 By Kevin Desmond
“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.” - Maya Angelou In these uncertain times something as simple as a person telling their story can be so powerful. A person’s story carries nuance. It carries perspective. It carries darkness and light; moments of tragedy and moments of triumph. A person’s story carries grey areas and unsatisfying conclusions. It carries all of this while also acting as a microcosm of much larger forces at work. The power of storytelling is on full display in Liz Medina’s podcast En Masse, centered around the rural town of Barre, VT and its once booming quarrying industry. Liz uses the first episode of the podcast to give a broad overview of the town and the rise and fall of the quarries. After the first episode, the podcast unfolds into a series of oral histories; painting a complex, spoken word mural of the people of Barre. These stories also act as a convincing indictment of American capitalism, by shining an empathetic light on the people who suffer at the hands of such a system...READ MORE AT https://bigheavyworld.com/latest-news/2020/8/31/dj-spotlight-liz-medina
0 Comments
This is a teaser of an exclusive bonus episode for our Patreon members. No stone will be left unturned, featuring fragments of resistance uncovered by The Barre Oral History Project (2017). Hear the full, one-hour BONUS episode by becoming a Patreon member today: patreon.com/enmasse
Description:
There’s a huge pile of rocks near each quarry pit. Large enough to make a person stop their car to look, or for the neighborhood kids to get scraped and bruised to claim kingship over. They are made of granite waste rock -- the bits and pieces considered invaluable and left behind. In the field of oral history, all stories are valuable. Oral historians care about people not profit. No stone is left unturned. In this bonus episode, we present to you fragments of working life in Barre, Vermont from the rest of Liz Medina’s Barre Oral History Project (2017). Teaser Music Credits: "Amber Haze" by Daniel Birch "Sun comes up, I come down" by Silicon Transmitter Episode 11 (The FINAL episode of Season 1!) "You got something behind you." has been released!7/2/2020 
EPISODE 11 "YOU GOT SOMETHING BEHIND YOU."
Denise is one of the few women working in what remains of Barre’s granite industry. She worked as a sandblaster for many years. A lot of experienced workers like her are leaving the industry...and the younger generations are not coming in to take their place. Her workplace now has a CNC machine; it can carve a memorial all on its own. She manages paperwork now as an expediter, but she misses the sandblasting room. As president of her trade union, the Granite Cutters Association, she would like to see more people get into the good union jobs available in the granite industry and join the labor movement. Oral history transcript to be performed: Denise Guilmette, Granite Expediter, former Sandblaster (2017, original) Narrator: Sharon (Skye) Forest RESEARCH CITATIONS
Music: "Marie Madeleine" by Tryphème. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-ND Music: "Pour Olympe" by Tryphème. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-ND Music: "White Douleur" by Tryphème. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-ND Sound Effect: "Creaky bed" by ShadowReaper2814. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "doctoroffice" by NoiseCollector. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Mouse click and mouse wheel" by NWSP. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Painting 02 090420" by LG. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Packing tape pull" by Michaelvelo. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Printing Press Mechanics" by exuberate. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "rubbing paper 1" by thecityrings. From freesound.org. CC BY 
EPISODE 10 "THE DAYS CAN BECOME VERY LONG."
Randy has worked his way up from driving a milk truck to working for the City of Barre. He has worked in both the Water Department and the Cemetery Department. The Cemetery Department covers Hope Cemetery in Barre, which is home to some of Barre’s finest granite memorials. Despite Barre’s multicultural past, some tension arose in the Cemetery Department when the cemetery held a Muslim funeral. Randy’s back in the Water Department, nearing retirement, but, not all is fine and placid: Providing essential services and being a union leader is always hard work. Oral history transcript to be performed: Randy Edmunds, Work Leader for City of Barre’s Water Department and President of AFSCME Council 93 (2017, original) Narrator: Carl Etnier RESEARCH CITATIONS
SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS Music: "Cave of Crystals" by Metre. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-SA Music: "my own space" by Hinterheim. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-ND Music: "sednoseterces" by Hinterheim. From Free Music Archive. CC BY Sound Effect: "110801-unloading" by miastodzwiekow. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Fireworks, Close, A (H1)" by InspectorJ. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Kids Birthday Party Crowd" by jakobthiesen. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "lost_maples_waterfall" by wjoojoo. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Milk Bottles clanking" by foxen10. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "passing trucks 008" by tim.kahn. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "pasture ambience LONG 130101_03" by klankbeeld. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "PhoneRinging" by acclivity. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Summer Barbecue" by nebulousflynn. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Town amb - summer, day" by eric5335. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Tractor Mowing" by Puniho. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Whistling antarctic blizzard" by stormpetrel. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC 
EPISODE 9 "HISTORY IS VERY PERSONAL."
Christine is a true Vermonter in every way: she is part Abenaki, and her entire family has been here for generations. Growing up working-class in a working-class town, she knows what it feels like to be disregarded. When she finally gets the chance to go to college as a working mother, she is awakened to her own intelligence. She decides to teach history, focusing on the history of women and Native Americans. She believes history is very personal, and her students learn history by making it personal. She makes a decent living, but it is only because her union has fought hard for it -- and they have to keep on fighting for it. Oral history transcript to be performed: Christine Smith, Librarian at Spaulding, former History Teacher at Spaulding HS (2017, original). Narrator: Sb Sowbel THEME SONG CREDIT The “John Henry” song at the beginning of our show is from the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity. RESEARCH CITATIONS
SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS Music: "Cascade" by Parallel Park. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-SA Music: "Coming Round" by Parallel Park. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC-SA Sound Effect: "ambience house with tv" by H0ugH. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "atm money bank machine" by Nkzdra. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Ambience, Seaside Waves, Close, A" by InspectorJ. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Cafe busy with children" by Stevious42. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Classroom" by sarcasticbracket. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "College library ambience" by Hourofmidnight. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "GroupOfCollegeStudentsInClassroom" by adamlhumphreys. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Library sounds" by artemis_ch. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Paintings at the exhibition » Lecture01" by LG. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Prinknash Abbey Ground (Graveyard) at Dusk" by kernowrules. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Sad or Happy Movie Scene" by Soundscapes55. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Wall Clock Ticking" by straget. From freesound.org. CC BY 
EPISODE 8 "IN THIS AREA, I WAS STUCK"
Many people did struggle during the Recession, and some never fully recovered. Paul dedicated his life to the liberal arts, helping students achieve their dreams, including a young poet with a speech impediment. When the cumulative effects of the 2008 crisis kicked in, however, Paul was laid off. He found work as a Retail Merchandiser, but it paid less than $15 an hour. Oral history transcript to be performed: Paul Cook, former Retail Merchandiser and Academic Advisor (2017, original) VOICE CREDITS Storyteller: Paul Cook Narrator: Reverend Earl Kooperkamp THEME SONG CREDIT The “John Henry” song at the beginning of our show is from the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity. RESEARCH CREDITS
SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS Music: "Burbujas de agua" by Circus Marcus. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC Music: "intro_outro" by Circus Marcus. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC Music: "La penúltima del jueves" by Circus Marcus. From Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "00588 paperwork 1" by Robinhood76. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Applause 4" by VlatkoBlazek. From freesound.org. CC BY 
EPISODE 7 "IS THIS MY LIFE?"
Fast forward about 80 years to about a decade after America’s second-biggest economic contraction, the Great Recession. The granite industry is still dying, but it’s not wholly dead. The industry is also much safer than it used to be, thanks to workers fighting for better working conditions in the first half of the 20th century. For more highly skilled workers, there are still jobs. Gampo left the building trades to become a granite carver. He is one of about a half a dozen stone carvers left in Barre. He is an artist. Oral history transcript to be performed: Gampo Wickenheiser, Stone Carver (2017, original) VOICE CREDITS Storyteller: Gampo Wickenheiser Narrator: George Brin RESEARCH CITATIONS
SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS Music: "Anti-Exposed Video" by Captive Portal. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC Music: "Drums For Jobs" by Captive Portal. From the Free Music Archive. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Soft Rain on a Tent & Bird Ambiance" by Kingcornz. From freesound.org. CC BY 
EPISODE 6 "POOR DEVIL"
Outside of the sheds, work was still dangerous. Workers were crushed, injured, and combusted. Jack gives us a tour of the abandoned quarries, which he punctuates with bittersweet memories and reflections. He tells a joke about a trick laid-off workers used to get a meal. In the end, Jack just wants to be able to get by. Oral history transcript to be performed: Jack Gills, Derrick Operator (1930s, Federal Writers’ Project interview) VOICE CREDITS Narrator: Richard Gaiotti THEME SONG CREDIT The “John Henry” song at the beginning of our show is from the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity. RESEARCH CITATIONS
SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS Music: "Unidentified Cajun harmonica tune (II)" by Unidentified [harmonica]. From the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Sound Effect: "Bar Crowd - Logans Pub - Feb 2007" by lonemonk. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Cableway » Cableway_03" by alessandro.gargiulo. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Flamenquillo_PlazadelSol" by tallers. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Hail, Interior, Light, A" by InspectorJ. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Kuppi rikki / Porcelain cup falls and breaks on the floor" by YleArkisto. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Old train » Train 06 (two trains)" by Glaneur de sons. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Railway station crowd" by arnaud coutancier. From freesound.org. CC BY-NC Sound Effect: "Rain on a construction site" by oloyolol. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "voices » 20070916.yell" by dobroide. From freesound.org. CC BY 
EPISODE 5 "EVERYBODY'S GOT TO LIVE" If work couldn’t be found in the formal job market, people would find or make work for themselves in the informal market, which is often criminalized. During the heydays of the granite industry, widows of deceased workers supported themselves and their families by running boarding houses or making and selling food, wine, and spirits. Melicenda makes Italian dinners for the wealthier residents of Montpelier, but she does so at great risk. She lives in constant fear of the police raiding her home. Oral history transcript to be performed: Melicenda Bartoletti, Cook and Caterer (1930s, Federal Writers’ Project interview) VOICE CREDITS Narrator: Jenny Blair THEME SONG CREDIT The “John Henry” song at the beginning of our show is from the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity. RESEARCH CITATIONS
SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS Sound Effect: "60-writing" by Leoctiurs. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Family Ambience, Background Noise" by f-r-a-g-i-l-e. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Party Sounds » Party Crowd 1" by Kolezan. From freesound.org. CC BY Sound Effect: "Weaving mills and factories" by phonoflora. From freesound.org. CC BY 
EPISODE 4 "MY FATHER SWORE THE KITCHEN BLUE"
Families wanted better, longer lives for their children than what the granite industry could offer. Palmira’s father was furious when she was dating a stone carver. Their family had endured a hard journey to America from Santander, Spain in search of better lives. And it did seem like they were moving up in the world when Palmira landed a job as a switchboard operator. But, Palmira had dreams of becoming a teacher. During the Depression, however, it was hard to see a future beyond being a switchboard operator. Oral history transcript to be performed: Palmira Fernandes, Switchboard Operator (1930s, Federal Writers’ Project interview) VOICE CREDITS Narrator: Weiwei Wang THEME SONG CREDIT The “John Henry” song at the beginning of our show is from the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Used courtesy of the Association for Cultural Equity. RESEARCH CITATIONS
SOUND & MUSIC CREDITS Music: "Ai, ama! Gaztian nintzanian dama". From the Alan Lomax Collection at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. Association for Cultural Equity. |
If you like En Masse, please consider donating to the show via Patreon. Thank you for your support. Available wherever you get your podcasts:
ArchivesCategories |
RSS Feed
