Over the years, plenty have poked fun at the calming nature of public radio (the "Delicious Dish," anyone?) But no producer thinks it's good when their host lulls listeners to sleep. Unless, that is, that listener is a crying 8-month-old baby suffering from great discomfort - like teething.
In the final portion of Wednesday's Up to Date, hear the story of Hamza Husein, whose infancy is a bit more manageable due to the sultry and soothing sounds of Steve Kraske.
(No, we're not kidding.)
It all started a number of months ago when Hamza wouldn't stop crying. So his mother, Kate Hamza-Husein and Hamza's aunt, Joanna Sturgess did what a lot of people do to calm babies: take them for a car ride.
After 45 minutes of incessant screaming, Joanna turned on a podcast of Up to Date. And Hamza perked up; family members recall, as though he was thinking, "okay, I have to pause my crying. That's Steve (Kraske). Okay, I'm okay, I'm going to stop." When Joanna's iPhone paused the podcast (a software glitch), Hamza's face turned red and the screaming resumed.
Hamza's family refers to this calming method as "the Steve effect."
Kate says Hamza has been listening to the program since before birth. And while many expectant mothers expose their bellies to Mozart, Dad's voice, or their favorite song, Kate chose KCUR.
According to Hamza's grandmother, Deb Sturgess, "He's been a fan since conception."
