Classic Soundspace

Favorites from the archives of Soundspace.  Norvel Trosst hosts an hour of new age, world music, classical, folk, ethnic, soundtracks, and spoken word recordings.



The Spokane Public Radio community was saddened to learn of the death of Norvel Trosst on Saturday, March 16, 2013. Norvel had been an announcer on KPBX from 1991 until his retirement in 2011. Initially an overnight host, he quickly became the producer of the popular Soundspace program on Sunday night. He was also the editor of our arts calendar, always laboring to ensure the accuracy and completeness of that important arts information.

As an artist, Norvel was known as a superb black and white photographer, whose career culminated in a major exhibit at the influential Lorinda Knight Gallery in 2009.

Norvel was beloved for his thoughtfulness, sardonic sense of humor, and absolute devotion to his friends. He was appropriately surrounded by these friends and his partner Zan during his illness from cancer and gentle and knowing acceptance of his journey into death.





Norvel Lee Trosst
August 16, 1941 to March 16, 2013
Norvel Lee Trosst was born in Bismarck, North Dakota on August 16, 1941 to John Sebastian Trosst and Minnie Rose Knoll. His family moved to Spokane when he was four.  He attended kindergarten at Roosevelt Elementary and 1st through 8th grade at Sacred Heart. He attended Lewis and Clark HS from 1955-59. As a result of his passion for launching rockets, Spokane County passed an ordinance making it illegal to launch rockets within county limits. Norvel graduated from Eastern WA State College in 1964 with a degree in History. He moved to CA and taught 7th and 8th graders English and Speech at Stacey Intermediate School in Orange County for five years. He later moved back to WA State to teach at Thomas School in the Kent District from 1973-78. Norvel spent eight years as a Media Tech at Bellevue Community College. He eventually moved back to Spokane in 1991 and began a successful career with Spokane Public Radio (KPBX) as an Announcer/Producer. His 19-year run of Soundspace on Sunday nights drew fans throughout the region. Norvel was a skilled fine arts black and white photographer with various successful exhibits throughout the Northwest. His last show, The Telford Chronicles, took place at Lorinda Knight Gallery in Spokane in the fall of 2008. Norvel served as an Arts Commissioner for the City of Spokane in the mid-nineties, and dedicated time advocating for and supporting artists and the arts in the Inland NW. Norvel is survived by a handful of cousins, one aunt (Rosemary White) and his significant other, Sandy Zan Deery. He leaves a legacy of friends who will forever hold the love and care that was Norvel in their hearts. In memory of his life, Norvel requested that people make a donation, in his name, to Spokane Public Radio. A memorial for Norvel aka “Blind Dog” will take place August 24th, 2013 from 3-6 at Sweet Old Bob's, 3423 E Trent Ave, Spokane, WA.