This is the first in a six part series on the U.S. healthcare system by independent producer Miles Eddy. There is a lot of excellent information in the piece, with interview excerpts from a hospital administrator and an ER doctor. But the piece needs tighter writing and editing. For instance, the narrator tells us that "Russ Johnston will give us an administrative point of view..." and "Dr. Beth Kinney will chime in from the perspective of an emergency room doctor". It?s distracting to be told what an interviewee is going to tell us before they do so. I would have started the piece at about 1:15 in, where the narrator says "We begin this series..." Some judicious editing would help to make this a good four or five minute piece.
The summary for this piece says it all; "Three generations of fathers and sons meet (in spirit) at a cemetary in Manila in search of healing". It's a poignant two-minute commentary and a straight first-person read by author Paul McDonald. It is an appropriate essay for stations to run in observance of Father's Day.
This piece is a nicely produced interview with an environmental advocate on a particular aspect of the Endangered Species Act. Host Betsy Rosenberg is polished, and the piece moves along nicely, although there isn't anything special beyond a straight interview. Stations considering it for broadcast should be aware that it is a political advocacy piece, partially sponsored by Earthjustice, which bills itself as the "leading national non-profit public interest law firm" dedicated to protecting the environment, and it directs listeners to that web site. To my ear, the piece spends proportionately too much time talking about what the group it represents is, rather than focusing on the topic, which is protecting the wolverine population.
This piece portrays poetry as an oral tradition, and it attempts to win readers back to poetry who used to enjoy it when they were teenagers or in college, but for whom it now seems obscure. It revolves around the book "The Face of Poetry", which is based on the Lunch Poems reading series at UC Berkeley. Editor Zack Rogow and photographer Margaretta Mitchell narrate, and recordings of the poets reading their poetry are mixed in.
The piece doesn't work for me, primarily for technical reasons. The quality of the live recordings of poetry readings is poor, with lots of background noise, hiss and feedback creeping in. The mix of the poetry readings being brought in and out under the narration is jarring, with two sets of words from the readings and narration competing with each other. The editing is choppy and the piece is unfocused, with commentary from two narrators and pieces of poetry from several poets. Is it about the book? Or the poets? Or the performances? Or the poetry experience? Perhaps if it had focused on one of these elements it would have been more interesting to listen to. In its current form it is confusing, and it fails to convey the excitement of the poetry that it talks about.
It took me a couple of times listening to this piece to decide if I liked it; in the end, I decided I did like it very much. The key to making it work is the writing and delivery of the essay. Producer Eve Abram's enthusiasm for New Orleans brass bands is infectious without being overdone. As a relative newcomer to radio production, she has made a great start. I like the sound of her voice and style of her writing. My only complaint is that she tries to do too much in a single piece, so it can lose its focus. The piece is set up well in the beginning as she is driving into New Orleans and she talks about her love for brass bands, but then it devolves into a funding pitch for WWOZ after an awkward edit. I think the piece would have been better if it had ended at 5:00 and kept the focus on the brass bands, but this is a great effort, and I'll look forward to hearing more from this producer.
In describing the work of visual artist Zana Briski, producer Lu Olkowski creates her own masterful portrait of sound. Briski is the photographer who co-produced the film "Born Into Brothels" and founded Kids with Cameras, a non-profit organization to empower marginalized children through learning the art of photography. In this piece, she works with children living in the brothels of Calcutta's red light district. The nicely mixed piece uses music, colorful ambient sound, well written and delivered narration, interviews with Briski and an art therapist, and even cuts from some of the kids, taken from the film. It is a wonderful experience when a piece about art is art in itself, and I highly recommend this excellent, sound rich piece of radio.
Joe Bevilacqua strikes again with this superb documentary on the life and music of Louis Armstrong. The rich tapestry of music, interviews and sound from the streets of New Orleans is expertly produced. In addition to some rare recordings, the program includes interviews with Wynton Marsalas and others that really add to what is primarily a music program, rather than detract from the focus of the program. The sound quality is excellent, and the vintage recordings have been cleaned up well. The program is both entertaining and informative, and held my interest for the entire hour. This program would fit well as a special hour in any local jazz program, and I highly recommend it.
This piece makes great use of narration, music, ambience and sound to transport the listener, along with a homeless person from Boston, to an executive sleeping pod in New York City. I thought the feature was engaging and humorous in a lightly satirical way. The writing is tight, the actualities are captivating, and the mix is superb. Producer Chelsea Merz makes great use of sound and the piece is extremely well produced. I listened to it several times and enjoyed it more each time. Sleep apnea is a big topic these days, and National Sleep Awareness Week is March 27th. This feature would fit well into any magazine program or documentary on the subject, and I highly recommend it.
This is a well-written, enjoyable and funny piece of radio by Kiera Feldman. Tightening it up a bit and correcting some technical glitches could have improved it, however. Kiera?s voice quality changes during some of the edits, and the music mix was a bit too high for me; I found it a little distracting. But I found her style very engaging, and I look forward to hearing more work from this producer in the future.
This is a well-produced piece about the unlikely but successful pairing of an artist collective and a grange in Machias, Maine. The hall becomes a home and workspace for a dozen artists, who then give it back to the grange it to use as well. The piece uses well-written narration interspersed with actualities from members of the artist collective and members of the grange. The piece works well if you know what a grange is, which I didn't. After doing some research, I discovered that a grange's purpose is to bring people together to improve working and living conditions and allow the members to become self-sufficient, and to provide a social outlet for its members. If I had known that going into the piece it would have made a lot more sense to me upon first listening; the piece would have benefited from this kind of setup. Nevertheless, it's an engaging piece from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and I recommend it.
Humor and satire are tricky things to pull off well, and this piece hits the mark some of the time. Humor is subjective, of course, but sometimes the writing is a bit too heavy handed. Nice use of sound bites from Limbaugh, Bush, etc. Topic matter concerns the 2004 presidential elections, so the piece is definitely dated. I would like to hear more in the future from this producer.
Comment for
"Threat 1 - Invasive Species (1 of 6 reports): Hidden Costs of Invasives" (deleted)
Review of Threat 1 - Invasive Species (1 of 6 reports): Hidden Costs of Invasives (deleted)
This is one of a series of pieces by the Great Lakes Consortium on threats to the Great Lakes. It's a well-produced piece with narration by Lester Graham and interviews with representatives from the Alliance for the Great Lakes, the International Joint Commission and the Council of Great Lakes Industries. There is a lot of good and well-presented information on the economic versus the environmental costs of invasive species brought in by foreign shipping to the Great Lakes. The piece presents a good balance between the environmental and business aspects of this problem.
This is one of the most powerful pieces I have ever heard during my 30-year public radio career. Powerful because of both the subject content and the way it is told. The piece is about a woman on a jury contemplating a murder case and whether or not to vote on the death penalty. Only people who believe in the death penalty are allowed to serve on the jury; they are called ?death qualified?. The combination of narration by producer Alison Freeland and interview pieces from juror Amy Cradle are skillfully blended. The interview takes place in Amy?s kitchen, and her recollection of the jury process is extremely effective; it really makes you feel like you were there with the jury taking part in this agonizing process. It?s a powerful, emotional, thoughtful piece that is very well written and edited. I listened to the 15-minute piece several times, and it gripped me every time. This is an outstanding piece of radio and I would highly recommend it.
This is a fairly well written commentary, but the delivery is halting and it sounds like the narrator is reading in a stilted manner. The reading is monotonous, and the listener loses interest quickly. I think this could be an acceptable radio piece if it was tightened up and professionally narrated.
This excellent essay is one of a series produced by Eastern Kentucky youth called "Living with Coal in Eastern Kentucky". In this piece, Autumn Campbell talks about growing up as the daughter of a coal miner. She intersperses her narration with that of her father, who suffers from rock lung disease. It's a poignant piece of work, and you can hear the labored breathing of her father as he matter-of-factly describes the work in the mine and his own condition from working on a rotary drill. The piece is well produced and edited, and flows nicely, never sounding forced. It's a very personal story, well told, and I enjoyed it very much. It also happens to be timely, with the Virginia coal mine accident still very much on people's minds.
This is a very entertaining piece about a "normal" couple who reminisce about a visit to a nudist colony. The piece is well-produced and the characters of Mel and Sharon are very nicely played; my only criticism is that the "Star Trek" music was a bit distracting and incongruous for my taste. The two-person dialogue has the feel of the best of the StoryCorps pieces...natural and uncontrived. I loved the sort of midwest character of Mel and Sharon...it really made the piece funny. It's not often I can laugh out loud while listening to a bit of comedy, but I did with this one after repeated listening. Well done!
This is a nicely written poetic narrative, but the delivery is too forced and unprofessional for my taste. It's aimed at children, but it would make many adults cringe. But the writing is creative and witty. I think this piece would benefit from a more toned-down delivery. I would also eliminate the "take three" and "the end" from the narration, if it's not meant to be there.
The key to a good piece of nostalgia for me is when it makes me daydream about where I was and what I was doing at a certain point in time while listening to the piece. This bit of narrative made me think of my teen years with rotary phones and transistor radios and contests on the radio. The narration is well-written and effectively delivered. It is an enjoyable and nicely produced piece.
What a wonderful, inspiring, uplifting piece! It exudes memory for anyone who has ever visited New Orleans, and hope for those who haven’t. This first person essay is very well written and delivered. Although intended as a fund raising piece, it could be used anywhere that a dose of inspiration is needed, and a reminder that music is a way of life.
Comment for
"Evolution, Intelligent Design and the Existence of God" (deleted)
Religious commentary is tricky to do, but Paul McDonald does an excellent job with this piece. It is a great example of good writing well delivered, and would work well in any magazine format. A good commentary should be a thoughtful observation from a personal point of view, and this piece does just that.
This piece demonstrates the best of what science and technology reporting should be about. It is an excellent and well-edited interview with a scientist who studies how flies fly, and how to apply that knowledge to designing a flight vehicle. Too often, pieces that attempt to explain a scientific phenomenon are dry and confusing; not this one. This is a great example of what good editing and interviewing can do to explain a complicated thought. It was a delight to listen to, and I learned more every time I did. This would be an excellent addition to any magazine format.
Listening to “Lapse in Perception” is a surreal auditory experience. It’s very much in the style of Ken Nordeen’s “Word Jazz” or some of the experimental things that NPR’s “Earplay” was doing back in the late 70’s. I can’t pretend to analyze the meaning of “Lapse in Perception”, but I do know that it is a sound composition that demonstrates some of the best of what is being done with sound on the radio today. I highly recommend auditioning this piece; even if you don’t air it (which I suggest you do) you will be richer for the experience.
This is a fun commentary about the place of hair, or lack of it, in our culture. Narrator Jess Mador shaves her head and reflects on the place of hair in our society. The text is well-written, and well-delivered. There is a nice use of music in the piece, and it would make a good humorous commentary for a magazine program.
Comment for
"NORML News Special Report: Marijuana Arrests For 2004 A Record High" (deleted)
Review of NORML News Special Report: Marijuana Arrests For 2004 A Record High (deleted)
This is a nicely produced piece with polished narration from Chris Goldstein and actualities from the Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Although it contains some good information and facts, IT IS NOT A NEWS PIECE per se because it contains an advocacy message for the legalization of marijuana and reform of marijuana laws. There is a call to action with a request to join and support the reform of marijuana laws and the NORML web site is given out. So although it is not a news piece and I would not air it as part of any objective journalistic or news program, it as a well produced informational piece from NORML.
Liz Jones has a nice voice and engaging writing style in this feature about the importance and history of the commons and green spaces. Unfortunately, there is a piece of music playing underneath the entire piece, which gets to be quite distracting after eight minutes. The piece itself is too long, and could use some editing. The interviews are great, but the editing could be tighter because the piece drags. Overall the content is excellent but the production values and editing could use some work.
This is an excellent piece of writing, which demonstrates that good print journalism can be translated to radio. Janensch has a good radio voice that is engaging and convincing. Overall this is a nice commentary about poverty, race and class that would work well in a magazine format.
This is an informative and well-written feature, which is one of a six-part series on VegOil as an alternative fuel. This piece works because of a terrific interview with Vivian Andrus, a 96 year old driver with some great stories about early Model T driving. The feature is marred, however, by poor technical quality and choppy editing. The questions from the interviewer are jarring and sound as if they are written and spoken to someone hard of hearing, which the subject probably is, but on tape it is disquieting. The subject matter is really interesting, and the topic of this piece is engaging, but it suffers from technical problems that detract from the excellent content.
What a delight it was to listen to Jonathan Menjivar’s piece on the Theatre Organ. This is a well-written, superbly mixed feature that masterfully paints a picture of Mark Noller’s replica of Chicago’s Music Box Theatre. The piece is nicely edited to include lots of examples of the instrument. I liked the fact that the producer included his script on-line. To my ear, it had the right balance of narration, music and interview. Overall, this is a great example of radio’s capability to create Theatre of the Mind.
This is an excellent example of a music review with excellent writing, smooth delivery, and a superb mix. It is tightly produced and leaves the listener wanting to hear more. With the historical significance of the featured artists, this piece would fit well into a magazine format, as well as a blues related music program.
This is a well-researched and well-written piece that would benefit from tighter editing. The opening and closing, with nicely mixed actuality from the El Paso County vaccination clinic, work very well. Eric Whitney has a pleasing radio voice and provides some good narration. But the piece bogs down with some long interview pieces that tend to drag on, and are recorded from telephone lines with poor quality. Almost four minutes of a 7 ½ minute piece are telephone quality. With some judicious editing, this would make a nice five-minute piece.
Comments by Phil Corriveau
Comment for "Why Single Payer, Part 1: We are all paying for a broken healthcare system!"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on April 23, 2006 at 11:43 AM | Permalink
Review of Why Single Payer, Part 1: We are all paying for a broken healthcare system!
This is the first in a six part series on the U.S. healthcare system by independent producer Miles Eddy. There is a lot of excellent information in the piece, with interview excerpts from a hospital administrator and an ER doctor. But the piece needs tighter writing and editing. For instance, the narrator tells us that "Russ Johnston will give us an administrative point of view..." and "Dr. Beth Kinney will chime in from the perspective of an emergency room doctor". It?s distracting to be told what an interviewee is going to tell us before they do so. I would have started the piece at about 1:15 in, where the narrator says "We begin this series..." Some judicious editing would help to make this a good four or five minute piece.
Comment for "Three Generations In Manila"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on April 23, 2006 at 11:10 AM | Permalink
Review of Three Generations In Manila
The summary for this piece says it all; "Three generations of fathers and sons meet (in spirit) at a cemetary in Manila in search of healing". It's a poignant two-minute commentary and a straight first-person read by author Paul McDonald. It is an appropriate essay for stations to run in observance of Father's Day.
Comment for "Earthjustice calls to save the Endangered Species Act"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on March 26, 2006 at 12:16 PM | Permalink
Review of Earthjustice calls to save the Endangered Species Act
This piece is a nicely produced interview with an environmental advocate on a particular aspect of the Endangered Species Act. Host Betsy Rosenberg is polished, and the piece moves along nicely, although there isn't anything special beyond a straight interview. Stations considering it for broadcast should be aware that it is a political advocacy piece, partially sponsored by Earthjustice, which bills itself as the "leading national non-profit public interest law firm" dedicated to protecting the environment, and it directs listeners to that web site. To my ear, the piece spends proportionately too much time talking about what the group it represents is, rather than focusing on the topic, which is protecting the wolverine population.
Comment for "The Face of Poetry" (deleted)
Phil Corriveau
Posted on March 19, 2006 at 11:56 AM
Review of The Face of Poetry (deleted)
This piece portrays poetry as an oral tradition, and it attempts to win readers back to poetry who used to enjoy it when they were teenagers or in college, but for whom it now seems obscure. It revolves around the book "The Face of Poetry", which is based on the Lunch Poems reading series at UC Berkeley. Editor Zack Rogow and photographer Margaretta Mitchell narrate, and recordings of the poets reading their poetry are mixed in.
The piece doesn't work for me, primarily for technical reasons. The quality of the live recordings of poetry readings is poor, with lots of background noise, hiss and feedback creeping in. The mix of the poetry readings being brought in and out under the narration is jarring, with two sets of words from the readings and narration competing with each other. The editing is choppy and the piece is unfocused, with commentary from two narrators and pieces of poetry from several poets. Is it about the book? Or the poets? Or the performances? Or the poetry experience? Perhaps if it had focused on one of these elements it would have been more interesting to listen to. In its current form it is confusing, and it fails to convey the excitement of the poetry that it talks about.
Comment for "In Praise of New Orleans Brass Bands"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on March 05, 2006 at 12:03 PM | Permalink
Review of In Praise of New Orleans Brass Bands
It took me a couple of times listening to this piece to decide if I liked it; in the end, I decided I did like it very much. The key to making it work is the writing and delivery of the essay. Producer Eve Abram's enthusiasm for New Orleans brass bands is infectious without being overdone. As a relative newcomer to radio production, she has made a great start. I like the sound of her voice and style of her writing. My only complaint is that she tries to do too much in a single piece, so it can lose its focus. The piece is set up well in the beginning as she is driving into New Orleans and she talks about her love for brass bands, but then it devolves into a funding pitch for WWOZ after an awkward edit. I think the piece would have been better if it had ended at 5:00 and kept the focus on the brass bands, but this is a great effort, and I'll look forward to hearing more from this producer.
Comment for "Born Into Brothels"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on March 05, 2006 at 11:23 AM | Permalink
Review of Born Into Brothels
In describing the work of visual artist Zana Briski, producer Lu Olkowski creates her own masterful portrait of sound. Briski is the photographer who co-produced the film "Born Into Brothels" and founded Kids with Cameras, a non-profit organization to empower marginalized children through learning the art of photography. In this piece, she works with children living in the brothels of Calcutta's red light district. The nicely mixed piece uses music, colorful ambient sound, well written and delivered narration, interviews with Briski and an art therapist, and even cuts from some of the kids, taken from the film. It is a wonderful experience when a piece about art is art in itself, and I highly recommend this excellent, sound rich piece of radio.
Comment for "Louis Armstrong's New Orleans, with Wynton Marsalis"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 19, 2006 at 02:00 PM | Permalink
Review of Louis Armstrong's New Orleans, with Wynton Marsalis
Joe Bevilacqua strikes again with this superb documentary on the life and music of Louis Armstrong. The rich tapestry of music, interviews and sound from the streets of New Orleans is expertly produced. In addition to some rare recordings, the program includes interviews with Wynton Marsalas and others that really add to what is primarily a music program, rather than detract from the focus of the program. The sound quality is excellent, and the vintage recordings have been cleaned up well. The program is both entertaining and informative, and held my interest for the entire hour. This program would fit well as a special hour in any local jazz program, and I highly recommend it.
Comment for "MetroNaps"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 06, 2006 at 02:30 PM | Permalink
Review of MetroNaps
This piece makes great use of narration, music, ambience and sound to transport the listener, along with a homeless person from Boston, to an executive sleeping pod in New York City. I thought the feature was engaging and humorous in a lightly satirical way. The writing is tight, the actualities are captivating, and the mix is superb. Producer Chelsea Merz makes great use of sound and the piece is extremely well produced. I listened to it several times and enjoyed it more each time. Sleep apnea is a big topic these days, and National Sleep Awareness Week is March 27th. This feature would fit well into any magazine program or documentary on the subject, and I highly recommend it.
Comment for "Bob Saget and Me: Adventures In Space"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 05, 2006 at 11:01 AM | Permalink
Review of Bob Saget and Me: Adventures In Space
This is a well-written, enjoyable and funny piece of radio by Kiera Feldman. Tightening it up a bit and correcting some technical glitches could have improved it, however. Kiera?s voice quality changes during some of the edits, and the music mix was a bit too high for me; I found it a little distracting. But I found her style very engaging, and I look forward to hearing more work from this producer in the future.
Comment for "Radical Restoration"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 05, 2006 at 10:49 AM | Permalink
Review of Radical Restoration
This is a well-produced piece about the unlikely but successful pairing of an artist collective and a grange in Machias, Maine. The hall becomes a home and workspace for a dozen artists, who then give it back to the grange it to use as well. The piece uses well-written narration interspersed with actualities from members of the artist collective and members of the grange. The piece works well if you know what a grange is, which I didn't. After doing some research, I discovered that a grange's purpose is to bring people together to improve working and living conditions and allow the members to become self-sufficient, and to provide a social outlet for its members. If I had known that going into the piece it would have made a lot more sense to me upon first listening; the piece would have benefited from this kind of setup. Nevertheless, it's an engaging piece from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and I recommend it.
Comment for "Some Things Considered"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 05, 2006 at 10:32 AM | Permalink
Review of Some Things Considered
Humor and satire are tricky things to pull off well, and this piece hits the mark some of the time. Humor is subjective, of course, but sometimes the writing is a bit too heavy handed. Nice use of sound bites from Limbaugh, Bush, etc. Topic matter concerns the 2004 presidential elections, so the piece is definitely dated. I would like to hear more in the future from this producer.
Comment for "Threat 1 - Invasive Species (1 of 6 reports): Hidden Costs of Invasives" (deleted)
Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 05, 2006 at 10:23 AM
Review of Threat 1 - Invasive Species (1 of 6 reports): Hidden Costs of Invasives (deleted)
This is one of a series of pieces by the Great Lakes Consortium on threats to the Great Lakes. It's a well-produced piece with narration by Lester Graham and interviews with representatives from the Alliance for the Great Lakes, the International Joint Commission and the Council of Great Lakes Industries. There is a lot of good and well-presented information on the economic versus the environmental costs of invasive species brought in by foreign shipping to the Great Lakes. The piece presents a good balance between the environmental and business aspects of this problem.
Comment for "Death Qualified"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 05, 2006 at 09:57 AM | Permalink
Review of Death Qualified
This is one of the most powerful pieces I have ever heard during my 30-year public radio career. Powerful because of both the subject content and the way it is told. The piece is about a woman on a jury contemplating a murder case and whether or not to vote on the death penalty. Only people who believe in the death penalty are allowed to serve on the jury; they are called ?death qualified?. The combination of narration by producer Alison Freeland and interview pieces from juror Amy Cradle are skillfully blended. The interview takes place in Amy?s kitchen, and her recollection of the jury process is extremely effective; it really makes you feel like you were there with the jury taking part in this agonizing process. It?s a powerful, emotional, thoughtful piece that is very well written and edited. I listened to the 15-minute piece several times, and it gripped me every time. This is an outstanding piece of radio and I would highly recommend it.
Comment for "King's Solutions Could Fix Our Secondary Schools"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on January 16, 2006 at 03:21 PM | Permalink
Review of King's Solutions Could Fix Our Secondary Schools
This is a fairly well written commentary, but the delivery is halting and it sounds like the narrator is reading in a stilted manner. The reading is monotonous, and the listener loses interest quickly. I think this could be an acceptable radio piece if it was tightened up and professionally narrated.
Comment for "Rock Lung"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on January 16, 2006 at 03:09 PM | Permalink
Review of Rock Lung
This excellent essay is one of a series produced by Eastern Kentucky youth called "Living with Coal in Eastern Kentucky". In this piece, Autumn Campbell talks about growing up as the daughter of a coal miner. She intersperses her narration with that of her father, who suffers from rock lung disease. It's a poignant piece of work, and you can hear the labored breathing of her father as he matter-of-factly describes the work in the mine and his own condition from working on a rotary drill. The piece is well produced and edited, and flows nicely, never sounding forced. It's a very personal story, well told, and I enjoyed it very much. It also happens to be timely, with the Virginia coal mine accident still very much on people's minds.
Comment for "The Unclothed Species"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on January 08, 2006 at 12:29 PM | Permalink
Review of The Unclothed Species
This is a very entertaining piece about a "normal" couple who reminisce about a visit to a nudist colony. The piece is well-produced and the characters of Mel and Sharon are very nicely played; my only criticism is that the "Star Trek" music was a bit distracting and incongruous for my taste. The two-person dialogue has the feel of the best of the StoryCorps pieces...natural and uncontrived. I loved the sort of midwest character of Mel and Sharon...it really made the piece funny. It's not often I can laugh out loud while listening to a bit of comedy, but I did with this one after repeated listening. Well done!
Comment for "Warts & Onions" (deleted)
Phil Corriveau
Posted on January 08, 2006 at 12:08 PM
Review of Warts & Onions (deleted)
This is a nicely written poetic narrative, but the delivery is too forced and unprofessional for my taste. It's aimed at children, but it would make many adults cringe. But the writing is creative and witty. I think this piece would benefit from a more toned-down delivery. I would also eliminate the "take three" and "the end" from the narration, if it's not meant to be there.
Comment for "Good guy winner at last"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on January 08, 2006 at 11:56 AM | Permalink
Review of Good guy winner at last
The key to a good piece of nostalgia for me is when it makes me daydream about where I was and what I was doing at a certain point in time while listening to the piece. This bit of narrative made me think of my teen years with rotary phones and transistor radios and contests on the radio. The narration is well-written and effectively delivered. It is an enjoyable and nicely produced piece.
Comment for "Music Will Help New Orleans Rebuild"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on November 06, 2005 at 12:33 PM | Permalink
Review of Music Will Help New Orleans Rebuild
What a wonderful, inspiring, uplifting piece! It exudes memory for anyone who has ever visited New Orleans, and hope for those who haven’t. This first person essay is very well written and delivered. Although intended as a fund raising piece, it could be used anywhere that a dose of inspiration is needed, and a reminder that music is a way of life.
Comment for "Evolution, Intelligent Design and the Existence of God" (deleted)
Phil Corriveau
Posted on November 06, 2005 at 12:24 PM
Review of Intelligent Design (deleted)
Religious commentary is tricky to do, but Paul McDonald does an excellent job with this piece. It is a great example of good writing well delivered, and would work well in any magazine format. A good commentary should be a thoughtful observation from a personal point of view, and this piece does just that.
Comment for "Bug Flight Scientist"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on November 06, 2005 at 11:59 AM | Permalink
Review of Bug Flight Scientist
This piece demonstrates the best of what science and technology reporting should be about. It is an excellent and well-edited interview with a scientist who studies how flies fly, and how to apply that knowledge to designing a flight vehicle. Too often, pieces that attempt to explain a scientific phenomenon are dry and confusing; not this one. This is a great example of what good editing and interviewing can do to explain a complicated thought. It was a delight to listen to, and I learned more every time I did. This would be an excellent addition to any magazine format.
Comment for "Lapse in Perception"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on November 06, 2005 at 11:43 AM | Permalink
Review of Lapse in Perception
Listening to “Lapse in Perception” is a surreal auditory experience. It’s very much in the style of Ken Nordeen’s “Word Jazz” or some of the experimental things that NPR’s “Earplay” was doing back in the late 70’s. I can’t pretend to analyze the meaning of “Lapse in Perception”, but I do know that it is a sound composition that demonstrates some of the best of what is being done with sound on the radio today. I highly recommend auditioning this piece; even if you don’t air it (which I suggest you do) you will be richer for the experience.
Comment for "Hair" (deleted)
Phil Corriveau
Posted on November 06, 2005 at 11:13 AM
Review of Hair (deleted)
This is a fun commentary about the place of hair, or lack of it, in our culture. Narrator Jess Mador shaves her head and reflects on the place of hair in our society. The text is well-written, and well-delivered. There is a nice use of music in the piece, and it would make a good humorous commentary for a magazine program.
Comment for "NORML News Special Report: Marijuana Arrests For 2004 A Record High" (deleted)
Phil Corriveau
Posted on November 06, 2005 at 10:33 AM
Review of NORML News Special Report: Marijuana Arrests For 2004 A Record High (deleted)
This is a nicely produced piece with polished narration from Chris Goldstein and actualities from the Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Although it contains some good information and facts, IT IS NOT A NEWS PIECE per se because it contains an advocacy message for the legalization of marijuana and reform of marijuana laws. There is a call to action with a request to join and support the reform of marijuana laws and the NORML web site is given out. So although it is not a news piece and I would not air it as part of any objective journalistic or news program, it as a well produced informational piece from NORML.
Comment for "Protecting the Commons" (deleted)
Phil Corriveau
Posted on October 09, 2005 at 12:27 PM
Review of Protecting the Commons (deleted)
Liz Jones has a nice voice and engaging writing style in this feature about the importance and history of the commons and green spaces. Unfortunately, there is a piece of music playing underneath the entire piece, which gets to be quite distracting after eight minutes. The piece itself is too long, and could use some editing. The interviews are great, but the editing could be tighter because the piece drags. Overall the content is excellent but the production values and editing could use some work.
Comment for "Keeping Poverty on the Front Page"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on October 09, 2005 at 12:11 PM | Permalink
Review of Keeping Poverty on the Front Page
This is an excellent piece of writing, which demonstrates that good print journalism can be translated to radio. Janensch has a good radio voice that is engaging and convincing. Overall this is a nice commentary about poverty, race and class that would work well in a magazine format.
Comment for "Part Five: The American Obsession with Driving"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on October 09, 2005 at 11:56 AM | Permalink
Review of Part Five: The American Obsession with Driving
This is an informative and well-written feature, which is one of a six-part series on VegOil as an alternative fuel. This piece works because of a terrific interview with Vivian Andrus, a 96 year old driver with some great stories about early Model T driving. The feature is marred, however, by poor technical quality and choppy editing. The questions from the interviewer are jarring and sound as if they are written and spoken to someone hard of hearing, which the subject probably is, but on tape it is disquieting. The subject matter is really interesting, and the topic of this piece is engaging, but it suffers from technical problems that detract from the excellent content.
Comment for "Music Box Man"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on October 09, 2005 at 11:23 AM | Permalink
Review of Music Box Man
What a delight it was to listen to Jonathan Menjivar’s piece on the Theatre Organ. This is a well-written, superbly mixed feature that masterfully paints a picture of Mark Noller’s replica of Chicago’s Music Box Theatre. The piece is nicely edited to include lots of examples of the instrument. I liked the fact that the producer included his script on-line. To my ear, it had the right balance of narration, music and interview. Overall, this is a great example of radio’s capability to create Theatre of the Mind.
Comment for "Blues File: new Music Maker releases"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on October 02, 2005 at 02:50 PM | Permalink
Review of Blues File: new Music Maker releases
This is an excellent example of a music review with excellent writing, smooth delivery, and a superb mix. It is tightly produced and leaves the listener wanting to hear more. With the historical significance of the featured artists, this piece would fit well into a magazine format, as well as a blues related music program.
Comment for "Back to School Immunizations"
Phil Corriveau
Posted on October 02, 2005 at 02:39 PM | Permalink
Review of Back to School Immunizations
This is a well-researched and well-written piece that would benefit from tighter editing. The opening and closing, with nicely mixed actuality from the El Paso County vaccination clinic, work very well. Eric Whitney has a pleasing radio voice and provides some good narration. But the piece bogs down with some long interview pieces that tend to drag on, and are recorded from telephone lines with poor quality. Almost four minutes of a 7 ½ minute piece are telephone quality. With some judicious editing, this would make a nice five-minute piece.