1 week, plus a little mortification, makes for 10 unique stories

You’ve heard of horse whisperers, yes?

In the public radio world there are a few mentors known for similar prowess in how they teach the craft. One of the most respected is Rob Rosenthal.

Rosenthal talks about sound and storytelling with a kind of awe and fascination that is endearing to anyone who’s ever had a "driveway moment."

Amazingly, he has the ability to take a group of people with little or no radio experience and train them to create high quality stories in just one week.

Transom came to Seattle last month to host a group of 10 would-be radio producers. The experience is reportedly mortifying radio boot camp. But whatever it took for these students to get through the week, the results were worth it.

From the origins of an androgynous barbershop and a modern day cobbler to the story of a woman’s search to avenge her mother’s wrongful death, you’ll hear 10 meaning-filled stories.

Rosenthal is an independent producer and the lead instructor for the public radio resource treasure trove known as Transom. He also hosts the podcast HowSound. His assistant for this training session was former KUOW producer Whitney Henry-Lester.

Transom, KUOW and The Collective in South Lake Union presented a listening party of the finished stories on January 26. KUOW’s Sonya Harris recorded the event.

Hear individual stories and learn more about the producers and their subjects.

For the full-on radio nerd experience, you’ll find our recording of the listening party below