Radio College | Mentoring: Testimonials

AIR's Mentor Program
Mentees and mentors love it.
Here's what they have to say:

For most of us in public radio, there just are no training/ mentoring opportunities anywhere...I've been working part-time at an NPR affiliate for years, and no one has ever had the time or ability to offer ANY sort of technical or editorial training. I think the situation is probably similar throughout radio land. The mentoring opportunity at AIR is the most generous and useful service of ANY professional organization I've belonged to (and there have been several).

I needed help establishing an oral history business...My mentor introduced me to the "history" of oral history with a "roadmap" of where I could learn more, and gave me many specifics on different one-on-one recording setups, interviewing tips for different situations and editing how-to's. These were tailored to my individual needs in starting a family history interview business. Plus, he gave me much insight and specifics on how I might apply [my oral history] skills to producing future radio documentaries for potential NPR acquirers.

As a mentor I was reminded of the importance of respecting other people's objectives and choices, of the excitement that people new to oral history experience when conducting their first interviews.

I wanted feedback on a 1/2 hour spoken word program I've been producing for the last couple of years...I wanted to discuss style, editing, effectiveness and reach. And, I wanted to get some tips on the mechanics and infrastructure for a radio oriented non-profit whose intent is to broadcast educational programs. My mentor showed me how to deliver text naturally and talked about the effectiveness of spoken word stories when told using other sounds rather than narrative alone. We discussed what I could do, as the show's host, to better orient the listener. We discussed a new radio project idea I have and funding possibilities to pursue. We talked about working partnerships and the effective division of labor within a small educational media organization.

My partner and I produce an ongoing rock 'n' roll show...We were extremely pleased with the breadth and depth of our mentor's knowledge and experience as well as his generosity in sharing his wisdom and contacts with us. Specifically, he identified individuals and parties who might be responsive to developing partnerships with us to produce a variety of programming. He presented fresh insights into new approaches and formats for us to consider. We gained a far greater sense of the business of public radio -- its strengths, weaknesses, quirks and alliances. Our mentor applied his personal knowledge and experience to our series in a very direct and pragmatic way that will benefit the future of the program.

As a mentor...it is a great joy for me to help a producer with a national show; to help an organization grow in strength and direction.

I needed marketing and distribution help: I came to the mentorship with a long list of very specific questions about how to go about promoting my current radio series. My mentor had very helpful ideas, insights and concrete advice. I came out of this mentorship with a much better understanding of the distribution process.

The mentor was very ready to talk -- and the feedback was very positive on my work -- critically positive. I felt like I had someone watching my back, rooting for things to go well. When I hadn't contacted her in a while, she checked in with specific questions. The encouragement she expressed; the sense she gave me that we are all going through the same things no matter at what level, helped. She gave me courage to go after the people in the biz'.

As a mentor I enjoy helping others grow...it challenges my skills and makes me think about the process of radio and what I can bring to it.

The mentorship was extremely useful, stimulated fresh thinking about a concept, in other cases confirmed inclinations we already had. Also it forced a very close listening to the product -- not something new for us, just a very good way to subject the work to an extra set of skilled and engaged ears.

Just yesterday I wrote a story that was -- I think -- a better piece because it was informed by my mentor's thoughts about treating a script like a song, with a certain pattern and rhythm. Hard to apply to a story about science, but it worked! I know I'll be thinking about the experience more as time goes by and finding new ways to apply what I've learned.

On-site station-based mentorships:

We wanted to expose our staff to a seasoned sound-maker who was skilled at interviewing, producing, voicing, editing, sound-gathering and mixing. The mentor was particularly effective at dealing with individual subtleties in the work of specific reporter/producers. Among other things, she coached them on how to conceive pieces, how to maintain coherence and how to make them meaningful for listeners. The mentorship involved a personal visit to the station, group discussions, as well as in individual critiques.

I love mentoring: to be able to pass on some of my excitement about this medium and the work on developing the possibilities aka talents aka skills of others. Exposure to a station is a great hit for me, as is exposure to local news and concerns.

I hope I established a stimulating climate that ignited their minds and activated the possibilities of using the medium of radio and sound more fully. I hope I urged them to push themselves a bit harder to find stronger language, mike their work better, use headphones, think quality, think about the true focus of their story, think about how they ask questions. what their mixes sound like, how to make the sound of the station, including their voices, vivid and distinct. I hope they also can see that the process of seeking to do better work is ongoing, that it is a process I always feel myself to be in, always seeking to learn, to listen.

AIR's Mentor Program:
It works both ways, it can work for you!

AIR's Mentor Program Mentees and mentors love it. Here's what they have to say:

AIR's Mentor Program
Mentees and mentors love it.
Here's what they have to say: