Re-Imagined Radio’s “In Progress” Invites Listeners To Create Stories Through Sound (Photo) - 09/08/26
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Re-Imagined Radio continues its experimental soundscapes Workshops series this month with “In Progress,” premiering at 1 p.m. on Sept. 21.
This installment invites listeners to become active participants, creating their own stories and meanings from a carefully curated collection of sounds gathered from North America and beyond. The episode weaves together recordings of industry, weather, travel, technology and everyday life, from the clanging of a pile driver on a waterfront pier in Victoria, Canada, to the strange, melodic sounds of electromagnetic radiation captured by spacecraft exploring our solar system.
Part of Re-Imagined Radio’s ongoing Workshop series, the episode encourages active listening and explores how sound alone can inspire imagination, reflection and storytelling. Listeners are invited on an auditory journey designed to inspire, refresh and spark new ways of hearing the world around them.
The theme and title for the episode was inspired by the work and philosophy of avant-garde composer John Cage, whose famous composition “4:33” challenged audiences to listen more closely to the sounds around them and consider everyday noise as part of the listening experience.
“The performer is instructed to sit at an instrument without playing a single intentional note for the duration of the piece,” said John F. Barber, producer of Re-Imagined Radio and faculty member in the digital technology and culture program at Washington State University Vancouver. “The ‘music’ of the performance is the ambient, accidental sounds occurring in the room at the time of the ‘performance.’”
As with the previous Workshop episode, Barber begins with an imagined scene designed to spark listeners' creativity. He describes townspeople gathering at sunrise in a festival tent for a shared meal before inviting audiences to continue the story themselves through the sounds that follow. The episode encourages listeners to imagine their own narratives and discover meaning within a rich tapestry of sounds from distant places, everyday environments and unexpected sources.
About Re-Imagined Radio
Created in 2013 by Barber, Re-Imagined Radio explores sound-based storytelling across genres including drama, comedy, documentary and sound art. Through performances, broadcasts, streaming, podcasts and social media, the program reimagines radio storytelling for contemporary audiences.
New episodes premiere on the third Monday of each month. Re-Imagined Radio episodes air on KXRW-FM (99.9) in Vancouver, KXRY-FM (91.1 and 107.1) in Portland, and KNOM-AM (780) in Nome, Alaska. Listening links and an archive of past episodes are available at reimaginedradio.fm, which also features Re-Imagined Radio EXTRA, offering additional sound-based storytelling between monthly episodes.
About WSU Vancouver
WSU Vancouver is one of six campuses of Washington State University and the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington. The campus offers undergraduate and graduate programs that support workforce development, innovation and economic growth through strong partnerships with businesses, industries and community organizations.
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