Posted by: Carlos Maeda on October 21, 2005 03:18 PM | Comments (0)

This is Carlos Maeda from Curie Youth Radio in Chicago. We are composed of about 30 high school students working out of a tiny room in the high school, crammed with 30 computers and five file cabinets. The computers are PC's, so they're big. It's an actual class and not an after-school program. Getting a grade for something you love is a bonus. I'm here with five of my classmates to cover our first visit to the convention.

The day started off with an awkward introduction after registering; the fifteen minutes of silence was agonizing, and the small conference room didn't help. Then, someone brought up her problems with Pro Tools. The whole room joined in, troubleshooting each other. We had found our ice breaker. From there, we split up into our own little discussion groups, talking about gear, each other's pieces, and ideas for the future.

From the Wyndham Hotel, we all walked about 12 blocks to WBEZ on Navy Pier, an amusement park/museum built on a dock extending into Lake Michigan.

After a look at the ferris wheel -- built in 1893 for the World's Fair -- we hopped on an elevator and entered Chicago Public Radio. Listening to each other's pieces and speaking our mind in one of WBEZ's editing rooms was fantastic. At Curie Youth Radio, we do everything from idea to CD in the classroom so listening to my own work through reference speakers for the first time was exhilarating and somewhat disappointing. All the other youth groups rent out studio time to record and edit and I'm here with work that was recorded in my closet. Obviously not the best.

Just the sheer amount of technology available in the editing room was overwhelming. The walls were covered with gadgets and the mixing boards were actually functional. It was great. Towards the end of the night, someone threw out an idea of creating a gang-related piece that would involve all of the youth groups. It sounded like a great idea, actually working across the country with different producers, so expect something soon.

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