Why Two Narrators When One Will Suffice?

Why Two Narrators When One Will Suffice?

Author: Rob Rosenthal/PRX/Transom.org December 20, 2022 Duration: 20:20
The vast majority of stories are told by one narrator. But not at NPR's Planet Money. They regularly have co-narrators. Why? Why have two narrators when one will suffice? Reporters Erika Beras and Sarah Gonzalez have the answer.

Ever wonder how your favorite audio stories are actually put together? Sound School Podcast pulls back the curtain, offering a rare and detailed look at the craft behind compelling narrative audio. Host Rob Rosenthal, drawing from his work with Transom and PRX, doesn’t just play finished pieces; he breaks them down with the producers and editors who made them. You’ll hear the early drafts, the interview clips that didn’t make the cut, and the pivotal editorial choices that shaped the final story. Each episode feels like a candid workshop, dissecting the techniques of pacing, scoring, and interviewing that transform raw tape into emotional journeys. This isn't about abstract theory-it's a practical, behind-the-scenes examination for anyone curious about the how and why of audio production. Whether you're an aspiring creator or simply a dedicated fan of the medium, this podcast provides an invaluable education in the meticulous, often unseen, work that goes into great storytelling. Tune in for honest conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and why the process itself is as fascinating as the finished product.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Sound School Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Pleasing to the Ear [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:28
Rob acts as a story DJ on this episode, featuring excerpts from stories he’s recently found pleasing to the ear. His "playlist" includes work from "More Perfect," the BBC Radio 4 podcast "Seriously," "The Shortwave Radio…
Salt at 50! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:53
What do radio producers Phoebe Judge (Criminal), Zoe Chase (This American Life), Greg Warner (Rough Translation), Matt Kielty (Radiolab), Emily Kwong (NPR) and dozens if not hundreds of others you've heard on your favori…
Revisiting: Dead Mom Talking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:34
This year's Third Coast Festival winners and finalists produced incredible work. It got us thinking about winners from previous years. So, we dug up this fantastic interview with Rachel Matlow who won a "Best New Produce…
So You STILL Want to Start a Podcast, Eh? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:15
It's unusual for a producer to share a work in progress. It's rarer still to do it twice. Nina Porzucki updates Rob on the progress of Bird Talk, her comedy podcast in-the-making and the steps it took to make her second…
Going Behind the Mic On Climate Change Reporting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:08
Rebecca Hersher, a climate science reporter at NPR, offers excellent tips on reporting on climate change. But, at the heart of Rob's interview with her is something more philosophical: the role of hope in climate change…
Revisiting: Sound Art Meets Poetry Meets Cicadas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:13
Summer means cicadas. Those crackly, buzzy bugs that drone and drone in the heat like a live electrical wire spewing sparks. Mair Bosworth and Fiona Benson took that sound and crafted "Magicicada," a stunning "sound poem…
Next-level Scoring [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:41
Get your headphones on for this episode! Rob dives into three remarkable examples of scoring. He features examples from the Serial/NYT series "The Retrievals," scored by Phoebe Wang, "My Mother Made Me" from PRX's Radiot…
Lean In and Listen Like It’s Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:45
Rob's a fan of the "radio art" style of audio storytelling from Europe but often, after listening, he finds himself scratching his head. "What was that about?!" He wonders if the problem isn't the storytelling but his Am…
Revisiting: Avoiding Pesky Sound Problems [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:04
No matter how good you are recording in the field, you're going to encounter challenges. Rob Byers does an incredible job explaining how to avoid and fix those problems on this archive episode of Sound School from 2017.…
The Best Audio Storytelling According to Pushkin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:20
Pushkin Industries released a "Best Of Audio Storytelling: 2022" but instead of putting it out as a podcast series, it's an audiobook. Does it matter? Julia Barton at Pushkin says no. On the latest Sound School, Julia ta…