Mic Drop

What if your voice could reach thousands? What makes you, you? Do you love storytelling or want to explore storytelling as an artform? Step into the studio, grab the mic, and craft stories that move, inform, and entertain. Whether you're chasing true crime thrills, hilarious hot takes, or powerful interviews—this class is where your broadcast journey begins.

Introduction

What if your voice could reach thousands?

What makes you, you?

Do you love storytelling or want to explore storytelling as an artform?

Step into the studio, grab the mic, and craft stories that move, inform, and entertain. Whether you're chasing true crime thrills, hilarious hot takes, or powerful interviews—this class is where your broadcast journey begins.

In this immersive expedition, students will explore the creative and technical world of audio storytelling. Focusing on one or more of their identity markers, students will learn how to develop, write, record, and edit original podcasts and radio segments. From narrative structure and sound design to interviewing techniques and vocal performance, this course blends creativity with real-world skills. You'll collaborate on group projects, listen to podcasts about local and global issues as well as those related to pop culture and the zeitgeist! You will build a personal portfolio, and pitch your own podcast concept. By the end of the cycle, you'll have a polished podcast episode, a behind-the-scenes understanding of audio production, and maybe even a show worthy of streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.

Essential Questions

• What makes your voice unique?
• How can storytelling drive change in communities?
• What role does identity play in media narratives?
• How do technical and creative skills combine in podcast production?
• How can we critically evaluate media messages?
• What are the ethical considerations in audio storytelling?
• How can audio storytelling foster empathy and understanding?
• What does a successful podcast sound like?

Learning Objectives

• Empower students to develop original audio storytelling projects (podcasts/radio segments) focusing on identity and civic topics.
• Foster effective communication through multiple media forms.
• Build critical media literacy and storytelling craft.
• Integrate technical audio production skills with creative writing and collaboration.
• Develop, script, and produce polished audio stories that reflect personal identity or civic issues.
• Critically analyze media content and incorporate storytelling techniques effectively.
• Collaborate and communicate clearly to produce multi-layered media projects.
• Apply technical audio editing and sound design to enhance storytelling.
• Pitch original podcast concepts with clarity and confidence.