Hello

Each month, I'll send you an audio assignment and some inspiration, via the Audio Playground Newsletter. When you complete the assignment, send me back the mp3.

I'll post all the responses on this site, like it’s our collective refrigerator door.

The point isn’t to make something good — though fine if it is — but to make it.  And maybe surprise yourself in the process.

The project’s inspired in part by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher's collaboration, Learning to Love You More.  About that project, they wrote:  “Like a recipe, meditation practice, or familiar song, the prescriptive nature of these assignments [is] intended to guide people toward their own experience.” Ditto, about this one.

The whole idea here is to foster an audio doodle culture, with some community and accountability, whatever that means to you. Some of you might want to do the assignments in one take, or give yourself, say, half an hour start to finish. Others might want to use the opportunity to craft something more intricate. Figure out what you need from this, then do it that way. 

Do i need audio experience to participate?

No way. Feel free to use your phone to record. Garage Band comes with lots of computers, and I love Reaper editing software and its free trial.

when are assignments due?

I’ll post your response whenever you send it to me. But, I suggest you experiment with starting it now. It’ll feel so good to get it done.

Do i own the rights to my assignment responses?

Absolutely.

Who are you?

I’m Sarah Geis, a radio and podcast maker, editor, and teacher working in Chicago and beyond. I’m a former artistic director of Third Coast. This year, I’m a senior fellow at the Invisible Institute, working on developing some kind of co-op for producers in the Midwest. You can reach me at sarah@audioplayground.xyz