This program is impressive for its depth and range in approaching HIV/AIDS issues. Occasional facts and figures are dropped in by the narrator but his main role is to guide the listener from one very personal story to another. A South African nurse's gentle "God bless" to a patient speaks volumes; the American teens living with HIV are inspiring; and a young mother's letters to the son she will not see grow up - simply heartbreaking. The breaks of music, poetry and theater add to the polish of the production which avoids sentimentality with its honesty. This program cannot be recommended too highly - especially for anyone who has an hour to spare around World AIDS Day on December 1. But it could be broadcast at any time, any where - and should be.
This profile of "sound mechanic" Neil Feather works neatly on different levels for different types of listeners - the sound art aficionado, the uninitiated, even one who finds this kind of work insufferable. Like myself, I'm loathe to admit. That's why I think this piece is so well done. Ask me to listen to someone who thinks a pile driver makes a "cool sound" and I'd run in the opposite direction. But I was intrigued by Feather as I was lured gently into his world of sometimes very ungentle sound. The musical atmosphere seemed to underline the theories and descriptions and I could almost visualize his studio and strange instruments. I might never want to attend one of Feather's concerts (unlike him I was traumatized by a Captain Beefheart gig at an impressionable age) but I listened to this piece twice in one sitting without flinching. A perfect,off-beat piece for any culture or music (yes, even music) program.
Early in the program, the engaging host promises you'll never look at a Jackson Pollack the same way again. What makes this piece so interesting is that you might never listen to radio the same way again. The premise of the CIA in the 1950's using abstract expressionism to infiltrate European cultural institutions using the Museum of Modern Art as a front is wild enough- but the program expands on the idea with very funny (and scarily real) ideas about what they might be up to today. The imaginative mixture of fact and fiction is fresh and original, but also neatly structured. And Walker's presentation is smart, witty and personable. I immediately wanted to listen to more of the series. One minor flaw - the perfectly edgy music in the first half of the show was a bit too intrusive under the phone interviews, I felt, in terms of clarity. But perhaps the mood created was more important than all the info being provided.
This piece, originally a preview for the hour-long feature which deservedly took top honors at the 2003 Thirdcoast Festival, might now be heard as a "making of..." type doco. But it's much more powerful. People call in to NPR's Sonic Memorial phone line with sounds they've recorded, memories of sounds or personal stories of the World Trade Towers and their destruction. From the heartbeat of the revolving doors on the ground to a New Year's Eve party at the top, the life of the buildings is presented from many different and sometimes surprising angles - like the sound of Hispanic radio stations the cleaners listen to during their working hours. The sensitive scripting and presentation link the elements simply and effectively. When it was finished, I longed to hear more - not only because thirty years ago the Towers were part of the skyline seen from the bedroom window of my first NYC apartment. For stations unable to present the hour-long program which evolved from this call for sound memories, this ten-minute piece could stand alone on the anniversay of 9/11.
The culture-zine style of this program is deceptively simple and so the powerful impact of these engagingly honest young voices comes as a surprise. Their personal expression is enriched through the art of slam poetry as contrasted with their "interview voice"." It's a slam-dunk that any LGBT program would be remiss in missing out on this show. But it would be more important to have it played in areas which don't have such programming - slipped into a culture slot would be the perfect way to present it. If only the less daring program directors had the guts to do it. Issues of sexuality, racism and homophobia being dealt with by teenagers might help other teens in conservative areas realize they are not alone. But just as important, it's fascinating - if confrontational - listening.
Comments by David Swatling
Comment for "HV Special: Portrait of a Plague (AIDS Awareness)"
David Swatling
Posted on November 13, 2004 at 01:56 AM | Permalink
Review of PORTRAIT OF A PLAGUE- AIDS Awareness Special
This program is impressive for its depth and range in approaching HIV/AIDS issues. Occasional facts and figures are dropped in by the narrator but his main role is to guide the listener from one very personal story to another. A South African nurse's gentle "God bless" to a patient speaks volumes; the American teens living with HIV are inspiring; and a young mother's letters to the son she will not see grow up - simply heartbreaking. The breaks of music, poetry and theater add to the polish of the production which avoids sentimentality with its honesty. This program cannot be recommended too highly - especially for anyone who has an hour to spare around World AIDS Day on December 1. But it could be broadcast at any time, any where - and should be.
Comment for "Neil Feather's Musical Chop Shop"
David Swatling
Posted on November 05, 2004 at 10:19 AM | Permalink
Review of Neil Feather's Musical Chop Shop
This profile of "sound mechanic" Neil Feather works neatly on different levels for different types of listeners - the sound art aficionado, the uninitiated, even one who finds this kind of work insufferable. Like myself, I'm loathe to admit. That's why I think this piece is so well done. Ask me to listen to someone who thinks a pile driver makes a "cool sound" and I'd run in the opposite direction. But I was intrigued by Feather as I was lured gently into his world of sometimes very ungentle sound. The musical atmosphere seemed to underline the theories and descriptions and I could almost visualize his studio and strange instruments. I might never want to attend one of Feather's concerts (unlike him I was traumatized by a Captain Beefheart gig at an impressionable age) but I listened to this piece twice in one sitting without flinching. A perfect,off-beat piece for any culture or music (yes, even music) program.
Comment for "TOE/Free Enterprise Art"
David Swatling
Posted on October 30, 2004 at 04:05 AM | Permalink
Review of TOE/Free Enterprise Art
Early in the program, the engaging host promises you'll never look at a Jackson Pollack the same way again. What makes this piece so interesting is that you might never listen to radio the same way again. The premise of the CIA in the 1950's using abstract expressionism to infiltrate European cultural institutions using the Museum of Modern Art as a front is wild enough- but the program expands on the idea with very funny (and scarily real) ideas about what they might be up to today. The imaginative mixture of fact and fiction is fresh and original, but also neatly structured. And Walker's presentation is smart, witty and personable. I immediately wanted to listen to more of the series. One minor flaw - the perfectly edgy music in the first half of the show was a bit too intrusive under the phone interviews, I felt, in terms of clarity. But perhaps the mood created was more important than all the info being provided.
Comment for "Messages from NPR's Sonic Memorial Phone Line"
David Swatling
Posted on October 14, 2004 at 05:34 AM | Permalink
Review of Messages from NPR's Sonic Memorial Phone Line
This piece, originally a preview for the hour-long feature which deservedly took top honors at the 2003 Thirdcoast Festival, might now be heard as a "making of..." type doco. But it's much more powerful. People call in to NPR's Sonic Memorial phone line with sounds they've recorded, memories of sounds or personal stories of the World Trade Towers and their destruction. From the heartbeat of the revolving doors on the ground to a New Year's Eve party at the top, the life of the buildings is presented from many different and sometimes surprising angles - like the sound of Hispanic radio stations the cleaners listen to during their working hours. The sensitive scripting and presentation link the elements simply and effectively. When it was finished, I longed to hear more - not only because thirty years ago the Towers were part of the skyline seen from the bedroom window of my first NYC apartment. For stations unable to present the hour-long program which evolved from this call for sound memories, this ten-minute piece could stand alone on the anniversay of 9/11.
Comment for "Queeriosity"
David Swatling
Posted on June 30, 2004 at 02:56 AM | Permalink
Review of Queeriosity
The culture-zine style of this program is deceptively simple and so the powerful impact of these engagingly honest young voices comes as a surprise. Their personal expression is enriched through the art of slam poetry as contrasted with their "interview voice"." It's a slam-dunk that any LGBT program would be remiss in missing out on this show. But it would be more important to have it played in areas which don't have such programming - slipped into a culture slot would be the perfect way to present it. If only the less daring program directors had the guts to do it. Issues of sexuality, racism and homophobia being dealt with by teenagers might help other teens in conservative areas realize they are not alone. But just as important, it's fascinating - if confrontational - listening.