Discovering one’s voice through podcasting
Given the immense popularity of podcasting as a career option, HT School hosted Junior SmartcasterThe Podcast Making Workshop for students from classes 5 to 8, in collaboration with HT Smartcast. HT School aims to chisel all the six dimensions of learning—intellectual, emotional, social, physical, spiritual and vocational and with that in mind, the podcast workshop was organised to introduce students to the 360-degree perspective of the storytelling process.
Some of the topics covered included introduction to podcasting, the conceptualization of your own podcast, how to write and record podcasts, a sneak peek into podcast packaging, and finally getting into the habit of listening to podcasts of your liking.
The workshop was hosted by Deepti Ahuja, Podcast Producer, HT Smartcast + Podcast & Radio Host of Yeh Podcast Vodcast Kya Hai.It was co--hosted by Snigdha Menda, Manager, HT Smartcast.
The workshop held at HT House was attended by 50+ students and 11 teachers from various schools like Mount Carmel School, Anand Niketan; Delhi Public School, Noida; Laxman Public School, Hauz Khas; Apeejay School, Pitampura;
Students were excited and intrigued by the intense handwork that went into the process of story telling and creating an audio narrative.
“Becoming a podcaster is all about having your own agency and be able to express what you really want to do. Once you are able to do that, only then will you be able to find an authenticity that can help you sustain in the long run,” explained Ahuja.
This was a hands-on workshop where students did every part of the process by themselves. After a conceptual introduction to how to make podcasts and how to identify their target audience, students were asked to create a plan to execute their own podcasts. During the workshop, students were asked to think freely and conceptualise their own podcast. They were asked to write a trailer which they then recorded at the Fever FM studios. Subsequently, they visited the sound editor where they heard their playbacks and received feedback on how they sounded.
“I had a great experience that really surpassed my expectations. The hosts conducted a very interactive session and I learnt that podcasting is not just about going to a mic and speaking. I learnt about the importance of having the right story with the right background music,” said Dev Karan, student, class 9, Delhi Public School, Noida. “This was a great learning experience and the workshop brought out my creative side. It was a great exposure to the workings of the media industry and I found it useful because everyone in my home is from a science background,” said Kriti Yadav, student, class 10, Apeejay School, Pitampura.