Chrysti the Wordsmith

A native of Poplar, Montana, Chrysti Smith graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana State University-Bozeman in Sociology/Anthropology. A featured speaker for the Montana Committee for the Humanities' Speakers Bureau, Chrysti has also held many other professional speaking engagements for groups such as the National Organization for Women, the International Regional Magazine Association, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Northwest Archivists Association. She is a professional narrator with credits in television, documentary films, slide presentations, and award-winning public service announcements and radio ads.

Chrysti the Wordsmith is produced by Karen Gaulke, who is also Executive Producer of "Studio A: Arts on the Air," a locally produced television program which airs on Montana PBS. Karen has enjoyed success as Director of Development and consultant for various non-profit organizations, including The Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, (((Hearing Voices))), a consortium of national independent radio journalists, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Wallace Stegner Chair for the Humanities at Montana State University, the Bozeman Film Festival, and others.

Philip Gaines is a consultant and script editor for Chrysti the Wordsmith. Gaines holds an MA in linguistics and a PhD in English language studies from the University of Washington. An English professor at Montana State University-Bozeman, Gaines teaches linguistics and composition and directs the program in expository writing.

Theme music for Chrysti the Wordsmith was written and performed by classical guitarist Stuart Weber. Weber tours widely and performs the classics with uncompromising virtuosity while his original pieces interpret the natural environment with melodic inspiration and sensitivity. The Denver Post praised Weber as "a Western original." Stuart Weber resides with his family on a ranch near Bozeman. Titled "Family Suite," the Wordsmith theme can be found on Weber's CD "Hired Man's Dream" and on his guitar anthology, "Under the Big Sky." Both are available at his website, www.stuartweber.com.

Production assistance comes from Brodie Cates, who arrived at KGLT in 1992 after stints in public and commercial radio beginning in the late 60s. "I remember when AM radio was sound art...WLS, KXOK, WLAC, WBZ through a transistor's tiny speaker expanding my musical imagination." Production director since 2005, Brodie sees every recording project as songlike -- working with some form of rhythm, lyric and melody.

KGLT-FM is a growing source of regional and national programming. Station-based producers' works have been heard on NPR, APR, BBC, Armed Forces Radio and Voice of America. Several major projects have been produced at KGLT for NPR's "All Things Considered." KGLT productions have won the Jack R. Howard Broadcast Award, the Montana ADDY Award, and Program of the Year Award from the Montana Broadcaster's Association. The station is located at Montana State University-Bozeman, and provides 24-hour daily public radio service to Gallatin, Park, and Lewis and Clark Counties.

Background