Last night I finished up my segment for the Ds106 radio show “Dog Days of Summer” that my class will be broadcasting on Monday.
The Childrens’ Season by mburtis
Overall, I’m really happy with how it turned out. I used audio that Leslie and Jim submitted of interviews with their children as well as a short interview I did with Madigan. In addition, I found a couple of interesting video clips on the Internet Archive. The first was a documentary about a progressive British summer camp for kids during World War II. The other was a documentary about a summer community program for teens in NYC during the 60s. I liked the sounds and stories behind these films, and decided to incorporate them into the overall segment.
I also tracked down some Creative Commons music that I used throughout the segment.
Here are links to the source material:
- Popsicle Summer by Viola
- A Child Went Forth (on the Internet Archive)
- Play Street (on the Internet Archive)
- The Return of Summer by Jeff Wahl
- L’été s’en va by Laurent
I have to say I loved working on this project. I need to push myself to do audio more, because I find it so satisfying. When I was working on the piece I could hear in my head what I wanted it to sound like. Sometimes I was able to actually execute my “vision.” Other times, as I worked with bits and pieces of the tracks, I heard new things that I decided to use instead.
There is definitely a kind of media fluency involved in working with audio like this that is a challenge to develop and foster. Simply wrapping my brain around the different tracks in my head and associating those ideas with the actual tracks in the software is a huge challenge for me. It’s like I’m having to develop a cognitive understanding of the media and the way it overlaps and intersects. It’s very different then constructing text narrative or meaning.
This is great, Martha! As usual, you’re an inspiration.
This is an excellent piece of audio. It touches powerfully on many levels.
As Leslie said, very inspiring!
Thank you! I’m really quite happy with how it turned out.
I forgot to mention one other piece that I put it — a reading of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Bed in Summer” from Librivox.
I really liked this. The mixing is sharp, and the kids interviews are great. Very funny too. Nice work!
I’m pretty biased because I work with kids and am a total imagination advocate–but this was awesome! I especially loved the mixing and the poem. My Grandma used to recite it to me everyday, and it was such as good narrative that stayed with me with the change of every season. Not to mention “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise!”
“When I was working on the piece I could hear in my head what I wanted it to sound like. Sometimes I was able to actually execute my “vision.” Other times, as I worked with bits and pieces of the tracks, I heard new things that I decided to use instead.”
Yes. Oh my yes.
“There is definitely a kind of media fluency involved in working with audio like this that is a challenge to develop and foster. Simply wrapping my brain around the different tracks in my head and associating those ideas with the actual tracks in the software is a huge challenge for me. It’s like I’m having to develop a cognitive understanding of the media and the way it overlaps and intersects. ”
Yes. Oh my yes.
All at the core of what I love about radio, and making radio. Just the textures of the sounds will trip me right out, sometimes. And the way a certain note goes with a certain work, and the timing all goes just–right–there … such a thrill.
Rigorous play in the wide open spaces of summer.
Poetry, I tell you!
Awesome.
Thanks. Always good to see your name in the window.
Um, *word*, but *work* kinda works, too….
this was great Martha! mixing up of the audio was great, amazing work with Audacity!