“Don’t be disembodied – radio can have a tendency to lean towards the cerebral. Don’t just tell a listener about a subject, let them understand an idea by feeling it in their body. Make radio that starts a listener’s heart beating faster; that whispers lovingly in their ears; that takes them out dancing, spins them around, gets drunk and throws up on their shoes.” Eleanor McDowall
STUDIO PROMPT: How can we as media-makers harness the affective power of voice and sound to tell compelling audio stories? What relationship and responsibility do we have to those whose stories we tell?
DESCRIPTION: Radio scholar Michelle Hilmes (2013) coined the term ‘soundwork’ to describe “media forms that are primarily aural, employing the three basic elements of sonic expression – music, speech and noise.” In both radio and podcasting, voice comes to the fore with its powerful affective resonance. Stories are told and shared with a high degree of intimacy that is enhanced by listening through earbuds.
In this studio you will learn practical skills that apply to both radio and podcasting – including how to publish a podcast series. You’ll weave voice, sound and music to create engaging and emotive works of sound. You’ll share your own stories as well as those of others, and you’ll consider the relationships between you as the interviewer and your interviewees.