.. that was about the best radio show I've ever heard.

This piece is the personal, riveting reflection of a seventeen year old mother of two who has been incarcerated. While the story is about a teen mother, it defies all stereotypes and judgments; the narrator’s voice and delivery strips the piece down to its element; a journey of emotions, from joy, regret, pain, love and longing.
Hearing the innocent voices of the narrator’s children immediately pulls the listener into the story. The snippet from the children’s father is touching, and provides a more complete picture of the yearning created by a distance between parents and their children.
The music is pleasant and suits the mood of the piece, though the repetition of the same few chords becomes a little old. The organization of the piece is a little fragmented, with some word endings dropped and some early cutaways.
However, this piece certainly deserves to be broadcast and heard; whether you are a mother, a father, a son or daughter, the narrator’s honesty is fresh and most certainly speaks to the heart.

Multiple listenings have not diminished this production's brilliance or hilarity. I am not generally a fan of Mr. Coward, but I will recommend the LATW production to any and all, without reservation.

I was impressed by the audio demostration of Mr.Hastings and him explaining about a lost art!

“Uncharted Waters” is a compilation of the stories of five individuals and how they’ve dealt with the unknowns – or uncharted waters – of their lives. With poignant insights, this piece shines light on how the unknowns of our lives are not separate from what we do know. While I was inspired by the reflections in the piece, I also found myself wanting more details about the stories that lead to these honest insights. The lyrical style of this piece mirrors the thoughtfulness of what is being said, however simpler language would have allowed for less ambiguity and more detail in some places.
This said, the weaving of the piece complements its content very well. The first few seconds of water lapping against a shore creates a scene and sets up a fluid, contemplative mood. The music used throughout the piece helps in guiding the listener by keeping the mood steady and then rising to a sort of uplifting climax toward the end. The creative narrative about a sailor sailing through uncharted waters acts as a glue that brings the 5 stories in this piece together.
This piece would be appropriate for any show looking for a creative piece, or any show covering the unknowns of our lives, or just looking for something inspirational.
Towards the end of ‘Uncharted Waters’ one speaker says that we are not alone in our struggle. The multiplicity of voices and stories in this piece most certainly send a reassuring message, that we most certainly aren't alone on our journey across the unknown.

Lovely piece, Maeve, heartfelt but not maudlin. Thanks, Charles McGuigan

Woven with music and language, ‘Words’ is both a collection of poetry and a poem in and of itself. Ari Rappaport’s voice is crisp and clear from start to finish. In his intro, he speaks directly to the listener. While sentences are a bit long to follow at first (sometimes I got hung up on the words rather than their meanings) the message of questioning our perceptions still comes through.
The three poems that follow are breathtaking. They inspire the listener’s imagination and ask questions without directly posing any. In between the poems are short interludes where we hear what others have to say about poetry. Reaching out to others for this piece adds a variety of voice and color. But it is undoubtedly Ari’s poems- and his deliberate and thoughtful delivery – that are the heart of this piece.
The music that underlies the piece is occasionally distracting. Yet the texture it adds gives the piece richness and sometimes mimics features of the poem. For example, during the first poem, the fast movement of the sitar almost mimics the buzzing of the flies.
This is a piece well suited for a poetry month feature, an alternative show, or any show themed on poetry, philosophy and maybe even perception. It would do well to jerk listeners out of the drone of daily news stories.
‘Words’ is a treat for the senses, and for the philosopher in us all. It invites us to listen again and again, each time uncovering a new element, a new feeling, and a new realization.

I really like the piece, Andrew - I liked the mix of interview and outdoor style. And I'm really envious that you could get this good radio into 3 mins. For me, though, the music sucked.

A beautiful collection of stories that are short and simple, beautifully written, and accompanied by expertly curated music to match each story's tone. I can picture each of these in my mind perfectly -- the kind face of a grandmother, the Canadian coastline, the little girls flitting about in their tutus, and a lone picture on a wall. The descriptions are not too lengthy, the stories are not too earnest, and the narration (though the fuzziness of the recording is a distraction) holds my attention and pauses at the right moments. The answer -- yes, we've all been waiting for something -- but maybe not for moments as profound as these.

Other producers can learn from many of the timing decisions made in this story. Each of the four segments last just around a minute, the pauses between them aren't distractingly long, and the music fades are artful. It's also important to note that when pieces like these rely almost entirely on the narration, it's key that the recording of the narration is the best it can be, so the listener can focus on the words, not the audio quality. It may be difficult to fit this piece in anywhere but arts and culture or poetry programming, but it stands very well on it's own.

This is so timely and uplifting. Thanks to all involved.