Comments by Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "the Condom Conundrum"

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Review of Condom Conundrum

"what I did for Halloween was I ordered a giant Sperm suit off of Ebay"
My first question is who sells sperm suits on ebay?
Cori Santos and Hailey Henderson found an enticing story and mixed the interview audio well with a very appropriate soundtrack. "Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights"
This is a funny, light, piece with serious content.

Comment for "Sunday Morning Self Amusement"

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Review of: Sunday Morning Self Amusement

Scott Meyers has written a poem that I can most certainly relate to. Over a driving jazz line Scott reads his poem that describes the feelings and sensations of a lazy Sunday, moving your own toes, watching a fly and listening to Billie Holliday. The music keeps the piece moving forward as Scott’s voice comes over load and clear with the poem. Bells are heard at the start and end, almost like pushing the play and stop buttons as a listener. If there is more where this piece came from I can’t wait to hear it. Listen for good use of the narrator’s own voice as a background element at the end.
Play during any show regarding Sundays and poetry.

Comment for "Chicago Muggles Get the Quaffle Flying"

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Review of: Chicago Muggles Get the Quaffle Flying

"The teams scramble to the middle tennis court, Jessica’s long black cape flying out around her horizontally crimson and gold striped hoody.” Laughter ensues! Kathryn Kaye has created a funny and short piece about teens playing a mythical game in the real world. The audio is well mixed, between the narrator’s voice, her friend’s laughter, and the background audio of the park, it does indeed create a mental image. I would love more content though, why the game came to be, who thought of the rules etc… This feature is certainly complete in form, with the rules, action, and end of the game, “And Gryffindor Cannonballs win!!"

Air this piece when looking for a bite of youthful exuberance, Harry Potter obsession and random activities.

Comment for "Does God need salespeople?"

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Review of: Does God need salespeople?

Does God need salespeople? It’s a good question and Erica Korman gives a short, fast paced answer in this piece produced by Matthew Terrell. I had my breakfast interrupted by two Jehovah’s Witness (how does one say that in plural) the other day and being a Jew myself I readily identified with this Erica’s arguments. What does it matter to someone else what you personally choose to do on your own time. At the same time I disagree with her comment about Jew’s being comfortable enough with their own religion to not need to bother others during dinner. I feel that I am frequently bothered by Jews during dinners who feel that they have to remind me that they are Jewish. Let’s hear a follow up piece from a Christian who is approached by the same man… and then get a dialogue recorded between Erica and the second subject!
Does God need salespeople? Is a great piece to use during any show on religion or privacy and a good short well mixed segment to use on a daily newscast.
Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "Marshall Reputation"

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Review of Marshall Reputation

Marshall Reputation looks inwards at the sources and affects of a bad high school reputation. Ashley Johnson asks students and staff members if their school has an unforgivable reputation and how the community affects that reputation. Over a bouncy soundtrack Stephany Pardo mixes the answers into a story of mistaken identity due to unfortunate surroundings. This piece would do well on a show about high school reputations though it may need more of an intro depending on your audience (from Portland, OR or elsewhere). I would love to hear the opinions of students at other high schools and I think Ashley and Stephany should take that on as their next piece. I was expecting the first song to continue through the rest of the feature though I enjoyed hearing the second song surface amongst the interviews. Audio clarity could be improved upon, a better microphone or quieter recording environment would help.
Keep up the investigative attitudes and make more radio!
Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "las mujeres de Juarez"

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Review of Las Mujeres de Juarez

Yanira Flores, of Pulse of Portland Music Project, has created a heart wrenching piece on a subject I had never heard of. Over a haunting soundtrack Yanira conducts interviews that illuminate the mystery of an all too common problem in Mexico. I would like to know who her subjects were but each one is able to connect her topic to their personal life. “We hear about it and it kind of makes you feel unsafe to go back to your country.”
The vocal audio is fuzzy and contains spikes and blips. Maybe a quieter recording environment and a better microphone would improve the audio.
Thank you Yanira for producing this piece. Air “Las Mujeres de Juarez” on a show dealing with atrocities, lack of government action, and Mexico.
Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "WUTB-Variation 5A -Quiet, Gentle Version"

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Review of WUTB-Variation 5A -Quiet, Gentle Version

Aliana and Sophie have captured and produced one minute of joy. It seems strange to hear 3rd graders saying “when I was little” yet this piece brings back memories of being younger and already feeling so old. Every new piece of knowledge, like the fact that not all eggs are hard boiled, and you become older. Transitions are choppy but the background music track makes the piece easy to latch onto and every student’s voice is clear. The repeated clap track at the end is obvious and it serves as a neat reminder of school projects I completed in 3rd grade. The credits are the best part! So kudos to Aliana and Sophie, I recommend this piece for anyone looking to improve their mood and for producers planning a show on childhood, memories, misconceptions, 3rd grade, and growing up.
Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "WNR: Graffiti in Baghdad"

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Review of Graffiti in Baghdad

Graffiti in Baghdad, produced by Dani Noble of War News Radio, is another glimpse into Iraqi culture. This piece strikes close to home because Portland, ME is currently dealing with what the city believes is a graffiti problem. Hearing about a dozen Iraqi high school students being executed for spraying graffiti shoves the whole argument into perspective. Maybe if graffiti artists were aware that in other countries people are executed for spraying they would be more respectful and thoughtful with their messages. Graffiti in Baghdad contains various elements that lead the listener into the next subject. Containing interviews, song quotes, and anecdotes for and against graffiti in Baghdad Dani Noble has created a well rounded unbiased feature. This piece has a clear beginning and end, levels are mixed appropriately and narrator’s voice is easy to listen to. I can’t wait until phone technology has improved so that phone interviews are more audible.
Graffiti in Baghdad should be aired during any show on freedom of speech, graffiti, censorship, and current culture in Iraq.
Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "How the Media Portrays Beauty"

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Review of How The Media Portrays Beauty

When I see a title like this it’s a piece I have to jump on, the media’s portrayal of a “beautiful” person is always a great topic to always pursue. Youth Mic reporters, Constance, Esther and Charles have created a piece that brings you to the streets of New York to hear the varied responses of the public when questioned on the impact of the media on the image of “beauty.” The piece could use more background noise behind the narrations and I would appreciate introductions every time the narrators cut in to introduce the next series of answers. It is easy to miss the new questions and just assume that the narrators are the public. However this piece is already complete in form and content, volume levels between all the interviews are expertly mixed. “How The Media Portrays Beauty” ends with a conclusion I would not have expected, listen all the way through for a new twist on the standard reaction. Answers are diverse in reason and a joy to listen to. “Beauty is elegance,” beauty is “swagger,” beauty is “whatever I think it is.”
Listen to this piece for any show connected to self-esteem or the media.
Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "Separation of Music and Culture"

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Separation of Music and Culture: A Review

I love listening to music on the radio, and I like to listen to radio about music. That’s what this feature is. Eli Lundgren looks at the different tastes in music at the Renaissance Arts Academy and he speaks of the importance of tolerance and understanding for people’s musical choices. This piece could have benefited from a better recording environment or better equipment, the ‘p’ comes off strongly in this feature. It’d also be neat to hear from the different genres as they are named. I would love to hear a follow up piece in which Eli sits down with different genre lovers and urges them to share their music across musical borders, who knows what kind of jamming or remixing would ensue. Then the piece ends with a message we can all agree on no matter what music we listen to… “Rock on!”

Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop"

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Review of " It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop" (which it is)

Lauren Kirby mixes audio from her subjects with commentary that encourages your ear to hear the story of middle school students growing up in an environment that blasts them with unhealthy images. This piece explores the job of Saiyid Brent who teaches hip-hop to students with the aim of using it as a medium to grow. I would appreciate hearing more of the work that the students have written, but the extent to which we get to hear the student’s voices adds a flow to the piece helping to nail each point on the home.
“I wanna be a boy, but I’m still a man,” sings Saiyid’s group of students, conjuring up images of youth almost ready to take on responsibilities and dealing with the frustration of not yet being trusted.
This piece will go well with any coming of age story, or a show dealing with adjustment and change. Look for this piece when you need inspiration to find a new medium or just want to hear about something cool going on schools.
“Went through college, got his bachelor’s degree, and at age 25, lawyer you see.” ~ A Young Rapper

Ness Smith-Savedoff

Comment for "Heros"

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Heros: A Review

Heros is a cute heartwarming piece that looks into the hearts and minds of students at Polaris K-12 School in Anchorage, Alaska , asking the simple question, “Who is your hero?” The piece includes young children and voices that belong to seniors. With a simple standard intro, and the promise of interesting answers this piece is catchy from the beginning. It contains a mix of seriousness and goofy answers, “I look up to the flagpole,” blurts out one kid. All the answers fit nicely together over the cheery background noise of a school yard. After starting the piece Nithya Thiru and Nikki Navio only edited, their voices do not appear again, which is neat as the piece can speak so easily for itself, extra narration is not needed. However a conclusion, wrap up or summary, at the end would be helpful. This piece would go well with any show discussing role models, heroes, or future/current generations also look for this piece around days honoring passed heroes.

Adjectives: investigative, young

Ness Smith-Savedoff