In this studio, we were tasked with creating a three-minute radio piece. I began by trying to brainstorm many different ideas to give myself some options. I ended up deciding to focus on the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Many people don't realize that a disaster like this doesn't just have an immediate impact. I started doing some research into some exact stats to get a feel for the magnitude. I also looked for music to match the theme of my piece. 

     I soon realized that an even more interesting topic would be to focus on the impact Katrina had on the music scene in New Orleans. After reaching out to many different people, I finally landed an interview with Paul Sanchez. Paul was the lead singer of Cowboy Mouth and wrote the music for the play "Nine Lives", about Katrina and the following flood. I asked him many questions, ranging from if he contemplated leaving New Orleans for good, to how is personal music style changed following Katrina.

    One of the most difficult processes was the editing. I had to take nineteen minutes of great answers from Paul, down to a minute and a half. There were a lot of great things that he said that I had to cut because of time. The most enjoyable aspect for me was picking the music and sounds in the background. This is where I allowed myself to get creative. I added a news montage at the beginning and scattered  music from Jay Electronica, Luke James and King Oliver. I also had to fade in and out the audio to make the transitions smooth. I made the decision to "sandwich" my piece between to pieces of the Kanye West song, "Can't tell me nothing." It fit because I had a quote of his in the montage and also the attitude of many of the New Orleans residents when dealing with the government that abandoned them.

   I learned a lot about New Orleans culture. I assumed that after Katrina hit, New Orleans went back to its original state. I learned that New Orleans had to adapt after Katrina hit. That was especially true with the music scene. Artists had to "band" together if they had any choice of surviving in the New Orleans culture.