Round 4 Entry for Al Letson

Jacquie Jones:
I love the breadth of Al’s vision and voice. I can totally imagine myself tuning into this show on a regular basis, from my car or while sitting at my desk surfing the web . . . I mean working! I dig the mix of interview and more impressionistic elements that give a taste of life in our cities and towns and the way Al brings together difficult issues of race, class and even geography in such an easy way that you hardly know he’s done it. I think he needs a bit more work on that title and use of some of the formal elements of the show, but Al is what I was hoping to hear in this contest – a fresh new kind of voice, capable of combining the existing audience of public radio with a new one.

Maxie Jackson:
Hostiness, great concept, love the Bravest Thing segment idea.

Doug Mitchell:
First, GREAT show demo. I mean, great demo. It moved quickly, lots of energy and dare I say it, I would listen to this . . . on purpose. I like finding out about the hidden gems in the US.. I know nothing about Jacksonville even having stayed overnight there with my family for 8 straight years. Could we (public radio) have a show that does not cover the usual places?

Jake Shapiro:
Soul, purpose, focus, humanity, voice, authenticity. Nice use of music, more present than most shows, clearly used for ambience and emotion but somehow appropriate. Concept is good one. Really broad (cities, issues) but creates an umbrella idea that could sustain a year-after-year show.

Julie Shapiro:
This is well-done with some great tape, in certain moments it soars, but issues are predictable, and premise/language is over-used / idealistic (vox pop 'celebrates people'). Al's delivery and presence as a host are both strong - in narration and interviews - his writing is conversational, feels real for the most part. Music segment is pretty generic.

There's a real texture to his effort - it's busy but not confusingly so. I like the process and stories/sounds he brings forth, but am not sure there's enough of a distinct idea at the core to really help this take shape / sustain itself.

Julie Drizin:
Al brings a fresh voice to the mix. His concept could foster good collaborations with local stations, highlighting the quirky and the visionary in the gamut from spiritual to artistic/cultural. I have to admit
that his segment of vox pop on the bravest thing you ever did got me going: chills, tears, smiles and all. It reminded me how radio can bring out the best in the human spirit and how it can touch listeners who have both open ears and open hearts.

Izzi Smith:
A totally fresh voice. Great energy, but a little rushed. Nice use of sound and music – adds to the pacing. First one I think I'd seek out and listen. Rough sounding interview I'm curious about where this will go – it captures how people are working to figure their lives out. I don't get the "sound of the city" segment – how does this fit in?

He over writes – tries to explain too much for audience. Some of the writing is overly dramatic – "he might be dead by 18." The echo on Biko's voice was really cheesy. Best sense so far of what the show will be. Really rough production sound – not broadcast quality.

Jay Allison:
Heartfelt, but production a bit rough and confused. Collage elements had nice rhythmic sensibility, but were unmoored from context.

John Barth:
Truly hosty –in the best sense: compelling; focused, story telling, taking me a place I have not been. Usually such earnestness would be an instant turn-off, but Al is authentic. We don’t hear enough from people who care AND have something to say. I would listen to this show each week and him. I want to know what world’s Al will take me to.

Thought provoking and powerful. The voice, the topics, and the "Sounds of Jacksonville". Keep it up.

Keep doing your thing.

Al--I like your concept and your delivery is smooth and comfy. You sound like you belong on NPR.

All the best . . .

Michele

Insightful, educational, uplifting, celebratory.
I need this radio show in my life.

I really like your concept and style. I'm interested in hearing more observations of what different churches are preaching and what their congregations are thinking.
Are they social clubs made up of like minded people who use God as their vehicle to shape society to mirror their personal predjudices and beliefs?
Are they a group of people with similar fears or are they simply people who worship God with the same prayers,songs,and rituals? Tell me more.

Also, I'd like to hear more about what kinds of art are popular in different areas of the country. What resonates with the local populations?

Good Luck,

Pegasus15

Al makes me want to move back to Jville! Keep up the good work bro.

As a longtime listener to NPR in several states, I can say Al Letson is exactly what NPR needs to keep itself vital and continue to appeal to a broad range of listeners.

Great stories!

Great job, Al!

Rich Meitin
www.richmeitin.com
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1038

Good luck in the finals, Al! I think you nailed this one and will be one of the three selected (April and Rebecca are my other picks). I have to admit, I did not like your Round 1 and 2 entries very much at all, but I think you bounced back very strong in Rounds 3 and 4. Round 3 was especially genius (boring topic made fascinating) and Round 4 was simply powerful. Good luck again, and I can’t wait to hear the final entries.

This show would be something I would listen to and be able to talk about with other people. You're entry was full of energy and left me wanting more.You've really risen to each challenge and shown versatility. I would love to hear you on the radio.

This entry shows dramatic improvement over Al's previous entries. He really establishes his voice here, and its strong. His delivery is alive and engaging, even when reading from a script. I did find the constant music distracting. I'm not talking about the Nina Simone loop at the very beginning. I mean the confusing montage, and the outro music which was rather heavy handed.

I like the positive aspect of the concept. While it doesn't sound like it's going to be happy talk, it will nevertheless be based on common and hopeful humanity, not nihilism. Certainly not the world-weary fare typical of NPR.
Getting all the salad ingredients for cities that you don't know as well as Jacksonville will be a challenge. It will be harder to go very deep with unknown territory. The montage on courage at the end seemed to need a bit of remix, but the concept is fine. Can you find the stories and soul of other communities on a regular basis?
Erik Villesvik

has lyrical power and grace. It made me feel, which has not been the case with all the entries.

First of all, I was blown away with your one minute spot on Weekend America. Great job.
Having an NPR host that is a poet, playwright and actor who writes about social issues, attuned to the different voices, sounds, and rhythms of a place makes for a great radio show. I imagine each segment to be a little piece of theatre. You don't sound like anyone else. I love that-- a diffferent approach,and a smooth energized voice.

The last segment was so nice, it overpowers the rest of the show. Do that with comments directly relating to each city and you got it wrapped up.
Oh, and don't forget about not-urban areas- but there'll be room for that the second (etc.) year.

Radio needs State of the Re:UNION and Al Letson. Kudos!

I was born and raised in the South, a place I longed to escape from as soon as I graduated. A decade in NYC and a lifetime of traveling have taught me more than I could ever learn in a classroom. Much to my amazement, I found myself considering moving south of the Mason Dixon line only to have bouts of hyperventilation and panic attacks everytime I entertained the thought. I was worried about racism, homophobia, and other such plagues which seem to run rampant in the South.

Well, I find myself in the land of the confederate flag where people pass judgement on movies like Brokeback Mountain without even seeing it first. The South has progressed since I left her 10 years ago, but she is still an ignorant, antiquated lady of pomp and misleading manners.

There is hope, and Al Lester's program illustrates that clearly and concisely. We are all different, thankfully, but we can, and should, always seek common ground. I hope to be privelaged to listen to a voice such as Al's in the future; it takes me back to the asphalt jungle where things are a little more safe and sane.

I really enjoyed the format of the show! You hit all the right notes! I would love to here your take on other cities. When can we hear the full episode???

The guy is likeable and well spoken, but I just couldn't care much about the content. I'm sure it's just me.

All the other contestants' entries are working, but this one keeps stalling while buffering.

This show idea is fresh, new, and NEEDED. I am already waiting to tune in. The diversity of sounds is absolutely fantastic. The segment at the end brought tears to my eyes. I can see this truly bringing our country together. It's true that we are afraid of what we don't know and this has been creating far too much separation among our citizens.

This show makes local issues into national issues which is a division in radio and news that long needs to be healed. Plus the stake that each locality will have in listening to the show will surely increase radio listenership which is crucial on so many levels.

We know that people need to feel included in public radio and we've been trying (and half succeeding and half failing) to find a way to "represent" so many folks. This is what public radio has been waiting for.

Al has done a brilliant thing here.

damali ayo

I like the premise a lot--letting the multi- and crosscultural issues and activities of various cities show themselves to the wider American public. Little stories becoming larger--that's good.

I hope, though, that you can take your talents for engaging people to new cities that you're significantly less familiar and personal with than your hometown. You get people to open up, but I'm not sure I got a sense of insightful commentary or interaction on your part. Perhaps a fault of the demo format.

You have a great voice for this business--you took us on an interesting whirlwind tour. I agree that Jacksonville possesses its own unique social and cultural stamp emitting a positive vibe in the rich landscape of the South. Your voice in media is proof of that being a good thing!

The ability to read a script and sound as if you were thinking every word for the first time, and also sound completely confident and in command of your voice - that's a rare thing. It's very hard to teach, very hard to learn; congratulations, Al. I really enjoyed listening to the program and hope to hear more. I think the music was too present in the mix in the last bit; it worked, but it just needed to be down a few decibels. Don't forget that most of us are not going to be listening to you on high-quality speakers in a quiet room; we're going to have a couple of layers of background noise already, so don't overload our ears too much.

You serve up quite a spicy stew and a refreshing dessert, all with local flavors.
I could imagine really getting to know the country this way. What a wonderful -- and sometimes scary-- ride it would be.

You do seem to have hit the right mixture of openness to others with a strong voice of your own. I hope you can hold on to that openness while you go forward. (I sound like I'm signing your school yearbook, but that might not be far off. I imagine your world is about to get much bigger.)

Great job. I look forward to hearing more of your work, on the radio, or in podcast format.

I enjoyed listening to it, it was as if I was right there in the same room.:-)

way to give a true sense of the kind of show you'd together; compelling, relatable, and good energy to boot.