Éowyn Fain (May 2020, BA, Audio Production) didn’t necessarily expect that her dream job would be at a public radio station in Asheville, North Carolina. “Most folks encouraged me to focus my job search around the larger cities with major music studios… Los Angeles and New York,” said Éowyn, who was recently hired as Blue Ridge Public Radio’s operations coordinator and radio announcer.

It was during her year-and-a-half-long job search post-graduation – much of which took place during the uncertain days at the height of the pandemic –
Fain found herself reflecting on what she describes as NPR’s empathetic and human approach to storytelling. One story in particular stuck in her mind: its focus was a housing complex damaged by mold – and the Mexican immigrants whose health had been impacted.

“The sound design of the piece really conveyed the feeling of those families. You could hear the effect in their voices. You could hear the coughing in the background.” She felt called to action and drawn to the work.

She also encourages those who are job searching to consider careers outside of the major metropolitan areas. “There are wonderful opportunities out there and many places offer vibrant local culture and music scenes,” said Fain who plays guitar, bass and flute and as a student hosted a weekly music program for American University’s student-run station WVAU.

In addition to traditional news and narrative radio programming, Blue Ridge Public Radio also produces Close to Home, a weekly program featuring the classic folk and Americana stylings of renowned dulcimer player Don Pedi. It’s a show Éowyn Fain holds close to her heart. Pedi has been broadcasting in some form or another on Blue Ridge Public Radio since 1985. “It’s pretty amazing, actually,” says Éowyn.

Capsule originally appeared in Audio Tech Newsletter.

Adam Horin came to AU with a degree in Neurobiology & Physiology from Purdue, along with a lifelong passion for music. He had previously worked in biomedical research labs at the National Institutes of Health and Purdue, and has authored two professional publications as well as presented posters on his research at conferences around the country. But he never lost the creative spark for writing his own songs, and decided to pursue a degree with ATEC to learn about music production in an academic setting.

In this academic setting, Horin has been able to continue pursuing his interest in biomedical research while also learning about the technical skills of producing his own music. On top of his ATEC courses he has also been able to integrate psychology courses into the degree as his electives and has had an internship doing research on singing therapy in Parkinson's disease at Wash U School of Medicine in St. Louis. His Master's capstone project investigates the principles of rhythm processing and its applications for rhythm discrimination tasks used to assess neurological deficits. ATEC has provided him with a skill set in audio engineering that he has been able to carry over into his research endeavors. After completing his Master's, Horin plans on pursuing a doctoral degree to continue doing research that incorporates his passions for music and science. "I've found this niche that really blends both those passions together for me in a way that I didn't even imagine until I was doing my Master's," reflects Horin.

James Reber has come full circle since completing his Master's in Audio Technology at AU. What began as a quest to understand sound itself as an young man has morphed into a career allowing others to learn as he did. Reber's class at AU emphasizes studio techniques for aspiring undergrads to learn from a professional in the field.

When not teaching at AU, Reber found his calling as a broadcast engineer for the BBC at the Washington, DC. bureau. His education allowed him access to a job where he works to maintain the technical infrastructure of the BBC's operation in DC as well as assisting with news programs taped on site. His career has allowed him to harness the innovative techniques he learned at AU to help deliver the news to waiting ears.

Gaston Reboredo does not worry too much about being in the background as a sound engineer. Instead he focuses on the important role he has at WAMU FM radio, manning the mixing console for NPR's All Things Considered. Reboredo considers the work he does part of the process of creating a work of art within the audio mix itself.

Before he created sonic landscapes for NPR, Reboredo received a Bachelor's in Audio Production from AU's ATEC program. His time in the program offered him great opportunities, such as an internship with his eventual employer, and access to knowledge and equipment that is usually reserved for professionals. He remains active in the Audio Engineering Society that he first joined as a student at AU.