Marty and Brian Stoll make a great couple. Their love and respect for each other is evident when you talk to them. They joke with one another, they truly enjoy each other’s company, and they have many interests in common.
KCCK is one of those common interests. They’ve been KCCK members for 10 years, but their association with 88.3 goes back even farther – at least 20 years and scores of Jazz Under the Stars concerts.
“We started dating in 2009,” says Marty, “and as we got to know each other we realized that we’d been going to the same shows but had never met.”
It’s pretty much a given that you’ll find them at Noelridge Park on Thursdays in August. “It’s rare that we’ve missed a concert in four or five years,” says Brian.
“Jazz Under the Stars is what grew our commonality to each other. Every time we crossed paths, it was at a music event.”
Brian is the owner of Illuminate Digital LLC, a firm that provides digital consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses. Marty is an attorney at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll PLC, specializing in business and real estate. “She’s my lawyer,” Brian chuckles.
Does that mean she’s the smarter one of the two? “I keep telling him that,” laughs Marty.
Like all other aspects of their lives, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the Stolls listen to KCCK and their reasons why. “Before COVID, I listened every morning as I was getting ready for work,” says Marty. “Now, I listen while I work at home. It’s music that I love, that is something enjoyable.” As an attorney, it’s nice, she says, to listen to something “relaxing and not too distracting.”
Marty and Brian believe that the value of KCCK has increased with the pandemic. “It’s now a resource for me to listen and relax and help me deal with the stress,” says Marty. “We, as listeners, have a say in not only the music played but also some of the events put on by KCCK.”
Brian agrees. “KCCK is more important than ever now because it gives us something to listen to that isn’t determined by soundbites. This station is a valuable resource to hear music that is slowly fading away. And it’s important we listen to this music because it’s a part of our cultural history.”
KCCK appreciates the generous support of the Stolls. Friends like Marty and Brian make it possible for KCCK to continue its mission. It’s easy for anyone to feel as they do, they both agree. “Donate to KCCK,” says Marty.
And when the pandemic lifts, “Go to a KCCK event,” says Brian. “You get to meet the staff first-hand, and you get to see a great performance.”
Better yet, says Marty, “Invite your friends along. Bring a bottle of wine. Bring your dog. Relax to a great live show. KCCK is beyond a listening experience and more of a life experience.”