Night radio

Night Radio was one of my first podcasts. Unfortunately it required the voice talent of a young girl and of a mature man with a deep voice, and I had no one to ask.

But I was really keen on telling the story: a young, impressionable girl who spent her sleepless nights listening to a mature man who covered the graveyard shift on the local radio, philosophising about the world with his beautiful, deep voice, a voice that in the darkness, evoked incredible worlds and strong feelings in the girl's mind.

The year was 2013, I lived in Melbourne, and I was still trying to find my community of podcasters. The only place where I felt at home was  SoundCloud, which, back then, was a cool boutique platform based in Berlin (oh! how have things changed since!), and that's where I reached out.

Actually, it was the other way around: one morning I woke up to find that the views on my SoundCloud channel had skyrocketed (several thousand compared to the usual few dozen): I had been named Soundclouder of the Day. That's how I started exchanging messages with SoundCloud's extraordinaire community leader, Luke Leighfield, and with his help, I put out a call to audition for the two voices I needed to tell my story.

I remember very well the euphoria of listening to the voices of the dozens of people who auditioned, and I must say that when I heard the voices of Bailey Castle and Darren Kleven, I immediately knew that they were perfect for what I had in mind.

Those were pretty anything-goes times for podcasts, and in fact, I decided to use Stairway to Heaven at the beginning of my piece—which was the theme song of the night program that I had fallen madly in love with as a girl (it won't surprise anyone to know that the story is autobiographical).

Listening to Night Radio again lately, I thought that it was too good to stay private, so I replaced the initial music (with something legit) but left everything else as it was: raw, unpolished (I created it using Audacity, go figure!), naive, and yet, thanks to the fantastic interpretations of Bailey and Darren, it retains its nocturnal magic.

Dedicated to all those who have fallen in love with a voice on the radio.

(If anyone is curious to know what happened with my radio crush, I can only say that it had quite a different ending. Write me in private if you want the details).

Voices: Bailey Castle and Darren Kleven
Words & Production: M. Cristina Marras
Photo by Chandan Chaurasia on Unsplash

What is Art, in all the wrong places?

Characters who can't always be trusted. Because they often don't see the difference between sound and noise, between countryside and abandoned building, between fiction and reality.
I explore sound, speak languages and talk to strangers. This is my work.
AIR Member. www.cristinamarras.com

RADIO HOST
… and I found this… pod in my hand.
It felt smooth. Tiny. Precious.
I knew that the little pod was the only and last thing I would ever hold from her.
She had left.
I opened carefully the pod with my fingernail.
And I found a miniature foetus inside.
The only and last thing I would ever hold from her.

RADIO HOST
Hello?

YOUNG GIRL
Hello? I’ve just finished listening. You made me so sad.

RADIO HOST
The night is always sad.

YOUNG GIRL
Do you recognise me?

RADIO HOST
Yes. My most passionate listener.

YOUNG GIRL
Have you received my letter?

RADIO HOST
Yes.

YOUNG GIRL
Are you angry?

RADIO HOST
Should I be?

YOUNG GIRL
Have you read it?

RADIO HOST
Yes. I have read it. And it was very sweet. And I thank you for the things that you have written. You are a very mature girl for your age. But you should spend more time with people your own age.

YOUNG GIRL
My friends are not interested in the things that interest me. They only think about showing off with boys and stuff.

RADIO HOST
You don’t like boys?

YOUNG GIRL
The boys I know are all boring. Superficial. Empty. I wouldn’t know what to talk about with them.

RADIO HOST
What do you want to talk about?

YOUNG GIRL
Everything. Life, death, philosophy, ideas of what life could be like, revolution, feeling different from everybody else. I don’t know, everything.

RADIO HOST
OK. Tell me.

YOUNG GIRL
I told you everything in the letter. When I listen to your program… I don’t know. It’s like you always know how I feel. I lay here in bed, in the dark, and you bring this world into my room. And everything makes sense. And the stories you tell, they make me think.

RADIO HOST
That’s very sweet. Thank you. But you know that at your age, things can appear different from what they are in reality.

YOUNG GIRL
I don’t think that the age is a problem. I think that you are as old as you feel. Sometimes I feel very old. Especially at night. I love listening to your program. It’s like you open a secret door that no one else knows.

RADIO HOST
Shouldn’t you be already sleeping? Don’t you have to go to school tomorrow morning?

YOUNG GIRL
You still haven’t answered to what I wrote in the letter. Have you read it?

RADIO HOST
Yes, I told you that I’ve read it. You have a vivid imagination.

YOUNG GIRL
And what do you say?

RADIO HOST
I don’t think it would be a good idea.

YOUNG GIRL
But why? It wouldn’t cost you anything…

RADIO HOST
I think you have a bit of a crush on me. Can it be?

YOUNG GIRL
Maybe. Would that be bad?

RADIO HOST
No. That wouldn’t be bad at all. But meeting in person wouldn’t be a good idea. Trust me.

YOUNG GIRL
Are you scared?

RADIO HOST
Terribly. You know, there is a name for men my age that meet with girls your age. And it’s not a good name.

YOUNG GIRL
But I just want to meet you and see you… We can be friends. You always say that it is possible to be friends, just friends…

RADIO HOST
I told you already. You wouldn’t like what you see. I am ugly. That’s why I do radio. So no one can see me.

YOUNG GIRL
That’s offensive. Do you really think I care the way people look? I know your soul. And that’s beautiful.

RADIO HOST
I need to go now. Good night. Sweet dreams.

YOUNG GIRL
WAIT! Please… can I write again?

RADIO HOST
I don’t think it’d be a good idea. Good night little princess.