Episode 39 – JoYOLO: My Radio Story Sneak Peek + Sound Effects
JoYOLO is my new radio story airing on PBS 106.7FM.
In this episode I share a sneak peek of Chapter 1 and what inspired the whole story. I also discuss the five fun sound effects I used in producing my radio story. (Time stamp – 17:30)
Tune in to all of Chapter 1 this Monday 17 July from 1pm EST on PBS 106.7FM Melbourne, Australia. Overseas or interstate? Listen online at https://www.pbsfm.org.au/.
Bonus: you’ll also get to hear stories by my friends in the Collaborative Radio Project. Absolutely amazing people!
Story Synopsis
Joy loves words and comes from a poor single-mum family. Yolanda loves dance and comes from a middle-class family. The story is set in the fictional City of Baxter (a poor local council) in an unnamed Australian city. The action happens around the local library, community centre, council offices and different characters’ homes. Themes of corruption, adultery and hypocrisy swim around these two teenage girls who just want to be heard.
Inspiration
I’ve worked in the local government and community development space for a long time. I have seen good and not-so-good people on all sides. I want to tell funny and inspiring stories about those worlds, rather than the usual angry ones.
Special thanks
There are just too many amazing people who have inspired me, mentored me and encouraged me to produce this story! Special thanks to my sister Tendayi Munesu, my bestie Rita Nita, my writing mentor Magic Marisa, my radio mentors Maddy, Jess, Hannah and Bec and my music mentor Dale. And of course, the wonderful voice actors who have been so generous with their talents and time – Allison Chan, Bem Ikanyon , Kerry Cue, Dalene Groom, Chido Mwaturura, Maddy Mac and Stani Goma.
Recorded at PBS Radio Station in Melbourne, Australia.
Artwork and animation by Charly Makwanya of Hustle and Funk (Zimbabwe)
You might also like Episode 37, where I chatted to the voice actors about comparing ourselves to others.
Sound effects in my radio story production (Time stamp – 17:30)
1. Voice pitch
I have several characters in my story. Sometimes I just needed to sound like a man.
2. Layering
I layered dialogue with music and sound grabs to add depth to my scenes. I wanted to paint clearer pictures of where my characters were and what they were doing.
3. Reverb
I loved this effect and mainly used it to highlight my characters’ inner thoughts.
4. Panning
This was fun to experiment with to recreate dialogue between two characters. I used this effect to make their voices play in separate channels. (In others words, one voice in your left ear, the other in your right).
5. Transitions
These are key to seamlessly threading the story together. I mainly used Fading In and Fading Out to transition between scenes. I also used music and other random sounds to change moods.
Okay, well, that’s it for now. I hope you listen in on Monday!
Taku Mbudzi 
