Story behind the music in downtown Ottawa, La Salle

To people who are fresh from outside of our area, it’s a great way to make them feel comfortable and create a fun hangout environment

—  La Salle Deputy Clerk Brent Bader

The music played over public speakers in downtown Ottawa and La Salle changes with the seasons, with Christmas music in the winter and bright, cheerful tunes in the summer.

Sometimes, even jazz songs are played, like when Ottawa hosts its annual wine festival.

No matter what, visitors are greeted with a variety of music, from rock ‘n’ roll hits to country tunes.

Kevin Bressendorf, of Computer Spa, is the guy behind making sure the music stays up-and-running in both Ottawa and La Salle, but he said the playlists come from a subscription service called Cloud Cover Music.

Bressendorf said Ottawa’s music is designed to play into holiday themes. Around Halloween, he’ll set the computer to play spooky music with sound effects, such as doors creaking or spiders crawling.

The sound system operates off of a computer kept inside First National Bank. This computer controls speakers through all of downtown Ottawa, and allows for volume controls in case certain places don’t want festive music. Bressendorf said La Salle County has requested the speakers surrounding the Madison Street courthouse be turned off during the day on weekdays.

“The comments that come in mostly come in during Christmas,” Bressendorf. “People have said it’s really nice to have Christmas music playing throughout the town.”

It also was beneficial to have the music playing during COVID.

Bressendorf said it provided an ambience the restaurants couldn’t provide themselves when outdoor dining was utilized.

Improvements could be coming soon. Bressendorf said Commissioner Wayne Eichelkraut has requested a microphone that will work with the system from the street that could be useful for events.

Bressendorf said all the sound equipment and speakers are city-owned, and the licensing fee for the music costs Ottawa $260 a year. He handles care for the equipment because Computer Spa is already contracted by the city to handle its IT department.

The La Salle Business Association operates the music played along First Street in the downtown La Salle speakers. The association’s Vice President Leah Erickson said an outside service provides music options from limited playlists. The LBA then chooses music mixes based on events, holidays and time of year.

“To people who are fresh from outside of our area, it’s a great way to make them feel comfortable and create a fun hangout environment,” said La Salle Deputy Clerk Brent Bader.

Erickson said types of music include seasonal, coffee shop music or summer music and follow language and content rules so it’s appropriate for all ages.

Bader also said it’s the kind of atmosphere that makes people feel welcome and spend more time in downtown La Salle, which is a main goal for the city.

“I do think it’s a great addition to our downtown and in keeping with our desire to keep our downtown a pleasant visit for residents and visitors,” Bader said.