This piece literally gave me goose bumps at several moments- at the delight of hearing the rolling melody of a sea shanty responded to by mesmerizing Huntu (throat) singing, the clapping rhythms of sea scallops met by the yearning cries of baby camels. The Mongolian Sister Station project invites people to find poetry throughout the mundane moments of their lives, by anticipating how those moments might ring in distant foreigners’ ears for the first time. After hearing this story, I found myself walking along a path I usually only treat with the blurred perception of routine, combing through its suddenly rich audio textures for sounds that might convey a flicker of what my life here is, to someone in the Gobi. I am extremely eager to hear what people across the US and in Mongolia come up with.
The Developing Radio Partners project also represents a profound leap down the path I hope more media travels. In heated debates about globalization, the media is commonly targeted as a primary force of cultural homogenization, as both a symbol and perpetuator of tragic development discrepancies. This project serves as a tremendous example that modern technology and media can in fact build valuable forums for human exchange, empowering rather than overpowering local communities and culture. The fact that the audience is invited to participate in this effort makes it even more sincere, effective, and exhilarating. It is an inspiring concept that I hope stations across the nation somehow emulate.