Podcasts

I chose to make a podcast discussing the life experiences of queer women. I focused on their day to day feelings and experiences, because being queer is part of their identity and affects them beyond their dating life.  I wanted to make a safe space to discuss their feelings, so I tried to ask open ended questions, and I disguised their names and voices to provide anonymity.

I chose this topic because I had recently been questioning my own identity. So I thought it would be healthy for me, my interviewees, and anyone else who is asking themselves difficult questions, to explore the idea of identity in a safe, open way.

I chose to make the podcast art lipstick, because I feel like it’s something that all women have some experience with. It’s one of the most well known and easiest to apply pieces of makeup, and since makeup is such a large part of culture’s view of femininity, most women and girls have at least tried lipstick on. So I thought it would work as a representation of just existing as a woman and the experiences that find women because of their identity. I chose a font and format that kind of resembles a magazine because it played into the same theme as the lipstick.

The recording was extremely long, so in editing, I did take out a lot of pauses stuttering and repetitive parts. It was difficult to make the voices of my interviewees sound different enough to not be recognized, but also still pleasant to listen to. When I originally shifted the pitch, it sounded a lot worse, so I cleaned it up a little bit and it sounds a lot better, but I’m still not entirely satisfied with it. The parts where my interviewees were speaking especially loud or high pitched were the most difficult to make sound good. I also wasn’t able to completely separate my audio from their audio in some places, but I was able to separate most of the audio. Finally, the music. Throughout my Freestyle career, music composition has been the area I’ve had the most trouble. I have never been satisfied with the music I produce, because I just have no instincts for it. This time was no different, I do not think that the music I made fits the podcast very well, but I am glad I was able to produce anything remotely musical.

Despite the issues I had, I did enjoy the project, and I am glad I did it, because I think it was very cathartic for my interviewees to share their experiences, and I was genuinely interested in the discussion.