The story brings to life the plight of the Romany people in a way that a less personal essay would not have been able to do; the man and his music deserve to be heard. The notion of having a simultaneous translation is interesting it because it allows us to actually hear the subject, allowing the tone and rhythm of his voice to make the story personal but, the “likes” and “ums” in the translation make it seem as if the narrator is actually acting as an interpreter and translating “on the fly” for the audience. They make the piece seem slightly unpolished.
Also, the narration seems a bit confrontational. The emotions in the narrator’s voice seem to accuse the listener and may actually diminish the power of the story. It seems she is dictating how the listener should feel about the story rather than letting them form their own opinions. The musical clips are good for transitions and giving flavor to the story but they often begin jarringly. All around, a good piece that feels a bit rushed, especially at the beginning.
This is a solid feature that makes good use of musical clips without having them be obtrusive to the flow of the story. The people interviewed give both color and expertise and the narration keeps everything moving together.
However, the transition between the first half on the history of music on cruises and the second half about the musicians of the Titanic is a bit forced. The listener might ask himself how the two are related. In order to fix this, the piece would have to be introduced in a way that made clear that the brief history was to provide context for the story of the Titanic musicians. This is a good piece to broadcast on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic but could seem out of place if not time pegged.
Comments by Nadia Oussayef
Comment for "Wedding Music Outlaw"
Nadia Oussayef
Posted on March 13, 2005 at 02:03 AM | Permalink
Review of Wedding Music Outlaw
The story brings to life the plight of the Romany people in a way that a less personal essay would not have been able to do; the man and his music deserve to be heard. The notion of having a simultaneous translation is interesting it because it allows us to actually hear the subject, allowing the tone and rhythm of his voice to make the story personal but, the “likes” and “ums” in the translation make it seem as if the narrator is actually acting as an interpreter and translating “on the fly” for the audience. They make the piece seem slightly unpolished.
Also, the narration seems a bit confrontational. The emotions in the narrator’s voice seem to accuse the listener and may actually diminish the power of the story. It seems she is dictating how the listener should feel about the story rather than letting them form their own opinions. The musical clips are good for transitions and giving flavor to the story but they often begin jarringly. All around, a good piece that feels a bit rushed, especially at the beginning.
Comment for "Music At Sea"
Nadia Oussayef
Posted on March 13, 2005 at 01:48 AM | Permalink
Review of Music At Sea
This is a solid feature that makes good use of musical clips without having them be obtrusive to the flow of the story. The people interviewed give both color and expertise and the narration keeps everything moving together.
However, the transition between the first half on the history of music on cruises and the second half about the musicians of the Titanic is a bit forced. The listener might ask himself how the two are related. In order to fix this, the piece would have to be introduced in a way that made clear that the brief history was to provide context for the story of the Titanic musicians. This is a good piece to broadcast on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic but could seem out of place if not time pegged.