- Playing
- MetroNaps
- From
- Chelsea Merz
For nearly ten years, Matthew has been living on the streets of Boston. Matthew spends many nights in 24 hour spaces, such as a Kinko's copy shop or a Dunkin' Donuts. Matthew, who regards sleep as a true luxury item, traveled to New York City, with producer Chelsea Merz, to test the latest napping innovation: the "Metropod." The company MetroNaps developed the sound-proof sleeping pod with business executives, lawyers and medical residents in mind. Located on the 25th floor of the Chrysler Building, the sleep deprived pay $20.00 for a fifteen-minute nap, "guaranteed to maximize the rejuvenating effects of a brief rest."
Related Pieces
Piece Description
For nearly ten years, Matthew has been living on the streets of Boston. Matthew spends many nights in 24 hour spaces, such as a Kinko's copy shop or a Dunkin' Donuts. Matthew, who regards sleep as a true luxury item, traveled to New York City, with producer Chelsea Merz, to test the latest napping innovation: the "Metropod." The company MetroNaps developed the sound-proof sleeping pod with business executives, lawyers and medical residents in mind. Located on the 25th floor of the Chrysler Building, the sleep deprived pay $20.00 for a fifteen-minute nap, "guaranteed to maximize the rejuvenating effects of a brief rest."
Timing and Cues
The piece begins at Port authority, where Matthew has just arrived after a five hour bus ride from Boston. The host intro can be something simple, e,g How much sleep is enough? According to the National Sleep Foundation, most people need seven to nine hours a night. Sleep helps keep memory and attention in top form, and it might help regulate body weight. Studies suggest that sleep deprivation is linked to obesity. While it's not easy for anyone to catch his or her requisite Z's, a good night's sleep is particularly rare for the homeless who often sleep in public places such as bus depots or park benches. Matthew works has been homeless fro nearly 10 years and his sleep deficit is enormous. As a man who considers sleep a luxury item he thought he'd be the perfect candidate to test the latest in sleep technology--the Metropod.
Musical Works
The only song in this piece is Santo and Johnny's tune "Sleepwalk."
LP: Canadian American Story, Caprice International, 1999.
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Phil Corriveau
Posted on February 06, 2006 at 02:30 PM | Permalink
Review of MetroNaps
This piece makes great use of narration, music, ambience and sound to transport the listener, along with a homeless person from Boston, to an executive sleeping pod in New York City. I thought the feature was engaging and humorous in a lightly satirical way. The writing is tight, the actualities are captivating, and the mix is superb. Producer Chelsea Merz makes great use of sound and the piece is extremely well produced. I listened to it several times and enjoyed it more each time. Sleep apnea is a big topic these days, and National Sleep Awareness Week is March 27th. This feature would fit well into any magazine program or documentary on the subject, and I highly recommend it.