November 14, 2008, 5:01 p.m. - TMN Talks

Question 16: jad, i understand that you were formerly a composer. how does that influence how you put together the sound of radio lab? it’s a fundamentally unique show in that regard, and i wonder if it takes a musician to foster that sense of aural imagination. thanks for the show.

well, thank you for that question! (i’ll pay you later). in the end, i don’t see a huge difference between composing music and telling stories. storytelling is a deeply music thing. i don’t think this requires a musical background though. i work with some folks here who never studied music but have the magic pixie dust nonetheless.

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About This Talk

The son of a scientist and a doctor, Radio Lab Co-Host Jad Abumrad did most of his growing up in Tennessee, before studying creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College in Ohio. Following graduation, Abumrad wrote music for films, and reported and produced documentaries for a variety of local and national public radio programs, including On the Media, PRI’s Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and WNYC’s “24 Hours at the Edge of Ground Zero”. The Ring & I, an insightful, funny, and lyrical look at the enduring power of Wagner’s Ring Cycle which he produced and hosted, aired nationally and internationally and earned ten awards, including the prestigious 2005 National Headliner Grand Award in Radio.

Illustration by Witold Riedel

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