Author Archives: Allison

“The Living Room” Wins the Excellence in Broadcasting Award

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Happy Spring! It’s official – our snow has melted! And my fishermen friends are rushing to the rivers. Our next episode of The Living Room just aired on Michigan Radio. The theme is fishing in Michigan. It features writer/fisherman Pete Markus, my friend Jeff Jones and his sons, and a song by my producer buddy Michael Crittenden.

http://www.michiganradio.org/post/living-room-series-fishing-detroit-river

BIG NEWS: Our pilot radio show, “The Living Room” won the Excellence in Broadcasting award from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters for the Special Interest and Cultural Programming category. I served as host, storyteller, and songwriter for this episode, produced by Zak Rosen with help from me. To learn more about “The Living Room” and listen to the podcast:

http://www.michiganradio.org/post/living-room-explores-stories-migration

Enjoy the rain! Allison

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St. Patrick’s Day Episode of “The Living Room” Is Posted

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Happy St. Paddy’s Day! Hope you’ve recovered from green beer…The podcast of the St. Patrick’s Day episode of “The Living Room” is posted on Michigan Radio’s “Stateside” website. It features Yvonne Healy, a Michigan-based Irish-American storyteller, and her story of becoming a “naturalized” American citizen in the 1950s. I developed and produced this piece with Zak Rosen. Listen to the podcast and a new live version of my song, “Ireland for You”. Thanks so much for your comments! They make a big difference!

http://www.michiganradio.org/post/st-patricks-day-story-allison-downey-and-yvonne-healy

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Hoping you had a day filled with love and chocolate and laughter and – did I mention chocolate? Michigan Radio (NPR) aired a piece that my producer Zak Rosen and I developed for Valentine’s Day.

The 12 min. podcast is posted on their website: http://www.michiganradio.org/post/stateside-stories-valentines-day

The piece features an improvised theatre scene, preschooler’s take on Valentine’s Day and a story by – me. Hope you enjoy it! If you get the chance to listen to it, please let them know what you think of it by posting a comment on their website, facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/michiganradio?fref=ts) or email (michigan.radio@umich.edu). Listener responses matter! And feel free to share it! We’ll have another piece airing for St. Paddy’s Day.

Allison

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January 2013 Update

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Hope your new year is off to a great start and that your holidays were restful and joyous. Been diving back into writing and Michigan Radio just aired a new commentary I wrote about the Inauguration on their wonderful daily news talk show “Stateside.” I’ve got the text below, but it’s the music (skillfully produced by Zak Rosen) that makes it. Hear it posted on their webpage:

http://www.michiganradio.org/post/stateside-celebrating-remarkably-normal-presidential-inauguration

Wishing you a glorious January, peaceful Inauguration, and soulful MLK, Jr. Day. Bundle up! It’s cold out there (in Michigan)! – Allison

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