Although this week had a lot of Google documents, Zoom meetings and Audition ripple deletes to juggle, I would do it all over again. This week taught me the steps it takes to produce a quality story. It enlightened my perspective of how professionals operate on a regular basis. And it piqued my interest in audio.
Colorado Public Radio’s hospitality and their willingness to partner with a couple of outsiders helped me get a sense of how community breathes in this space. The Next Generation Radio program allowed me to collaborate with professionals in the industry that have felt just out of reach. The experience of creating alongside a professional newsroom is something I will sit with for some time. As a young professional still connecting the dots of his future, the joy I felt this week resurrected a childhood dream of becoming a journalist.
What I will take away is the structure that our mentors provided to get us from point A to point B. From pitching a story to testing equipment to curating quality questions, and even the art of mixing sound, I am sad to think that this project is over but excited to come away with confidence in the projects I know I can create. I hope to master this process, sharpen my skills and do it enough times to be able to think, ‘I’ve done this before.’ I hope to experience the same excitement I felt after each meeting with an editor, mentor or collaborator.
I am grateful for all of the mentors this week who invited me into the space where their passions live.
