Dyana, Goddess of the Moose Hunt

May 5th, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Ingredients for a doozy of a radio story:

1. Take a seasoned and somewhat crusty moose hunter.

2. Add a wide-eyed first-time huntress.

3. Toss in a student radio reporter.

4. Stir vigorously with increasing heat on bumpy logging roads in the Maine woods for days and days.

5. Sprinkle with an occasional moose sighting.

6. Continue stirring and heating until over-cooked.

Voila! A radio story!!

Hope you enjoy this startling piece about a moose hunt gone sour — “Dyana, Goddess of the Moose Hunt.” Produced by Jamie Yuenger in the fall of 2008.

Cheers, Rob

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 17:41 — 24.3MB)

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Cody Appleseed

April 20th, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Allison Swaim gets sound. Pun intended.

She understands it and she knows how to record it to tell a story.

In the fall of 2008, Allison produced a piece about a guerrilla gardener — a guy named Cody who illegally plants trees on an island off the coast of Maine. Allison had a knack for getting her mic in all the right places. She collected great sound of Cody canoeing, hiking, planting trees, and getting dirty. Then, she used the recordings to paint a vivid picture of his work.

Producer Robert Krulwich once said “In radio, the listener is a co-author.”  What he means is that because there are no pictures, listeners are free to create their own images when they listen to the radio.

One of the ways good radio stories paint pictures is with ambient sound and active tape. Ambient sound is the general, background sound of a place. Active tape is a recording of someone doing something. Put those two together creatively and radio becomes cinematic.

See for yourself. Take a listen to Allison Swaim’s “Cody Appleseed.”

Ciao,

Rob

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PS – A few days ago, Ira Glass said he thought sound can be over-emphasized in a radio piece —  it can become a fetish. He’s much more interested in story.

I’m not sure I fully agree. Sound at the expense of story — that’s a problem, for sure. And, sound isn’t a substitute for story. (“Oh, I’ve got these cool sounds. They’d make a great story.”)

But great sound, recorded well, and cleverly integrated into a narrative plays to radio’s strengths. Indeed, Ira once said “Radio is your most visual medium.” Sound makes it so — sometimes more so than talking heads and music.

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 11:22 — 15.6MB)

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Sleepover!

April 7th, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

The girls not sleeping at the sleepover. Photo by Maureen Wellner

I don’t know about you, but I have no recollection of sleepovers. It’s a lost period of time in my pre-teen life. Poof. Erased.

Producers Hillary Frank and Jonathan Menjivar knock the rust off those memories with Sleepover! It was produced in 2006 for the now defunct Weekend America. And, it’s totally a blast.

On this Saltcast we talk with Hillary and Jonathan about recording pre-teens, co-producing, and the hidden narrative of the sleepover.

Let us know what you think. Okay? Like for reals. Alright?

Best,
Rob

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 18:35 — 25.5MB)

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What If?

March 23rd, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on What If?

Kevin and James Hatch in 2005. Photo by Kyle Glover, courtesy the Salt Archive.

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Radio producer Joe Richman says when producing a radio story you “cast” for characters. It’s like “trying” people out.  You look for people who know the subject matter and who are “radiophonic” — they sound good on the radio.

Here’s another thing to look for when “casting” your story: a character going through transition, someone who is progressing from one place to another. Could be an emotional place, a physical place — something where the character evolves or is at a point of change.

Salt radio student Katie Freddoso found all three of these character elements when she met teenage brothers Kevin and James Hatch in 2005. They knew the subject matter, the were animated and spoke well, and they were in transition — Kevin and James were going deaf. Katie spent several weeks with the boys, documenting part of their journey from the hearing world to the non-hearing world. Take a listen.

Cheers,

Rob

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 12:48 — 17.6MB)

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Silence Among Friends

March 9th, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Silence is radio’s worst enemy. Or so the thinking goes. In fact, some commercials stations have alarms that sound when the station goes silent for more than a few seconds.

So, imagine my surprise when Joni Murphy said she wanted to produce a radio story about silence at Quaker meeting.

At first I thought she was kidding. Then I thought about the practical implications. “If a radio piece has a lot of silence, listeners will think their radios are broken or they lost the station or something.”

Then I thought some more and I decided Joni’s idea was genius. Take a listen.

Don’t you be silent. Post your thoughts!

Cheers,

Rob

PS – Oh, and y’all should know about John Cage, a composer who’s famous (and infamous) for his explorations of sound and silence. Here are links to a performance of 4′ 33″ and a story about Cage’s momentous encounter with absolute silence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJagb7hL0E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4′33″

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 12:07 — 16.7MB)

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The Angel Warrior On His Way to the Top

February 23rd, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Angel Warrior On His Way to the Top

The Angel Warrior and his chariot. Photo by Maisie Crow, courtesy the Salt Archive.

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“The Angel Warrior on His Way to the Top” has one of my favorite opening moments in a Salt piece. I especially like “…. thank you and Amen. Vroooooom…..” Makes me smile every time. Take a listen. You’ll see what I mean.

But, we’re featuring this piece on the Saltcast for reasons other than the opening. We talk a little bit about finding a story and recording ambiance. But, we also tackle a tricky editorial question: If you learn something about a character in a story that is unflattering, do you put it in your story? Even if it’s so loaded it may throw off the balance of the story?? Not sure there’s a uniform answer, but take a listen to hear how producer Brooke Shuman solved the quandary…. then post your thoughts.

All hail Marconi.

Rob

Podcast: Download (Duration: 13:29 — 18.5MB)

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Studs, Natasha, and the Power of Sound

February 10th, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Studs Terkel waxing about “vox humana” in Storycorps’ mobile recording booth.

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At the start of the semester at Salt, we start big, really big.

After listening to a few radio pieces and introducing ourselves, we talk about sound. The power of sound. The conversation ranges from the practical to the spiritual. It’s poetic..

Here are a few thoughts I have on the power of sound. Studs Terkel offers his take on the human voice. And, Salt radio grad Natasha Haverty talks about sound at death.

We hope you’ll chime in, too.

Cheers,

Rob

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 8:53 — 12.2MB)

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The Sound of Democracy

January 26th, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Banging out a tune on the Portland Public Library piano. Photo by Cecelia Duchano courtesy the Salt Archive.

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For her interview on this Saltcast, Elizabeth Chur holed up in her closet. That’s pretty common actually. Independent producers without access to a studio frequently record themselves in a closet because it’s the quietest and most insulated place in the house.

In this case, recording in a closet is a bit ironic, too. Elizabeth spent several weeks of her Salt semester recording people playing the piano in a room the not a lot bigger than a closet at the Portland Public Library. Elizabeth hunkered down outside the piano room, waiting for hours and hours — sometimes days — for people to show up and make music. Her patience was well rewarded.

Here’s Elizabeth’s piece, “The Sound of Democracy,” along with the backstory to her creative field work and production techniques.

Also, follow this link to a piece Eliabeth produced for Transom.org.

Cheers,

Rob

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 13:45 — 18.9MB)

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Come Soul, I Have Need of Thee

January 12th, 2009 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Folk singer Kendall Morse woos his partner, Jacqui.

Photo by Jen Leahy, courtesy the Salt Archive.

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“… To most journalists honored with the job of remembering the stories of the tribe, (the) momentous events of everyday life are virtually invisible. To most American journalists, such events are akin to the dark and unknown matter believed to make up 90% of the universe: We keep reporting the movement of the planets when the big news is the unseen matter in which they spin.

At best, most journalists are oblivious to reporting the incredible human beauty and subtlety that surround them. At worst, they militantly oppose reporting what they are untrained to discern and describe. But, either way, readers are being denied a look at much of the world they inhabit.

In the language of the craft, we’re missing the story.”

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Washington Post feature writer Walt Harrington wrote that passage in his 1997 book Intimate Journalism: The Art and Craft of Reporting Everyday Life. Harrington eloquently captures much of Salt’s approach to journalism and storytelling. And, for this Saltcast, we present a new radio feature that I believe exemplifies intimate journlism for radio. It was produced by Jud Esty-Kendall in the fall of 2008 and it’s called “Come Soul, I Have Need of Thee.”

(The story is about Maine folks singer and humorist Kendall Morse. I’ve posted a couple of Kendall’s songs below because they are hard to come by.)

Ciao, Rob

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Kendall Morse – “Satisfied Mind”

Kendall Morse – “Rolling Home”

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 12:12 — 16.8MB)

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I’m Relatively Human

December 28th, 2008 by Rob | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on I’m Relatively Human

Marty Hagland, a transgendered woman, says it was a long time before her neighbors accepted her.  “It took them a good three years to finally realize that I don’t bite.  At least not very hard. And, if you stick a pin in me I bleed. I’m relatively human.” (Photo by Selena Simmons-Duffin)

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Hot off the presses. “I’m Relatively Human” was produced just this fall (2008) by Selena Simmons-Duffin.

I chose to feature this piece because it’s good. I guess that goes without say. But, also because Selena did a solid job writing scenically.

Scenic writing is visual. It’s active. And, it takes listeners on a journey. It’s also a great way to organize a radio piece. In fact, you can think of scenes as chapters.

Scenes are sections of radio stories with several elements: action, ambiance, a main character or characters, setting, and an over-arching idea to communicate.

Top of the line scenic writing organizes scenes so the scenes themselves have a beginning, middle, and end. They may even have their own narrative arc. The king of scenic radio storytelling is Joe Richman of Radio Diaries. His scenes typically have all of the elements above.

We push scenic writing for radio pretty hard at Salt. It makes for better radio. And, I think it’s one of the many production elements that make Salt pieces so distinctive among student work — and even professional work.

Take a listen now to “I’m Relatively Human”, Selena’s first radio feature, and keep an ear out for the scenes.

Ciao,

Rob

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 12:53 — 17.7MB)

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