WJI 2019, Day 7 AM

In part two of radio training with Nick Eicher and Paul Butler this morning, we got hands-on with a shotgun mic. We heard the ambient sounds of a room through headphones and were startled by the sound of our own voices in real time. It was like living in a podcast!

We also prepared for tomorrow's mock press conference by watching an example of one. We talked about how to ask effective questions to bring lawyers and PR representatives "down the ladder of abstraction." We also discussed how to select the most powerful soundbytes from a recording.

Left with a bit of extra time before lunch, Mr. Eicher demonstrated his auctioneer-speed elocution skills by teaching us speech drills. The whole class tripped over their tongues trying to keep up with him. Finally, the class talked him into a performance of rap song Alphabet Aerobics by Blackalicious. Did you know that Nick Eicher and co-host Mary Reichard use this song to warm up before recording The World and Everything in It?