Largehearted Boy on WBHM’s Tapestry

Late last year, I pitched a story to WBHM‘s Tanya Ott. I’ve been a long-time reader of the blog largehearted boy. A highly regarded music and literature blog based out of Birmingham seemed an excellent fit for WBHM’s monthly cultural magazine Tapestry. Happily, Tanya agreed.

In February, I drove up to Birmingham, borrowed a studio from WBHM, and interviewed David Gutowski using my own gear. I dutifully checked the recording during and after the interview and drove home to Auburn. When I sat down in my studio that evening and slipped the card into the reader I was puzzled to find the file would not open in Adobe Audition. Puzzlement turned to dismay when I discovered that the quarter-GB file on my card resisted every program I threw at it. I solicited opinions from friends and colleagues, but after a week resigned myself to the fact that the interview was lost to an unexplained equipment glitch. I contacted David, who was very understanding, yet his busy schedule and my busy schedule thwarted subsequent efforts to get together. I resigned myself to the idea that it was a good story idea that would never quite come to pass.

Then, late in the summer, a post appeared on the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) message board suggesting a solution to my problem. David Fender had taken the time to dig into the hexadecimal code of similarly corrupted file and had found a solution. He posted a detailed explanation that worked like a charm.

I’m very pleased with the final feature, which aired on Tapestry’s October edition. It also, I think, represents the best of what a professional organization like AIR has to offer. David Fender tackled a thorny problem that has been an infrequent, but frustrating issue for his colleagues and promptly and freely shared his fix far and wide. I am truly in his debt.

Credit, too, to Tanya Ott. I have wanted to work with her for a long time and the experience far surpassed my already high expectations. Her edit was clear and concise and made this a far better feature than it would have been otherwise.