Things I Enjoyed

• I really enjoyed collecting all the interviews and actually speaking with each person. Everyone I interviewed was more than willing to share their thoughts and opinions with me and I appreciated hearing from everyone on the different topics.
• Before the creation of this project, I was completely unaware of the MIDI Composition class or the awesome student works that were created in there, this semester. Since the creation and development of my project, I have not only learned more about the course but also even incorporated the work of Mason Carlton and his funky catchy song “Kick It” into my show.
• Though it took lots of editing and listening and even more editing, I am very please with the finished product…I enjoyed working on the project under the guidance of my advisor, Professor Jim Groom and appreciated all of the helpful feedback he provided me with.

Things To Improve

• The sound quality of a few of Kristen’s parts was not very good. Though I tried to cut out the background noise and boost her audio, the problem still lies in the recording itself. I worked and worked to fix it but when I cut the background sound and boosted the best that I could, the recording had a strange echo like quality to it. It was so audible that it was distracting so I left the sound the way it was in the draft. If I could record her section again the exact same way as I did the first time I would but with a boosted microphone so that it would pick the sound up clearer than the recording that I used.
• I realize now that my project turned out to be more of an audio show and less of a podcast. My advisor pointed out to me that a podcast is considered a series of various audio works, while a show is more like what I created. Since this realization, I wish that I would have referred to it as an audio show from the beginning of the project as not to confuse my readers. On the other hand, I can always just go back into the older posts and change them so that they all say audio show.
• Though I did incorporate the MIDI Composition work of current student, Mason Carlton, I wish that I would have received feed back from all four of the students I contacted. I really was excited to incorporate my their work into my show but after only hearing back from Mason, I decided to make the best of what I was given. I contemplated adding a few more sections of Mason’s work into my show but ultimately decided against it. I want the show to focus on the topics primarily and chose to incorporate Mason’s work as embellishments to the beginning and ending of the show.

Now that you have seen the pros and cons, why not listen to the show? Please feel free to ask questions, make comments, and include any suggestions you may have.

College Life: Final Edition

ENJOY!

College Life

In relation to the topic of sexual identity, I decided to contact, Laura Burton and Kristen Lamb, officers in PRISM an on campus organization devoted to the representation and promotion of the rights of sexual minorities. Laura, the current historian, and Kristen, the current president, serve as members of leadership and guidance to PRIMS and its diverse UMW community members. PRISM does not have a set office on campus but does hold weekly meeting on Mondays at 9:00pm in the Red Room of the Woodard Campus Center, located in the same building as The Nest on the second floor directly above the Campus Mail Center. Though some students think that PRISM is exclusively only for those students who consider themselves to be a member of the LGBT community, both Laura and Kristen explained that though some members identify with the LGBT community, the organization, its meetings, and its programs are open to all UMW students and is not limited to only the LGBT community.

In preparation for the interview, I organized a series of about six questions to both Laura and Kristen regarding the topic of sexual identity. (The questions are the same from the interview with Gannon, and Ms. Franklin but were changed slightly to cover topics of sexual identity as opposed to religious, ethnic, or cultural identity.) I also informed both Laura and Kristen of the intent of the interview and what I would do with the information I collected from the interview. Lastly, I informed them that I would record our interview using Audacity and that I would edit the interview and post it on my website. I was sure to be clear with my intent and what I would do with the information they provided me. I encouraged both of them to visit my blog, here, and check in with what I present to make sure that it was legitimate, and also true to what they had shared with me. I informed them both that I would refer to them directly in the writing, production, and editions of my project and I was sure to inform them that if they were at any time uncomfortable with my representation of them online that we could work some other plan out so that I would be able to gain additional information about the topic without referring to them directly. Both Laura and Kristen, much like the other interviewees, were very comfortable with the outlined terms and expectations and agreed hole heartedly to all the terms that I outlined to them. Kristen mentioned before we began the interview that some subjects surrounding the LGBT community and its representation were a bit sensitive but she agreed to tell me if any of my questions were out of line or insensitive to the subject. After making sure that we all understood each other, neither Kristen nor Laura seemed to be concerned about me representing them online and actually seemed rather comfortable about me representing them each not only in a true fashion but also online. I am very grateful to both Kristen and Laura for spending time with and putting their trust in me to represent them and their cause.

Kristen’s Interview

I had originally contacted Kristen about interviewing her on the Thursday before our meeting but I actually conducted the interview the next week on Monday, April 8, 2013. Kristen was very effective in communicating back with me and I was able to conduct the interview without any complications. I was so pleased that Kristen was willing to participate in my project and I made sure to convey my appreciation at the begin and the end of the interview. She not only answered my questions directly but also was able to educate me on the topic. Though my list of questions was very small, Kristen made sure to convey not only her answers but also additional information regarding the subject so that I could better understand. She even offered other points of reference that tied into my set of questions.

Interview with Kristen

Laura’s Interview

Though I conducted Laura and Kristen’s interviews separately I thought it was important that I incorporate them both into the same post because they both spoke on PRISM and the LGBT community and how they related to the topic of sexual identity. I chose to interview two people for this specific topic because, I feel that with the current state of laws being made about issues surrounding the LGBT community and restrictions around marriage and other rights, that it was important that I heard from more than just one opinion regarding these issues and this topic. Both Laura and Kristen were very helpful to me in discussing sexual identity and were even kind enough to inform me on the specifics surrounding these topics. Much like Kristen’s interview, I had originally contacted Laura about interviewing her two weeks before our meeting but I actually conducted the interview on Wednesday, April 17, 2013. Laura was also very effective in communicating back with me and I was able to conduct the interview without any complications. I was so pleased that Laura was also willing to participate in my project and, likewise, I made sure to convey my appreciation at the begin and the end of the interview. She was so comfortable with me and I even noticed that her interview was, perhaps, the most casual. Laura was comfortable with our interview that she was able to answer the questions as well as prompt a few new ones with her contributions to the interview.

Interview with Laura

PRISM

PRISM stands for People for the Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minorities. The intent of the information presented in the meetings and on their blog is meant to be informative for the queer community on local, state, national, and worldwide scales. PRISM not only is devoted to spreading awareness to the UMW community but is also very active in acting on various issues surrounding the LGBT community. There are fun activities and academic style lectures, as well as other events that are planned for the students involved in the program and open to the campus. Though the organization is listed as a club, it is extremely accepting of all people and devoted to supporting everyone both in the organization and on campus, alike. PRISM hosts many other activities, programs, and events during the year, including The Day of Silence, a UMW tradition devoted to raising awareness for all those silently struggling with their sexual identity. Though I was not active in the group before the creation of this project, I have attended a few meetings and even partaken in several PRISM hosted events over the last few weeks and I can speak to the overwhelming sense of acceptance from this diverse group of intellectuals. I am also hoping to use this post to spread the word about PRISM and its programs. To learn more about PRISM and its programs, vist their website.

Things To Consider For Production:

Though the audio recording last time was a bit muffled, these last two interviews are very clear. I will try to enhance the sound quality of all of the recordings as I edit them and try to incorporate everything into the final project. I have included a non-edited version of the Laura’s interview and a semi-edited version of Kristen’s interview recording below. Once I have completed the edit of both of these interviews, I will incorporate parts of them in my final podcast.

In relation to the topic of ethnic and cultural identity, I decided to contact, Greta Franklin, the associate director of cultural diversity at The James Farmer Multicultural Center. Ms. Franklin, Dr. Sanford, Ms. Lema Polo, and Dr. Johnson provide cultural and ethnic leadership and guidance to The Multicultural Center and its diverse student and community members. The Multicultural Center is located on the end of the hall on the first floor of Lee Hall down from the Academic Services help window. Though many students think that The Multicultural Center is specifically only for those students who consider themselves to culturally or ethnically diverse, Ms. Franklin explained that though the majority the students who make use of The Multicultural Center and its services, the facility is open to all UMW students and is not limited to any one specific ethnicity or cultural group.

In preparation for the interview, I organized a series of about six questions to ask Ms. Franklin regarding my topic of Cultural identity. (The questions are the same from the interview with Gannon but were changed slightly to cover topics of cultural and ethnic identity as opposed to religious identity.) I also informed Ms. Franklin of the intent of the interview and what I would do with the information I collected from the interview. Lastly, I informed her that I would record our interview using Audacity and that I would edit the interview and post it on my website. I was sure to be clear with my intent and what I would do with the information she provided me. I encouraged her to visit my blog, here, and check in with what I present to make sure that it was legitimate, and also true to what she had shared with me. I informed her that I would refer to her directly in the writing, production, and editions of my project and I was sure to inform her that if she was not comfortable with me representing online that we could work some other plan out so that I would be able to gain additional information about the topic without referring to her directly. Ms. Franklin, much like Gannon, seemed very comfortable with the outlined terms and expectations and agreed hole heartedly to all the terms I outlined to her. She did not seem concerned about me representing her online and seemed rather nonchalant about me representing her not only in a true fashion but also online. I was very grateful to her for spending time with and putting her trust in me to represent her and her cause.

I had originally contacted Ms. Franklin about interviewing her on the Friday before our meeting but I actually conducted the interview the next week on Monday, April 8, 2013. Ms. Franklin was very effective in communicating back with me and I was able to conduct the interview without any complications. I was so pleased that Ms. Franklin was willing to participate in my project and I made sure to convey my appreciation at the begin and the end of the interview. She not only answered my questions directly but also added interesting facts about herself in relation to my topic. Though my list of about six questions was very small, Ms. Franklin made sure to convey not only her answers but also how they related to her life in specific instances. She even referred to a few different instances in her own life that tied into my set of questions. From the credentials modestly hung on the walls of her minimal yet  comfortable office, to the personal and descriptive answers she provided, it was easy to speak with Ms. Franklin not only as an academic but as a person giving guidance and advice to another. She takes her position seriously as a cultural and ethnic leader and is not only certified but also very easy to relate to. After the interview Ms. Franklin and I chatted a bit about my personal involvement in the The RISE Program. The RISE Program is one of many that is devoted to aiding cultural and ethnic awareness on campus. It is also devoted to helping new students become acquainted with campus life. The program pairs new students with current upperclassmen students and they serve as mentors during the duration of the year. There are fun activities and academic events that are planned for the students involved in the program and a big celebration at the end. Though this is only the first year of implementation of this program, it is widely successful and is planned to run again next year. The Multicultural Center hosts this and many other activities, programs, and events during the year, including The Multicultural Fair, a community favorite. I am a mentor to two lovely ladies through the RISE Program and have attended numerous events and programs conducted by The Multicultural Center. I am also hoping to use this post to spread the word about the center and its programs. To learn more about The Multicultural Center and its programs, vist their website.

Things To Consider For Production:

Thought I had last decided to use Garage Band to record and produce this project, I realized that using an entirely new program for such an important project may be a bit tedious. I decided to go back to my original choice to use Audacity. The audio recording last time was a bit muffled; however, this one is much clearer. I will try to enhance the sound quality more as I edit the recordings to incorporate them into the final project. I have included a non-edited version of the interview recording below. Once I have completed the edit of this specific interview, I will incorporate parts of it in my final podcast.

Interview with Ms Franklin

I was discouraged with the fact that none of my own personal music seemed to fit into my project the way I was hoping. I  decided to check out the works of the MIDI Composition class and was pleasantly surprised at some of the work that I found. I knew that all the works were student compostions and there was a sort of living correlation to their work and mine. I was pleased that the work connected to my theme of college life in the way that it did. I really enjoyed how these student works were made by current students. I also saw how each one spoke not only to the identity of the composer but also the identity of those who would be listeners. I listened to many many compositions and finally narrowed my focus to four works that I found to be the most interesting to me and possible most suitable for my subject matter. I selected works from Mason Carlton, Jake Olson, Mike Stange, and Michael Evart. Their selected works can be found below…

Mason Carlton – Kick It

Jake Olson – Woohoo

Mike Stange- White Shirt Red Curry

Michael Evart- Untitled (Live Project Draft 2)

In relation to the topic of religious identity, I decided to contact, Gannon Simms, one of the religious leaders of The Center on Mary Washington’s Fredericksburg Campus. Gannon and his wife, Carrie, provide religious leadership and guidance to the The Center and its members. The Center is located directly across the street from Ball Circle, the heart of campus. Though I had originally thought that The Center was a facility for those students who consider themselves to be Baptist Christians, Gannon explained that though the majority the students who attend The Center are Christian, the facility is open to all UMW students and is not limited to any one specific denomination.

In preparation for the interview, I organized a series of about six questions to ask Gannon regarding my topic of religious identity. I also informed Gannon of the intent of the interview and what I would do with the information I collected from the interview. Lastly, I informed him that I would record our interview using GarageBand and that I would edit the interview and post it on my website. I was sure to be clear with my intent and what I would do with the information he provided me. I encouraged him to visit my blog, here, and check in with what I present to make sure that it was legitimate, and also true to what he had shared with me. I informed him that I would refer to him directly in the writing, production, and editions of my project and I was sure to inform him that if he was not comfortable with me representing online that we could work some other plan out so that I would be able to gain additional information about the topic without referring to him directly. Gannon seemed very comfortable with the outlined terms and expectations and agreed hole heartedly to all the terms I outlined to him. He did not seem concerned about me representing him online and seemed to place a great deal of trust in me to represent him in a true fashion. I was very grateful to him for spending his with and putting his faith into me to represent him and his cause.

I had originally contacted Gannon about interviewing him on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Gannon was very effective in communicating back with me and I was able to conduct the actual interview shortly after confirming a date and time with him. I conducted the actual interview the follow day. I was so pleased that Gannon was willing to participate in my project and I made sure to convey my appreciation at the begin and the end of the interview. Though I had only asked him six questions, Gannon made sure that he understood my questions before answering. From the credentials artfully hung on the walls of neat homey office, to the thoughtful and perceptive answers he provided, it was easy to notice that Gannon is not only intelligent but also very well spoken and wise. He takes his position seriously as a religious leader and is not only certified but also very qualified. After the interview Gannon and I chatted a bit about The Center and the various programs that they have there. One of the programs that Gannon highlighted was a Tuesday night homemade dinner that is hosted every week. He said that various Churches from the surrounding area cook wonderful homemade meals and the best part about this program is that it is free and open to the members of the center and students on campus. There is a brief Bible study directly following the meal. I have attended the dinners and Bible studies for about a semester and am also hoping to use this post to spread the word about the center and its programs. Along with the dinners there are various other programs available. To learn more about The Center and its programs, vist their website.

Things To Consider For Production:

Thought the actual interview was conducted in the nice quiet space of the Simms’ office, The audio recording is a bit muffled. I will try to enhance the sound quality more as I edit the recordings to incorporate them into the final project. I have included a non-edited version of the interview recording below. Once I have completed the edit of this specific interview, I will incorporate parts of it in my final podcast.

Interview with Gannon (Unedited)

Since I listening to my very first episode of This American Life, several years ago, I have enjoyed how each episode is used to  present, explore, and produce a given topic. I decided that it would helpful to organize my show in a similar way. After listening to several episodes, I chose episode #226 Reruns as guide for the general framwork of how my show will be produced. I also enjoy, the sound quality of the show and contribute much of its success to not only, its interesting content but also to its high quality. As I reflected on its quality, I decided to change how I will produce my show. I had originally recorded Jessie’s story using a free program available online called Audacity. Though I am most confortable using audacity. I was not entirely pleased with the sound quality of my first recording. Rather than fixing the quality through the editing options available within the program platform, I decided to try using a new program completely. I am currently taking an video arts class in which I am working with producing sound tracks through the use of a standard Mac program called GarageBand. Though this program is only available exclusively for Mac users, its intuitive interface makes it easy to use and its general sound quality is much cleaner than what I was working with in Audacity.

Though I did not have much interaction with using GarageBand before the project, I think that it is pretty intuitive and that it should not be too difficult to figure out how to manipulate the program to my benefit. I also like that the program has a built in Podcast tool that allows the user to generate a new project and work in a file that will be made with the intent to be shared as a podcast. This single function will provide me a new set of highly specific tools to my specific project, where, with Audacity, I would have had to convert my file type to share it as a podcast. Though this is not an entirely tedious step. I like the idea of starting off with the file that I will need rather than converting to something that I can use.

Though I am most pleased with my decision to use GarageBand, I have come across a few problems while using it for this project specifically. First of all, when I record different tracks within different session of GarageBand and then import them into one new project, it is difficult to get the tracks to appear in the same timing as one another. The program uses a built in timing counter similar to a musician’s reliance on a metronome. Though the two different tracks were recorded using the same timing, they appear in the timer as two separate times, thus making one clip seem a bit faster or slower than the other. At first I tried adjusting the times within each recording but, much to my dismay, it did not really change anything. Though this may seem like a small issue, I do not want to get too far along in the project to fix any one little thing. I want the podcast to have the same easy listening qualities that This American Life has, and while I know it will not be quite as professional as the popular radio show, I would like to try to be as precise as possible.

The first suggestion was that I really take my time and look into the topic of identity that Jessie mentioned in her story and how it, not only, relates to her but also to other things larger than just this little interaction. Since her friend was questioning her sexuality, in this specific story, he prompted me to get in contact with the LGBT organization on campus and ask for a brief interview. I could use this interview as my chance to ask questions about topics such as the  difficulties of “coming out” to friends and family. Or even use it as chance to get more information about large issue topics, such as the state’s decision not to recognize gay/ lesbian marriages as legitimate. Either way I could use the notes collected during the interview to provide me with information that I could then use to add to my podcast while still sticking close to the topic at hand. Since speaking with my advisor, I have spoken with a few members of the LGBT organization and am in the process of setting up an appointment to speak with a few different members about sexual identity. As I reflected back on what my advisor had said to me, I began to think about the second suggestion he made to me.

The second suggestion that my advisor made to me was to take the role of an active listener and really ask Jessie to dig a bit further into some of the claims that she was making. For instance, Jessie mentions several interesting and intriguing points in her story and rather than ask her to delve further into her statements, I just glazed over them. Since this episode it shaping up to be about identity, I should really ask her to speak a bit more on those topics and really speak to what she things about them. For example, Jessie mentions that her friend was reluctant to tell her about her sexual identity because she knows that Jessie is a dedicated Christian. Jessie raises a point of identity as it applies to religion. Rather than letting this point be a segue into a new topic of identity, religion, I simply commented on the friends uncertainty to tell her the truth about her sexual identity. I really need to play a more active role as a host and ask Jessie to explain rather than simply commenting on what she has already said. I have made several other notes about how I can improve my skills as an active listener and ask my story tellers to clarify. I plan to use the notes that I have taken and apply them during my interview with the LGBT organization representatives.

The third and last suggestion that Professor Groom gave me was to listen to a few different radio show podcast and see how they organized and produced their show and then use those pointes to improve my own show. Though I listened to several different radio podcast including RadioLab and one of my favorite radio dance music podcasts Radio538: Dance Department, I would have to say that the one that I found to be the most helpful in the completion and productions of my specific project was This American Life with Ira Glass. Out of the several episodes of This American Life that I listened to and took notes on, the episode that I found to be most helpful was episode #226 Reruns. In this episode the host, Ira Glass, sets up the topic of show re-runs and then proceeds to introduce the main story teller, Starlee Kine, a fellow radio show worker, to come on and talk about her connection to the topic. I, not only, found this to be an interesting way to frame the story teller and their respective story but also enjoyed how Ira connected her story to three other stories through the topic, after Starlee’s brief story. I like how this helped to introduce a new set of story tellers. Though the episode was about and hour long, I really appreciated the conversationality of the episode and found it easy to listen and stay interested in it for that length of time. I was also able to learn a bit about transitions and background sound effects to add to the overall production of the episodes. I will use all my notes to reproduce the first episode with Jessie’s story. I hope to incorporate the notes that I take from my interview and a few of the production and conversation techniques that I learned in my next production.

Stay tuned for my information about my reproduction of episode one!

College Life I