New song highlights strides Port Clinton is making
PORT CLINTON — After a few years of redefining its vision and putting in a lot of hard work, Port Clinton has found its voice. Long viewed as the gateway to the islands, visitors are now discovering that Port Clinton is a unique vacation destination which combines small-town charm with world-class entertainment alongside some of the best lakeside views on Erie.
This year, musician and songwriter Ron Miller put a tune to that voice.
About a year ago, Miller was contemplating the community-led facelift Port Clinton gave itself and wanted to find a way to promote that change to the world. He wrote “Port Clinton’s Calling Me” and produced an accompanying video that has earned tremendous response from local residents and business owners.
“The song is really a reflection of all the great things happening in Port Clinton and Catawba Island the last few years,” Miller said. “Catawba Island, with all its wineries, is almost starting to feel like Napa Valley. Port Clinton and the people of Port Clinton are doing all this great stuff.”
More than just entertainment
Miller said the song didn’t evolve easily because he hoped it would serve a greater purpose than simply entertaining the listener.
“I wrote the song about a year ago, and when I was writing it, I thought about what it would be used for,” Miller said. “I had an idea that it could be used for promotional branding for the area. It needed to be a song, have an intro like a sitcom, and also be a kind of commercial.”
As “Port Clinton’s Calling Me” plays in the background, the shots of life around the city stream past. The video features restaurants such as Sloopy’s and Gideon Owen, shops such as Mary’s Blossom Shoppe, and local landmarks including the Port Clinton Lighthouse.
The video was filmed and directed by Shay Rickard of Shot by Shay in Marblehead, and the song was produced and recorded by Chip Hardy at 522 Studio in Nashville.
“I work with a lot of people in Nashville all the time, and I have a particular producer and studio I use,” Miller said. “It turned out wonderful — very upbeat.”
Local leaders see marketing potential
Once the project was completed, Miller presented the video to Mayor Mike Snider, Safety Service Director Tracy Colston, and Nicole Kochensparger, president of the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce. They were impressed and excited about the video’s marketing potential.
“Ron Miller had already written lyrics for the song and had music put with it when he presented the idea to the mayor, safety service director and me,” Kochensparger said. “The main purpose of the song and video is to highlight the transition Port Clinton has gone through over the last couple years and showcase all the amazing things our city has to offer.”
Kochensparger said the video is featured on the chamber’s website and is played prior to shows at the M.O.M. entertainment area in downtown Port Clinton.
“We’ve heard nothing but positive remarks so far, and with the amount of likes and shares we’ve received on our social media platforms, we’re certain it is already serving its purpose,” Kochensparger said.
Local businesses promoting song on social media
The song has well over 7,000 views on YouTube, and Miller said it is being played at local businesses such as Gully’s Lake Wear and Northern Exposure Candle Co. He hopes local businesses will further promote it through social media.
“The goal is to get it into the entire Midwest and nation. I think it has a good chance to get a big audience if everyone will get behind it and promote it,” Miller said. “Our intention is to update it every year.”
As the song continues to reach a wider audience, Port Clinton’s newfound voice will reach many more ears.
“The most wonderful thing about this is it is reaching out to tell people about our area. It’s reaching people who don’t know about Port Clinton,” Miller said.
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: New song highlights strides Port Clinton is making
