There’s an idiom some people ask to find out if you understand them. They’ll say - “See What I’m Saying?” It’s a little odd, especially for non-native English speakers, because you can hear what someone is saying but can’t literally see they’re saying.

Very early in my radio reporting career I was sent to cover the opening of a visual art exhibit. My editor said go cover an art exhibit and we’ll put it on the radio. An art exhibit on the radio.

Artist Peter Max became a counter-culture icon after creating fliers for the 1967 hippie “Be-In” in New York. He made the cover of Life Magazine and appeared on The Tonight Show.

In 1986 I covered an exhibition by Max in Columbus, Ohio for WOSU-AM. Here’s that report…

(INSERT PETER MAX AUDIO)

That was a story on artist Peter Max I filed for WOSU in 1986. In the pre-digital years this story was copied a number of times so the sound quality got muddy.

Max is still alive at 88 years old. It turns out that putting visual art on the radio’s not so tough after all if you see what I’m saying.

CREDITS

Photo by Christopher Howell

Logo by Snehanshu Dharmadhikari on Unsplash

Intro/Outro Music by Radio Direct

I’ve been brainstorming a new media project for a while. My first thoughts were to start a podcast focusing on Ohio environmental issues. I know that once you start a podcast like that it’s going to take a lot of time and dedication to do it right. I’m pretty obsessive about doing it right.

I’m starting an audio blog to test out the concept. I’m calling it Sonic Wheel. The title is just a little descriptive but also just vague enough to be flexible. That vagueness allows me to present traditional journalism, personal storytelling or just some experimental audio art.

I’m choosing audio specifically instead of video because I still believe in the power of audio to take you on a journey. When you hear the words, you make up the pictures in your mind. I think using audio and sound is a much better way to tell a story. I’m inspired by shows like “This American Life” and “Radiolab”.

Sure, everyone has a short attention span these days and video is captivating but I’m not going to worry about that. Given my background in radio production it’s what I want to do.

I hope to publish one audio story a week. I might throw it up on Apple podcasts. I’m developing the workflow and finding efficiencies where I can. If I can keep up with that for a while, then maybe an environmental podcast is possible. I do have a lot of old radio work in my archives that I’ll re-surface for fun. Maybe I can learn to be less obsessive. Loosen up and have some fun.

I hope to be interesting. Maybe I’ll be boring but I’ll always produce original material.

So here’s to a new venture. Welcome to Sonic Wheel. Thanks for listening.

CREDITS

Logo by Snehanshu Dharmadhikari on Unsplash

Intro/Outro Music by Radio Direct