Yarra Valley Student Radio

Student Radio

Are you interested in having a voice in the world wide, online community. If you have something to say then this might be the way to be heard. A new way of presenting your understanding to a wider audience.

You will need to use your skills in:

• writing
• researching
• presenting

What type of program could you produce?

Voice of the Yarra Valley is a way of getting your message to the wider community, even to the world. you should concentrate on a topic you are passionate about. Why not discuss the latest AFL round, or how about this week’s episode of “The Walking Dead”. Your program could include interviews with other students or even a Skype interview with someone from the other side of the planet. You could review the latest album from Daft Punk or even present your own original composition. Programs will be pre-recorded and available 24/7 from our web site.

When you have an idea for a program talk to your teacher mentor so they can discuss the details with you.

Broadcasting Rules

We have some simple but important RADIO rules that govern our ability to broadcast as a school. Please make sure you read them and understand them.

Respectful – all content must be respectful of others.

Acceptable – all programs must use acceptable language.

Delayed – all broadcasts are pre-recorded. No live broadcasts are possible.

Identified – all content must be original or copyright holders clearly identified.

Organised – all content must be well organised, well presented and checked by your mentoring teacher.

How to . . .

How do I make a radio program for broadcasting on the internet? Well, you need a couple of things:

• computer (an iPad, netbook or desktop)
• recording software (GarageBand, Audacity)
• a microphone (an external mic plugged in is far better than the inbuilt microphone. If you haven’t got access to one let us know)
• a script (yes, this is vital for a good broadcast)

1. Find ideas on what you want your program to be about
   1. You can play music but for a school radio program you should also be talking about the music and artist – why they are worth listening to, the background to the musical number, etc.
   2. Any music or other copyrighted material must be acknowledged by giving the title of the piece, the writer, the performer and the music label.
   3. Try to keep your program short. 5 – 10 minutes is ideal to begin with.
   4. Aim for one new program every 1 to 2 weeks.
2. Keep in contact with your mentor. They will listen to your broadcast before it goes to air
3. Write your script. Have your mentor check it over.
4. Rehearse the show. Now rehearse it again. Practice parts that you stumble over. Rewrite those parts if necessary.
5. Record the show. Find a quiet place to record it.
6. Edit the show. You can cut out mistakes rather than starting again each time.
7. Give a copy of your show to your mentor to check.
8. When your mentor approves your show it can be sent to the Yarra Hills Radio site for uploading.

Ideas for shows

Need some help thinking of something to base your show on? Try these ideas:

• Sports roundup – discuss the weekend sports results.
• School news – a weekly show highlighting the camps, excursions, sports results, etc of the school.
• Music highlight – play one song and then have a discussion on its good and bad points.
• Food for thought – a weekly or fortnightly show featuring a new recipe each time.

Audacity

A free program for both Windows and Mac machines. This is a very powerful yet very easy program to use to record and edit audio.

Download Audacity