Month: March 2021

Audio

(If the link does not work): https://soundcloud.com/milen-y/practice-radio-project

SCRIPT

HOST INTRO: In the last year award shows have managed to switch to the new online way of living mainly with prerecorded material. The Grammys are one of the shows to have been performed live and has a longstanding reputation of recognizing achievements in the music industry. 

TRACK: I am on call with Schneider Galeano a journalism student and avid music fan. One with a critical eye on the music industry and how it operates. Schneider has what some would call a controversial opinion of the Grammys and its effect on the music industry as a whole. 

ACT: I think people can argue that the Grammys are supposed to be a marker for artistic excellence when it comes to music, but I believe taking the academy’s history of being very non-diverse when it comes to its voters, that perception can be skewed. I think artists still hold a lot of importance in being nominated and winning because the awards have always been touted as the most prestigious achievement you can get being a musician, and it’s natural for people to want to be recognized for their work, especially if they work hard on it. Saying that though, I do believe more and more people are waking up to the fact that the Grammys usually don’t get it completely right when it comes to who is being recognized and public perception of the awards are starting to slowly dwindle.

TRACK: More people are seeming to take notice of how the Grammys do not reflect what is actually happening in the music scene. For example, given the Weeknd’s snub this year, there have been questions about the committee behind the Grammys and how the nomination process operates.

ACT: The Weeknd’s snub is in my opinion, a caveat for the bigger problem the Grammys have. The Weeknd had the biggest selling album of 2020, with numbers not seen in a while because of the current streaming era we are in, and his lead single “Blinding Lights” breaking the record for a single being in the top 5 of the billboard hot 100 chart for the most weeks ever. Were talking about a song that since its release in late 2019, has been in the top 5 even up to early this year. Now I can say all of these statistics but the Grammys do say that they don’t judge music on commercial or chart success, but there comes a point where it is obvious that there is a reason why an album is succeeding monumentally. Is there not anything excellent about the Weeknd breaking records and having one of the most successful album cycles in recent years? I haven’t even gotten into the whole Super Bowl debacle, where supposedly the Grammy’s purposefully didn’t nominate or recognize the Weeknd because he couldn’t perform in the show, considering he was too busy preparing to perform at the Super Bowl. There is no clear-cut answer if this is true, but I really wouldn’t put it past the Grammys considering their past with background politics. There have been many artists that have come forward to talk about how the Grammys have blackballed them because they have done something that the academy did not like. These are the things people are starting to wake up to, and it is only time until the Grammys will lose their respect if they don’t change in that front.

TRACK: Many are saying this year’s Grammys was the “women’s night to rule”. Schneider has much to say about the Grammys and their treatment of female artist over the years. 

ACT: The Grammys have a very murky history with women musicians up to the corporate level. Back in 2018’s Grammy Awards, men were exponentially more nominated as opposed to women and only one woman won a televised award that whole evening. After there was some backlash about it. The then President of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow said, “women need to step up” which sparked even more outrage and led to his departure as President. Deborah Dugan was announced the new President of the Recording Academy and people were more hopeful that with a woman president, female musicians would be recognized more. Unfortunately, Dugan was asked to step down after she complained to human resources about sexual harassment and pay disparity. With taking this into consideration, I think the Grammys have a lot of cleaning up to do if they want to save face when it comes to the treatment of women in their academy, to both artists and workers. I do believe in the more recent years, more women have been getting nominated and winning more though so hopefully they are aware of how they look to the rest of the world and start doing some deep reflection.

TRACK: With this new emerging view of the Grammys there may be a day where the Grammys no longer holds the spot for the night of musical achievements and recognizing deserving artists.  

 

Radio Story

HOST INTRO: As the spring semester is slowing coming to its end, some students are reaching their last semester in college or simple going on to their next semester. Students often tend to reminisce about their high school years throughout college. Cynthia Yumbla spoke to a third-year college student and asked him to look back in the past.

AMBI: Sound of car door closing with jackets rustle.

TRACK: Here with David Rozo, a 22-year-old who resides in Queens, near the border between Brooklyn and Queens. He is in his first year at John Jay School of Criminal Justice, where he studies law. He also mentions that he is a transfer student from Queensborough Community College. His future plan is to possibly join the FDNY.

AMBI: Jacket rustling continues in the background.

TRACK: He mentions he has graduated high school about 4 years ago, after he vaguely mentions his obstacles in community college. Then he begins to describe his high school self.

ACT: DAVID:  I would have to start from when I first got there and then how I left because I came from Pennsylvania so it’s a little bit different you know over there the high schools are, I wouldn’t say stricter, but you have to go to class there’s no skipping classes. Here in New York, they’re a little bit more I don’t want to say lenient but you could get away with skipping classes. So freshman year I would say I was a bit of a dork. I tried to keep doing sports like I did over there and I just had friends off the football team I didn’t really talk to anybody in class and talked to many girls really because I was a small scrawny dude back then. But as the years went by around sophomore year, I would get more friends. One, because of the football team and then you would have the same classes with the same people. As the years went by in high school, I turned into like a I don’t want to say a popular kid. I also don’t want to be a stereotype but yeah I was a stereotypical jock I guess you could say you know hung out with my boys did the bare minimum.

TRACK: He then mentions the name of the high school he attended, which was Benjamin N. Cardozo located in Bayside Queens. After the question of “How would you describe yourself NOW?” is asked.

ACT: DAVID: In three words, I’d probably use humble, funny, and still say outgoing or very creative.

TRACK: After, he describes the differences between being a high schooler to an adult in college.

ACT: DAVID: Yeah I would say I’ve changed as a person you know I would say a big thing is, you kind of get hit with the real world you have to pay your own bills, humble yourself. School is not as easy anymore and I would say a lot even personality wise. You have your heart breaks, you lose your first jobs, go to new jobs. You get new friends and lose old friends. So, a lot of it I would say does change. The personality does change.

TRACK: He mentions a couple of advice he would give his high school self. The main advice he mentions are academic tips like focus more because college is not free like high school. He also mentions college now classes in order to speed the college credit requirements. Towards the end he jokes about advising himself to stay active.

ACT: DAVID: But besides that, is focus more on school and probably continue to stay athletic so I feel like that’s a big thing you lose being a high school athlete. If you don’t continue into college you know like me, you can put on the pounds.

 

TRACK: Many students will continue to reminisce about the past, it is a natural thing to do. That is how many analyze their mistakes, and it allows them to focus on what they need to work on, whether it is a personal or professional improvement, looking back can help. For Baruch College, I’m Cynthia Yumbla.

 

https://soundcloud.com/dayi-mur/radio-essay-practice-hw

*Just a side note, I wasn’t able to put sound bits in the audio due to processing issues*

HOST INTRO: The one year anniversary since the pandemic happened has been reached. For CUNY schools online classes has become the new norm for students. Dahianna Murillo is here discussing with a fellow classmate, Fatima, of how remote learning has impacted her life.

AMBI: *Family members in the background*

TRACK  1: Fatima is a senior who only has one last semester left to her operational management degree. She has been taking her class all the way from Mauritania. 

ACT 1: “When the coronavirus pandemic started and we all transitioned to distance learning format I decided to move back home with my family. I was in the united states alone, all my family were back in Mauritania…”(0:28-1:10)

TRACK 2: She says the time difference between New York and Mauritania has been a struggle for her. 

ACT 2: “One of the challenges I faced was time distance, in Mauritania we are the head of the United States for about 5 hours…” (1:16-1:46)

TRACK 3: Although distance learning has presented its challenges for many students due to its isolating nature, Fatima has looked past this obstacle and found the positives in remote learning. 

ACT 3:  “I was able to spend more time with my family. Since 2016 I haven’t been able to spend a month together with my family, but now I’ve been with them since July 2020. I’m able to spend more time with, care for them more, and get in touch with all the relatives…”(1:57-2:58)

TRACK 4: For the time being CUNY will continue with its online learning structure. But like Fatima students will continue to persevere, adapt to these changes, and make the most of their situation. For Baruch College, Dahianna Murillo.

Script

 HOST INTRO: Quarantine has driven many to find something to do at home. Yiyuan Mai spoke to a fifth-grader about her newly found passion outside of class and house chores.

AMBI: Sounds of ticking clock and a truck unpacking in the distance. 

TRACK: I am here with Mandy Mai in her family apartment in Brooklyn. She is sitting quietly beside the ticking clock and drawing on her phone. She has found a passion for digital art during quarantine and is able to improve her skills at home.

ACT: MANDY: I started off with just starting simple shapes. Watching others do it makes me learn their skills.

TRACK: She says she was inspired to do digital art through Youtube and TikTok. She learns from those videos as she progresses. The quarantine has given her more time at home to polish her skills

ACT: MANDY: Actual art, I always have trouble drawing symmetry, but in digital art, I can just duplicate it and flip it. I can also move things without erasing it a lot.

TRACK: Her love for digital extends to the various forms and possibilities she has on the screen.

ACT: MANDY: It depends on what you like to do. If you like drawing animals and stuff, you don’t really need to learn anatomy since antimony is about the human body and its structures. When you are drawing humans, of course, you need anatomy but you can always draw whatever u like. You can draw a chibi style too. That you don’t need anatomy. There are a lot of styles people have. If people want to draw like this, they can do that. They can draw abstract realism like shapes as heads and color in a really realistic face. They could do whatever they want. That’s another thing why.

TRACK: Hobbies would continue to be explored. Some may find it as a possible career. For Baruch College, I am Yiyuan Mai.

Link:

Script:

HOST INTRO: College students face many tough decisions over the course of their careers. One of these hard choices is the act of declaring a major. However, many choose their school based on what they already know they want to study.

AMBI: Sound of engine revving

TRACK:  Desiree Hollman lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and has been attending Baruch College for journalism since 2019. She has continued her education throughout the pandemic, this month marking one year since the college moved to an online format. We spoke over the phone, despite living in the same neighborhood, and she explained why she chose Baruch College.

AMBI: background noise of birds and cars

ACT: DES: “I remember the day my mother was telling me about Baruch…” quote at 2:31

TRACK: On top of being a student, Hollman also works at a bank in Manhattan. Despite her drive to continue doing both during the last year, the pandemic has definitely taken its toll. Hollman misses the in-person experience.

ACT: DES: “It was really fun…” quote at 3:15

TRACK: Although frustrated with the circumstances, Hollman feels grateful for the time she did have on campus.

ACT: DES: “At least I got to experience Baruch…” quote at 2:07

TRACK: Baruch, along with the rest of CUNY, plans to reopen its campus for the coming fall semester, although they will still offer online-only options. For Baruch College, I’m Luke Stevens.

https://soundcloud.com/crystansalucci/practice-radio-assignment

HOST INTRO: With the start of the corona virus pandemic putting millions of people out of work, professionals without an income have shifted their professional paths to make a living. Crystan Salucci spoke to one young professional who was laid off amidst the first weeks of the pandemic, that has now changed his path to accept any given opportunity.

AMBI: Nat sounds of plates and silverware clanking (FADE DOWN AS TRACK BEGINS)

TRACK: I’m here with Brodie Barton at his home in Huntington Beach, California as he’s finishing up dinner with his family. Brodie is a Kansas University business graduate, and former employee of corporate America. Since being laid off, he now spends his days in a warehouse working for a new start-up company called Craftwork Designs.

ACT: BRODIE: I broke my lease at the end of December since I lost my job, I figured I couldn’t afford the rent in New York, especially living in the city. So, I moved to Texas where I thought I had a better opportunity, and after several weeks it turned out things didn’t really pan out to what I thought it would be. So, I ended up driving all the way back to California to live with my parents and now I’m working at the warehouse trying to save money again.

TRACK: He says even though he has no experience in working in a warehouse, it was an opportunity that he couldn’t turn down.

ACT: BRODIE: I lost my job due to the pandemic in early March and I was basically struggling for about a year and a half before I found my next job which, it was basically the first job that I took or that I could find. I have no background or anything but it’s in warehouse management so due to the overwhelming bills from the pandemic I had to take the first job I could get.

TRACK: He says this big move and drastic change in his job description have actually rendered its fair share of positive attributes.

ACT: BRODIE: I actually like it a lot. When I was in a suit, I was in New York City during the summer time so, it happened to be super hot and wearing multiple layers doesn’t really agree with 110-degree weather. So, now I get to wear pretty much whatever I want to work since were in a warehouse so, it’s definitely a lot more comfortable.

TRACK: The pandemic has dealt out its fair share of obstacles to professionals everywhere. A year after the pandemic forced so many into unemployment, people continue to heal and repair their financial wounds. For Baruch College, I’m Crystan Salucci.

Guest Speaker

Please join me in welcoming our distinguished visiting journalist David Gonzalez.

Discussion.

 

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Script Writing Exercise

Here’s my example script based on a very short interview I did with another professor back in the spring. Note some of the different elements of script writing:

• Visual/descriptive, paints a picture to add context to the natural sounds
• Sets up sound bites by introducing the person by their full name and often by paraphrasing or hinting at what they’re about to say.
• No long, rambling, complicated sentences.
• Ends with a final line of narration that looks to the future in some way.

HOST INTRO: With CUNY schools transitioning to online learning this week amid the coronavirus outbreak, professors across New York City are getting creative. Emily Johnson spoke to one CUNY adjunct about what it’s like trying to teach during a pandemic.

AMBI: Nat sounds of tea kettle boiling (FADE DOWN AS TRACK BEGINS)

TRACK: I’m here with Anna Ficek in her Brooklyn apartment, watching her make tea while she works from home. She’s a PhD student at the CUNY Grad Center and when she’s not working on her dissertation she teaches art history at Baruch College and Borough of Manhattan Community College, or BMCC.

ACT: ANNA: When I found out that everything was getting shut down and especially CUNY I felt extremely sad. Because CUNY is such a big part of my life, such a great community that it was hard to feel that kind of dissipating.

TRACK: She says teaching from home has been a real challenge because of the way she runs her classes.

ACT: ANNA: It’s been very difficult to adapt to teaching remotely just because I really value the discussion I have with my students.

TRACK: Still, she’s trying to see this as an opportunity.

ACT: ANNA: What I’m hoping to get out of this is more time to really focus on what’s important both in terms of teaching and my own dissertation and my own research and trying to figure out creative problem solving ways to deal with these new issues that are going to come around like libraries being closed and inaccessibility to archives and how myself as an academic and as a researcher can get around that. So challenges, but also good challenges!

TRACK: CUNY schools will continue with distance learning for at least the remainder of the spring semester. For Baruch College, I’m Emily Johnson.

 

Recording Narration

You’ll need to record your narration in a quiet place with sound-absorbing surfaces. Some people use their closet as a makeshift studio; others just throw a blanket over their head. If your room is carpeted, has curtains and lots of plush surfaces, the sound quality should be decent.

It’s best not to drink or eat dairy products right before recording narration; it makes your voice sound thick.

Try not to speak from high up in your throat. Speak from lower in your belly.

Good posture is important.

Some people in the radio world warm up their voices by singing, stretching, and/or doing tongue twisters.

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Homework due by next class (Wednesday 3/17)

• Write a short script, about the same length as my sample script above (a host intro, three sound bites, narration and a sign-off) based off of the interview you did for homework.
• Record your narration.
• Download Audacity, the free audio editing software, before next class. You don’t have to edit anything yet. You’ll be using your audio interviews and your scripts in an audio editing exercise on Wednesday where you’ll put the whole practice radio assignment together.

Pitch Workshop

We’ll finish workshopping the rest of your pitches today.

 

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Reminders and Upcoming Dates

Tomorrow is the Harman event, the screening of In Sudden Darkness at 1pm—I hope some of you can make it! It’s free and you can register here.

Next class, on Monday, March 15, we’ll be welcoming our distinguished visiting journalist, David Gonzalez.

Radio scripts will be due Wednesday, March 24, our last class before spring break. You’ll all be signing up for one-on-one edit sessions that day instead of meeting as a class as usual. I will post a sign-up sheet when it gets a little closer.

Radio stories will be due April 5, our first class back from break.

 

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Homework: Practice Radio Assignment

Record a practice interview. You can take turns interviewing a classmate over the phone, doing “tape syncs” for each other, or interview someone in person who you’re already in contact with. Aim for about five minutes and refer to my guidelines for getting good sound quality.

You will be using this audio to write a practice script next week and then in an audio editing tutorial, so make sure to hold onto it and have it available for Wednesday’s class.

1. I want to cover a friend who had worked throughout the entirety of the pandemic to pay for her college tuition. Potential to cover her side hustles as well.
2. Probably won’t do – cover a friend who has picked up a positive hobby ever since last year

 

1. A story on a local dog/animal grooming business through the first year of the pandemic.
2. Covering how bowling alleys navigated the pandemic and its current position going into spring and summer seasons during restrictions.