The introduction to Sleepless Nights draws the audience in and is an appropriate way to start the audio. The background music in the beginning is excellent but perhaps a bit distracting because it is the same background music played in the recent film, Little Miss Sunshine. Sam Webster?s piece illustrates the life of senior high school student who isn?t getting enough rest. This is totally relatable without being too general. Sleepless nights, is a very interesting piece delivered with honesty but at times sounds too much like a reading instead of a monologue. Webster goes into great detail about his late nights and how his lack of sleep affects him negatively. The music at the end is a plus because the title of the piece is within the lyrics. Overall, Sleepless Nights is a pretty good piece and even if you aren?t a senior you can find at least some of what Webster is saying to be true.
For Your Eyes Only has to be my favorite piece of all time. The music is great background against what is being said, it boosts the irony and really brings the ending home. This doesn't seem like the type of piece that has a cookie cutter meaning whether that was intended or not. It is delivered in a way that says, "take it however you like". It is honest and messy yet very well done and smooth. It is unconventional but you don't have to play it a million times to understand it though you may want to play it a million times. "These politics are corrupt for your own good", is one of the many lines that make this piece worth listening to. Basically we need to stop lying to ourselves about all of the simple meaningless things that consume us on a daily basis and start rejecting the mess that society constantly feeds us so that we can make better choices of substance instead of only casting ballots for prom king and queen. This piece inspires people of all ages to recognize the power that we all have and how it is often being exhausted in the worng places. "For Your Eyes Only", is a great piece overall and is coveniently very short so it is definately woth your time. Kudos to Alyssa DiMare.
Your Own Anti-Drug is a short piece with a pretty simple point. I feel that perhaps the introduction was a little much with the number of scenarios. That probably would have worked better if after the scenarios was the point delivered with a blunt punch. The music at the beginning was also a bit awkward because it fades very shortly after it starts which lessened the power of the musical support for the piece. A plus for this piece is that it sounded very similar to a commercial or maybe even the beginning of a show which was actually pretty cool. Overall, Your Own Anti-Drug, is short and sweet and delivers a good message.
Interview with a Granfather is a very well done piece that digs deep into the issue of substance abuse and how it can negatively impact someone's life. Chelsey Russell did a great job with interviewing her own grandfather on such a sensitive topic. I appreciate how Russell keeps a stable balance of being professional and being his granddaughter at the same time. The grandfather answers the questions with honesty and detail which really makes this piece engaging. I could feel the struggle within this issue as the audio played. At this point all of the grandfather's hope was put in Jesus Christ with sheer belief that it was the only and best option which made the piece more touching. Being close to someone with this issue also made the piece very personal for me. Overall this interview piece was amazing and although there are so many documented interviews about this issue, "Interview with a Grandfather", is especially intimate and seperate from the rest. Hopefully Chelsey Russell's grandfather will find the help he is seeking.
Fights at School has a very intriuging introduction. It starts off with juicy gossip about fights that happened in school which definately supports the fact that many enjoy watching or talking about fights. The situations that the speakers talked about were similar. Most of the fights they had witnessed were due to dating conflict. I was blown away when I heard that students could get suspended for even watching a fight. That was a strong point in this piece. When Megan Haller interviewed some of the students I found what they had to say was real and very opinionated. One speaker said, "I think after all the work we do we should be able to sit down and watch a good fight?. That to me was funny and very honest. Perhaps the piece would have been a bit stronger if some of the speakers were actually students who had fought in the school and talked about that specifically. Overall this piece was well done and interesting to listen to.
Super Powers 2 is great! It is very interesting to hear what kind of super powers these third graders would like to have and what they would do with them. The introduction is amazing, it really sounds like the beginning of a Superhero cartoon. I liked the sound effects on the voices at the beginning but some of them were a bit unclear. It was entertaining to hear what the students would do with their powers and they all came up with really good ideas. Two that really stuck out to me was one student said they would, "Change into different people on Halloween to get extra candy", and another said, "I would be really good at hide and seek". The end was simple and sweet and overall this piece was very refreshing. It is always nice to hear from the younger kids because they always have the coolest ideas.
This piece stands as an eye-opener for many. Joel Ewers addresses the issue of music piracy in a serious way without coming across as stuffy. Ewers does not put all of his energy into bashing those who download music or talking about how much of an issue that has become. Ewers explains how music piracy negatively affects the artists. He makes his argument even more powerful when he explains how it affects the economy which is something that affects us all. Ewers expresses some of his own views but steers away from becoming overly opinionated which made it more general and clear. The music used in this piece is wonderful and not distracting as to what is being said. He spoke clearly but perhaps there could have been more emphasis on his voice because he was making some really good points. This piece was a joy to listen to and was done with confidence.
This piece was more narrow than I expected which was actually intriguing. Nikki Miller chose to zoom in on one person in particular as the main example who happens to be a very interesting person in my opinion. Miller argued that Marilyn Manson's image encouraged negativity but he was much more than how he looked. Some of the things said were pretty interesting such as how his name came about. One thing that weakened this piece was the fact that the speaker did not speak very clearly and words seemed to run into each other at times making it difficult to understand what was being said. Miller gave some background information in efforts to support her argument. I felt that perhaps there could have been more support as to how Manson is not all of the negative things people lable him instead of sharing loose details about him. It didn't make me feel as if he was really being defended or explained which made the piece feel a little too opinionated without any solid facts to back it up. The music at the end was great but had awkward timing. Overall this piece was interesting enough and was a decent attempt at being an eye opener. I have to give Miller some credit for being a good and supportive fan and producing her own piece on Marilyn Manson.
I really liked the opening song by a popular rapper 50 CENT. The n word is thrown around quite often in the chorus alone which makes a strong opening for this particular piece. I feel that Kristal Graham could have spent a bit more time in the beginning of the piece to expose a lot more definitions and arguments behind the word. Graham states some of the general and common views of what this word means to some people and society. I enjoyed the interview segment of this piece. It was very real and speakers seemed to be quite genuine in their answers. One thing that through me off a bit was when a speaker clarified that politicians were not trying to ban the word, and they actually can't ban a word, they were simply making a symbolic resolution against the word. That made me wonder why the piece was titled, Banning the "N" word, if that isn't even possible. The closing music also through me off because it was more of a focus on violence and the n word is actually censored out of the song. It seemed more like the song choice was for personal preference rather than supporting the piece appropriately. Overall this piece was very interesting and did expose a major issue in society.
The subtle instrumentals add emotion to what the speaker is saying, similar to how background music is used in movie scenes. The issue is whether David Barber-Callaghan should go to prom or not. It's interesting because most teens feel very strongly about this type of event; either they're definitely going or definitely not going. Callaghan weighs both the pros and cons of prom night while scooping out the final decision within himself. It's a bit shocking that he isn't sure of his decision only a week before the big night. When I heard that detail it even made me feel a bit of his stress. It was interesting to see how involved he got with his peers to hear what they had to say and added some background information to the piece making it more real. His mother's input was refreshing to hear as well because the audience gets to hear how she feels about the possibility of her son not going to prom but the decision is still ultimately up to Callaghan. The end of the piece implies that he is indeed going to prom but perhaps Callaghan could have provided some details as to how he was going to prepare for prom in such a short amount of time.
This piece drew me in immediately. The background sound makes the audience feel closer to the piece because it creates the feeling of speakers talking directly to you. This piece dives into what school?s music programs do for participants. It is not the most interesting topic but still makes the audience care by speaking directly to the students and hearing exactly what they have to say. The piece bites into the issue of budget cuts in New York City high schools which is very real and does impact things such as the music programs in schools. The piece is engaging from the jump but perhaps a bit too fast pace in the beginning making the listener have to put effort into just following the story.
For teen in trouble, streetwise mentor makes the difference, was very interesting because of how personal it was. I was really brought into a total stranger?s life without even seeing their face and still I managed to care about everything they said. This piece is real and gives hope to those going down the wrong path or those whose peers are deviating from safe and positive ways of life. In this piece a troubled teen turned positive role model, Kenny Jackson, helps kids who are struggling when it comes to making beneficial choices. Jackson feels a connection with many of these young men because they remind him of himself which allows him to better understand them and be patient. This piece is raw and beautifully illustrates the importance of what Jackson does while literally hearing his voice and the voice of who he has helped. This piece is my favorite so far and hopefully will inspire others.
This piece starts off with great music and it really grabs your attention. Not only is the music catchy but also has a purpose within the lyrics that make it appropriate. One thing about it that is a bit distracting is that I had to listen closely because the music was still very clear in the background. The speaker brings up some interesting points on politics in our nation without sounding stuffy. Major names in music are dropped to show those who choose to speak their mind on their records. This piece is inspiring, and gives those farthest away from political positions exposure to the powerful messages within songs that may be over looked. The piece is moving until the last final seconds but ends a bit abruptly.
Prom night is often seen as the most festive event of teenhood. Phillip Baggett manages to steer clear of the glamorous party plans and highlight the one stressful step taken way before the big night. This piece takes you on a journey with Baggett as he tackles the issue of asking a girl to prom. He even uses music to draw us in but there are no distracting lyrics. It's interesting to hear a guy go through the difficulties of asking someone out when it has become such a casual thing to do. It is also refreshing to hear him break away from the pressure to be macho and just be himself. His first attempt doesn't recieve very good feedback. He politely asks, "Would you do me the honor of going to prom with me?" Bagget is told that he sounds a bit too polite and old fashioned. He had a few suggestions on how he should ask a gril to prom before finally getting what he wanted, how he wanted. Perhaps he could have gone into detail about why it was so important to have a date to give the audience a better sense of who he is. Either way, he definately puts himself out there with honesty. Phillip Bagett's personal piece had a lot of personality which, in my opinion, is crucial on radio.
Comments by Kaila Strickland
Comment for "Sleepless Nights"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on July 29, 2008 at 01:46 PM | Permalink
Review of Sleepless Nights
The introduction to Sleepless Nights draws the audience in and is an appropriate way to start the audio. The background music in the beginning is excellent but perhaps a bit distracting because it is the same background music played in the recent film, Little Miss Sunshine. Sam Webster?s piece illustrates the life of senior high school student who isn?t getting enough rest. This is totally relatable without being too general. Sleepless nights, is a very interesting piece delivered with honesty but at times sounds too much like a reading instead of a monologue. Webster goes into great detail about his late nights and how his lack of sleep affects him negatively. The music at the end is a plus because the title of the piece is within the lyrics. Overall, Sleepless Nights is a pretty good piece and even if you aren?t a senior you can find at least some of what Webster is saying to be true.
Comment for "For Your Eyes Only"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on July 29, 2008 at 03:01 AM | Permalink
Review of For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only has to be my favorite piece of all time. The music is great background against what is being said, it boosts the irony and really brings the ending home. This doesn't seem like the type of piece that has a cookie cutter meaning whether that was intended or not. It is delivered in a way that says, "take it however you like". It is honest and messy yet very well done and smooth. It is unconventional but you don't have to play it a million times to understand it though you may want to play it a million times. "These politics are corrupt for your own good", is one of the many lines that make this piece worth listening to. Basically we need to stop lying to ourselves about all of the simple meaningless things that consume us on a daily basis and start rejecting the mess that society constantly feeds us so that we can make better choices of substance instead of only casting ballots for prom king and queen. This piece inspires people of all ages to recognize the power that we all have and how it is often being exhausted in the worng places. "For Your Eyes Only", is a great piece overall and is coveniently very short so it is definately woth your time. Kudos to Alyssa DiMare.
Comment for "Your Own Anti-Drug"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on July 29, 2008 at 02:42 AM | Permalink
Review of Your Own Anti-Drug
Your Own Anti-Drug is a short piece with a pretty simple point. I feel that perhaps the introduction was a little much with the number of scenarios. That probably would have worked better if after the scenarios was the point delivered with a blunt punch. The music at the beginning was also a bit awkward because it fades very shortly after it starts which lessened the power of the musical support for the piece. A plus for this piece is that it sounded very similar to a commercial or maybe even the beginning of a show which was actually pretty cool. Overall, Your Own Anti-Drug, is short and sweet and delivers a good message.
Comment for "Interview with a Grandfather"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on July 26, 2008 at 05:31 AM | Permalink
Review of Interview with a Grandfather
Interview with a Granfather is a very well done piece that digs deep into the issue of substance abuse and how it can negatively impact someone's life. Chelsey Russell did a great job with interviewing her own grandfather on such a sensitive topic. I appreciate how Russell keeps a stable balance of being professional and being his granddaughter at the same time. The grandfather answers the questions with honesty and detail which really makes this piece engaging. I could feel the struggle within this issue as the audio played. At this point all of the grandfather's hope was put in Jesus Christ with sheer belief that it was the only and best option which made the piece more touching. Being close to someone with this issue also made the piece very personal for me. Overall this interview piece was amazing and although there are so many documented interviews about this issue, "Interview with a Grandfather", is especially intimate and seperate from the rest. Hopefully Chelsey Russell's grandfather will find the help he is seeking.
Comment for "Fights at school"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on June 25, 2008 at 06:00 AM | Permalink
Review of Fights at school
Fights at School has a very intriuging introduction. It starts off with juicy gossip about fights that happened in school which definately supports the fact that many enjoy watching or talking about fights. The situations that the speakers talked about were similar. Most of the fights they had witnessed were due to dating conflict. I was blown away when I heard that students could get suspended for even watching a fight. That was a strong point in this piece. When Megan Haller interviewed some of the students I found what they had to say was real and very opinionated. One speaker said, "I think after all the work we do we should be able to sit down and watch a good fight?. That to me was funny and very honest. Perhaps the piece would have been a bit stronger if some of the speakers were actually students who had fought in the school and talked about that specifically. Overall this piece was well done and interesting to listen to.
Comment for "Super Powers 2"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on June 20, 2008 at 02:56 AM | Permalink
Review of Super Powers 2
Super Powers 2 is great! It is very interesting to hear what kind of super powers these third graders would like to have and what they would do with them. The introduction is amazing, it really sounds like the beginning of a Superhero cartoon. I liked the sound effects on the voices at the beginning but some of them were a bit unclear. It was entertaining to hear what the students would do with their powers and they all came up with really good ideas. Two that really stuck out to me was one student said they would, "Change into different people on Halloween to get extra candy", and another said, "I would be really good at hide and seek". The end was simple and sweet and overall this piece was very refreshing. It is always nice to hear from the younger kids because they always have the coolest ideas.
Comment for "Music Piracy & The Plight of the Starving Artist"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on June 20, 2008 at 02:36 AM | Permalink
Review of Music Piracy & The Plight of the Starving Artist
This piece stands as an eye-opener for many. Joel Ewers addresses the issue of music piracy in a serious way without coming across as stuffy. Ewers does not put all of his energy into bashing those who download music or talking about how much of an issue that has become. Ewers explains how music piracy negatively affects the artists. He makes his argument even more powerful when he explains how it affects the economy which is something that affects us all. Ewers expresses some of his own views but steers away from becoming overly opinionated which made it more general and clear. The music used in this piece is wonderful and not distracting as to what is being said. He spoke clearly but perhaps there could have been more emphasis on his voice because he was making some really good points. This piece was a joy to listen to and was done with confidence.
Comment for "Judge Personality, Not Looks"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on June 19, 2008 at 10:40 AM | Permalink
Review of Judge Personality, Not Looks
This piece was more narrow than I expected which was actually intriguing. Nikki Miller chose to zoom in on one person in particular as the main example who happens to be a very interesting person in my opinion. Miller argued that Marilyn Manson's image encouraged negativity but he was much more than how he looked. Some of the things said were pretty interesting such as how his name came about. One thing that weakened this piece was the fact that the speaker did not speak very clearly and words seemed to run into each other at times making it difficult to understand what was being said. Miller gave some background information in efforts to support her argument. I felt that perhaps there could have been more support as to how Manson is not all of the negative things people lable him instead of sharing loose details about him. It didn't make me feel as if he was really being defended or explained which made the piece feel a little too opinionated without any solid facts to back it up. The music at the end was great but had awkward timing. Overall this piece was interesting enough and was a decent attempt at being an eye opener. I have to give Miller some credit for being a good and supportive fan and producing her own piece on Marilyn Manson.
Comment for "Banning the "N" word"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on May 31, 2008 at 07:14 AM | Permalink
Review of Banning the "N" word
I really liked the opening song by a popular rapper 50 CENT. The n word is thrown around quite often in the chorus alone which makes a strong opening for this particular piece. I feel that Kristal Graham could have spent a bit more time in the beginning of the piece to expose a lot more definitions and arguments behind the word. Graham states some of the general and common views of what this word means to some people and society. I enjoyed the interview segment of this piece. It was very real and speakers seemed to be quite genuine in their answers. One thing that through me off a bit was when a speaker clarified that politicians were not trying to ban the word, and they actually can't ban a word, they were simply making a symbolic resolution against the word. That made me wonder why the piece was titled, Banning the "N" word, if that isn't even possible. The closing music also through me off because it was more of a focus on violence and the n word is actually censored out of the song. It seemed more like the song choice was for personal preference rather than supporting the piece appropriately. Overall this piece was very interesting and did expose a major issue in society.
Comment for "Should I Stay or Should I Go (To the Prom)"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on May 31, 2008 at 06:38 AM | Permalink
Review of Should I Stay or Should I Go
The subtle instrumentals add emotion to what the speaker is saying, similar to how background music is used in movie scenes. The issue is whether David Barber-Callaghan should go to prom or not. It's interesting because most teens feel very strongly about this type of event; either they're definitely going or definitely not going. Callaghan weighs both the pros and cons of prom night while scooping out the final decision within himself. It's a bit shocking that he isn't sure of his decision only a week before the big night. When I heard that detail it even made me feel a bit of his stress. It was interesting to see how involved he got with his peers to hear what they had to say and added some background information to the piece making it more real. His mother's input was refreshing to hear as well because the audience gets to hear how she feels about the possibility of her son not going to prom but the decision is still ultimately up to Callaghan. The end of the piece implies that he is indeed going to prom but perhaps Callaghan could have provided some details as to how he was going to prepare for prom in such a short amount of time.
Comment for "All Eyes & Ears on 'All City' Student Band"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on May 29, 2008 at 05:47 PM | Permalink
Review of All Eyes & Ears on 'All City' Student Band
This piece drew me in immediately. The background sound makes the audience feel closer to the piece because it creates the feeling of speakers talking directly to you. This piece dives into what school?s music programs do for participants. It is not the most interesting topic but still makes the audience care by speaking directly to the students and hearing exactly what they have to say. The piece bites into the issue of budget cuts in New York City high schools which is very real and does impact things such as the music programs in schools. The piece is engaging from the jump but perhaps a bit too fast pace in the beginning making the listener have to put effort into just following the story.
Comment for "For teen in trouble, streetwise mentor makes the difference"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on May 29, 2008 at 04:48 PM | Permalink
Review of For teen in trouble, streetwise mentor makes the difference
For teen in trouble, streetwise mentor makes the difference, was very interesting because of how personal it was. I was really brought into a total stranger?s life without even seeing their face and still I managed to care about everything they said. This piece is real and gives hope to those going down the wrong path or those whose peers are deviating from safe and positive ways of life. In this piece a troubled teen turned positive role model, Kenny Jackson, helps kids who are struggling when it comes to making beneficial choices. Jackson feels a connection with many of these young men because they remind him of himself which allows him to better understand them and be patient. This piece is raw and beautifully illustrates the importance of what Jackson does while literally hearing his voice and the voice of who he has helped. This piece is my favorite so far and hopefully will inspire others.
Comment for "Love Peace And Music"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on May 29, 2008 at 04:25 PM | Permalink
Review of Love Peace And Music
This piece starts off with great music and it really grabs your attention. Not only is the music catchy but also has a purpose within the lyrics that make it appropriate. One thing about it that is a bit distracting is that I had to listen closely because the music was still very clear in the background. The speaker brings up some interesting points on politics in our nation without sounding stuffy. Major names in music are dropped to show those who choose to speak their mind on their records. This piece is inspiring, and gives those farthest away from political positions exposure to the powerful messages within songs that may be over looked. The piece is moving until the last final seconds but ends a bit abruptly.
Comment for "Will You Go To Prom With Me?"
Kaila Strickland
Posted on May 08, 2008 at 02:02 PM | Permalink
Review of Will You Go To Prom With Me?
Prom night is often seen as the most festive event of teenhood. Phillip Baggett manages to steer clear of the glamorous party plans and highlight the one stressful step taken way before the big night. This piece takes you on a journey with Baggett as he tackles the issue of asking a girl to prom. He even uses music to draw us in but there are no distracting lyrics. It's interesting to hear a guy go through the difficulties of asking someone out when it has become such a casual thing to do. It is also refreshing to hear him break away from the pressure to be macho and just be himself. His first attempt doesn't recieve very good feedback. He politely asks, "Would you do me the honor of going to prom with me?" Bagget is told that he sounds a bit too polite and old fashioned. He had a few suggestions on how he should ask a gril to prom before finally getting what he wanted, how he wanted. Perhaps he could have gone into detail about why it was so important to have a date to give the audience a better sense of who he is. Either way, he definately puts himself out there with honesty. Phillip Bagett's personal piece had a lot of personality which, in my opinion, is crucial on radio.