By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The first virtual Sitka Holiday Grind will go live online this coming Saturday, offering a free, family-oriented show involving holiday music and more.
“It’s going to have a little bit of holiday cheer in there,” said Monthly Grind producer Jeanne Stolberg. “We have one reading that’s a Christmas story and not everybody has a holiday theme, but just a few of them.”
The Monthly Grind has become a Sitka tradition since the regularly scheduled amateur variety show began 26 years ago, with performances usually staged in the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi auditorium. It was forced to go virtual this year because of the pandemic. A typical pre-pandemic grind involved about an hour and a half of live music, dance, and other performances paired with desserts, tea and coffee.
Saturday’s Holiday Grind will be the third virtual grind of the year, following the one in October and the Whalefest Grind in November. Videos associated with both of those events remain accessible on YouTube.
While the traditional, in-person Monthly Grind involves an entry fee, the online events are free to all comers.
Finding a balance in content while solving technical issues involved in the virtual format is a challenge, Stolberg said.
“The biggest difference I find is it’s a shorter show when it’s online, which is just about right,” she said. ”When it’s a live show it’s fine to have an hour-and-a-half-long show. You get to socialize and have an intermission.”
Jeff Budd, who has long experience in putting on the monthly show, also noted the contrasts between the virtual and the in-person shows.
“The difference is you can’t sit there and talk with your friends and have some really good desserts at the intermission,” Budd said. “You’re missing the in-person feeling, I suppose. And the atmosphere in the community house. It’s an amazing building and very welcoming.”
And in the absence of an auditorium or professional sound stage, Stolberg lends a hand to performers in recording their acts for the virtual grind.
“The challenges are getting performers, a little bit. I don’t seem to see as much response in performers because it’s hard to videotape your performance by yourself. That’s a challenge,” she said.
In addition to her job as producer for the event, Stolberg helps with the sound system.
“I’m a sound person, and that’s what I used to do for the live shows, set up and check and run the sound,” she said.
With performers recording in their homes, Stolberg takes the extra step of smoothing out the audio quality of the performances.
“I try to sweeten it a little bit, take out some of the frequencies that seem more dominant than some of the others... You have to adapt. I’m finding that adaptation is a necessary tool,” she said.
Budd praised Stolberg’s work on sound editing and design.
“Given the circumstances, all the work that Jeanne has done has been amazing,” Budd said. “If it wasn’t for her, it probably would not be happening...She’s been doing all the heavy lifting. If you wanted to do something you’d have to record yourself, but she would help you figure it out.”
Budd’s contribution to the upcoming grind will be his recording of a classic holiday story for children.
Stolberg hoped that Sitkans would enjoy the Holiday Grind from their homes, possibly with a dessert to simulate the live experience to some degree.
“I’m just looking forward to people watching it and having a good time and getting a little bit of local entertainment,” she said. “I just want people to sit down and enjoy it as much as they can without being a live show. I would encourage them to maybe bake a dessert.”
Stolberg said the 27-minute video is already complete and edited, and is ready for release on Saturday afternoon Dec. 12, when it goes online on Facebook and YouTube, where Sitka Monthly Grind has its own channel.
“The best way to find it is to search Sitka Monthly Grind on YouTube,” she said. “We also have a Facebook page but I realize not everybody has a Facebook account.”
Budd said he’s already looking for submissions for the January Grind, and is asking those interested to give him a call at at 747-4821 or Stolberg at (907) 738-8083.
