Introduction to Narrative Audio

Over the past decade, the global podcast industry has grown immensely. From deeply reported investigative shows like Serial and In the Dark to comedy chat shows like Poog and Smartless, podcasting is a continuously evolving art form. In this course, we will explore audio storytelling in its varied forms, paying particular attention to what grabs our ears and draws us in. We will take an initial idea for an audio story and turn it into a finished product. We will learn how to scout stories and characters, conduct engaging interviews, select tape, structure their narrative, write scripts, track narration, and add a musical score. Beyond analyzing the craft required to make a strong audio documentary, this course seeks to help you develop your distinctive voice in podcasting and radio. What do you actually enjoy listening to and why? What piece of tape that has moved you or has never left your mind? What makes a beautiful - or meaningful - podcast episode? How can rhythm, pacing and musicality help you tell your story? As a group we will listen to podcasts like Rumblestrip, Heavyweight, The Heart, The Organist, Home of the Brave, The Kitchen Sisters Presents, and the BBC’s Falling Tree Radio. Texts will include Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Successes of the New Masters of Radio by Jessica Abel, as well as selected readings from Transom.org. The goal of the course is to help students listen to podcasts with a critical (and creative) ear and to find their own voice as audio storytellers in a tumultuous podcast industry.



Bianca Giaever is an Emmy award winning radio producer and filmmaker. Her work has appeared on This American Life, Radiolab, The Daily, and many other podcasts.