CONNECTIONS
MAR 2025 VOL. 13 NO. 3
HAVE A BLAST WHILE BUILDING COMMUNITY Concerts that have you dancing your heart out, a class that teaches you how Amy Greenlaw to trace your family history NHPBS On-Air and a birding tour led by Fundraising Producer a seasoned pro — to Amy Greenlaw, New Hampshire PBS’ on-air fundraising producer, the connecting thread of these very different experiences is the opportunity to build community. Greenlaw strongly believes that, as a local public media station, NHPBS’ purpose is to serve its viewers. “We’re very passionate about the issues and interests that are important to the people of New Hampshire,” said Greenlaw. She wants that mission to be apparent even when the station is fundraising. To that end, Greenlaw has been hard at work, partnering with local organizations, to craft a variety of unique experiences as thank-you gifts to donors. Now, viewers will have the chance to be a part of concerts, classes, excursions and more that will enrich their lives and be a lot of fun in the process. “There’s no other way to get this content or these experiences.” One event that Greenlaw is particularly excited about is a birding expedition led by the New Hampshire Audubon Society. It’s the first time the station has been able to offer this walk, but Greenlaw has been working on it for a while. “We’ve produced at least six documentaries about birds,” Greenlaw noted. “We know there’s a huge affinity for birds among our viewers.” Recently, this fascination with birds has become one she shares. “I got a new bird feeder that has video, and it’s changed our lives,” laughed Greenlaw. She’s excited for viewers to have the chance to learn from a birding expert and meet other like-minded birders. As it happens, Greenlaw appreciates warblers of all kinds. An avid music lover, she has a particular
appreciation for the effect that a great song can have on a listener. “Music plays such a big part in everyone’s life. You hear a song, and you can immediately correlate it to a time in your life — an event, a friend or a relative.” Powerful music has always been a cornerstone of public television, and this spring, viewers will have the chance to shake off winter with live concerts from two stellar tribute bands — The Concert: The Tribute to ABBA and Glen Burtnik’s Summer of Love Concert, which seeks to recreate a Woodstock-style “Happening.” For Greenlaw, the appeal of these bands lies in their committed performances and high level of musicianship. The concerts include talented bands, powerhouse back-up singers and nostalgic costume changes. “It’s the kind of music that I think the audience loves to just get up and dance to.” But perhaps the most quintessentially PBS opportunity available during this year’s spring fundraising is the chance to take a virtual genealogy course with the New Hampshire Society for Genealogy. Inspired by the work of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on shows like FINDING YOUR ROOTS, Greenlaw’s excited to see how the class affects the genealogical journeys of NHPBS viewers. Like many of us, Greenlaw regrets missing the chance to record family stories from older relatives. “All these people that had all this knowledge are gone.” But she did have an older relative who traced her family’s genealogy, and it remains a gift that resonates to this day. “You can pass your family tree on to your children and say, ‘this is where we come from, and this is why we should respect where we are.’” To find out how to particpate in these and other unique events while supporting NHPBS, visit nhpbs.org/events.
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