Third Coast International Audio Festival

This hour: two people shed old skins and resurface in foreign territory. Breaking Away by Josh Gleason (Vox Tablet, 2010) Luzer Twersky was raised as a Hasidic Jew. At the age of 23 he decided to leave his family and everything he’d ever known to move into secular society. His upbringing had been strict -- no school, no movies, no dates, no jobs. Otrasized from his community, he entered a world he knew very little about. *Includes an interview with the producer, Josh Gleason (extended interview in 'extras' section). Finding Miles by Sarah P. Reynolds (Transom.org, 2010) A few years ago, radio producer Sarah Reynolds was privy to an intimate confession: her friend Megan told her that she was about to undergo a transition in gender from female to male. Over the next year, Megan and Sarah recorded hundreds of hours of tape as she became Miles. From this tape, Sarah created an intimate documentation of the journey. This piece was originally produced for Transom.org with support from Jay Allison.

This hour: the piano. But not just as a musical instrument. The piano as a spiritual healer, as a symptom in a grand delusion, as a man’s obsession, and as a beloved friend, put out to pasture. The Glass Piano by Kate Bland and Deborah Levy with Emily Watson (BBC Radio 3, 2011) Once upon a time, there was a Russian princess. The Princess was named Alexandra Amelie and she had a curious relationship with a glass piano. The story of Alexandra is part history lesson, part magical tale, part psychological study. It came to us as an entry in our 2011 documentary competition, and it’s safe to say, we had never heard anything like it. Ted the Tuner by Julianne Hazlewood (Re:sound Premiere, 2011) Inside the grand shell of a piano is a complicated and delicate system – hundreds of working parts that require the care of a doctor with highly specialized skills. Ted Sambell has been doctoring pianos for over 70 years with a love that’s eclipsed everything else in his life. Centennial Accident by Julia Krolik and Owen Fernly (Re:sound premiere, 2011) The piano of Centennial Accident spent many years being loved and played in the Grad Club – A bar for grad students on the campus of Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. But, due to a broken leg, the piano was taken out of use. In the last three years of its life, it was brought back to nature to live out its final days outdoors, decomposing over time. Marie's Crisis by Keven T. Allen (Weekend America, 2007) Marie's Crisis is a famous piano bar in the West Village of New York City. Pianist Jim Allen learned the piano from his father, who felt that the instrument should be played only to celebrate God’s glory. For Jim, the bar is its own unlikely kind of church - as healing for him as it is for the people who gather around the piano to sing and listen. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. More at thircoastfestival.org

This hour: the story of Sandra Willson. Tit for Tat: The Story of Sandra Willson by Catherine Freyne, with sound engineer, Phillip Ullman In Australia, Sandra Willson is known for many things: she established the first halfway house for women leaving prison, she was a consultant on a popular TV series and an important figure in the gay rights movement. When Willson died in 1999, she left behind an unpublished memoir and a slew of personal papers. From these sources as well as archival interview tape, producer Catherine Freyne tells the story of Willson’s life, from the murder that put her in prison to her later activism. Readings from Willson's memoirs are done by actor, Linda Cropper. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. More at thirdcoastfestival.org

This hour: selling, swapping, buying and trading. Selling the U.S., One Inch at a Time by Rebecca Sheir (Alaska Public Radio, 2007) For a mere $3.95 you can own a piece of America. The Auctioneer by Ned Sublette (New American Radio, 1989) Some people are natural salesmen (and women). For the rest of us there is a place where, if you want to sell lots of stuff to lots of people really, really fast, you can learn how. Open Outcry by Ben Rubin (The World Financial Center, 2002) In the last 10 years or so, the once chaotic and loud New York Mercantile Exchange has gone quiet -- the screaming traders of yore have now mostly been replaced by computers. Luckily, the sound of “open-outcry” trading was captured by media artist Ben Rubin for a sound installation he did at The World Finnacial Center's Winter Garden in 2002. The Swap Shop by Dan Collision & Elizabeth Meister (Long Haul Productions, 2006) For more than 60 years the people of northwest Tennessee have been selling and swapping everything (including the kitchen sink) on a radio show called The Swap Shop. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. More at thirdcoastfestival.org.

This hour: people who start out as bitter enemies and end up in places you could never predict. The Rabbi and the KKK by Anna Sussman (Snap Judgement, 2011) When Rabbi Michael Weisser moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, self-avowed anti-semite Larry Trap was determined to make an enemy out of him. And he tried really hard. But despite his best efforts, he just couldn't do it. Two Enemies, One Heart by Mignon Aylen with Jonathan Groubert (The State We're In, 2011) Zoom out on any war and you’ll see a tragic picture. The first Persian gulf war was no exception. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost and countless atrocities were committed. But zoom in, and in the midst of all the darkness you’re sure to find pockets of breath-taking bravery and compassion. Such was the case with the two soldiers in Two Enemies, One Heart. Mary Johnson and Oshea Isreal Jasmyn Belcher (Morning Edition, 2011) Mary and Oshea reflect on their relationship in this short but powerful story of unlikely friendship and remarkable forgiveness. Their story was recorded for the national oral history project, StoryCorps.

This hour: two stories of regular old days that started out static and ended up seismic. Birdy by Michael O'Kane (Documentary on One, RTE, 2010) Ewa Wisnierska was an experienced paraglider. She won the world cup in 2005, and a training run for the same competition two years later began as a routine exercise. But on that day, storm clouds moved in quickly and imperceptibly. In mid-flight, Ewa was sucked up into a storm cell that catapulted her higher than Mount Everest and changed her average day into one that was anything but. Man in the Road by Nick van der Kolk, Ben Bombard and Rehman Tungekar (Love + Radio, 2011) Melvin Dummar was driving home from work when he spotted a man lying in the road. He did the man a kind turn by giving him a ride and a little bit of money. It was a decision that would come back to haunt him years later. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. More at thirdcoastfestival.org.

This week: dreams and dreamers of all kinds - lucid, fictional, public and elusive. Dream Bed by Sean Cole (Studio 360, 2005) Dreams are intensely personal. But since we all dream, might there be an aspect of dreaming that could be communal? Artist Marina Abramovic believes there is, so she created an installation in the Rose Museum in Boston and then invited people to sleep in it. Dreamers by Joe Frank (Unfictional, 2012) The work of Joe Frank is dark, unpredictable and often, hilarious. His story "Dreamers" is more like an M.C Escher drawing than a traditional tale and leaves you questioning the blurry line between dreams and reality. The Lucid Dreamers by Neva Grant (360documentaries, ABC, 2012) How wonderful would sleep be, if we could control our dreams? As it turns out, many people say this is possible, and YouTube is filled with how-to videos. American producer Neva Grant explored this phenomenon of lucid dreaming while living in Australia. Dreamland by Nate DiMeo (The Memory Palace, 2012) Amusement parks have always been places where the stuff of your wildest dreams can be lived out. So it’s not a surprise that New York’s Coney Island, which once boasted three competing parks, named one of them Dreamland. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle

This hour: Two stories of people who are far away - physically, emotionally and/or spiritually from the place they call home. Home is Always Somewhere Else by Nguyen Qui Duc and Dmae Roberts (Crossing East National Series, 2006) When home is a war-torn country, leaving it can be a matter of survival, not choice. But that doesn't make it any easier. When the war in Vietnam ended in 1975, thousands of Vietnamese came to America. Nguyen Qui Duc was one of them. He and his family moved to Maryland when he was 17, but his heart never really left Vietnam. Circle of Care by Delaney Hall (Re:sound premiere, 2012) The paths that immigrants pave to get to this country are well worn and rutted. Whether the goal is to seek better opportunities, follow dreams, or escape bad circumstances, people struggle to get here. It can be especially difficult for women, who often have to leave behind children and aging parents. Alma supports her family back home in the Philippines by taking care of someone else's family in New York. *Read an update on Alma from producer Delaney Hall. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. Find out more at thirdcoastfestival.org

This hour: whether it is a mob of millions or one single voice, nothing changes unless someone stands up and says, "No more." Voices of Tahrir by Jessie Graham and Barrett Golding. Narrated by Heba Morayef (Human Rights Watch, 2011) In 2011, the whole world watched as an Egyptian protest turned into a full-scale revolution in Tahrir Square. Heba Morayef, an Egyptian native and Human Rights worker was there in Tahrir, recording the revolution on her iphone. Voices of Tahrir includes tape from Tahrir Square as well as interviews done after the revolution. Remembering Stonewall by David Isay (Sound Portraits, All Things Considered, 1989) It was a Friday night in 1969 when New York City's "Public Morals Squad" headed to the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the West Village, for a raid. In '69 raids like this were common, and generally, people were compliant. But on this night, the people at the Stonewall Inn fought back and a new gay movement was born. Board Protest by Linda Lutton (WBEZ, 2011) There are small but important protests going on in communities all the time. In 2011, when the Chicago School Board planned to close a number of neighborhood schools, the parents decided to stand up and make noise... even if no one was listening. Thao's Grandma Makes a Statement by Stephanie Foo (Snap Judgment, 2012) Protest on a macro scale can produce a revolution. But the personal protest of one individual can cause big waves too. This is the story of just such a protest. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. Find out more at thirdcoastfestival.org

This week: the mother reigns supreme. Kingdom of Women by Erin O'Dwyer with Timothy Nicastri (360documentaries, ABC, 2013) In remote village in the Yunnan province of China exists one of the only matriarchal cultures in the world. In fact, there isn't even a word in the Mosuo language for 'husband' or 'father.' Children are raised by their mother's brother and all of the property stays in her name. Women entertain as many lovers as they wish, who visit under the cloak of darkness and leave before dawn. The Hidden World of Traveller Girls by The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva (Morning Edition, NPR, 2010) "Travellers" are sometimes thought of as the gypsies of Ireland. The girls marry young and have large families. By the time they’re well established, so is their authority in the community. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. Hear more great stories at thirdcoastfestival.org.

This hour: a seismic shift in a man's identity, a bad dog who refuses to change, and more. How Are You Who You Are? by Eric Winick, with Jay Allison (Transom.org, 2008) A story of truth, tolerance, a seismic shift in one man’s identity, and the rippling effects it has on his wife and family. Frankie by Katie Mingle (Re:sound premiere, 2009) There is a certain kind of transformation story that is a sure-fire, tear-jerking, pop-culture hit. You know the one: an evil person with a hidden heart of gold is slowly tamed by someone with loving patience and, as a result, is forever transformed. Well, this story isn’t one of those... but it’s close. My Father and Other Animals by Thelon Oeming (Outfront, 2004) A portrait of a father, a man who has reinvented himself many times over the course of his life as the world has changed around him. Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. Hear more at thirdcoastfestival.org

This hour: The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Re:sound is produced by Katie Mingle. Hear more great documentaries at thirdcoastfestival.org

This hour: what happens when we open our ears to the surprising symphonies all around us.

This hour: letters. To yourself, to your city, lost letters, found letters... and a love letter to letters.

Circling the Center of Creation by Scott Carrier (Atlantic Public Media, 2008) Scott Carrier ecountered nomads and pilgrims of all kinds when he set off on a 32 mile trek around the base of Mount Kailash in the Himilayas of Tibet. To set foot on the slope of the mountain is considered a dire sin. But circumnavitgating it is a holy ritual that is supsposed to bring good fortune. Hobo Confessions by Ben Adair (Savvy Traveler, 2000) The word "hobo" conjures up sepia-toned images of wayward travelers from another era (think Woodie Guthrie), but this piece by Ben Adair proves that the hobo life-style is still alive and relatively well. This hour: From the highest fresh water lake in the world to one of the lowest spots on the bowery, we bring you stories of nomadic cultures, peoples and spirits. The Sunshine Hotel by Stacy Abramson and David Issay (All Things Considered, 1998) Even lifelong nomads have to settle down and rest for a while. There was a time in New York City when many wayward travelers came to rest at flophouses. These hotels offered a tiny space for a tiny sum and were sometimes semi-permanent residences for men down-on-their-luck.