NPR

Before start of the talk during the 5-10 minute delay, the sound experiments via Skype represented a good example of how the NPR artists engage in the audio experiments, and bring the medium of radio into an artistic expression. There is not a lot of art using the medium of radio; however their projects reflect that the opportunities are endless. Bertolt Brecht’s critique on radio was that the listeners do not have the ability to speak back to the radio. The NPR folks went beyond bringing the neighborhood’s voice into the radio and open up the interaction, and made the radio work as an “audio compass” as they did in their “Talking Homes Project” where the listeners hear the sounds of early morning as they walk around Lake Meritt. It is interesting that during this age of so many technological advances, the internet radios, youtube and justin.tv, the NPR can make the one way radio into a very promising tool of expression. Moreover, it is good to get to know their work as so much of the audio art revolves around just making music.
It was also interesting to meet the corporate driven side of the National Public radio and their critical view on Neighborhood Public Radio as well as politically driven Low power radio stations like Prometheus radio project.