The Backstory to Great Audio Storytelling, hosted by Rob Rosenthal, for Transom and PRX.
Robert Krulwich, formerly of Radiolab, once said "how you write is basically who you are." It's a profound statement, a... more
"To play and to fail and to get to know each other and to celebrate the craft of making audio...... more
We tell stories in sound for many, many reasons. For our listener's hearts and minds. For community. For self-expression. For... more
Say you're listening to a great narrative podcast. The host has really grabbed your attention and you're pulled in. Then,... more
Patient privacy in medical settings is essential. So, how does a reporter convince a facility to let them in with... more
There are four kinds of luck. Unlucky. No luck. Lucky. And radio luck. On this archive episode of Sound School,... more
David Weinberg pulls off a real radio feat mixing fantasy and reality in his documentary called "Grace of the Sea."... more
Rob plays "Story DJ" on this episode "spinning" excerpts from several excellent stories you'll definitely want to hear. It's an... more
Don't leave an interview entirely to chance. Structure it like a good story. On this episode, Rob dissects an interview... more
Ira Glass of This American Life is a master audio storyteller. He's equally skillful at laying out the mechanics of... more
It's illegal to be queer in Uganda and incredibly unsafe. Queer people risk violence, eviction, harassment, and arrest. How then... more
There's a moment in this episode when Rob is gasping and holding his hand to his chest. Why was he so... more
Deadlines, production meetings, staff management, show scheduling... in any given day, there's rarely time to pause and consider the craft... more
Have NPR's news magazines occasionally been sounding more radiophonic lately? Rob thinks so. He's collected a handful of satisfying moments... more
"Ums." You're supposed to cut them out, right? But what if the "um" means something? Talia Augustidis noticed her boyfriend... more
One of the top three questions Rob often hears when he's teaching is, "Should I record in stereo?" Rob says... more
In the tsunami of serialized documentary making over the last decade, what happened to the short story? Where are the... more
In honor of World Radio Day this week, The Sound School Podcast is celebrating with a story that exemplifies the... more
Katz Laszlo says writing and tracking for herself is complicated enough. But it's an even greater challenge writing for and... more
It's a brave thing to share the outtakes from a tracking session. All the blemishes are right there. But, Martine... more
While there were many great podcasts released in 2023, no one will remember the year as a good one for... more
Rob takes himself to task on this episode. He felt the beginning of the last episode of Sound School was... more
Theo Greenly reports for a public radio station in the far-flung Aleutian Islands in Alaska. When he started, about two and... more
Fiction should stay in its corner, non-fiction in its corner. Or so Rob thought until he heard producer Pippa Johnstone... more
Catherine Carr has turned vox into artful conversation with a deceptively simple question: Where are you going? That's also the... more
Studs Terkel is considered by many to be a patron saint of documentary radio journalism. It's been 15 years since... more
Rob acts as a story DJ on this episode, featuring excerpts from stories he’s recently found pleasing to the ear.... more
What do radio producers Phoebe Judge (Criminal), Zoe Chase (This American Life), Greg Warner (Rough Translation), Matt Kielty (Radiolab), Emily... more
This year's Third Coast Festival winners and finalists produced incredible work. It got us thinking about winners from previous years.... more
It's unusual for a producer to share a work in progress. It's rarer still to do it twice. Nina Porzucki updates Rob... more
Rebecca Hersher, a climate science reporter at NPR, offers excellent tips on reporting on climate change. But, at the heart... more
Summer means cicadas. Those crackly, buzzy bugs that drone and drone in the heat like a live electrical wire spewing... more
Get your headphones on for this episode! Rob dives into three remarkable examples of scoring. He features examples from the... more
Rob's a fan of the "radio art" style of audio storytelling from Europe but often, after listening, he finds himself... more
No matter how good you are recording in the field, you're going to encounter challenges. Rob Byers does an incredible job explaining how to... more
Pushkin Industries released a "Best Of Audio Storytelling: 2022" but instead of putting it out as a podcast series, it's... more
The Sound School Podcast launched 15 years ago this month. But it was called Saltcast back then. And for the... more
Antonia Cereijido has her ear to the ground. It's her job as Executive Producer at LAist to listen to what... more
A light went out recently. The bright light of Chris Brookes — a sorcerer of audio documentary and sound art.... more
What's the value of a non-narrated story for the listener? "It's direct," says NPR's Quil Lawrence. The characters in the... more
No matter how good you are recording in the field, you're going to encounter challenges. Rob Byers does an incredible job explaining how to avoid and... more