PODCAST

Sound School Podcast

Rob Rosenthal/PRX/Transom.org

The Backstory to Great Audio Storytelling, hosted by Rob Rosenthal, for Transom and PRX.

education how to

All Episodes

30:04

Revisiting: The Longest Shortest Time

Sound School Podcast ·

2025/02/25

Just recently, Hillary Frank relaunched her popular podcast The Longest Shortest Time. This archive episode takes us back to Hillary's early days, when she was just finding her way in podcasting -- as we all were.

en-us

17:44

The Layered Approach - Interviewing for Scenes

Sound School Podcast ·

2025/02/11

You want scenes in your story. But, reporting in the field isn't an option. What then? Simon Adler, a senior producer at Radiolab has an answer: interview for scenes using "the layered approach."

en-us

28:21

The Backstory to "Our Ancestors Were Messy"

Sound School Podcast ·

2025/01/28

Nichole Hill pitched her show idea again and again. And, again and again, podcast companies said "no." But, that didn't stop Nichole. She said "I'm doing it myself!" Our Ancestors Were Messy, a podcast featuring hidden stories from the archives of historic, Black newspapers, launches February 5th. Sound School has the backstory to how Nichole dialed in the format for the show and why she chose a mix of chat and narrative styles.

en-us

20:54

All Hands On Deck - NPR and the Nixon White House

Sound School Podcast ·

2025/01/14

Just over 50 years ago, in 1974, NPR took to the airwaves for a 25-hour-broadcast that Rob thinks may be one of the most tedious recordings he's ever heard and one that was also an incredible broadcast service. What is it? You'll have to listen. Trust us. It's worth it.

en-us

24:04

Revisiting: First, Tell Them an Anecdote

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/12/31

Rob's interview with Misha Euceph is one of his favorites. As he says, she's very clear, engaging, and insightful about the craft of audio storytelling. On this archive episode of the show from 2019, they discuss why Misha believed it was important to start each episode of her podcast "Tell Them, I Am" with a personal anecdote.

en-us

19:09

Dissection - Daniel Alarcón's Writing Maneuvers

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/12/17

Let's state the obvious: Daniel Alarcón is a gifted writer. It's evident from the writing in "The Good Whale," the latest series from Serial that Daniel wrote and hosted. Rob put his writing under the microscope and heard a lot of satisfying maneuvers -- and a couple that weren't so satisfying.

en-us

27:31

Fingers Crossed, Twice

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/12/03

Nothing seems guaranteed these days for creative audio makers. "Short Cuts" was recently cancelled and "Pretendians" is seeking funding for a second season, two shows on this episode of Sound School that are high on Rob's must-listen list because they elevate the craft and deliver essential storytelling.

en-us

21:08

Please Keep WCAI Right Where It Is

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/11/19

WCAI, the public radio station for Cape Cod, has been told it needs to move -- to leave the home it broadcasts from. An actual home. A former captain's house. News that the house had been sold startled the station staff and the community. In this episode, Rob laments what would be a strike against the station's deep commitment to local service.

en-us

14:50

Keep the Universal in Mind for Local Stories

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/11/05

The story from Slovenia on this episode of Sound School is hyper-local -- so local, you might not catch all the cultural references. But, the reporter, Ajda Kus, says that's okay. The key to telling a great local story is to give weight to universal themes so that all listeners can still relate to the piece.

en-us

16:51

Revisiting: A Stranger With a Microphone

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/10/22

When should a reporter turn around a leave? At what point do should they say "I won't report on these people. They need their space, not a stranger with a microphone." Jay Nathan faced that exact situation some years ago reporting on a man who was dying of cancer and the friend taking care of him. But, instead of turning around and leaving, Jay stayed. Jay is still haunted by the decision.

en-us

34:14

Revisiting: Who Are You As a Storyteller?

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/10/08

Robert Krulwich, formerly of Radiolab, once said "how you write is basically who you are." It's a profound statement, a kind-of koan. It requires a little bit of thought. Krulwich can be that way. But, it leads to an essential question for anyone who writes: "Who are you as a storyteller?"

en-us

28:11

Retreat! And Make Stories with Friends

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/09/24

"To play and to fail and to get to know each other and to celebrate the craft of making audio... What's better than that," Jasmin Bauomy asks. When inspiration struck, Jasmin put together a four-day audio retreat for about a dozen producers from Berlin. She called the retreat "The Ecco" and it yielded some fantastic storytelling.

en-us

28:02

We Do It For the Ears, Right?

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/09/10

We tell stories in sound for many, many reasons. For our listener's hearts and minds. For community. For self-expression. For the democracy. For listener's ears. Yes. Their ears. On this episode of The Sound School Podcast, Rob relishes the ear catching qualities of work from Delia Derbyshire (BBC), Michel Martin (NPR), and the Making Gay History podcast.

en-us

26:26

To Swear or Not to Swear in Narration

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/08/27

Say you're listening to a great narrative podcast. The host has really grabbed your attention and you're pulled in. Then, out of nowhere, the narrator swears. Not once. Not twice. But three times. Including f-bombs. Is that a turn off for listeners? Should narrators swear? Dan Taberski defends his swears in his latest podcast.

en-us

16:48

Gaining Access While Preserving Anonymity in Medical...

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/08/13

Patient privacy in medical settings is essential. So, how does a reporter convince a facility to let them in with a microphone and assure anonymity of the patient? Selena Simmons-Duffin has answers. She is a health policy reporter at NPR who recently reported inside a primary care facility that provides standard medical care as well as abortions.

en-us

23:44

Revisiting: Robot Babies and Radio Luck

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/07/30

There are four kinds of luck. Unlucky. No luck. Lucky. And radio luck. On this archive episode of Sound School, Hillary Frank digs into the *incredible* radio luck she encountered reporting a story about teens and their "robot babies."

en-us

35:49

Revisiting: Magical Realism in Radio

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/07/16

David Weinberg pulls off a real radio feat mixing fantasy and reality in his documentary called "Grace of the Sea." In this archive episode, David explores the value of "magical realism" in audio storytelling.

en-us

30:00

An Audio Field Trip

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/07/02

Rob plays "Story DJ" on this episode "spinning" excerpts from several excellent stories you'll definitely want to hear. It's an audio field trip taking you around the world: Macon, Georgia, Wales, Madagascar, Kenya, and a closet at an undisclosed IKEA. Bring your best headphones for this one.

en-us

15:12

Structure Interviews Like a Good Story

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/06/18

Don't leave an interview entirely to chance. Structure it like a good story. On this episode, Rob dissects an interview on The Daily revealing its effective inner story structure.

en-us

56:52

Tips to Elevate Your Reporting and Storytelling from...

Sound School Podcast ·

2024/06/04

Ira Glass of This American Life is a master audio storyteller. He's equally skillful at laying out the mechanics of creative storytelling and reporting, too. Rob unearthed a presentation Ira made back in 2001 at a radio conference that is signature Ira and brimming with incredibly helpful tips on writing, structure, reporting, and scoring. A good listen for audio

en-us

370 results

Sound School Podcast

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Science Talk

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

五分钟心理学

柠檬心理

Daily Facts

Amalia Dupray and Montgomery Jones.

Les dents et dodo

BFMTV

Veterinary Clinical Podcasts

The Royal Veterinary College