With a small 5-watt FM transmitter, we performed and listened to an extract of Mike Cooter’s reinvigoration of the early 1940’s experimental detective drama ‘Dingus’ on our individual radios. Creating our own transmission and listening on different radios in varying settings informed the way I perceive the capabilities of radio as a medium for genuine, intimate and collaborative performance.
In contrast to clean, professional radio, what made the experience and performance so distinctive was the performers’ audible freshness and unfamiliarity with the material, form and technique. The small mistakes; being off-mic, misreading lines and cues for instance. This organic and wholesome transmission felt more approachable, warmer and more charming than traditional radio, something akin to watching movies made in childhood. Despite this, and perhaps the abstract nature of Dingus itself, I found it hard to focus on the events of the actual story.
While listening to our colleagues reading of Dingus was engaging and charming in appreciating its relatively homespun-sounding mistakes, participating in the performance itself was far more interesting, exciting and revealing. Our group of three, myself, Arad and Minsoo, were encouraged to forego the script, and improvise a transmission. Imaginatively, this made for an entertaining broadcast; Depression FM, having reached that by way of reading a news headline about a Mars habitation trial, the weather, pink and blue sunsets, describing the colours pink and blue for those who are visually impaired, blue being the colour of depression, and so on. We even encouraged, and received, calls from our colleagues in the corridor, acting as irate and depressed callers. What I learned was how electrifying being live can be, how it stimulates the imagination to improvise and create unpredictable, entertaining stories in collaboration; something I want to incorporate into our group project.