It started with a murder. I hear you – it seems like almost two-thirds of podcasts begin with a murder. And I'm a true crime storytelling fan! However, my podcast started with a murder of crows, to be exact. Those winged mastermind avian criminals! They stole my attention and heart – in the best way.
I had heard different collective nouns before and used them in conversations – a pride of lions, a gaggle of geese, and a school of fish. But it wasn't until I saw an episode of "Nature: A Murder of Crows" on PBS KVIE that I fell in love with and through the delightful rabbit hole of collective nouns. The program highlighted crows' intelligence, making me want to learn more about these infamous birds. The title also struck a poetic chord for me, and I started exploring collective nouns more. And I fell in love!
I love language and its expanses and possibilities. I especially love storytelling and its ability to connect humans from all walks of life globally. I have an educational and professional background in theatre and a passion for creative writing. It was only a matter of time before my theatrical wires and poetic musings started connecting an idea that would allow me to learn more about the world and tell the kinds of creative stories I was interested in.
And do these collective nouns – these terms of venery, these group names, these poetic gatherings have stories to tell! But what was the best way for me to tell these stories? Should I write a poem? I could. I might still. No lies – I most definitely will at some point. Should I write a play? Still might! Then, an evocation of epiphanies inspired me (see what I did there? I'm going to keep doing it; you can't stop me!), and I said to myself, "Podcast!"
Digital storytelling is flourishing. When it comes to content, you have to meet people where they are, and people are on the move. I wanted a creative and portable medium – audio storytelling for the win! And I wanted to do it right. I had talked about starting a podcast for a long time, but nothing ever really stuck. But I knew THIS was a good idea. How do I start? What do I need to know? So, I Googled "Online podcast class." I found the perfect program – the University of Washington's specialization course in Podcasting & Audio Storytelling through their Professional & Continuing Education program.
I met online for three hours every Wednesday night with classmates and our professor for three months. I was inspired every week. I learned – and I'm still learning – best practices and all things podcasting. Our professor, Shannon Perry, founder and CEO of Audiotocracy, guided us in creating our first complete podcast. She taught us so much and celebrated our achievements along the way. My first episode was the final project for the class. We had to turn in at least eight minutes. I turned in 49 minutes. The audio-storytelling bug hooked me!
My podcast, "A Gather of Gatherings," features a different collective noun in each episode and immerses you in a cornucopia of content related to the subject of said group noun and celebrates culture, the human experience, history, and language. I will publish my podcast when I have several episodes completed. The first episode is "A Kettle of Hawks." It features tons of information about hawks, an interview with the founder and owner of West Coast Falconry, Kate Marden – a master falconer, creative elements, factual information about hawks, and historical gems about collective nouns. Check out my next blog post about the experience of having Diego, a hawk – a baby dragon, no less – land on my arm and Avalon pose for pictures with me (see below)!
I invite you to join me on a journey of discovery as we unravel the fascinating world of collective nouns, one gathering at a time.
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