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Show SEPTEMBER 2, 1986 The singing Murdocks are making a musical impact By TOM HARALDSEN FRUIT HEIGH' all the time th S - It happens days. Two months ago a ne .amily moved into the neighbo od of Bill and Wendy Murdock of Fruit Heights. The new neighbors ended up meeting Wendy the next day on the street in front of their home, and when introduced the lady of the house said, Are you THE Wendy Murdock? You see, during the past few months, Bill and Wendy, along with their five children, have bes come local celebrities. The are one of several LDS musical groups who are gaining popularity and notarity for their music. Their first tape, is a best ellerin local LDS bookstores, ano heir songs are aired daily on Salt i.akes KUTR, which is totally oriented towards the LDS lifestyle and culture (see sidebar story). It was music, in fact, that first Mur-Jock- -- tape, which Wendy completely orchestrated, when Katie was born. Shortly after that, the tape became available in LDS outlets. But it was when KUTR went on the air last summer that the Murdocks, and many others, got the avenue for sharing their music that they deserved. Since then, the family has performed at many church meetings, at the Home School convention held recently at Weber State, and to other groups. Bill has finished a recording studio in the basement of their home, where the family is working on two new tapes. One thing wed love to do is a tape that helps anyone learn how to use music in their homes, Wendy says. Wed start with the basics, then discuss how to harmonize and things like that. Wed love to help others have the joy that our family has found in music. The Murdocks have no illusions about what might lie ahead. They are happy to be making a name for themselves, but do not necessarily aspire to follow the footsteps of the most famous family group, the Osmonds. They plan to sing at seminars the Eyres put on, but most of all to gain and give joy through music, Wendy says. There is no jealousy of other LDS artists whove also come to the fore-frorecently. In fact, Bill says youre greatful for all of them, as weve all helped each other emerge. He states his goals include being able to travel with the family. People need experiences to nt HASKETT THE BILL AND Wendy Murdock family of Fruit Heights has become a popular LDS g singing group locally, with a tape. best-sellin- perpetuate creativity. Weve tried to stress our creative nature to our kids, and we want them to experience all they can, he says. But that goal will be kept within certain limits. As an example, the Murdocks will home teach their children this year, keeping them out of the public schools while pro- brought the couple together in 1974, just after Wendy graduated "rom Davis High. Bill was in a band with a friend of mine here in Kaysville, Nolan Phillips. They were rehearsing one norning and my little sisters were at the Phillips listening. When I went to pick them up, my sisters insisted I go inside and meet the viding them a quality education. Its a trend very popular in Utah these days. Bill and Wendy Murdock have managed to keep their priorities straight through all the attention theyve received. They are constantly inundated these days with band, Wendy recalls. She did go inside, wearing her bathrobe she admits, and when she first met Bill she was sure he was her future husband. I went home and told my mother and we sat down and planned the wedding. Bill hadnt even asked me out yet, she laughs. They were married the following February, and their first daughter, Melissa, now 10, came along the next year. For awhile, Bill taught Seminary in Davis County, including a stint at Viewmont High. The couple kept busy with other odd jobs, and always performed as a duo in Church meetings or other gatherings. Before long Annie, now nine; Matt, seven; and Megan, four, also came along. The Murdocks were progressing nicely, Bill enjoying his career as a handyman. But the desire to sing and perform was still strong. We always had music in our home," Bill recalls. It seems our children had an inborn sense of music, of rhythm. With Megan as an example, she could sing before she ever talked, and loved to hum Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So occasionally the family would all sing in ward or stake houses. Their talents were well appreciated, but might have remained widely unknown if it hadnt been for two events. First, Wendy, who had played and composed music since a child herself, began singing with her children at meetings held by Janeen Brady, one of the first LDS artists to find success in the field. And when Richard and Linda Eyre began instituting a preschool program recordings, broadcasts, concerts and performances that have elevated the Murdocks into one of the areas hottest singing acts. C3UBAV SMQ g based around their books on teaching children, the Murdocks music fit right in. hot-sellin- The Murdocks fifth child, Katie, was born in November of 1984. The family was in the midst of finishing the recording of their first songs or ideas tor songs from fans and friends, and Wendy says that down the road, the family may well consider recording material from other songwriters. But right now we feel we still have so many songs left within us. Were so fortunate, because we are able to do something that we all love as a family that happens to be something others love to listen to, she says. And listen they do, through the IV M AIM DUT INUW DI BEF0RE THE RUSH! QUICK SERVICE LOWEST PRICES BILL FUNCTIONS IN the control room for the familys new reocrding studio, in the basement of their Fruit Heights home. One of the LARGEST Selections KUTR offers LDS music forum By TOM HARALDSEN - SALT LAKE CITY Dick Elliott had an idea. Shortly after his company. Sunrise Media, purchased radio stations KWHO AM and FM two years ago, he was looking for a format that would propel the stations to the top in Salt Lake City market. For a time, he simulcasted adult contemporary music over both stawas born. tions, as KLTQ The stations did well, but he still had something else in mind for the AM. So on July 1, 1985, KUTR was born. Elliott felt there was a market for a station that played music and ran features geared to the LDS audience. He felt the time had come for Salt Lake City to take the lead in that area. He couldnt have been more right. When the Arbitron rating service (K-Lit- e) released its latest findings last month, KUTR had jumped to 10th the market, a very respectable figure for a station less than 14 months old. J. Robert Howe is a radio veteran who has been heard for years by Utah listeners. He joined KUTR recently as marketing director, and he feels the station is on exactly the right course. What Dick was interested in needs of doing was addressing the an LDS audience. He also wanted to give LDS artists more exposure than they were getting. Hes succeeded in doing both, Howe states. in KUTR is not a Christian station, we dont preach the gospel. But we do orient our music, our news and our features towards the LDS lifestyle. Everything we do is in keeping with the LDS value system, Howe adds. The station does play a wide variety of traditional features, including Tabernacle Choir songs, and music of LDS artists like The Murdocks, Shannon Denton and Steven Kapp Perry. But contemporary artists are also frequently heard, artists such as Lionel Ritchie, Neil Diamond and Kenny Rogers. When the first Arbitron ratings came out after KUTR went on the air, the station had a .2 rating. By ,the next book the rating had grown to a .9. Now the station has a 3.5 rating, just slightly behind stations such as KLCY, KISN and KALL, and ahead of many others like KLUB, KZAN, KBUG and, yes, KLTQ. KUTR jumped from 22nd place to 10th in the survey. The future looks bright as well. Arbitron will survey, for the first time, the Provo-Orearea this fall, which can only help the station. Bill Murdock says the creation of KUTR "really has been the biggest thing to happen to LDS artists. Sales of LDS tapes at outlets in ,the Salt Lake Valley have increased by 40 percent since the station went on the air, and those sales are spawning new performers. Recently the station held a New Artist promotion, inviting listeners to submit tapes. m I We were hoping for about 100 entries, Howe recalls. We received over 270. When the station held its first anniversary party at Lagoon in July, dozens of listeners brought cakes for the celebration. One cake was decorated with a gunny bag, in honor of one of the Murdocks most popular songs. Where can the station go from here? We need to continue to innovate, the growth potential is incredible. Well be very involved in the community and in putting on those types of activities our listeners want, Howe says. One such activity is set for Sept. 12, a concert at Taylorsville High featuring Denton, Perry and Roger Hoffman. Another example of trying to fill the LDS programming need was the in five-wee- k BYU Young Ambassadors variety show. Tour manager Harold R. Oaks, chairman of the BYU Theater Department, said the group of singers and dancers gave 40 performances including unscheduled stops at the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden Citv. The trio included live Designed or Sold by the Yard. un-daut- Its "Mormon Journal has proven very popular, a forum for many guests, including LDS General Authorities. And for many, KUTR simply provides them with relaxing, thought-provokin- it Excellent Selection, Styles g programming seems, has been long over- that, due in this market. Tours Far East lands Roxanne Smith, Kaysville, a graduate student in dance at Brigham Young University, returned recently from a performing tour of Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan with the Custom stations offer last fall to carry a Saturday afternoon session of LDS Conference, which KSL was not broadcasting due to a conflict with a BYU football game. News director Chere Wood contacted Bonneville International Corporation about the rights to do it, and the corporation was favorable, but KSL shot the plan down, saying it owned the rights to Conference. So the station has moved on performances as well as television tapings of full performances in five major cities. The Chinese were especially pleased that students would take the time to learn enough of their language to introduce various parts of the show, Oaks said. When students sang some songs in Chinese, they were all the more impressed. Smith, an assistant director and with the troups, is a daughter of Paul C. and Sandra Smith of Kavsville. singer-danc- er the State and Color 0 A YARD AND UP! CARPET & DRAPERY 3100 Soi USHwy. 89 Bountiful 295-552- 1 |