Centrepoint's New President Jan-Willem van Wijck; Happy Tunes

Centrepoint is an English-language club in Basel with 600 to 700 members. Its new president, Jan-Willem van Wijck, is assuming leadership at a challenging time for membership-based clubs. The COVID pandemic pushed all of public life online, and groups that thrive on in-person connections and activities are trying to adjust by altering their activities and appealing to new members. We spoke with van Wijck about his plans to engage members and attract new members to Centrepoint through networking, socialising, professional development, and more evening events. Listen to the interview here.

One of our German phrases today was «Aller Anfang ist schwer», which means «all beginnings are hard». The beginning of summer might beg to differ. We're easing into the warm weather with an array of great activities and upbeat songs. Our musical theme today is happy songs, with the beat carrying on through the cultural calendar, where we highlighted the Stars of Sound music festival and a tribute to R&B legend Junior Parker.

Besides the music, there's a lot to see in the coming weeks. The new exhibit at the Kunstmuseum Gegenwart «When They See Us», is now open, and millennia-old artifacts found near Marktplatz are on display at the Museum Kleines Klingental.

Music has a unique power to affect the way people feel, and many people use music to enhance or change their mood. Music that is perceived as «happy» is usually written in a major key with a bright tone, featuring instruments with a bright timbre, such as trumpets or electric guitars. Although happy songs are usually written in a major key, they sometimes include a section in a minor key to add interest. We played:

Lovin' Spoonful - Day Dream

Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

John Fred & His Playboy Band - Judy In Disguise

Jackie DeShannon - Put A Little Love In Your Heart

The Monkees - Daydream Believer

The Patridge Family - I Think I Love You

Spiral Starecase - More Today Than Yesterday

Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now

Keith - 98.6

The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice

Vanity Fare - Hitchin' A Ride