The art of audio storytelling isn’t just for famous poets, performers, or podcast hosts. It's also practiced by University of South Florida students.
“Writing for the Ear" is an innovative Honors course designed and taught by Judy Genshaft Honors College affiliate faculty member Deepak Singh. This course teaches students how to use audio as a medium to craft effective and impactful stories and then allows them to record and produce their creations using the college’s own professional A.V. and podcast studios.
Inspired by his time in radio, Singh encourages students to adapt their writing for sound and beyond the world of print. While students curate compelling narratives, they also learn how utilizing different audio techniques can enhance the impact of a story or shift its meaning.
“In the world of audio journalism and storytelling, where every word resonates and every sound matters, effective writing takes center stage,” says Singh.
To help students navigate audio storytelling, Singh spends the first few weeks of the course immersing the class in various audio genres, such as podcasts, documentaries, and radio shows. Students dissect concepts like tone, style, intonation, and pacing, which they use to build their own stories in the second half of the semester. A workshop-based approach to project revisions fosters an engaging classroom setting where students learn to offer thoughtful critiques and channel feedback into tangible improvements.
With over 15 years of industry experience, two published books, multiple magazine features, and roles at BBC India and NPR in the United States, Singh offers a unique a wealth of knowledge to his students. He regards writing for radio as his first love and is passionate about sharing this craft.
Singh appreciates the diverse life experiences of his students by giving them complete creative freedom over their projects, allowing them the “permission to express themselves.”
“My purpose in class is to make students comfortable about sharing. They can feel comfortable and safe and not worry about how people are going to react. Students have been very supportive,” Singh adds.
BROAD PERSPECTIVES
Sophomore Honors student Amelie McLeod, dual majoring in world languages & culture and international studies, enrolled in Singh’s class to pursue her interest in creative writing. McLeod was drawn to the audio aspects of the course.
“My friends and I always joke that one day we will have a podcast together,” she says.
McLeod moved to America from France when she was young and felt disconnected from parts of French culture. After listening to an audio story by a French author about her mother’s passing, she was deeply moved by the connection she made with the writer’s experiences. This inspired McLeod to revisit a story she wrote in high school about witnessing the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on her mother’s live-in partner.
Using techniques learned in class and fueled by her favorite artists, Sylvia Plath and Ocean Vuong, McLeod created a lyrical audio story employing motifs like the French phrase “un ange passe” — a term used to describe a sudden awkward break in conversation — to detail the confusion, grief, and resentment of watching someone succumb to Alzheimer’s.
McLeod admitted that sharing her story with the class was nerve-wracking and emotional but helped her gain confidence.
“I never would have expected the praise I did,” said McLeod. “It inspired me to write so much more.”
CREATIVE OUTLETS
Freshman Honors student Daniella Charco, majoring in kinesiology and exercise science, has loved writing for as long as she can remember. Growing up, she entered countless creative writing competitions and always “wrote the extra credit poem for class.” When registering for Honors courses, Charco wanted a class that would unleash her creative side.
“It caught my attention that it’s a different type of writing than I usually do,” Charco says.
After transitioning to college and leaving behind the competitive dance career that had played a foundational role in her young life, Charco wrote a narrative about growing while letting go of the things we love. Her story is told through her internal monologue on the day of her last regional dance competition. Framed by the remembrance of a childhood friend’s passing, Charco’s story recounts the choreography of her routine, her anxiety over change, and her emotions while navigating the different stages of grief.
To re-capture the moment, Charco revisited the day of the competition by watching videos recorded by her mother. She then embedded audio clips and music from the competition into her final audio project to help listeners become immersed in the fine details of in her narrative.
For Charco, this course didn’t only help her process a difficult chapter of her life; it also taught her how to share challenging experiences and gave her “self-assurance to share and to listen to constructive feedback.”
According to Professor Singh, the course isn’t just about the quality of the end product but about encouraging creativity, building a creative community, and developing other skills along the way:
“I’ve given them a taste of what it is like to tell their story. Maybe they’ll go on to become famous radio journalists for NPR, maybe they’ll create their own podcast – and they didn’t know they could do this. The sky is the limit,” says Singh.