work samples

Stars and Stars with Isa

Host Isa Nakazawa talks about the stars above with the stars below. Each week, Isa interviews guests by reading them their astrological birth chart as a structure for a vulnerable conversation about the guest’s life, work and creative process. As the producer for this weekly interview show, I book, edit and sound design our episodes. Sample episodes include:

Louder Than A Riot

Season 2

Season 2 of Louder Than A Riot examined who hip-hop marginalizes, and how misogynoir — the specific racist misogyny against Black women — is embedded into the fabric of the culture that we love. The Louder Than A Riot team was awarded the 2024 NABJ’s Journalist of the Year for this season.

Each episode of Louder Than A Riot unpacks the unspoken rules of rap that discriminate against a select few and have held the entire culture back.

As a producer on this season I:

Wednesday Holmes/ @hellomynameiswednesday for NPR

Life Kit

‘What is 'communal living' and is it right for me?’ — I pitched, reported, wrote and voiced this episode of NPR’s Life Kit. I also bylined the digital story:


Cascade PBS & Youth Today

I co-reported and produced, wrote, tracked and scored episodes for this three part series looking at how public funding is being spent to address youth homelessness in Washington state.

(Photo by Genna Martin/Crosscut)

KEXP’s Sound & Vision

I pitched, reported, produced and tracked this episode sharing neighbor’s memories of a giant wind harp on Bainbridge Island and the community that brought it to life.

 
DaleEdwinMurrayforNPR

Louder Than A Riot

Season 1

From NPR Music, Louder Than A Riot traces the collision of rhyme and punishment in America.

The series investigates the criminal justice system through the experiences of artists including Bobby Shmurda, Nipsey Hussle, Noname, DJ Drama and Isis Tha Saviour.

I led production on:

  • Series teaser - why are hip-hop and mass incarceration so entangled in America? How did they become that way?

  • Episode 9 - a former ward of the state who gave birth while imprisoned, Philly rapper Isis Tha Saviour uses hip-hop to transform her trauma into freedom. 

  • Episode 11/finale - as Yo Gotti and Jay-Z work to reform prisons, Noname and Mariame Kaba imagine how hip-hop could help abolish prisons completely. 

I supported production on the rest of the series, helped run our social media presence and co-bylined this long-form interview between abolitionist and organizer Mariame Kaba and Noname.

 
Isabel Seliger for NPR

NPR Reporting

While at NPR, I reported and produced stories on the impacts of COVID-19 for All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and NPR Shots through:

 
Sam_with_mic.jpg

Sound Art & More Freelance Work

I’ve worked with Campside Media, Transcripts Podcast, Constellations, KNKX, KUOW, and Field Recordings: