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Music aficionado and Sonoma Valley ambassador James Marshall Berry has combined his two passions in a new endeavor that will showcase the Valley like never before.

With the tagline "Bringing Sonoma Valley to the World," Berry re-launched his popular Sonoma Valley Music Scene radio show in January, this time with a much larger audience through the Los Angeles-based Internet radio station, Indie 104. Just as when the show was broadcast locally, the hour-long program exclusively features the sounds of Sonoma Valley musicians. "You have to live here, be related to someone who lives here or be playing at a local venue," Berry said.

As a musician, music columnist and Valley resident for 20 years, Berry has unique knowledge of Sonoma's musical landscape and the many personalities it's composed of. He sees his show as an opportunity to give the rest of the world an insider's glimpse at the Sonoma Valley way of life. "The Sonoma name and the Sonoma brand are huge. People all over this country want a peek at this lifestyle," Berry said. "I think Sonoma Valley is relevant to the rest of the world in so many ways, but I think the music has been overlooked."

Blessed with a velvety voice, radio has always been a dream of Berry's, who said growing up he wanted to be a DJ or a forest ranger. But life got in the way and years later Berry found himself working in tech support. "Not a day went by that someone didn't say 'You have a great voice, are you on the radio?'" he said.

In 2004, Berry read an Index-Tribune article about a new community radio station that was seeking out volunteer DJs. "I thought, well, I've always wanted to do that," he said. "I wanted to do a show where I could spin classic rock." For the next five years, Berry was a staple of the KSVY lineup, anchored on Thursday night, giving listeners a preview of the upcoming weekend's music performances. When he left the station in 2009, Berry hoped to launch Radio Sonoma - an online station he imagined could have a wide variety of content created by a range of Valley residents. It is a project Berry continues to develop, but his desire to get back in the studio brought him to Indie 104 - a largely volunteer-run undertaking that only plays unsigned musicians and has 7.5 million listeners across the world, according to the Web site.

Berry credits country maven Natasha James with pushing him to meet up with the station's general manager Mark Maverick.

"She wouldn't give up on me, she was relentless," Berry said with a laugh, adding that he finally sent Maverick a few old shows. "He loved it."

After securing the 9 p.m. Thursday timeslot, Berry's first show aired on Jan. 21, on the Indie 104 Web site. Although the show is not live online, Berry does not edit the show, giving it the authentic feel of live radio.

"I just ramble, there's no script," he said, "If I make a mistake, I just roll with it."

He hopes in the coming weeks and months to develop a steady following of listeners and attract a handful of small sponsors to help cover his costs. But for now, he does the show purely for the love of local music and radio.

"It's good to be back," he said. "I think the music here deserves the same recognition as the food and the wine."

Catch all Sonoma Valley Music Scene shows at www.SonomaMusic.com where you can also contact Berry for more information or sponsorship opportunities.

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