This piece displays a lot of talent and understanding about how to make a sound rich and original radio piece. Ultimately it fell a bit flat though. I kept waiting and wanting to hear what the student newspaper actually sounded like - what were the articles, the opinions, the substance? We kept hearing ABOUT something that was new and provocative at the school, but as listeners we were never able to experience the content of the paper in any way, or make our own "judgment" of it for ourselves. I really think the piece needed that, a center, a landing. It felt like a lot of intro and not enough "core."
What can students do to make other students think more about world events? It's challenging, because there can be a lot of other things going on in a kid's mind such as school and friends and family. Still, youth need to be paying attention to the world around them--discussing, thinking, dissecting--and forming their own opinions about the world. And that's exactly why this piece, The Progressive, is so compelling--because it tackles those very issues.
Set around an anonymous student newspaper (The Progressive) that leans toward the left, this piece centers around whether youth are reading it, what they think, and why the person behind it chose to publish The Progressive.
The vox in this piece is really great--we get to hear Nate Baker, the man behind the paper, talk about why he published it, and we also get to hear students voice their opinions about it. There is also some music which makes a nice background and comes up to make neat breaks between bits of vox.
However, while it's good to hear the student's opinions, a lot of the vox sounds alike. Though a lot of them are really cool and interesting, some of them are along the lines of "I don't read it." That perspective should be a part of the piece, but perhaps a more selective use of vox along with some explanatory bridging by the narrator could sharpen the piece and shorten it, too. Maybe posing more specific questions could get better, more in-depth answers.
Also, I found the occasional echo technique a bit confusing and unnecessary. This could be replaced by few moments of music which gives the listener time to think about what was said.
That said, this is interesting content with some good points about youth making media and how kids can get drawn into thinking about larger issues. Thanks to Lena Eckert-Erdheim for giving us a look into her school!
Comments for The Progressive
Produced by Lena Eckert-Erdheim
Other pieces by SpiritHouse Inc/Youth Noise Network
Rating Summary
2 comments
Emily Hanford
Posted on November 10, 2006 at 03:36 PM | Permalink
Review of The Progressive
This piece displays a lot of talent and understanding about how to make a sound rich and original radio piece. Ultimately it fell a bit flat though. I kept waiting and wanting to hear what the student newspaper actually sounded like - what were the articles, the opinions, the substance? We kept hearing ABOUT something that was new and provocative at the school, but as listeners we were never able to experience the content of the paper in any way, or make our own "judgment" of it for ourselves. I really think the piece needed that, a center, a landing. It felt like a lot of intro and not enough "core."
Zoe Cordes Selbin
Posted on September 11, 2006 at 02:03 PM | Permalink
Review of The Progressive
What can students do to make other students think more about world events? It's challenging, because there can be a lot of other things going on in a kid's mind such as school and friends and family. Still, youth need to be paying attention to the world around them--discussing, thinking, dissecting--and forming their own opinions about the world. And that's exactly why this piece, The Progressive, is so compelling--because it tackles those very issues.
Set around an anonymous student newspaper (The Progressive) that leans toward the left, this piece centers around whether youth are reading it, what they think, and why the person behind it chose to publish The Progressive.
The vox in this piece is really great--we get to hear Nate Baker, the man behind the paper, talk about why he published it, and we also get to hear students voice their opinions about it. There is also some music which makes a nice background and comes up to make neat breaks between bits of vox.
However, while it's good to hear the student's opinions, a lot of the vox sounds alike. Though a lot of them are really cool and interesting, some of them are along the lines of "I don't read it." That perspective should be a part of the piece, but perhaps a more selective use of vox along with some explanatory bridging by the narrator could sharpen the piece and shorten it, too. Maybe posing more specific questions could get better, more in-depth answers.
Also, I found the occasional echo technique a bit confusing and unnecessary. This could be replaced by few moments of music which gives the listener time to think about what was said.
That said, this is interesting content with some good points about youth making media and how kids can get drawn into thinking about larger issues. Thanks to Lena Eckert-Erdheim for giving us a look into her school!