The latest news from Audio Journal

March 2021

News from Audio Journal | Serving Central Massachusetts Since 1987

Audio Journal iPhone App on Apple's App Store!

It's here! Audio Journal now has its very own iPhone app.

Development began in May 2019 when I (Mary Frandsen) contacted Laura Roberts, Director of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Community Project Center. The students first conducted a user study. Then last summer, the students began designing and programming the app.

There are many people I would like to thank for their talents, efforts, and dedication. (Forgive me if I have left anyone out!)

Students: They performed the bulk of the work: design, development, testing, and implementation.

Ryan Doyle, Irakli Grigolia, Brendan Marion, and Kyria Nelson.

WPI Professors: For providing their guidance and leadership.

Lane Harrison, Rodica Neamtu, Purvi Shah, and Sarah Strauss

App Testers: Their insights and error reports helped improve the application.

Vinod Chawla, Elidia Diakite, Aidan Doyle, David Dunham, Jerry Feliz, Ken Frandsen, Janie Frandsen, Mary Haroyan, Richard Keyes, Sharon Latka Davis, Rhonda Mencey, Jim Murphy, Davie Robie, Sally Rotchford, Stephen Theberge

Our genius Web Master: Jean Theurkauf

The students spent countless hours on this project. Their pictures are below.

The students designed the app for Audio Journal's visually impaired listeners. Features include a simple screen layout and user interface, dynamic type, VoiceOver, search by voice, and changing color palette. Listeners may listen to Audio Journal's live broadcast, search and listen to archived programming, get the program schedule, resume an archived program they previously started, and favorite programs.

The Audio Journal App is a huge accomplishment that will carry Audio Journal into the future. Already the professors recruited students to continue developing the app starting next fall.

If you need assistance installing the app on your iPhone, please call Mary at 508-797-1117.

Virtual Volunteer Appreciation Event

Audio Journal volunteers are invited to attend a Virtual Volunteer Appreciation Event. The members of the Massachusetts Audio Information Network (MAIN) are planning the event, and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) is a co-sponsor. The event will include messages of appreciation from MCB Commissioner, David D'arcangelo, legislators, and listeners.

Friday, April 30, 2021

Noon-1 p.m. EST

The Zoom Event information is in the graphic on the right. To print the invitation, click here. If you need any additional information, please contact mary@audiojournal.org or call 508-797-1117.

Zoom Listener Meeting

On Monday, February 22, Audio Journal invited listeners to attend a Zoom meeting. Catherine Thornton, Board of Directors member, helped me (Mary Frandsen) call every listener in our database. Some we reached spoke of loneliness and challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And sadly, we learned of a few who passed away.

In attendance at the meeting were eight listeners, myself, Ginny Cooke, Program Manager, Catherine Thornton, and Ryan Doyle, student app developer. The most important message the listeners told us was that they need the program schedule. Prior to Covid-19, when volunteers broadcast live, they often let listeners know what programs were airing that day. So, we have enlisted our remote readers to do the same. Large print program guides are being prepared to mail to all listeners. We will include this newsletter and a ways to listen graphic. (With the Audio Journal App, there are six different ways to hear our broadcasts!)

Getting to Ginny's Ideal Wave Form

Ginny Cooke, Program Manager, is very busy every day. Her main task is to edit multiple audio files, from our dedicated volunteer readers, as they arrive in Dropbox, an online file sharing system. Audio editing, done for some programs prior to Covid-19, now must be done for every program. It is a lot of audio files and volunteers to juggle, but Ginny does it with grace. Once edited, Ginny places the audio files in the playlist of the broadcast automation system.

Some of our volunteer readers, having mastered recording at home and sending files through Dropbox, wanted to learn how to edit their own audio files. Ginny prepared a training for them that was carried out over two Zoom sessions in February. Check out her ideal wave form in the picture on the right.

If you want your own copies of the instructions Ginny developed, click here.

If you want to watch a video of one of the training sessions, email mary@audiojournal.org.

Welcome to our new Board of Directors Members

Ruth Pellegrino and Gopi Balasubramanian

Ruth comes to us from Tri -Valley, Inc., which provides services to seniors and people who are disabled. Gopi is a long-time volunteer reader and participant in Audio Journal's Speaking Volumes book discussion group.

Programming Updates - Volunteers Needed

Are you a sports fan? Well, some of our listeners are. Devin Chausse, who has been recording Sports Corner twice a month, is looking for someone to take over, or to share the program. He gladly will spend time with a new volunteer to get him/her started. Sports Corner airs Tuesdays at 10 a.m.

Volunteer readers Dave Russell and Risa Sacks want a third person on their team to read The Gardner News. It airs Wednesdays at 6 p.m.

The listeners want humor. Nathan Agin, who lives in California and grew up in Grafton, contacted Audio Journal to volunteer. He is a voice professional who is going to share his talents with our listeners. His program, What's So Funny, will air on Friday nights at 10 p.m. Nathan will read New England college satirical newspapers.

Did you miss Speaking Volumes on the first Tuesday of the month? Listen again on Sundays at 8 p.m.

Like Radio-Active Theatre? Listen on Sundays at 7 p.m.

Volunteer Spotlight: Radio-Active Theatre

Gary Galonek: Acting is his Passion

Considering his appearance in films such as The Post, Spotlight and The Town and being directed by Spielberg, Scorcese and Affleck, those of us who produce and direct Radio-Active Theatre (RAT) are in pretty terrific company on Gary Galonek’s resume.

Gary, stage name Gary Galone, began volunteering at Audio Journal more than 20 years ago starting the first sports program called Friday Night Sports Journal. He reports that he was able to get media credentials for Fenway and even interviewed then manager Joe Torre. Interested in gaining more experience in voice acting, Gary performed in a number of the newly formed RAT started by Jack Wertheimer in the 90’s. To this day, he is a frequent performer in RAT productions which he manages to fit in around ice hockey, other sports and business travels, and his family activities.

Although his “real” job as a businessman pays the bills, Gary has had many opportunities to pursue his avocation of acting in live community theatre, film, radio, voice over work and audio books. Lucky for us, when we call on him for leading man duties, he answers the call. Some of Gary’s credits with us include Sabrina, Notorious, All the Better to Kill You, Twilight Zone, You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running, and The Man with Bogart’s Face. Gary says he remembers fondly appearing in our first live production, It’s a Wonderful Life. We are glad to have Gary as part of the RAT family.

Catherine Thornton

To listen to a Radio-Active Theatre program, click here.

Audio Journal and WICN are partnering again to hold a Vinyl Sale

When: Saturday, June 19, 2021

Time: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: WICN Studio 50, 50 Portland Street, Worcester

If you have any albums gathering dust in your attic, we want them. Please contact Mary at mary@audiojournal.org or 508-797-1117. Your dusty albums help to keep Audio Journal and WICN on the air.

To print the poster, click here.