How Does Something Like This Happen Anyway?

...as you are, but even I would tune in to this show. Well done.

http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/5024

I was hooked and drawn in. Well written, fantastic voice, great production.

This is a winner in my book.

Sallyfranz
For a few laughs check out my entry. Thanks.

"Both faith and fear are the belief in things not seen." S. Franz

The voice reminded me of "This American Life".

The piece was very nice - I'd listen to an entire show!

Great energy and passion!

ADQ

Please and Thank You for your Vote:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/6914

Keep on rockin' in the free world.

This is a relevant question, because despite the fact that I think rock chick's entry is smooth and well put together, and her voice has panache it is the content which matters the most. All of us on this website are sound fanatics of one sort or another, but you have to ask, "who cares?". Who would care about what she has to *say* if it is not listen-able. Let me say this, I am a huge fan of This American LIfe (TAL), I have a case load of cassettes filled with TAL shows dating back to 1997, but I find Sarah Vowell's voice grating and annoying, it's as if her voice never caught up to her age. This is not Sarah's fault, of course we're all born with a voice not of our own choosing (kind of like war), my voice falls on deaf ears most of the time, despite the fact that I myself am half deaf (that is a true pun). Having said that, it is the content of what Sarah Vowell narrates over TAL that matters the most and keeps me from turning her off. As a wrap, a show host's voice, whether inviting or not, should never be the main criteria by which they are accepted or promoted, it is the content that matters much more. I think the point of this contest should be to find those voices and content producers willing to break away from a branded identity, yes even NPR has one, and if that is not the ultimate purpose then Public Radio will continue to shred water in mid-bay.

Dare I say it - is that the next Sarah Vowell I hear? I think I do. She is able to draw in the listener right along with her musical awakening - now I think I'm going to have to go back and listen to "Combat Rock" again.

Excellent.

You should do commentaries. I stayed with you for all of it.

Yep, I think that sums it up quite nicely-- the beginnings of a music obsession, that is. Well done! You managed to capture that wonderful feeling of drowning oneself in the sounds we love, something all of us music-geeks can relate to. And thanks to your NR reference, I already have "Walk in Cold" running through my head and probably will continue to for the rest of the afternoon, and I don't mind one bit. Good luck with this thing.

I also remember discovering (vs. merely listening to) music in college once I got on the air at the college radio station. When you crank it out, you develop a different relationship, especially in an album-oriented format. There was an obligation to the audience to create a good playlist, instead of just following a preprogrammed 'clock' with music slotted into rotations as it is today.

Back then I thought, "There'll never be a time in my life when I don't know what the top 50 songs are, the top 25 albums... when I don't recognize every artist and identify every song I hear." Fast forward some twenty years...and I'm out of touch.

Today I bought a CD of an album I haven't heard in years. I drove around listening to it really really loud, remembering how I once was, once thought, once felt. To live so intensely through music - is that a function of age, or hormones, or conscious choice...or what? Does it go away, or do we bury it?

One of the NPR shows did a feature story on Nine Inch Nails and its recent release Year One. It was intriguing, spellbinding, vivid. I told my kids, "That's what I want for Mother's Day."

There's hope for all of us. Thanks for your entry - it brought back a lot. You told your tale in an intensely compelling way, and I'd like to see you have more opportunity to do so.

-- Linda

Visit me in my House by the Sea:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/1432
http://blog.syracuse.com/communitycritics/linda_lowen/

Rock Chick conveys deep passion about a huge part of her life in two minutes--incredible!