By Jenni Todd
Murray, KY – Media Release: WKMS Hosts Seminars with National Performance Coach
Date: 4-19-11
Contact: Chad Lampe (chad.lampe@murraystate.edu, 800-599-4737)
Murray, KY. Public radio personnel from six public radio stations in Kentucky and Missouri travel to Murray State University this Saturday, April 23, for a day-long workshop with Marilyn Pittman, a leading voice coach with NPR stations across the nation. WKMS News Director Chad Lampe organized the Pittman training workshop through his current position as Chair of the Kentucky Public Radio News Exchange. WKMS is Murray State's listener supported public radio service.
Marilyn Pittman is a broadcast veteran. As a guest lecturer on performance at the UC Berkley School of Journalism and a workshop leader for The Knight Digital Media Center there, she trains journalists from all disciplines in on-camera, and on-mic performance. Her current classes include radio, advanced radio, and video for the web. Along with coaching performance, she does modules on writing, voice tracking and directing, story structure, and sound design. Pittman is active in the San Francisco comedy scene as a stand-up comedian and she brings her comedic skills to her workshop presentations. She also hosts a weekly interview show, "Out In The Bay" on KALW, 91.7.
For the Murray State workshop, Pittman teaches a section on learning how to listen to one's work critically and learn techniques for improvement. Another session deals with honing interview skills and good field recording techniques. Pittman coaches writing for the ear and using conversational language as well as the art and science of copy reading.
Radio personnel from WEKU, Richmond; WKYU, Bowling Green; WFPL, Louisville; WKNO, Memphis; KRCU, Cape Girardeau; WUKY, Lexington and WKMS, Murray, are scheduled to be in workshops from 9 to 5 Saturday with all activities located on the 8th floor of Price Doyle Fine Arts Building at Murray State, also home to WKMS studios.
WKMS News Director Lampe says that trainer Pittman is also conducting sessions for Murray State University's Roundabout U personnel on Friday afternoon, including a lecture-demo with performance elements. In conjunction with the workshop sessions, the Kentucky Public Radio News Exchange editorial board meets in retreat at the Easley Alumni Center Friday morning.
WKMS reaches listeners in far western Kentucky, southernmost Illinois and northwestern Tennessee with two channels of public radio programming. One is news, analysis, discussion and a variety of music. The other is all classical. WKMS operates with funding from individuals, underwriters, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Murray State University.
See a schedule of WKMS programs at www.wkms.org or call 800-599-4737. Murray State's public radio service includes 91.3 WKMS, Murray; WKMS HD-1 and All-Classical HD-2; 90.9 WKMD, Madisonville; 89.5 WKMT, Fulton; 99.5 Paris, TN; and All-Classical 92.5 Paducah and 101.5 Madisonville. The station streams both WKMS HD-1 and HD-2 at www.wkms.org.