Mesa County Libraries are accepting applications now through Feb. 15 for openings in the 970West Artist in Residence program for 2021.

Artists in a variety of mediums are considered. Applications must be submitted online by 8 p.m., Feb. 15.

Want to increase your audio quality in virtual meetings? Want to begin recording your own podcast or music? USB microphones are a great way to get started.

If you’re using a traditional microphone, you'll need an audio interface to convert the analog signal to digital to communicate with your computer. Yet, a USB microphone has the signal conversion built in!

Simply plug the microphone into any available USB port on your computer. USB microphones vary in quality and price. See PCMag’s top USB microphones in their recent article, The Best USB Microphones for 2021

You can also pair your USB microphone with a limited/free version of a popular DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and you have a full recording setup. Check these DAWs out:

If you own a Mac computer, you can start right away with GarageBand.

Thanks to the Mesa County Oral History Project, patrons can now hear episodes of the dramatic Western radio plays "True Epics of Western Colorado" through the Mesa County Libraries catalog.

After vaudeville’s decline and before television’s rise, radio plays were popular entertainment. Serialized shows like "The Shadow" and "Little Orphan Annie" inspired legions of devoted fans to sit glued to their speakers during broadcast times.

Even those of us who are too young to have lived through that era know about Orson Welles’ radio play version of "The War of the Worlds" and how it caused a small panic, with some listeners actually believing that America was under attack by aliens.

"True Epics of Western Colorado," written by Western Colorado historian Wilson Rockwell and based in part on his book of similar name, tell the exploits of outlaw Harry Tracy, the McCarty Gang, cannibal Alferd Packer, and other infamous characters. The plays, which originally aired on KREX radio, provide exciting renditions of Western Slope murders, robberies, and other crimes. They have provocative titles like "The Maneater," "Death of an Outlaw," and "Race for Justice."

We’re back after the holiday break with our new favorite episode. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

David Combs of Black Citizens and Friends of Grand Junction joins us on The Audissey to discuss the history of MLK Day events in Grand Junction, our favorite stories of Black lives, and the events Black Citizens and Friends are hosting this year to keep the mission of building a positive community in Grand Junction going in a time of social distancing. Thank you, David, for taking the time and sharing the mission of Black Citizens and Friends with Mesa County Libraries!

From Studio Lounge to the Mesa County Oral History Project, Mesa County Libraries' 970West Digital Collection visually captures the unique aspects of life in western Colorado. Photos, videos, artwork, and other elements in this constantly evolving collection are contributed by Colorado photographers and artists, Mesa County Libraries staff, and others whose work helps to ultimately compose a rich, dynamic portrait of the region.

Although public reservations for the 970West Studio remain suspended until further notice due to pandemic-related restrictions, we are currently offering virtual orientations online. Discover all that can be created in the studio once doors are open again.

Follow @970west_studio on Instagram for weekly posts about all things 970West Studio. We share gear updates, local band highlights, video releases, and more!