This audio unit honestly surprised me. Before this assignment, I never really thought about how much work goes into audio storytelling. I always focused on the story itself, but now I pay attention to everything happening in the background too. Watching the Ira Glass videos and listening to different podcasts taught me that pacing, music, sound effects, and even silence all play a role in how a story feels. Audio storytelling is not just about telling people what happened. It is about making them feel like they are there with you.

What was harder than I expected was audio editing. Recording my voice was not a big deal, but trying to add music, sound effects, and make everything flow together was a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. I found myself constantly adjusting volume levels and re-recording parts because something sounded awkward. I quickly learned that creating a good audio story takes a lot of patience and attention to detail.

What was easier than I expected was coming up with a story. Once I started thinking about my character and the world they lived in, the ideas came pretty naturally. I have always been someone who likes stories, whether that is through books, movies, podcasts, or television, so creating a narrative felt less intimidating than I expected.

The thing that drove me crazy was technology. It always seems like the creative part is the easiest part, and then the software decides to test your patience. Trying to figure out where to upload files, how to layer audio, and why certain programs would not do exactly what I wanted definitely caused a few moments of frustration. There were times when I spent more time troubleshooting than actually creating.

What I enjoyed most was seeing how much emotion sound can create. Listening to podcasts and creating my own project made me realize that a simple sound effect, a piece of music, or even a moment of silence can completely change how a listener experiences a story. I also enjoyed having the freedom to be creative. Unlike some assignments where there is one right answer, this project let me experiment and tell a story in my own way. By the end, I had a much greater appreciation for the amount of thought and creativity that goes into the audio content we listen to every day.

View my Ira Glass post here:

View my audio story analysis post, here:

View my Audio creation posts here: