I was glad to find out that this week was audio storytelling.  I was a little worried before hand because, lucky me, a pimple broke out on my face and I was not looking forward to any visual recordings.  Anyway…

While listening to descriptions of audio storytelling by Ira Glass and Jad Abumrad I came up with a few key points (for further detail check out my nuggets post):

1) Audio Storytelling has less structure and focus than the storytelling we learn about in school. School is more of a thesis statement that we then follow and make sure we stay on track with.  Audio Storytelling has more creativity and “go with the flow”.  One point will lead to another and to another.  Both kind of stories have to grab the audience and reflect somehow.

2) BE YOURSELF.  There is enough acting on tv and even in real life.  On the radio you just need to be you.  No one is watching you so be as weird and silly as you want.  Make it your own.

3) Audio Storytelling is a 2-way street with the person talking/creating and the listener.  Different techniques and styles are used by the broadcaster, but it takes the listener to actually “pain the picture”.

While listening to Words – RadioLab, I picked out a variety of audio techniques used to convey the story.  Within this show there was talk of a 27 year old with no idea sound was a thing or that everything has a word to define it, rats and humans being able to know things based on other parts of the environment (like a blue wall), sign language, and so much more.  Throughout the broadcast music was used to effect emotion, layering was used to move the story along, sound effects were used to help with better understanding, and I was even able to pick out a bumper!  It was hard to explain the amazing use of audio, but I think after reading my thoughts <– (check it out I linked you right to them) and listening to the show you can get a better understanding.

The DS106 Radio was not what I was expecting.  I went on a couple times in order to make up my full hour of listening, because life is hectic right now.  There is both music and storytelling on the station.  Here are Owl my Thoughts on the DS106 Radio.  I preferred the stories to the music.  I was not able to catch a live show, but I was able to catch one featuring my professor and even one where my classmate was on:

So I was able to learn what a bumper was, identify a bumper in RadioLab, and then make one!  I followed the steps layed out for how to create a bumper in the handy dandy how to video provided to us.  After downloading Audacity  I started looking for sound clips.  I quickly decided to use a song instead, so who better than Luke Bryan.  It took me some time figuring out how I could get my voice loud enough over the music to hear, but with some time and effects I was able to figure it out.  I was able to come up with a pretty good bumper:

Also using Audacity I created an audio story.  This assignment took a little bit longer to do because of all the sound searching and down loading.  I wanted to make sure the sounds flowed together nicely and weren’t too choppy.  I knew I wanted to include foot steps of some kind because I think it is a neat sound and can be taken in many different directions.  After finding my sounds and putting them together I was about to edit them and even layer them a little.  It was hard figuring out just where to layer them, but doing so allowed for continuity.  I added more because I did not think it was long enough at first.  My story is about a person coming to their surprise party, but being so surprised that they pass out and have to go to the hospital.

I cannot wait to learn more about audio and audacity so I can use it more effectively.

My favorite part of this week continues to be the Daily Creates.  My first was an acrostic poem about the watch I was wearing.

Watch

With you no longer 
Around 
To laugh and 
Cry with I am left to 
Having you with me in time.

This watch belonged to my Granddad who very recently died.  I miss him very much.  Looking at the watch remind me of him and all the times we laughed and cried together.  Time reminds me, things will get easier with Time, and in Time we will be together again.

Next I hummed the theme song to a very old show call Reading Rainbow.  When I came home from the hospital this song was playing in the background.

Finally I created a pattern on my desk.  Shockingly it goes with my blog theme.  I put the tags in on flikr, but it is yet to show up on the Daily Create page…

I was not able to comment and interact with my group members as much this week.  I let them know I would though:

@dylangott1 @ampersanddragon @l_hampson23 @fairuzmaggio Working on #ds106 and will be commenting soon.It’s been a long week…

— Casey (@caseyragg) February 10, 2013

I received two comments on my blog this week.  One was a technical error that I fixed:  and the other was praise and a question:   I also made a few comments on Amateur Hour, Save the Pandas, and Watkins.  I want to get better at this because I think peer feedback and interaction is very important to success in classes and life in general.  I have learned from my group mates and hopefully they are learning from me too.  When I wasn’t sure what the audio storytelling assignment wanted I was able to go to my group members blogs and see what they did.  This helped me understand and expand for mine.

This week was a lot of work.  (I almost miss boot camp when we just had to set things up not actually do/use things).  I know more about audio than I ever thought I would and I can even create my own.  I didn’t know the parts of the radio that tell you what station you are listening to are called bumpers and now I do.  I love singing along with the B101.5 bumper when it comes on in the car.  I am learning how to use Audacity, but I wish there was a little bit more in the how to about using it because it looks like there is so much to create and manipulate that I am yet to even scratch the surface.  Outside the actual audio of this week, I am learning about my group members based on what they are creating.  Our personalities are starting to shine through in both our assignments, writing, and daily creates.