Inciting Fire

Fire, with its power to rouse and inspire, aptly speaks to the theme of this month's issue. In the AIRmuse, listen as producers from AIR's Sounds Elemental Intensive literally play with fire. Their unconventional experiments in assembling sound and telling story may even fan your own flame. The Spotlight features one of MQ2's bright sparks, producer Kara Oehler. Her experience working at the intersection of traditional broadcasting and digital media illuminates real applications of new digital tools. As the Maker's Quest project burns bright, and AIR blazes on, I encourage you to think on the energy, thrill, specter, and even the risk that come with inciting change.
— Sam Schongalla,
AIRblast publication manager

Issue Archives

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May 8 – Capitolbeat's Statehouse Reporting Contests

May 15, June 15 – Prix Italia

June 5 – Capitolbeat's College Reporting Contest

June 9 – Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism

June 11 – Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth

June 11 – Lindbergh Foundation Grants

June 30 – Online Journalism Awards

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AIRmuse

"Fire in Winter; It's Spring": A production from the Sounds Elemental Intensive: Fire (46:43)

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Audio Archives

Spotlight

Doing it yourself (and with others)
MQ2, New Media, and the Joys of Collaboration

By Kara Oehler

Kara Oehler is an independent producer based in Boston, Massachusetts. She and her longtime collaborator, Ann Heppermann, produce radio stories and sound installations (http://www.annkara.org). Kara is one of AIR's MQ2 producer-grantees, working at new ways to marry traditional broadcast and digital media — helping lead the public radio industry in the transition from public radio to public media. We invited her to give us insight into the influences she brings to "Main Street," her MQ2 project that launched in April with Ann Heppermann.

Read more

Next in the Spotlight: Hammad Ahmed reports on his Live-Interactive residency.

Calendar

Radio Without Boundaries
May 28–30, 2009
Toronto, ON, Canada
** AIR stipends are all taken **

Travel stipends were provided to five AIRsters venturing to this annual festival, presented by New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA). Topics, presentations, and performances are relevant to both sound artists and radio producers. Presenters include AIR ED Sue Schardt, CBC's Neil Sandell, Victoria Fenner, Paul Ingles, Gregory Whitehead, Chris Brookes, and more. Go here to register for the conference.

AIR's Annual Membership Meeting
Thursday, June 4, 2009 via telephone interconnect
8:00 - 9:30pm ET

Save the date! The Board of Directors and Executive Director will update you on what's happening behind the scenes at AIR, fill you in on the upcoming board elections, and take your questions. An agenda and other details will soon be made available via email to members and posted to the AIRdaily. Keep an eye out.

Public Radio News Directors, Inc., 2009 Conference
June 11–13, 2009
Portland, OR

News directors and reporters converge on the Pacific Northwest this summer. You'll get insight into trends shaping NPR and BBC news coverage, and sessions on what's new in field recording gear, writing for radio, and small opportunities for one on one critiques with seasoned radio journalists. Mike Marcotte and Tanya Ott are two AIRsters who will be presenting. Find out more here.

The Center for Documentary Studies,
Duke University
Audio Documentary Summer Institute
July 19–25
Making It Sing
August 10–15
Durham, NC
** Financial support available **

AIR partners once again with our friends at the Center for Documentary Studies to offer five scholarships for each of their outstanding summer intensives, which have proven vital to many AIR members. These five-day immersions are aimed at emerging producers and provide A to Z on digital audio mixing, field recording, the ethics of documentary work, plus. Venerable AIRster John Biewen leads a team of cream-of-the crop instructors. To register and to find out about applying for a scholarship, contact CDS's dionne.greenlee@duke.edu. Or visit their Web site.

Cool Tool: Wagwire

This edition's cool tool comes to us from AIR Live-Interactive Resident Hammad Ahmed. Along with AIR member Emily Eagle, Hammad developed his project, RadioLingual, at Jack Straw Productions as one part of his 10-week AIR residency in Seattle this spring. He wanted visitors to the project blog to be able to leave audio comments, and he found what he was looking for in Wagwire. Simple interface and ideal for any audiophile. Give their 15-day trial period a whirl, and be sure to check out Hammad's project. Leave him an audio message while you're at it.
— Erin Mishkin

Interested in AIRblast sponsorship? Contact our Publications Evangelist, Charles Lane, at clane@2ndwindow.org

Funding for AIR comes from our members and the generous support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

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P.O. Box 220400
Boston, MA 02122
Phone: 617-825-4400
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