A podcast festival

I remember the first time I saw a mention about a podcasting festival called Resonate coming to Richmond and how absurdly excited I was. It was to be sponsored by VPM (a local NPR affiliate) and ICA at VCU (the Institute for the Contemporary Arts). I put the date on my calendar, made sure to take time off from work that weekend, and then waited to learn more details. As soon as registration opened I signed up.

You see, I've really fallen into the rabbit hole of podcasting over the last year. Ironically, my first exposure happened near the beginning of the pandemic when my boss decided she wanted to launch a podcast about mental health. She tasked me with researching the equipment and we landed on a pair of Blue Yeti microphones. We recorded over Zoom and I began to learn to edit in Audacity. I believe we recorded two episodes before abandoning the idea.

However, I did not abandon my desire to create a podcast. I kept researching equipment and skills needed for a quality podcast. As always, YouTube was a good friend here. I watched so many reviews that I wouldn't even begin to guess how many there were. I already had a Zoom H5 and I purchased two Rode Podmics before even approaching Stephen about starting a podcast. Thankfully he was sold on the idea from the beginning and Explore the Everyday launched in August 2021.

Over the last year I have produced and edited our podcast and turned my apartment into a relatively decent recording studio. When I moved out it took HOURS to remove all of the sound panels and the adhesive from my wall and ceiling. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoy the process and only wish that I was better and more efficient at every step.

For two days during #ResonatePodFest I learned from some incredibly talented individuals, many of whom have been part of major podcasts with an international following. At the end of each day we were treated to a live recording of a performance that pushed the boundaries of what a podcast can sound (and look) like. Seriously, the first night included audience members' (very physical) participation and the second night culminated with the narrator destroying a full size replica of a Confederate monument. Things got wild.

Possibly the best part of the weekend were all of the opportunities to network with other podcasters. I met one who lives just a handful of blocks from me and another who I know from working at the hospital. The latter is a cardiologist who has a show that is completely unrelated to his day job (Twisted Wisdom). We quickly realized that our shows have many parallels (including an unplanned hiatus) and we hope to collaborate in the near future.

All in all, I think that our podcast will benefit greatly from the time I spent at Resonate. I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year.