthusiastic about this nostalgia."

Farrell sums up his students' work in just a few words.

"It brings back the sound," he says.

If you go

What: Radio-style performance of "Richard Diamond -- The Gibson Murder," a mystery-comedy

When: 7 p.m. today

Where: Advanced Technology Center Auditorium on Elgin Community College's main campus, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.

How much? Free and open to the public.