This is a compelling story about the Native American people of Cape Cod?the Mashpee Wamponoag. In a relatively short time, reporter Sean Corcoran sums up the history of these people, explains the reasons for their present-day plight, and offers up reasons for optimism for their future. The strong narrative arc is held together by clear and succinct writing, well-chosen actualities, and scenes which add texture and give a sense of place. The history of the Mashpee Wamponoag is impressive. They?ve been on Cape Cod for 12,000 years & taught the Pilgrims to farm, but were eventually removed from their land. Some managed to stay, but the present-day pressures of real estate development and tourism have made Cape Cod unaffordable, forcing many of these Indians to live in the woods. This piece exposes a powerful drama which will play out over the next decades and which hopefully will receive more attention.

This interview focuses on a subset of the global warming issue which was unfamiliar to me: the warming of the oceans. And it?s not just temperatures that are affected by the waters? absorption of enormous amounts of carbon dioxide; the ocean chemistry is changing, and organisms at the bottom of the food chain are disappearing. While the topic makes me stop and listen, this piece does not always hold my attention as a piece of radio. The interviewee is a scientist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and while he's very knowledgeable about the topic, he does not have an engaging manner of speaking. The interviewer Christopher Lyden tries to infuse energy into the conversation, but with only partial success. Some questions work while others are not as focused and succinct as they could have been. I appreciate that this piece brings an important topic to my attention, and hope it?s explored further through sound-rich feature stories as well as through interviews.

This feature is an exploration of the influence of Christian faith on the life and music of Johnny Cash. The story is told chronologically, beginning with his mother?s love of gospel music, and how faith helped Cash heal after the loss of his older brother, then how religion saved Cash from the demons of drug abuse. Friends, fellow musicians, and even Cash?s son John Carter Cash give first-hand accounts from the country legend?s life. Reporter Rodney Crowell has a nice delivery and builds a nice overall narrative, although there are spots in the piece that lose momentum. It?s refreshing to hear songs in their entirety instead of in 30-second fade-ups, but there are a few songs in the middle of the piece that are similar to each other. While Cash?s repertoire of gospel songs might not be what he?s best known for, this piece helps me understand what made him tick, as a musician and as a human being.

This is a heartwarming story about a middle-aged man with Down Syndrome, his 94-year old mother, and their abiding love for each other. Doris Joyce?s love for her son gave him the confidence and skills to build a career as an artist and contribute to the family, while John?s love for his mother is helping her meet the challenges of failing health. The piece is finely crafted by reporter Colleen Iudice who weaves powerful actualities with understated writing. There are a few bumps in the narration, and the sound mix could have been a bit smoother, but this a powerful story with a lesson for all of us.

I was initially doubtful that a speech about global warming would make for good radio, but I was pleasantly surprised. Governor Schwarzenegger did everything a good radio producer should do. He was informative yet entertaining; his story had a strong narrative, and his delivery was relaxed. He began by drawing parallels between body building and the environmental movement, then explained his view that America has reached the ?tipping point? regarding the environment. He sprinkled the speech with examples of effective environmental policy, as well as personal anecdotes about why this has become such a big priority for him. Schwarzenegger spoke for about 20 minutes, then took questions for another 20. His speech was preceded by several minutes of introductions and ?thank you?s? which didn?t really work on radio. But his speech, or excerpts from it, are worth considering for broadcast.

Delightful. That?s the first word that comes to mind after hearing this installment of a BBC series about adolescence. Initially I was doubtful that a 20-minute radio story would be able to bring focus to such a broad topic, but I was pleasantly surprised throughout this piece. It unfolds in a very logical manner, beginning with an engaging introduction, then a series of topics illuminated by the personal experiences of teens (as well as of the reporter, now an adult) plus a sprinkling of experts. The narration is cleverly written and delivered with sparkle and humor. He relates very well to the young people he interviews, and in the course of the story takes us all over the world?from the UK, to Zambia, to America, to India & Bangladesh. Music and sound are used effectively to create a sense of place and pacing. This piece prompts me to ask questions of myself, and to appreciate how much Westerners could learn from other cultures, particularly traditional cultures, who seem to do a better job of preparing their children for adulthood. I could go on, but best to listen for yourself.

Listening to this piece is a pleasant way to spend an hour. It features pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet performing selections by composers Robert Schumann and Maurice Ravel from Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The live recording has that ?take you there? quality although I could strangle the man in the audience with the cough. The performances are broken up with commentary by Renee Montagne and actualities of Thibaudet explaining his interpretations. It?s just enough information to give those who know little about classical music (like me) an appreciation of what the composer and performer are trying to achieve with their music.

This is an appreciation of Jane Austin?s novel ?Pride and Prejudice? and the reasons this romantic comedy remains popular nearly 200 years after it was written. With help from three Austin experts, the host explores the economics of 19th century marriage, the various modern adaptations of Austin?s story, and what the novel reveals about the status of women in Regency England. Although much of the information conveyed in the piece is interesting, a less formal approach would have made for more engaging radio. The host?s narration is quite formal as are the comments by the experts, all of whom are professors; at times it feels as if I'm attending a lecture. One of the most effective elements is the generous use of period music which does succeed in transporting me back in time and conjuring images of aristocrats exchanging glances and banter, as they waltz to a string quartet.

This piece plots the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on the world atlas of the music biz. It begins with a brief history of the ascendancy of Austin Texas as a music hub, and the genesis of this festival as an enticement for the bi-coastal music industry to take notice of the unique sounds of Austin. It then muses about how the festival has been changed by its own success, and its struggle to find balance between big-name performers and up-and-coming acts. Though there?s quite a bit of music and actuality, this is more of a business piece. The music is used to dress up the story, but doesn?t propel the narrative as it might have. Some of the actualities have that ?take me behind the scenes? quality while others lack that immediacy. The tempo of the piece starts off quick and is quite textured with songs and actualities, but it loses momentum about halfway through. Two songs are played in their entirety, and the piece ends with a rather long interview. What I like the most about this piece is that it does pull back the curtain on the music industry?explaining the importance of creating a buzz, showing the exhilaration of discovering a hot new performer, and conveying the frustrations of musicians who despite their best efforts never catch the ear of the career-makers. Individual passages of this feature are quite strong, yet as a whole it doesn?t quite sing.

Edge of the Rez examines the border towns where Native American culture intersects with white culture. The show is a collection of several features that address issues such as discrimination, the role of family, the effects of relocation, alcohol abuse, and the importance of traditional culture in overcoming these and other problems. Each story is well done, and a couple are exceptional. Music is used effectively both to transition between pieces, and to further the narrative within individual stories. The hour-long show works as a whole, but several segments could stand on their own or work as a series. This is an important and poignant body of work because it points out both the harsh reality as well as the beauty that can be found on the edge of the rez.

This is a sobering antidote to the saccharine sentiments and plump roses that bloom on greeting cards around Valentine?s Day. The piece is set at the piano of Gary Goldschneider where he?s interviewed by reporter Dheera Sujan about the influence of love and passion on classical music. Though the piece gets off to a slow start (it takes more than 3 minutes before we hear music) it succeeds in drawing connections between some of the most romantic music ever written, and the love lives of Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Beethoven, Schumann and other great composers. Goldschneider has an intimate understanding of the tormented personal lives of these people, and points out passages in their music where their suffering finds expression. Unrequited love, homosexuality, love triangles?it?s all there. The production is straight forward (interview mixed with music), and the audio recording of the piano could have been richer. Yet after a few minutes I found myself immersed in melody and story, soaking in the emotions that flow through this music.

This story competently encapsulates the sad history of this remote corner of the United States, where native peoples were exploited by Russian fur traders for hundreds of years, and displaced in the last century by the US government. The piece then profiles a pioneering radio station, and its efforts to rebuild this community of Aleut people now spread out over a wide geographic area. Through music and storytelling, the piece conveys the flavor of native culture in addition to touching on the harsh realities of life for these people. The production is solid, though the narration is bit stiff and at times difficult to follow. Despite these shortcomings, this piece is a worthy reminder of the power of radio to serve rural communities.

From the first note of music, to the haunting quote at the end, ?Dear Skinwalker? is a magnificent piece of radio. This story is so different, that it?s difficult to describe. As the summary states, it?s a letter from a young Native American woman locked up in a detention center written to a spirit creature called Skinwalker. She talks about her troubles, fantasizes about the future, regrets her past, and muses on the wisdom a long-dead Indian chief. The writing is superb, at moments real and gritty, at others surreal and impressionistic. The story flows like a stream of consciousness--a collage of thoughts, sounds, and music that takes unforeseen turns, yet holds together for the most part; only once during a digression about a high school debate club did I feel lost. To experience this piece is to feel like you?ve penetrated the subconscious of this young woman, seen her dreams, and felt her anguish. Congratulations to KRCB and Voice of Youth.

This documentary succeeds in transporting me to the other side of the world, and into the vast forests of Russia where ancient pagan rites are being performed for the first time in centuries. The reporter builds scenes with sound, music, and actualities spoken in unfamiliar and exotic languages. The rituals are examined from within?with voices of participants and religious leaders, and from the outside?by folklorists and historians. The reporter?s narration is straightforward and informational, and it does get overly ?ethnographic? at times. He attends three different rites, and sets each of them up in a similar fashion; for variety it would have been nice to try a different approach with each example. The return of these pagan rites is controversial, and the reporter handles the controversy well?although fairly late in the piece. Despite this, and the occasional uninspired voice-over translation, this piece is an enjoyable and worthwhile journey.

This interview between reporter Tanya Ott and poet & actress Laura Secord (from The Vagina Monologues) tells the story of a Comanche medicine woman whose life was the inspiration for a new cycle of poems. Secord eloquently describes how Mary Poafybitty?s story touched a cord with her at a sensitive time in her life, and how Comanche attitudes regarding women and aging are a refreshing change from Western ways of thinking. The medicine woman?s personal story is compelling, as is her affect on Secord?s life. My only quibble with the piece is the format. Rather than as an interview between reporter and guest, I think it would be easier for stations to use were it packaged as a reporter piece, or edited into a monologue by Secord.