SHORT SOUND STORIES

Student Storytelling with Sound Projects

Written by

John F. Barber

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International

Re-Imagined Radio
Season 11, Episode 01

Final draft

SHORT SOUND STORIES

Re-Imagined Radio
Season 11, Episode 01
Final Draft

Premier broadcast: Jan. 30, 2023

Written, Produced, Hosted by
John F. Barber

Synopsis
Re-Imagined Radio presents an anthology of eighteen short stories. Each created by students in John Barber's Storytelling with Sound(s) class, Fall semester 2022, Washington State University Vancouver, Digital Technology and Culture Department. Each story is a unique experience told with vocals, sound effects, field recordings, and music. Subjects include soundscapes, dreamscapes, deep questions, audio drama, radio drama, radio historical highlights, memories, emotional states, loss and redemption, scary stories, uplifting stories, collages, sound poems, and more.

Color Code
SFX = sound effect(s), either pre-recorded or created for episode. Pre-recorded audio is used as content in this episode.

Magenta highlighted text with strike through = content deleted in post-production for episode timing

MUSIC = pre-recorded

MUSIC = bespoke, created for this episode

COLD OPEN
SFX: #1, BOEHLKE, "SENSORY OVERLOAD 1 & 2"
MUSIC: RIR THEME, FADE UP UNDER PREVIOUS, ESTABLISH, THEN OUT
ANNOUNCER
Welcome to Re-Imagined Radio, a program about radio storytelling. I’m Jack Armstrong. With each episode we combine dialogue, sound effects, and music to engage your listening imagination. This episode is no different, and here to tell you about it is John Barber, producer and host.
SFX: #2, MADSEN, "GAMING SYSTEM SOUNDS"
HOST OPEN
HOST
Thank you Jack. Hello everyone. Welcome.
It's a new season for Re-Imagined Radio. Our eleventh. And we're excited to share new examples of radio storytelling.
This episode, "Short Sound Stories," samples stories created by eighteen emerging local artists. They were encouraged to create stories about themselves, their lives, using voice, field recordings, sound effects, and music. We began with "Sensory Overload," by Adele. We'll sample other sound stories as the episode continues. Throughout, as bridges and transitions, you'll hear startup sounds of vintage video game consoles by Paiden. I hope you will enjoy this very interesting exploration of storytelling with sounds.
Re-Imagined Radio originates from KXRW-FM. Vancouver, Washington's community radio station. We thank them for their support.
And we thank YOU for joining us as Re-Imagined Radio presents "Short Sound Stories."
HOST
Next, Miryssa reads a favorite childhood scary story by Alvin Schwartz, with added vocal and sound effects. Her story is called "Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark." Let's listen.
SFX: #3, CASAS, "SCARY STORIES"
HOST
I'm John Barber, producer and host of Re-Imagined Radio. We're sampling sound stories by eighteen local, emerging artists. This next sample by Marianna depends on quick responses to the question "What's In Your Head?"
SFX: #4, CRUZ, "WHAT'S IN YOUR HEAD?
HOST
Our next sample is from "The Box," a story by Lyndsey. A box is found aboard an alien spacecraft. Now, how to deal with the aliens aboard the spacecraft, and what lies beyond a mysterious door? "The Box" presents many interesting sounds. Let's listen . . .
SFX: #5, ROBERTS, "THE BOX"
HOST
We can find interesting stories not only aboard alien spacecraft but also in every memory. Kristen muses about her memories while enjoying a morning coffee. Here's a sample from "A Mo(u)ring to Remember."
SFX: #6, NELLIGAN, "A MO(U)RNING TO REMEMBER"
HOST
You're listening to "Short Sound Stories," an episode of Re-Imagined Radio. Our next story sample comes from "Paranoia" by Even, who combines sound walking, field recording, and audio drama to give a sense of this complicated mental state.
SFX: #7, LEYDEN, "PARANOIA"
HOST
Our next sample comes from a longer story by Hayley about waking from a nightmare, falling back to sleep, and into the same nightmare. Let's listen to "Dreamstate" . . .
SFX: #8, MILLER, "DREAMSTATE"
HOST
This next sample is from "Anxious Lifetime" by Logan. This combination of memoir, performance, and oral history illuminates how some people are struggling socially, and encourages conversations about mental health.
SFX: #9, REED, "ANXIOUS LIFETIME"
HOST
You're listening to Re-Imagined Radio. I'm John Barber, producer and host. I'll be right back after this brief message.
MUSIC: RIR THEME, INTRO
BREAK #1--THE FUSEBOX BREAK
HOST
Re-Imagined Radio explores different forms of radio storytelling. The Fusebox Show is one you should know about.
SFX: FUSEBOX RADIO AUDIO TRAILER
HOST
Learn more wherever you get your podcasts, or at The Fusebox Show website, thefuseboxshow dot com.
MUSIC: RIR THEME, RETURN
HOST
Welcome back to Re-Imagined Radio. The episode is "Short Sound Stories" and features samples from sound-based stories by eighteen local, emerging artists. This next story, by Cameron, seeks to capture the ethos of radio by presenting examples of broadcasts from the 1930s-1960s, when radio was the primary form of entertainment and information. Here's a sample from "Radio Spirit."
SFX: 10, DAN, "RADIO SPIRIT"
HOST
This next story in our collection was produced by Jose, a bilingual local artist. The story uses soundscapes, oral history, and audio drama to represent narratives inside the mind of a bilingual person. As you listen you come to understand how these sounds interact and influence two individuals, each with a different identity. Let's listen to a sample from "A Mind of Two" by Jose.
SFX: #11, PINERUA, "A MIND OF TWO"
HOST
You're listening to Re-Imagined Radio. Our episode is "Short Sound Stories." I'm John Barber, producer and host. Next, Danny combines poetry and soundscapes to illustrate the challenges, weirdness, and beauty of life. In this story Danny recites portions of a poem by Kevin Akbar over a background of recorded sounds from everyday life, all played in reverse. Here's a sample from "Life Holds Everything."
SFX: #12, BLANCHARD, "LIFE HOLDS EVERYTHING"
HOST
Gabriel writes video games. His "A Day at a Museum in Sphinxaria," an excerpt from a game he is currently writing, includes elements of locative fiction, audio drama, and sound walking. This sample is based in a museum of interactive exhibits. Let's listen . . .
SFX: #13, DAVIS, "A DAY AT A MUSUEM IN SPAINXARIA"
HOST
This next story sample is taken from a dramatic reading of Edgar Allen Poe's story, "A Cask of Amontillado." Rich, the student director, says, "This work provides me the opportunity to reflect on how extremely I have reacted to my peers in the past."
SFX: #14, TE, "A CASK OF AMONTILLADO"
HOST
In this next sample, Gaz combines audio drama, sound walking, soundscapes, and sonification to illustrate anxieties. About his story, Gaz says, "Words can’t express the unease that I feel, the sense that something is not quite right. Sound(s) can stand in for those missing words." Let's listen to "Disquiet."
SFX: #15, ROMO, "DISQUIET"
HOST
This next story sample is rather interesting. Three young women walk a park trail discussing whether Disney makes better content after its acquisition of Marvel Comics. They have very definite opinions. Part soundwalk, part soundscape, part free-wheeling podcast. Let's listen to this sample from "The Real Talk" by Rachel.
SFX: #16, KRAMER, "THE REAL TALK"
HOST
This is Re-Imagined Radio. Our episode is "Short Sound Sttories" featuring examples of radio storytelling by eighteen local artists. Our next sample is from "A Western Tale," by Glen. This story, produced using a popular social media platform, combines oral history, audio essay, and soundscape to consider relationships, family, travel, heartbreak, happiness, and reconnecting.
SFX: #17, KREKLOW-CARNES, "A WESTERN TALE"
HOST
Our final sample is taken from "Three . . . Two . . . One. We're Live," by Caleb. This combination of radio, audio essay, and memoir imagines a radio program about time, hosted by Death, and featuring interesting guests, including, in this sample, a brief discussion about time by the slightly comedic but intelligent Dr. Tey Mez Shortz.
SFX: #18, STENBERG, "THREE, TWO, ONE. WE'RE LIVE."
MUSIC: RIR THEME, INTRO
HOST
You're listening to Re-Imagined Radio. I'm John Barber, producer and host. I'll be right back after this brief message
BREAK #2--THE RIR BREAK
SFX: RE-IMAGINED RADIO AUDIO TRAILER
HOST
Visit our website for more information and listening opportunities, reimaginedradio dot net
MUSIC: RIR THEME, RETURN
HOST CONCLUSION
HOST
This is Re-Imagined Radio. Our episode is "Short Sound Stories," featuring samples from works by eighteen local, emerging artists who used sounds--voices, sound effects, and in some cases, music--to share personal stories about their lives, dreams, even fears. I hope you enjoyed our episode and will join us again. Thanks for listening. And best wishes for the new year.
MUSIC: RIR THEME, FADE UP, ESTABLISH, THEN DUCK UNDER THE FOLLOWING
HOST CREDIT ROLL
HOST
This is a production of Re-Imagined Radio.
Content curation and script by John Barber.
Music composition, sound design, and post-production by Marc Rose.
Graphic design by Holly Slocum Design.
Our announcer is Jack Armstrong.
Re-Imagined Radio is produced with support from KXRW-FM. Vancouver, Washington's community radio station.
This is John Barber, producer and host. Thanks again for listening. I hope you will join us again as we continue exploring radio storytelling.
MUSIC: RIR THEME UP, THEN DUCK UNDER THE FOLLOWING
ANNOUNCER
This is a production of Re-Imagined Radio. Our radio broadcasts are heard on local, regional, and international community radio stations.
For on demand streaming, point your browsers to our website, reimaginedradio (all one word, no punctuation) DOT net.
Thank you so much for listening, and please, join us again for another episode of Re-Imagined Radio where we will continue our exploration of radio storytelling.
MUSIC: RIR THEME UP, AND TO END.