When you analyze sound, it’s important to consider the composer’s choice of sounds and the pitch, pace, and volume of those sounds. These choices may enhance or work against the composer’s intended message. The following is an excerpt from Talia Souza’s analysis of sound in King Anyi Howell’s podcast, which Souza wrote in preparation for creating her own podcast.
This podcast is hosted by Molly Adams, who provides a brief introduction with upbeat, jazzy music playing in the background. When the introduction is over, the main podcast begins. In it, King Anyi Howell uses three types of sounds. The first is human voice. Howell narrates the podcast, explaining the scene to listeners and interacting with the people he recorded for the podcast. He also includes segments of people talking, interacting with each other, and responding to his questions.
The second type of sound is background noises, which include street sounds that help set the scene: car engine revving, cars whooshing by, plastic grocery bags crinkling, and change jingling. The third type of sound is music playing. Rather than using recorded studio music, Howell includes the sounds of live music being played at the farmers’ market, so listeners can hear not only the music but also other noise, such as people talking. This makes the music feel more authentic and shows how the music is part of the market scene. At the end of the podcast, Adams provides a conclusion, and the lively, jazzy music plays underneath her voice again.
What I took from this podcast that I want to apply in my podcast is to interview people and include other people’s voices. It’s one thing for me to say that people believe a particular thing or hold a certain opinion, but it’s more compelling to include other people’s voices saying what they believe. This worked really well in Howell’s podcast. Also, music and sounds can enhance a podcast and help listeners better imagine a place. Right now, my plan is to do a podcast about the dining options in the student union and how healthy they are (or aren’t). If I record in the student union and interview people there, it will help my listeners imagine the space. Another aspect I liked was that Howell included a clear introduction and conclusion. I don’t want someone else to do my intro and conclusion, as Adams did in Howell’s podcast, but I like the idea of setting up the main part of the podcast and then concluding it at the end.
(The King Anyi Howell podcast was produced by Youth Radio, a Peabody Award-winning media production company.)
Although a composer’s choices about the type of sound and its qualities are usually deliberate, they don’t necessarily convey the same meaning to all listeners in all contexts. They may not work the way the composer intended, or they may carry additional meanings the composer didn’t anticipate. As you develop an interpretation about the meaning of sound on its own or as part of a multimodal piece, be sure to consider genre, features, purpose, and audience together.