Tish Pearlman came to radio from a background in theatre and politics, and her broadcast journalism career has taken her from The Columbia School of Broadcasting to cable TV to public radio. Now she's the host of the WEOS program 'Out of Bounds.' The first of many things that Ms. Pearlman has got going for her as an interviewer is a naturally beautiful, always-conversational voice. It's obvious when you hear interviews, like this one with Janis Ian, that Pearlman is intuitively able to put her guests at ease. This knack, coupled with Pearlman's ability to listen carefully and then flow with the natural tangents of an organic conversation, makes her a rare talent in the interviewing field.
I knew next to nothing about Janis Ian when I listened to this piece, but by the end of it I felt like I had been let in on a very intimate and candid side of the performer.
You know, there are just guests who know what is expected of them in an interview. They know their job is to get their agenda out, but not be lavish about themselves or the host. Janis knows what a good interview is and gives one wonderful experience in this segment.
The host has a sweet, but authoritative voice. The kind of voice PDs and GMs dream about having on their air. And the host knows what she wants to do and does it. Hosts have agendas too--never believe otherwise. It is the subtle, over time, detection by the listener that makes listeners crave the host--they have to figure out the mystery. It's like Lost..as long as you keep them guessing about what's going to happen next.
This host is prepared and asks some damn good questions. However, the host also states their own views on a variety of subject so clearly and forthrightly that the guest has to react to the host feelings rather than express their own in a way that is interesting to the listener. We dwell on the Lesbian thing and the minority as artist thing from the host's point of view when the guest has clearly stated that this is a layer, not a cause of their art. Sometimes a host must just move on.
The PRPD could do wonders for stations by including training sessions in the conference for our air staffs.
The guest is one of the most interesting and prolific songwriters of all time. Yet there are just two music cuts in the piece. Way too few to provide the texture and understanding of the guest. There were several times in the piece where I just couldn't wait for some music to accentuate the words. It never came.
Also, though the producer offers to replace the left in local station ID with a custom. It would be easier if it were just removed so stations could do that on the fly themselves.
Comments for Classic conversation with legendary singer/songwriter Janis Ian
Produced by Tish Pearlman and Tim Reppert, Audio Producer
Other pieces by Out of Bounds
Rating Summary
2 comments
Aaron Henkin
Posted on July 05, 2006 at 12:10 PM | Permalink
Review of A conversation with legendary singer/songwriter Janis Ian
Tish Pearlman came to radio from a background in theatre and politics, and her broadcast journalism career has taken her from The Columbia School of Broadcasting to cable TV to public radio. Now she's the host of the WEOS program 'Out of Bounds.' The first of many things that Ms. Pearlman has got going for her as an interviewer is a naturally beautiful, always-conversational voice. It's obvious when you hear interviews, like this one with Janis Ian, that Pearlman is intuitively able to put her guests at ease. This knack, coupled with Pearlman's ability to listen carefully and then flow with the natural tangents of an organic conversation, makes her a rare talent in the interviewing field.
I knew next to nothing about Janis Ian when I listened to this piece, but by the end of it I felt like I had been let in on a very intimate and candid side of the performer.
Steve Yasko
Posted on May 29, 2006 at 05:06 AM | Permalink
Review of A conversation with legendary singer/songwriter Janis Ian
Janis Ian is a great interview.
You know, there are just guests who know what is expected of them in an interview. They know their job is to get their agenda out, but not be lavish about themselves or the host. Janis knows what a good interview is and gives one wonderful experience in this segment.
The host has a sweet, but authoritative voice. The kind of voice PDs and GMs dream about having on their air. And the host knows what she wants to do and does it. Hosts have agendas too--never believe otherwise. It is the subtle, over time, detection by the listener that makes listeners crave the host--they have to figure out the mystery. It's like Lost..as long as you keep them guessing about what's going to happen next.
This host is prepared and asks some damn good questions. However, the host also states their own views on a variety of subject so clearly and forthrightly that the guest has to react to the host feelings rather than express their own in a way that is interesting to the listener. We dwell on the Lesbian thing and the minority as artist thing from the host's point of view when the guest has clearly stated that this is a layer, not a cause of their art. Sometimes a host must just move on.
The PRPD could do wonders for stations by including training sessions in the conference for our air staffs.
The guest is one of the most interesting and prolific songwriters of all time. Yet there are just two music cuts in the piece. Way too few to provide the texture and understanding of the guest. There were several times in the piece where I just couldn't wait for some music to accentuate the words. It never came.
Also, though the producer offers to replace the left in local station ID with a custom. It would be easier if it were just removed so stations could do that on the fly themselves.