Audio Storytelling Prompt
Create an audio essay that explores the significance of either 1) an object or 2) a “rich” word. Objects offer interesting ways of making inroads into concepts and concerns. For instance, a pencil, the more you study its history and think about its uses, allows us to talk about ideas of permanence, literacy, forms of art, the science of materials, etc. Words tend to vary in their richness, with a continuum that ranges from denotation (dictionary) meanings to connotation (allusions and associations). Words like motherhood, nostalgia, or angst, for instance, open up numerous pathways for talking about human concerns.
Once you have arrived at the object or word that will organize your essay, you can develop your project by conducting research and connecting the item to either or both 1) personal experience or 2) cultural concerns.
| Genre | Purpose | Audience | Role | Rhetorical Situation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storytelling “Podcast” | You have been tasked with generating content for a podcast on the significance of a word or object. | General Public | Podcaster | You work for a podcast that focuses on telling the stories of different words and objects. The purpose of this podcast is to get the audience interested in things that might seem boring or banal and to tell the story of those items/words. |
Feeder 1: Understanding Audio Storytelling
To get started, listen to Steph Ceraso’s “A Tale of Two Soundscapes.” As you listen, pay attention to the way the piece blends personal experience with discussion of concepts. Think as well about aspects of storytelling in the piece–shared personal experiences, contrasts between country and city, changes in perspective or growth of a character, etc. Also think about the uses of sound: how does music influence the piece? What kinds of sound effects are used, and how do they affect your experience? Think as well about compositional aspects of sound–volume levels, transitions, repetitions, etc.
Next, explore additional audio essays that include aspects of storytelling. Listen to at least two additional audio pieces, and then select one that you find particularly interesting in the way it delivers its messages.
When finished, submit a two paragraph reflection. In your reflection identify the audio essay that your have selected and provide analysis of its story telling techniques. Consider as well the uses of sound in the piece. Finally, share thoughts on ideas for your own project that you have gleaned from listening to the examples of others.
Feeder 2: Composing a Script
Use a word processor or text editor to compose a script for your audio essay. The script should be a mix of storyboard-like instructions and the actual text of the narration you want to include in the essay. If you plan to use audio excerpts from others–i.e., interviews or broadcast segments with information–transcribe any spoken words that are included in those excerpts and include them in the script.
Direction segments might be something like: [Insert interview clip with Aunt discussing writing in the 1970s] or [play typewriter sound effect].
Narration segments should provide a transcript of what you will say into the microphone. For these sections, aim for a good balance of tone that is not overly formal. Also, tighten the language as much as possible. Shorter is almost always better when trying to articulate a phrase in an audio essay, so edit for concision.
To get a sense of the ways your script can benefit from concise language, consider the edits represented in this image:
The edits in the passage above cut phrases and revise statements to create a script that will be easier to read into a microphone and focus the narration on crucial points. You will need to find a balance that respects the information to be delivered while also keeping things moving with a comfortable tone.
You will need to have already done preliminary work thinking about the topic, the structure, the kinds of materials you can include, etc. The script, then, can be a map of how these pieces will be laid out in the essay, as well as a text that will guide your narration. As you draft the script, be sure to come up with ways of weaving additional audio materials into the piece beyond your own voice. You will guide people through the materials as the “narrator” of the essay, but a piece that consists of a single voice talking will lack variety and not deliver the movement between materials that adds interest and texture to the essay.
When it comes to adding interviews or other informational segments into the script, pay close attention to the way the narration creates transitions into and out of the material. You want to phrase the script so that the narration sets up and transitions out of any excerpts without simply repeating key points.
Also make decisions about the ambient or background noises that you weave into the essay. You can use audio to create a mood, to deliver a message, to punctuate a statement, etc. Recall your listening to Ceraso’s piece in feeder one and the way she used a range of sounds to compose the essay.
After thinking through the ways that the audio medium can influence your narration and possible materials to include, compose your script using a word processor and submit it for review.
Unit Project: Compose Your Audio Essay
You will need to spend some time getting to know your audio editor. Take time to read the overviews, help pages, and tutorials that can get you started with the program. Although your project and your audio editor will influence your composing process, you can follow some general steps.
Become adept at recording your own voice to narrate the audio essay. Find a quiet environment where you can work. Experiment with your available microphones. (Built in laptop microphones often work fine; affordable USB microphones work well; more advanced microphones might be worth a look.) Try some practice recordings, working with your equipment and software until you get audio that is loud enough to be easily heard and that does not contain undue levels of background sound. The MRC has podcasting recording equipment you can use.
Get comfortable with your voice. Experiment with cadences, tempo, and pitch as you begin working. Don’t be shy about trying out new tones or giving your voice presence in your recordings. Use the audio essay as an opportunity to think about how you can use your voice as you communicate and about how you can develop a “voice” in both spoken and written contexts.
Learn the moves needed to import audio files into your editor. You may also need to learn something about converting audio files. Experiment with cutting, copying, and moving segments of the audio that you import. Learn to fade clips in and out and to adjust the volume levels of clips.
Ensure that you have an outline or plan for developing the essay. Import a clip and begin editing it and adding your narration. Check that you are writing into and out of the clips in ways that clarify and extend your topic.
Allow yourself room to revise aspects of your script as the evolving project dictates. For instance, you may have planned to include a lengthy excerpt from an interview only to discover that a kernal of audio in the middle of the clip is all you need. Or you may find that a phrase that looked good “on paper” in your script trips you up when spoken into the microphone. Your script will guide you, but the project can also emerge through the composing process.
Continue importing materials and adding narration. Add background sounds for ambiance as needed. Adjust and polish the composition.
When finished, export a draft of your file and submit it for review in mp3 format.
This should be a project that raises some new challenges for you. Some will be technical; be sure to save your files often and give yourself time to learn how to compose with audio. Most of the challenges should be conceptual; you’ll need to learn to imagine how you can organize a project based in sound, create transitions, convey information succinctly, create a mood through audio, etc. There will also be content challenges. You will be working to deliver an essay, so research, concise writing, editing, and all the typical communication moves will be needed. Hopefuly the level of challenges will still allow the project to be creative and fun.