These Are A Few Of My Favorite (Recent) Clips

A student once asked me “How do you find the stories you feature
on HowSound?” I’m asked that a lot, actually. And, I’m sorry to
say, I don’t have any secrets to reveal. I probably find stories
and podcasts the same way everyone else does. Here’s my very
quick and cursory list.


* I listen to the radio. A lot.

* I ask people “What are you listening to that was really
interesting? Or that pissed you off?”

* I pick the brains of my students. They often get out their
phones and rifle through what they subscribe to.

* I’m always scouring newsletters and emails on radio listserves
I belong to:


a. The list for the Association of Independents in Radio


b. The Transom Story Workshop Alumni listserve


c. The list for the Sonic Soiree, a local listening group in
Boston (I bet there’s a group near you).


d. The newsletter from the Bello Collective


e. The newsletter from Hot Pod


f. Sam Greenspan’s occasional newsletter YSLTF: You Should Listen
to Fridays.

* I’m a member of a couple of Facebook groups:


a. The Podcasters Support Group


b. The BEA Teaching Audio Production Group

* I subscribe to podcasts that feature work from a lot of
different producers:


a. Short Cuts from the BBC


b. Unfictional from KCRW


c. The BBC’s Between the Ears podcast

* I search for subject matter I’m personally interested in. For
instance, I might search for “Arctic” and “podcasts.” Or,
“podcasts on the environment.”


I’m sure I’ve left something out. (What would you add?) Perhaps
the short answer is: my ear radar is always on; I’m constantly on
the hunt.

I should mention, too, that as I’m listening, I look for a way
into the story for a HowSound episode. Is there a “teachable
moment” in the piece? Did the producer do something unusual and
notable? Do I find myself wondering “How the heck did they do
that?!” Sometimes it’s just a matter of being satisfied by the
story or a production technique.

That’s what this episode of HowSound is about. On a recent road
trip, I listened to several hours of stories and made a mental
list of segments from those stories that caught attention, that I
found satisfying. This is a different way of producing HowSound.
Typically, I find one story and interview the producer. But,
today, I feature a slew of clips that caught my ear and I offer
some thoughts about what worked and what didn’t. Stories from
Earshot, The City, and Sound Africa.

If you get a chance, let me know if this episode worked for you.
And, tell me what I should be listening to next.