Kacey Ward, a Youth Radio’s youth producer, produced Understanding Death because she was curious to discuss with her mom about how her family members’ deaths caused her to be afraid of it. Kacey goes back and forth with her thoughts and her mom’s explanations of why Kacey needed to be protected from attending funerals. Kacey shared her experiences and feelings with her listeners about her great grandmother’s horrible death, and deaths of her 17-year-old cousin, 18-year-old cousin, great grandpa, and grandpa. Because of these deaths, Kacey’s mom thinks that Kacey should be prepared; therefore, she took Kacey to Kacey’s second funeral. Kacey describes her feelings and experiences in great detail when she saw her cousin in his coffin. This piece is very philosophical and difficult to listen to. Yet, the producer manages to narrate this piece in great detail and neutrality. Lastly, adding soft music to this piece would make it more powerful.
Death is a difficult topic to approach. There is so much sadness and mystery surrounding this enigma in which we simply disappear. So stumbling upon this radio piece, I was hopeful for an answer, a theory tackling the unknowns of death. Kacey Ward's piece comes from a very emotional and painful past. There is no doubt about that. Though the narration is a bit monotoned, the sadness from the deaths seep through. The piece would have been more powerful had there been more elements to the audio. A time, a place that could have been conveyed. The narration is very powerful, as is the mother's storytelling. There is a delicate balance for a piece circling around a sensitive issue. Too many sound effects or ambiance audio clips makes the piece cheap and comical. Too little, and neither the message nor the piece is as powerful. It's like a lemon cake. The taste is so delicate, with too much frosting and sprinkles, the lemon kick disappears. With nothing to complement it, the cake is a little weak. It's still tasty, but it could do with a little more something.
Comments for Understanding Death
Produced by Youth Radio
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2 comments
Phuong Tseng
Posted on September 21, 2013 at 11:07 PM | Permalink
Review of Kacey Ward's journey: Understanding Death
Kacey Ward, a Youth Radio’s youth producer, produced Understanding Death because she was curious to discuss with her mom about how her family members’ deaths caused her to be afraid of it. Kacey goes back and forth with her thoughts and her mom’s explanations of why Kacey needed to be protected from attending funerals. Kacey shared her experiences and feelings with her listeners about her great grandmother’s horrible death, and deaths of her 17-year-old cousin, 18-year-old cousin, great grandpa, and grandpa. Because of these deaths, Kacey’s mom thinks that Kacey should be prepared; therefore, she took Kacey to Kacey’s second funeral. Kacey describes her feelings and experiences in great detail when she saw her cousin in his coffin. This piece is very philosophical and difficult to listen to. Yet, the producer manages to narrate this piece in great detail and neutrality. Lastly, adding soft music to this piece would make it more powerful.
Sandra Chen
Posted on October 25, 2009 at 05:53 PM | Permalink
YEB Review of Understanding Death
Death is a difficult topic to approach. There is so much sadness and mystery surrounding this enigma in which we simply disappear. So stumbling upon this radio piece, I was hopeful for an answer, a theory tackling the unknowns of death. Kacey Ward's piece comes from a very emotional and painful past. There is no doubt about that. Though the narration is a bit monotoned, the sadness from the deaths seep through. The piece would have been more powerful had there been more elements to the audio. A time, a place that could have been conveyed. The narration is very powerful, as is the mother's storytelling. There is a delicate balance for a piece circling around a sensitive issue. Too many sound effects or ambiance audio clips makes the piece cheap and comical. Too little, and neither the message nor the piece is as powerful. It's like a lemon cake. The taste is so delicate, with too much frosting and sprinkles, the lemon kick disappears. With nothing to complement it, the cake is a little weak. It's still tasty, but it could do with a little more something.