My Voice Is My Livelihood

Lora’s story
Sometimes you get lucky and you get to do the thing you love. That happened to me 23 years ago when I started my career in broadcasting. I am a native Nebraskan and I was fortunate to go to a small school where I could be in band, chorus, stage plays, speech, and sports. I received a great education and start in music and the spoken word.

When I was a young girl, one of the ads on television caught my eye. They were offering a set of LP records containing the 50 greatest classical music selections of all time. I loved watching ballet and symphonies on television, and fell in love with the music, so I ordered them. Who knew this would lead me to a job in public broadcasting where I could “cheer on” this great music on a daily basis?

A college degree in consumer economics, several careers, and three children later I was hired to work weekend mornings at NET Radio (formerly Nebraska Public Radio Network). I had to be at work at 5:45 a.m., and I quite literally had to turn the station on when I arrived. I called the transmitter and entered a code, and suddenly we were ”on the air.” My job was to announce the weather, underwriters, and necessary information during the breaks in the shows, and I had my own classical music half hour show first thing in the morning.

After seven years of working weekends, I moved to weekday Afternoon Concert, Classics by Request, and All Things Considered.

It is pure joy for me to present the most beautiful music in the world to the people of Nebraska. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Music is the Universal language of mankind.” Each composer, every work, has a story to tell. My goal is to facilitate the telling of those stories and ensure that everyone who tunes into NET Radio finds the music comforting and enjoyable, but most of all, that they feel more connected to something bigger than themselves while they listen.

About Lora
Lora Lunzmann Black learned early to appreciate the stories that the rich Nebraska soil has to tell. She grew up on a farm near Johnson, Nebraska, and after graduation attended Dana College in Blair. She finished her degree at Peru State College, and in 1980 she moved to Lincoln, where she has lived ever since. After several appearances as an extra in television and movies, she started her career in radio broadcasting in 1991. This is her 23rd year with NET radio. When not on air, you will find her in her garden, reading, or enjoying the company of her children and grandchildren. A few of her favorite things are traveling, yoga, the eating of dark chocolate, and all things purple.