Media teacher Addam Stobbs said in class something that stuck with me, “the best radio presenters wear their hearts on their sleeves”.
Sometimes when I say personal things on air, I’m surprised by the lovely feedback that is sent in. It makes sense; when you offer a deeper, more intimate, highly personal connection to the listener, they respond. Remember, this is often the reason people listen to the radio – for companionship. If you open up, they will be drawn to you.
I work on radio campaigns for West End productions and sometimes in a day I hear up to 20 interviews by leading presenters from all around the country. I feel like I can make a fairly objective call on which are the best. I stand by Addam’s message. Who is a good presenter? Anyone who has a heart and is willing to show it.
Good radio isn’t just about experience and preparation – it’s about how passionate and genuine you are. The listener has a pretty good bullshit detector and don’t want fakes, they like real, decent, honest people. If you want to be the best presenter you can be, just be yourself.
Flower near the Vinh Moc Tunnels, "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." - The Emperor of China, Disney's Mulan.
Hi Addam,
Well, I’ve made it to London. It’s rather strange to think that just a year ago I was handing over the station and taking off the ‘big cheese’ hat. Gosh, it was a tough time. We went through a bit together didn’t we? And all those grant applications!
I think it was the first time in years I think that we’d truly worked together. Til then, we didn’t have too many chances to work together as ‘equals’ – you were always a bit awkward calling me your ‘radio baby’ and it was odd for me to be staff and tell you how to present for radiothon (doubly hard because you hated radiothon!).
You’ve been on my mind. Especially while travelled in Vietnam. I had difficulty putting pen to paper during my months there. I lacked some direction; I’ve let you down in a way. I guess it’s my fault for saying I’d do it for you, otherwise I could walk away and no one would be any wiser!
So the 8 part radio series on gay and lesbian Vietnam still is no more than an idea right now. I’d wanted to get it done in three months. It took longer than expected to learn the language and converse naturally with the locals, but I was also so guarded when I finally made contact.
It was really hard to be in Vietnam during the CBAA Conference this year, especially because I knew you weren’t there either. You were at every conference I’ve been to and always made memorable comments. My strongest memory was when you spoke for the 2007 youth session.
You’d prepared an interesting talk where you took out of your bag the different components that are now embedded in a mobile phone; a camera, an alarm clock, a vibrator. Shock and awe was always your tactic! The end of your talk certainly shocked me.
You were talking about all the students that you’d taught at the station’s Foundation for Young Australian’s course (some 70 of us, many of whom went onto careers in media) and finale was to say that there were three students you’ll always remember because those “three students are dead”.
I’ve spent time thinking about that and it’s become a clear mission in my mind Addam, thanks to you, I will always remember to make celebratory gay and lesbian radio, so we can inspire a society of acceptance, appreciation and love, where no more young lives will be lost to depression and suicide.
Gays don’t deserve tolerance. We deserve respect, equality and love.
Addam, in the spirit of ‘the universe provides’ please help me get this project going again. You’ve given me the skills that is required to produce this series. It will be done! For you, me and all the Vietnamese gays who are waiting to share their stories.
One of the things that I love about Saigon is the streets are always alive with sights and sound.
I would love to make a film about Saigon and capture the cacophony and chaos of this crazy city, though I know is some way off as I’m still learning the craft of merging visual and audio.
I’m very familiar with radio. I love it. I spent my childhood years with a Walkman under my pillow listening to the BBC World Service, enjoying the audio tours and documentaries layered with sounds that created a picture inside your head. Radio that makes use of the theatre of the mind can grow entire universes in the small space between one’s ears.
Growing up I also loved The Goon Show. Masters of their medium, they created a real world in your head only to turn it upside down. I adore this fantastic scenario where Eccles and Seagoon are trapped in a postbox:
Eccles: “I can see a manhole cover right above us.”
Seagoon: “Shine the beam of this candle on it. I’ll push it off. Eccles! Stand on my shoulders and pull me up!”
Eccles: “Ok… (strained) I’d like to see them do this on television.”
Anyway, sound is great fun to play with and Saigon has some amazing raw material. This clip was recorded at a street stall as I was eating banh can cua (crab cake soup) on Duong Phan Boi Chau opposite the famous Cho Ben Thanh. You hear chopsticks clinking and bowls being stacked as a blind street performer slowly passes by, being led by a young girl pulling at a rope tied around his waist.
@danvogue
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