Zack Scholl

zack.scholl@gmail.com

Radio Transmissions

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a sound track to random radio samples of 2019.

My first album is a set of experimental easy-listening electronic music created using the op-1 synthesizer. The op-1 has a built-in radio that was used to sample snippets of broadcasts from public radio. These public radio snippets are taken randomly, usually between recording tracks, and they are meant to reflect a random sample of the world with regards to science, culture, and politics. In a sense, the entirety of this album “radio transmissions” is a musical readout of the current state of society during September and October of 2019.

You can listen to the album on Bandcamp, or directly on this blog:

Description of selected tracks

“Rose Torphy”: an interview with Rose Torphy, a woman who joined the national park junior ranger program at the age of 103.1

“How Clever”: an interview with a researcher about saving the Florida grasshopper sparrows from extinction. 2

“A world elsewhere”: an interview with legendary director peter brook about his adaption of Shakespeare to the stage. 3

“Loved moons”: an interview with scientist Dr. Scott Sheppard about cataloging Saturn’s moons and his enthusiasm for studying space. 4

“The past is never dead": changing culture has influenced the Dixie classic fair in North Carolina to adopt a name that no longer associates itself with slavery. 5

“Gen GND”: schools in Seattle faced a walkout by students who were part of a global climate strike to spur action to avoid potential catastrophic effects from climate change. 6

“Once in a generation”: a speech by Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine, speaking about her battle against corruption. 7

  1. “103-year-old becomes grand canyon ranger.” NPR, NPR, 2019, www.npr.org/2019/03/01/699261929/103-year-old-becomes-grand-canyon-ranger. ↩︎

  2. Green, Amy. “endangered florida grasshopper sparrows released into the wild despite concerns.” NPR, NPR, 23 sept. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/09/23/763521144/endangered-florida-grasshopper-sparrows-released-into-the-wild-despite-concerns. ↩︎

  3. Lunden, Jeff. “at 94, director peter brook is still asking the deep questions.” NPR, NPR, 6 oct. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/10/06/766836746/at-94-director-peter-brook-is-still-asking-the-deep-questions. ↩︎

  4. “October 08, 2019 episode transcript | cbc radio.” cbcnews, cbc/radio canada, 9 oct. 2019, www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-tuesday-edition-1.5313282/october-08-2019-episode-transcript-1.5315058. ↩︎

  5. Brown, Keri. “renaming the dixie classic fair.” NPR, NPR, 12 oct. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/10/12/769688175/renaming-the-dixie-classic-fair. ↩︎

  6. Brady, Jeff. “a rising generation asserts itself on climate change.” NPR, NPR, 20 sept. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/09/20/761916356/global-youth-climate-strike-expected-to-draw-large-crowds. ↩︎

  7. Inskeep, Steve. “Marie Yovanovitch’s story.” NPR, NPR, 15 nov. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/11/15/779628866/marie-yovanovitchs-story ↩︎

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