8 Years On

“When you hope for a happy ending, you think it is just a fantasy. You never believe it is going to happen. You believe you are destined to die, because you lose the will to live” – Lynda Barton

I hate the snow. More importantly I hate when the country comes to a standstill and I can’t get where I need to go – on time and with ease. Sure, it’s very pretty…but only if you don’t need to go anywhere or do anything!

I guess the positive side to this weather is the free time I have. I’ve used the time to catch up on emails, say hello to old friends and listen to stuff I’d put on the back burner. I’m a huge radio fan – and love radio documentaries specifically – but because I work in Current Affairs radio it’s difficult to find the time to listen to them.

One doc I listened to last weekend is part of the RTE Documentary on One series and titled, “8 Years On”. A friend of mine from college Chris Cleary produced the documentary and so I was especially interested in hearing the final product.

The piece is based on Chris’ relationship with his mother and the story of her journey as a young drug addict to a recovered adult. Narrated by Chris himself, the hour-long journey is personal without being cringey and although the subject is a serious one , a wink and a laugh from Chris brings a sense of warmth and dissolves any possible awkwardness for the listener. Chris’ mother Lynda is a remarkable central character – and her gentle north Dublin accent draws you in immediately and keeps you there for the duration of the tale. Chris also uses the voices of his brother, uncle and his mother’s sponsor to tell the story but ultimately it is the very frank chats he has with his mum that really makes the documentary special.

If you’re interested in personal stories, Irish documentaries or radio in general – I’d highly recommend that you give this a listen!

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/8yearson.html

PS. Congrats Chris! Can’t wait to hear your next piece!

On a curiosity bender

Studying media has opened my eyes to a lot of great programmes on television and radio. Actually, I was never a huge fan of radio…until I started doing my masters in Broadcast Production for Radio and TV. I decided to seek out new types of radio and try out very different shows. I was surprised to find that I like the medium much more than I expected.

I first came across my new favourite podcast after listening to the famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast by Orson Welles. We had an assignment to write on how the piece was produced and the effects etc (if you haven’t heard it – you should give it a listen. Its wayyy ahead of its time!). I stumbled across a website for a New York based public radio station called WNYC and a show, simply called: Radiolab.

Radiolab is presented and produced by Jad Abumrad and co-presented by Robert Krulwich – two very charismatic guys who have the ability to lure the listener in with their humour and their chemistry as a duo. The show’s content is based around a quest to answer some of life’s big questions – and when I say big, I mean BIG. They call on our curiosity as listeners and take us on a journey as they scientifically investigate topics like “Placebo”, “Time”, “Mortality”, “Race” and “Musical Language”. Their first show was born out of a conversation about how memory works. The producers talked to scientists, interviewed people, recorded various sound effects and music and voila! Radiolab was born.

One of the best things about the programme is its accessibility. I can honestly say, I have no real interest in science. If I was choosing to listen to a radio documentary, science (and possibly religion) would be very low on my list. However, Radiolab takes these big scientific ideas and makes them attractive to humans in general. I constantly find myself looking shocked, gasping or laughing out loud while listening to the show (…people on the bus must think I’m a mental-er).

Another thing that makes the programme stand out, is the unique and very distinctive way its produced. The editing is fast paced, the music is appropriate and best of all, the interviews feel real. Instead of the presenters introducing the guests, the audience gets to hear the presenter arriving at someones apartment and getting buzzed in. Most of the time the guest ends up introducing themselves. Its like you’re there, investigating too! I also found out recently that most of the sound effects used are made from people’s interviews! Sounds crazy, but the genius producers of Radiolab can take snippets of interviews, play with them by slowing them down, speeding them up and putting them through various compressors and get ideal sounds to go with the programme. It really is unbelievably good.

So, if you’re looking for something new and interesting to listen to – check out Jad and Robert by clicking here. Or subscribing to the podcast on iTunes! Their show is also broadcast on the new RTE DAB Channel, RTE Choice! I love all of the shows, but I’d particularly recommend one of the shows called, coincidentally, “Choice”.

Wanna feel Christmasy?

…then switch that dial over to 89.9 Christmas FM! Alternatively, if you’re not in Dublin then you can listen live online here!

I was having trouble getting into the holiday spirit – what with projects, assignments, work and being completely broke. I heard about this in college the other day and decided to check it out! Not only is it full of cheesy Christmas classics, but it’s for a great cause too. All proceeds from the broadcasts will go to the ISPCC!

The Christmasy radio-fest will go on 24 hours a day until the 26th of December at midnight – and sees radio vets from various Irish stations come together to produce magical, festive programmes. And guess what? These people are giving their time and energy for free!

Plus, people seem to be listening online from all over the world – and the presenters keep reading out international texts – how cool!

It’s great to see people doing something so positive . So, Wha bam to the recession blues!

mmm mmm….Christmas