The Podcast Interview | CAC May Newsletter
Here's what we've got for you in this month's newsletter:
- Notes from our May Zoom Call all about the art of the podcast interview with special guest Natalie Moore
- Reflections on Northwestern's inaugural Audiophile conference
- Details on an exciting public event at Gerber/Hart on May 28th
- A teaser for some events coming this summer!
- A call for story pitches from Points North
- A lot of job postings for audio work in the Chicago area
The All Important Interview
In this month's CAC zoom we focused on the all important interview which is at the center of what many of us do as hosts, producers, and writers. To help tackle this topic we were joined by special guest Natalie Moore, director of audio journalism programming at Medill.
Natalie literally teaches the class The Art of the Interview at Northwestern. Natalie is an award-winning journalist and author tackling subjects including race, housing, economic development, food injustice and violence. Her work has been broadcast on the BBC, Marketplace and NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition.
If you missed the call or would like to revisit the conversation, check out the recording below.
Inaugural Audiophile Conference
Northwestern hosted Audiophile, a brand new conference for the audio and podcast community last month. We have it on good authority that it'll be back next year!
Chicago Audiomakers Collective is proud to support and be part of Audiophile. It was thrilling to see our growing community represented alongside the likes of Nichole Hill of Our Ancestors Were Messy, Ben Calhoun of The Daily, and Jason Saldanha of PRX.
CAC's Johanna Zorn also moderated a panel on short-form audio with John DeLore of Audio Flux, Jackson Roach of Signal Hill, as well as Alexandra Solomon and Somer Van Benton of WBEZ.
And on top of that, a number of incredible Chicago audio folks (and CAC members) led sessions across the conference including Derek John, Sarah Geis, Bill Healy, and Jeffrey Gardner.
We also hosted a lovely little Chicago happy hour in collaboration with AIR and The Institute for Independent Journalists at the beautiful Palmer House hotel.
We can't wait for next year!
Exhibitionism V1 at Gerber/Hart Library and Archives
In partnership with Chicago Audiomakers Collective and alterotics
- Date: Thursday May 28, 6-8PM
- Address: 6500 N Clark St 2nd Fl, Chicago
- RSVP: Eventbrite
Starting late 2024, the artist, Clover, began offering a tape recorder to participants at queer sex parties and public cruising events. The recorder was left for attendees to engage with as they saw fit, and they were given the prompt “talk about your debauchery.”
This installation is a result of those recordings. It explores intimacy, sex, and identity, in the vein of Mermaid Palace’s The Heart, LOVE+RADIO’s The Secrets Hotline, and audio erotica like Dipsea.
In alignment with the theme of exhibitionism, those entering the listening booths will be recorded on video as they listen to the installation.
Stay tuned for more this summer!
We can’t share all the details yet, but we have two great opportunities coming up this June and July.
In June we’ll be working with Anna DeShawn, a Chicago-born social entrepreneur, storyteller & community organizer, to sponsor the next Podcast Salon — Pride Edition! Podcast Salon is a recurring event series featuring some of the best producers from around the country. It’s an opportunity to listen in community and we couldn’t be more excited to sponsor the next Podcast Salon.
Coming in July is CAC’s first workshops and training opportunities with the talented Jeffrey Gardner. Jeffrey is a director, audio artist, and sound designer. They’ve designed podcasts for Audible, Vox, Gideon Media, and others, and taught at Northwestern University and Kenyon College.
Stay tuned for more about the next Podcast Salon and our first workshop coming very soon!
A Call for Pitches for Points North
Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.
According to Point North, the show connects listeners to life in the region through carefully crafted journalism and sound-rich storytelling. They want people to be entertained, informed, and surprised by this place they love.
They are looking for story pitches and offer payment ranging from $1,000 - $2,500. Please see the pitch packet below.
Biannual Sonic Dash
If you're looking for a creative opportunity and the chance to win a $1,000 prize, check out the Biannual Sonic Dash. This is a NYC based competition open to competitors around the world.
Registration is now OPEN for the Summer 2026 Sonic Dash, which will take place on the weekend of June 5-7, 2026. Registrants will be e-mailed a prompt for the competition on Friday, June 5th. They will then have until noon on Sunday, June 5th to submit their entry.
The Grand Prize winner takes home a $1,000 cash prize as well as audio software and hardware.
Check out past dashes here.
Congrats to Peter Lisagor Winners
Last month we highlighted the nominees for the 49th Annual Peter Lisagor Awards. Congratulations to the team behind the winner for Best Podcast: Heat List, which includes Chicago locals like Erisa Apantaku.
Great work to all who were nominated!
Chicago Audio Jobs
This is a non-exhaustive list of audio related job postings in the Chicago area. If you've got a job to share, shoot me an email at ian@chiaudiocollective.com
- Editorial Content Producer at The Poetry Foundation (link)Preference given to applications received by 5/11
- Operations/Producer Audacy Sports at Audacy (link)
- Part-Time News Anchor/Reporter at WBBM-Audacy (link)
- Part-Time News Writer/Editor at WBBM-Audacy (link)
- Managing Editor, News at Chicago Public Media (link)
- Assistant News Editor at Chicago Public Media (link)
- Beat Reporter, Chicago Cubs at Chicago Public Media (link)
- Manager, Digital Media Strategy & Planning at iHeart Media (link)
Have a wonderful May!