For the past year or so I’ve been a pretty faithful podcast listener. It all started with wanting to have fresh content to listen to while I wash windows or screen print Ojai Face and Squeegee Power t-shirts. My son Elijah made a few listening suggestions too that have really changed my life.
He got me started on WTF with Marc Maron, pretty much the grand-daddy of all podcasts currently. I’ve been known to listen to Joe Rogan, Alec Baldwin, This American Life, Harry Shearer’s Le Show and a few others. What I came to realize is that this medium allows nearly anyone to create content and share it. How could I resist? I fricken love being creative.
Knowing that the hardest part of any new venture is being willing to dive in, get to work and figure things out, I did just that. The process began with lots of online reading, comparing systems and options for recording audio and publishing it on the Internet for people to hear and enjoy. This led to days in online shopping audio equipment rabbit holes. Lots of time lost in the bowels of Amazon.com’s user reviews and home recording forums.
Finally after ruminating for days on end, I gave myself over to the buy button and let the electronic dollars flow. Over the past few weeks I made a few purchases: 2 used Shure SM57 mics on ebay, mic stands and headphones on Amazon (use my sponsor link and support me and my podcast habit) and a simple Behringer USB audio mixer from American Musical Supply.
The initial intention is to practice my mic and recording technique. I have to find a new voice, develop my style and find the theme that emerges as the dominant force in my burgeoning yet very narrow broadcast. I intend to use the podcast as a means for increasing my window washing and screen printing products business for sure. I will also openly be aiming my intentions at finding advertisers and sponsors to fund and fuel my further bus rides down the narrow paths of meaningless thought in the face of meaning making. And in the process I intend to interview the wonderful, wild, winsome and wacky people who I know and want to know more here in Ojai and beyond this Valley.
I’ve got a bit to learn about RSS feeds, Itunes subscriptions and podcast production and promotion and development, not to mention learning to speak in a clear and concise manner. All totally doable.
I will be publishing my first episode officially this coming Friday, January 4, 2013. Listen for it. It’s gonna be a w00t. Or, more likely a sleepy, boring, bedtime story. Together, we shall hear.
shoulda gave me a call i bet i have extras layin around. oh well good luck with the podcast.