Composing for Podcasts Jason Allen Wick

One of the newest buzz words on the internet and in technology is podcasting. The word “podcast” comes from a combination of two words: iPod and broadcast. A podcast is similar to a radio show, but it is downloaded to someone’s computer or iPod and can be enjoyed at any time! The content of these shows is very diverse—sports, music, comedy, news, technology, arts, films…you name it! If you have a particular interest, chances are there is a podcast for it. Discovery World even has its own podcast up and running. You can learn more at www.whorunstheworld.org.

Most podcasts include some type of music, and in a couple of instances I have been fortunate enough to write the theme. The newest podcast in my compositional portfolio is Packers Therapy, which is a football podcast I have enjoyed listening to for nearly a year. The most recent episode can be heard by clicking here. Packers Therapy is an entertaining show hosted by two Packer fans from Madison, Wisconsin, and in order to effectively do my job I needed to know what kind of musical tone they wanted to establish. I was presented with words and phrases such as 'mid tempo,' 'light hip-hop,' Bourne Identity soundtrack, and 'Kool and the Gang.' The trick was to take these seemingly dissimilar concepts and naturally blend them into a cool and catchy tune- one that would set the tone for the Packers Therapy program.

A great starting point for me was to brainstorm some of the ways listening to Packers Therapy made me feel and then translate those feelings into music. Energy, excitement, and humor were some of the words that came to mind. Since humor can be tricky to capture musically, particularly when dealing with an isolated tune for a podcast, I decided to start with energy and excitement. I experimented with a few different drum beats, bass grooves, keyboard lines, and guitar rhythms until I came up with an overall ambiance that I felt would set up the episodes. I quickly sent my work-in-progress to the hosts of Packers Therapy to get some immediate feedback. They liked the direction I was heading, so I kept on writing- those criteria of 'mid tempo,' 'light hip-hop,' Bourne Identity soundtrack, and 'Kool and the Gang' still ringing in my head. The real trick to finishing the job and cleaning things up was to maintain a healthy balance of what the client requested and what I thought was creatively appropriate. A few tasteful organ riffs and vinyl scratches later, I had the perfect balance of all elements. The tune has opened and closed the Packers Therapy podcasts ever since!

The Packers Therapy podcast theme music is one of the more rewarding tunes I have written for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is because I know an audience consistently hears my music. (Packers Therapy produces weekly episodes during the football season and records roughly once per month during the off-season.) Also, the writing process came very smoothly and naturally, and I had healthy musical communication with the Packers Therapy hosts. If you haven’t had the opportunity to subscribe to Packers Therapy—or podcasts in general, for that matter—take the time to do so! You can hear the finished product at my website, www.jasonallenwickmusic.com.