I thought this was really an excellent presentation. Nick did a great job talking about how to get set up with a radio podcast and what it means to him. Lately I have been finding myself listening to a lot of podcasts and I have also considered for almost just as long to start my own. I have always felt that there was too high of a barrier to entry though so I never took it seriously. One of the big takeaways for me from this one is that it really is quite easy to get started with your own podcast, and that even if you don’t have any actual listeners, just the act of making the podcast is worth it rom a creative standpoint.

I really enjoyed this explore series about DIY Old-Time Radio. Nick did a great job inspiring us to listen to/ create podcasts, as they are both great ways to destress. We got to brainstorm potential podcasts and passions. I would really enjoy producing a video series of me reading science fiction novels in a tiny house! Other than talking about the importance of a creative outlet, Nick showed us some of his podcasts, his favorite cooking channel, and astrology channel. Also if you do want to try to listen to some old-time radio drama, Nick suggested “Johnny Dollar,” “Candy Matson,” “Suspense” and “The Great Gildersleeve.” I plan on listening to some of these dramas on a long car ride, and hope to create my own podcasts quite soon!

In the DIY Old Time Radio session learning about how radio is so powerful that it can reach a huge audience much more quickly than other formats really stood out to me. In fact, reflecting on this, since I travel by car pretty often I hear the radio frequently. Usually it is music whilst in other cases it is podcasts, etc. Listening to radio I realized that I learn a lot by just hearing the lyrics or what the people at the other end of the radio have to say even if I am not actively paying attention. In fact like discussed during the session our ears can foster our imagination much better than our eyes which I strongly agree with because even in today’s virtual environment listening to lectures rather than reading a textbook helps me understand the course material much better!

The DIY Old Time Radio event was fascinating.  I loved learning about how important sound was to these shows, often being defining features of this prominent form of entertainment from the 30s through the 60s.  Often, I feel like I do not appreciate the thought that goes into movie or TV show sound effects because I rarely acknowledge the presence of music or other sounds in these forms of entertainment.  I am too focused on the visual aspect, and I miss a lot this way.  I miss how the music becomes tense or becomes sad.  I miss out on these fantastic cues, but when I listened to the radio show clips played for us like the Dragnet opening, I only had the sound to pay attention to, which enhanced the listening experience.  The emphasis on sound and how visuals detract from the entertainment experience reminds me of music and music videos.  I notice that when I listen to music, I pay a lot more attention to the song without the video to distract me.  I learned a lot from this event and I hope to be able to pursue learning more about old radio shows in the future.

During this series, Nicholas Huelster, the guest speaker, shared his passion for radio and his love for creativity. From listening to the famous programs his grandparents used to listen to several decades ago to now starting his own podcast, Nicholas shared with us the importance of understanding the power of words as well what the human voice can to one’s imagination. Something that stood out to me was when he stated that radio was like a movie for the ears. I also really enjoyed learning about foley sound effects, which are basically sounds you can make from everyday items like clothes or a bottle cap. Going forward, I now have a much stronger appreciation for radio and sound. I personally think I have seen a tremendous rise in the popularity of podcasts over the past couple years, and it makes me wonder whether people are growing tired of watching television and are looking for a similarly entertaining experience that does not require constantly being glued to the couch. I am excited to listen to more podcasts because I have certainly found that I have a much closer connection to the audio than through television, and that it is quite an exhilarating experience.

Radio uses sound alone to spark the imagination through vivid descriptions and sound effects. It was interesting to think about the power that sound has to convey a message and the creativity that goes into making sound effects that enhance the storytelling. Usually I just use the radio for listening to music or the news, but learning about the different ways the radio was used during its Golden Age helped me think about the potential that it has to connect people to a specific topic they’re interested in and how it was used differently then compared to now. There were a wider variety of genres during that time compared to what I typically hear on a radio; for example, the types of programs included humor, detective shows, and horror. Using radio as a medium for detective shows and horror seemed to especially work well because of all the sound effects that can be added to create more suspense and mystery. I also thought it was neat how pipe organs were often used during the Golden Age of Radio. It makes sense because of the wide variety of sound effects they can make to set different moods, but I hadn’t really realized that they were common on the radio in the past. Now, it seems that podcasts fill in similar functions to old-time radio by helping listeners connect to specific topics they’re interested in. Despite the different means for delivery, through the Internet instead of radio, both podcasts and radio show audio’s significance in engaging our minds and helping us to stay connected with our interests.

From the guest speaker, Nicholas, our ears create a more vivid world compared to what our eyes can do. Radios can create a whole world that can imagined by the viewers through the diction and tone of the speakers and sound effects. Before the internet and other more recent technology, there was radios that aired shows. Nicholas was able to show us how household items can create appropriate sound effects for some. Two notable examples were shaking a bottle to mimic the sound of a rattlesnake and a bag of rice to imitate the sound of rain. Fast forwarding to today, we see a rise of podcasts that tell a story by touching on different arrays of topics. The hosts of these podcasts can create an intimate bond with their listeners.

Although I am not an active podcast / radio listener, I feel this connection when I listen to music. I go beyond the rhythm and beat of the song and feel a connection to the lyrics. Therefore, when Nicholas said words can carry a movie, I agree with his statement as it is applicable to songs as well.

Radios used to be this country’s key source of entertainment, music, and news before television took over. Though we still take advantage of the radio while on long drives in the car or perhaps when visiting grandparents, it’s clear that Netflix, Youtube, Twitter, and loads of other platforms now take over our attention as we seek inspiration, comedy, politics, and more. Nicholas Huelster, a graduate teaching assistant here at Cornell and host of his own podcast, enlightened us on the impressive freedom that the radio offered creators of the “old days” who shared comedic talks, suspenseful stories, and bright music to eager listeners. Though the means have evolved over the decades, there is no doubt that we still gravitate towards these kinds of masterpieces in entertainment. Is there a day that goes by during which we don’t read a news article, stream a banger song, or scroll through Instagram during a study break? Each of us has a niche that we seek from the multitude of platforms we have at our fingertips, and it is truly up to us which of those platforms we choose. I personally enjoy listening to podcasts on Spotify like Ask Pastor John to gain wise insight on Christian topics, along with watching vlogs on YouTube from my favorite K-pop artists to get a peek into the life of a singer. So whether you tend towards Tiktok or the old time radio, I’m sure you’ll be able to appreciate just how amazing it is that technology has evolved without losing touch of one of the core goals of entertainment: to connect people with their interests.