Edwin Ramirez is the host of When Gym Rats Talk! It is a podcast dedicated to everyone and anyone considering whose life is appointed to the gym. Every episode will take place at the gym and during gym hours where any listener will get a full sense as to how a “gym-rat” thinks and feels! This is When Gym Rats Talk!

2 Baddies On The Mic sheds light on some of South Korea’s k-bands within the South Korean music industry.

I talk with my best friend Emerson about their views on the k-bands and how they play into South Korea’s music industry.

If you wan to choose QC POD as the series your podcast belongs to, you can find what you need here.

• The scripts for the intros and outros
• Theme music, recorded intro, etc are here.

As you read your group members’ posts and listen to their episodes, make notes about the following:

• Are all the elements from the Interview Episode Checklist there? Do any still need to be created or included?
• Does the intro get you interested in the topic? Does it make you want to keep listening?
• What story unfolds through the interview? Are there any sections that detract from the story or feel extraneous?
• What are your favorite elements or moments?
• How is the sound quality?  Do any elements of sound distract you from the story? Do any elements of sound design really work to keep you engaged? Do you have any suggestions for the sound design or for improving sound quality?
• Does the length feel right? Is it too long? Too short?

Listen to the assigned episodes of Kai Wright’s Notes on America and Krista Tippett’s On Being. Pay attention to the following and take notes with time stamps:

What editing techniques do you notice now that you have a little experience with editing?

How do the interview techniques mesh with the editing–and vice versa?

How do these editing techniques contribute to the tone of the show–and to your experience?

How would you describe the tone of the show / episode?

Who is the audience for the episode?

What are the episode’s motives?

How are audience and motive reflected in one-liners and episode descriptions?

Note: These are elements you’ll want to think about as you develop your first episode.

• What are some of the motives for your episode? Discuss these with the group.

• Using the template on pp. 35-36 of The NPR Startup Guide, write a draft of a “blueprint” for your episode (or series). Then sketch out an idea (or two) for a logo. After that, draft a one-liner to describe your episode. Share these with your group and discuss.

• Based on the templates on p. 105, make a list of sounds you hope to include and make notes about your interviewee / guest

• Based on the discussion on pp. 160-161, write up a quick draft of some interview questions. Share and discuss these with the group.

You’ll do a group activity and presentation in class on Tuesday. See groups on the calendar.

Before Class

As a group, choose an episode of The Turnaround that we haven’t listened to together. See email addresses below to get in contact. Listen to the episode and take careful notes with time stamps.

• Compare notes and prepare a presentation on what we might all learn from the interview.
• Ask yourselves the following questions:
  • What new ideas does your chosen interviewer bring to the discussion?
  • What ideas resonate with other interviews we’ve listened to?
  • What does the guest have to say about preparation, research, writing questions, their aims, rapport with guests, storytelling, and audiences?
• For your presentation, Introduce the episode and guest–and explain why you chose it
• Choose a moment from the episode you want the rest of us to listen to.
• Tell us why you chose that moment. What can we learn from it?
• Talk about interview techniques you want to try with your own episodes.

Kate Chen <katechen47850@gmail.com>,
Angelina D’Orta <ANGELINA.DORTA91@qmail.cuny.edu>,
Kristina Dawoud <kristina.dawoud98@qmail.cuny.edu>,
Shmyah Hoppie <shmyahhoppie423@gmail.com>,
Eduardo Ibanez <eduardo.ibanez04@qmail.cuny.edu>,
Grazelle Juanillio <grazelle.juanillo95@qmail.cuny.edu>,
Torri Little <tslittlegs@hotmail.com>,
“Carlos Montoya, Jr.” <klosemontoya@gmail.com>,
Alessia Pisicchio <apisicchio@queensmetro.com>,
Edwin Ramirez <edwin.ramirez65@qmail.cuny.edu>,
Tatjana Razai <tatjana.razai49@qmail.cuny.edu>,
Loida Rivera <loidarivera97@gmail.com>,
Monica Sarduy <monicasarduy417@gmail.com>,
Holden Velasco <holdenvelasco@gmail.com>,
Arianna Arce <arianna.arce71@qmail.cuny.edu>

You’ve now listened to six really different interviewers talk about their approaches: Jesse Thorn, Audie Cornish, Larry King, Reggie Ossé, Terry Gross, and Ira Glass. Some common questions come up:

What kinds of research do they do?

How scripted are their interviews?

How do they make interviewees comfortable?

What excites them?

What’s unique about their approaches?

With these questions in mind, prepare two things for class:

1. Compare three interviewers in relation to one of the questions above.

2. Think about what techniques described by  any of the interviewers you might emulate?

Hint: You’ll be conducting mock interviews in class.