Best of Radio Documentary
Radio documentaries and podcasts tell intimate stories through a dance of sound and voice. The following are a selection of the best audio pieces from the Fall 2019 Advanced Podcasting and Radio Documentary course.
By Christina Tommasone, Olivia Scarangella and Emily Woloszuk
In this series, the idea of safe and inclusive spaces for the LGBTQ* community are explored from a business perspective. How can businesses in the GTA cater to the marginalized community and go beyond a price tag. The focus is on Tyler Lumb of MPLCuts who started his own gender-affirming barbershop after his own gendered experience in a traditional salon. Should the emphasis for a haircut be put on gender identity?
Notes from an epidemic: How Aids affected the Gay community
By Trevor Green
AIDS emerged in the early 1980s as a global health crisis. For gay men in the 1980s, there was no escaping the epidemic. The disease indelibly shaped what it meant to be gay during that decade; it was a time of alarm, confusion and grief. In Notes from an Epidemic, Trevor Green talks to two men who survived the crisis. Writers James Dubro and David G. Hallman recount their rising panic during that painful time, when little was known about the disease, and in the media the virus was called “the gay plague” or “gay cancer.” But the crisis also galvanized and catalyzed the LGBTQ community, as its members formed political and advocacy groups.
By Christy Janssens
How does sound affect our bodies? Can sound actually heal you? This audio documentary explores sound and its relationship to our bodies and our emotions. It looks at sound baths with gongs and crystal bowls, as well as the importance of seeking out Neurologic Music Therapy for medical conditions. It also offers caution about the harmful effects of sound, both physically and culturally, when wrongly appropriated. Ultimately, this documentary is a short field guide to the landscape of contemporary sound healing that will help you discern what kinds of sound experiences are the most beneficial for you.