

Sound School Podcast
Rob Rosenthal/PRX/Transom.org
The Backstory to Great Audio Storytelling, hosted by Rob Rosenthal, for Transom and PRX.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 11, 2021 • 28min
Tape-Driven Storytelling
There's an old maxim in radio: the tape rules. "According to Need" by Katie Mingle and 99% Invisible is proof that good tape can drive a story. However, Katie says she wasn’t very practiced in producing tape-driven stories. It took her two years and, as she put it, the work "tested all my skills and then some."

Apr 27, 2021 • 25min
Dissecting a Good Story, Well Told
One of the best ways to learn how to improve at the craft of audio storytelling is to take a deep listen to good work and dissect it. On this HowSound, I point out some of the best parts of a story about vaccinations from “The Experiment” podcast. You'll want to take notes

Apr 13, 2021 • 26min
Who Are Those People in Podcast Credits?
The list of names at the end of some podcasts is mind-boggling. Who are these people? What do they do? Antonia Cereijido, Sophia Paliza-Carre, and Audrey Quinn of the "Norco 80" podcast have an answer and a few surprising observations about their production process.

4 snips
Mar 30, 2021 • 29min
Thoughts On Trailers
The podcast explores the relationship between trailers and the first episode of serialized podcasts. It analyzes the effectiveness of podcast trailers for killing spree episodes, discusses the life of rap icon Prodigy, reflects on white parents' influence on public education, contrasts the trailer with the episode, explores the concept of dreams and introduces 'the sync' device, and emphasizes the importance of trailers and listener experience in podcasts.

Mar 16, 2021 • 32min
Schwartz Is A Verb
You should lie down with your eyes closed for this one! That's because the interviewees in the stories I feature were -- lying down, eyes closed, lights off, candle lit, answering questions. They were being interviewed by producers using the Schwartz Technique, Stephen Schwartz’ celebrated method for getting people to talk in pictures.

Mar 2, 2021 • 32min
Audio Playground
A friend once said "What feels like a groove might actually be a rut." So, how do you get out of your rut? Sarah Geis has an answer: Audio Playground.

Feb 16, 2021 • 13min
Gas Mask? Check. Bullet Proof Vest? Check...What to Wear When the Reporting Gets Dangerous
When the reporting gets violent, the reporter suits up. Casey Martin of KUOW tells stories about staying safe on the front lines of reporting during the violence of the BLM and far-right protests of the last year.

Feb 2, 2021 • 14min
Eavesdropping on the Insurrection
There are a lot of photographs and incredible footage from the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. But wait until you hear the startling, unguarded conversations between the rioters that day. Micah Loewinger of On the Media gives the backstory on how he acquired the recordings.

Jan 19, 2021 • 37min
Perk Up Your Ears!
If Dr. Suess was going to write a book about podcasting, he'd probably call it "Oh, The Sounds You'll Hear!" That's what's in store for you on this episode of HowSound. From an Inuit oral history project to prisoners in Darwin, Australia, to the sound of a wife's broken heart and more. It'll perk up your ears!

Jan 5, 2021 • 13min
Bow Glacier Asserting Its Existence
What's the sound of climate change? Walk down 7th Avenue in Calgary and you just might hear it thanks to "Herald/Harbinger," a sound installation from data artist Ben Rubin.