First Voice Apprenticeship is an apprenticeship program at KPFA 94.1 FM in Berkeley and is designed to provide comprehensive broadcast, technical, and administrative skills training in radio. First Voice also aims to build and strengthen community and empower our participants to find their voice and tell their stories.
The First Voice program is based on community building, a collaborative work environment and passing on our skills and stories. We focus on bringing women and people of color into media and work in partnership with Pacifica community radio station KPFA and other community media outlets, both locally and nationally.
First Voice Apprenticeship Mission
To fulfill the missions established by the Pacifica Foundation in 1949 by fostering & promoting media access, opportunity and equity to women, people of color and underserved communities.
These can be summarized as community building and working to build peace.
First Voice has 2 options for Group 45 participants, a 12 month basic curriculum and an advanced curriculum of 18 months [which incorporates full participation in Full Circle, the apprenticeship's weekly broadcast program.]
Basic Curriculum:
GROUP AGREEMENTS/GROUP DYNAMICS - 6-8 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS:
- TO BUILD INTER GROUP BONDS AND COHESIVENESS
SOUND FORGE BASICS – 8-10 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS:
- TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE SOUND FORGE APPLICATION TO PROPERLY RECORD, SAVE, EDIT AND PLAYBACK SOUND FILES.
PRODUCTION CONSOLE BASICS – 2 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVE/GOALS
- TO LEARN THE BASIC OPERATION & USE OF THE AUDIOTRONICS 210 PRODUCTION CONSOLE TO PLAYBACK, RECORD & SAVE STANDARD AUDIO SIGNALS
COMMENTARIES - 4 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
- TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE & OBJECTIVE OF COMMENTARIES
- TO WRITE & RECORD A PERSONAL COMMENTARY
ADOBE AUDITION BASICS – 8 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
- TO LEARN HOW TO USE ADOBE AUDITION FOR MULTI TRACK SOUND MIXING
- TO CREATE AN ADOBE AUDITION PROJECT USING NARRATION, SOUND EFFECTS
AND MUSIC
PSA PRODUCTION - 4 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
- UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT & SIGNIFICANCE OF A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
- LEARN THE KPFA PSA GUIDELINES
- WRITE AND PRODUCE A PSA WITH A MUSIC BED
WRITING BASICS - 4 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS:
- TO LEARN THE BASICS OF RADIO WRITING, INCLUDING AN UNDERSTANDING OF
THE DIFFERENT TYPES [SCRIPT, COMMENTARY, FEATURES, NEWS]
- TO UNDERSTAND AND STRENGTHEN YOUR PERSONAL VOICE
-TO COMPLETE A SCRIPTING ASSIGNMENT
VOX POP PRODUCTION – 4 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
- TO LEARN THE NATURE OF A VOX POP
- TO PRODUCE AN AIRABLE VOX POP, INCLUDING GATHERING & ASSEMBLING AUDIO FILES
FULL CIRCLE TECH ASSISTANCE – 24-26 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
- TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE FULL CIRCLE SHOW BY HELPING TO BURN CD'S FOR ON AIR PLAYBACK, CUEING CD'S AS NEEDED DURING THE SHOW, ENTERING INFORMATION IN THE CONFESSOR REPORTING SYSTEM, POSTING DATA TO KPFAAPPRENTICE.ORG WEBSITE
INTERVIEWS – BASIC – 4-6 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
- TO LEARN THE COMPONENTS TO PRODUCE AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW, INCLUDING
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES, AUDIO QUALITY, AND EDITING.
- TO PRODUCE AN INTERVIEW [15-20 MINUTES] THAT IS SUITABLE FOR BROADCAST
AND PLAYBACK ON FULL CIRCLE.
NEWS PRODUCTION BASICS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
- TO LEARN THE COMPONENTS NEEDED FOR COMPREHENSIVE BROADCAST NEWS STORIES.
- TO LEARN THE TECHNIQUES FOR RECORDING NEWS STORY COMPONENTS OUTSIDE OF A STUDIO SETTING
- TO PRODUCE AN AIRABLE NEWS STORY.
FIELD/REMOTE PRODUCTION – 2 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
– TO PARTICIPANT IN & LEARN THE BASICS OF A FIELD/REMOTE LOCATION PRODUCTION
FULL CIRCLE SHADOWING – 14 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVE/GOALS
- TO GAIN A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW A WEEKLY BROADCAST PROGRAM IS
PRODUCED BY ATTENDING & OBSERVING EDITORIAL MEETINGS.
USING SOCIAL MEDIA - 2 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS:
- TO GAIN FAMILIARITY WITH THE CURRENT POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS, HOW TO ACCESS THEM AND HOW TO POST TO THOSE SITES.
- FORMULATE A GROUP PLAN FOR ONGOING POSTING DURING THE GROUP'S FIRST VOICE PARTICIPATION.
Advanced Curriculum:
FULL CIRCLE PRODUCTION - 24-26 SESSIONS
OBJECTIVES/GOALS
-TO PRODUCE, HOST, AND ENGINEER A WEEKLY LIVE RADIO BROADCAST
FIELD/REMOTE PRODUCTION – Additional Opportunities as they occur
The First Voice Apprenticeship Program has a 12 months basic skills option and an 18 month graduate level option during which participants produce, engineer & host Full Circle. Everyone is required to spend one business day each week working at KPFA, as well as two class nights. The dayshift is a three hour shift and apprentices do administrative and production tasks. The dayshift runs on an intergenerational group learning model, with each phase teaching the next, and integrates service to the station, skills acquired in classes, motivation and leadership.
This week on Full Circle we will honor Women’s History Month with women and youth voices from the 50th Anniversary of the Occupation/ Liberation of Wounded Knee. On tonight’s show we’ll hear youth poets as they share their poetry during the opening night of festivities which honored 40 years of KILI Radio, an independent, Lakota owned and operated, fm radio station. Then we’ll hear the voices of women veterans of the 1973 occupation and participants here at the 2023 50th anniversary. We’ll also hear the voice of Walaa, a Palestinian from Hebron who stands in solidarity with the American Indian Movement and liberation of Wounded Knee.That’s tonight on Full Circle.
This week on Full Circle, we will check out the local music scene. On tonight’s show we’ll hear from Graal Swartz of Soul Machanix.. He’ll give us a little history of the band and tell us about their upcoming show at Yoshi’s. We’ll also check in with local music advocate out of Concord, Dave Hughes. He hosts a local music show, The Beat of Diablo, he’ll share some local music and tell us where we can catch some live music here in Contra Costa County. That’s tonight on Full Circle.
Social media links to any artists featured on The Beat of Diablo or Concord Couch Concerts can be found at either TheBeatofDiablo.com OR ConcordRockCity.com by clicking “Artists”
Tonight on Full Circle we’ll hear some history of First Voice by two of the founders, Michael Yoshida and Norman Jayo. We’ll also hear the opening of the 50th anniversary ceremonies honoring Wounded Knee 1973-2023 just recorded on Monday in South Dakota. And we’ll check out some stories from past award winning First Voice producers. All that and we’ll be asking for your support for kpfa tonight for the winter fund drive. That’s tonight on Full Circle.
If you want to send an email in support of First Voice. You can email KPFA IGM at antonio@kpfa.org and also copy the KPFA Local Station Board at kpfalsb@googlegroups.com
To learn more about LYRIC Center for LGBTQIA+ Youth check out their website https://lyric.org/
Check out the full video to the Wounded Knee Liberation Ceremonies follow this link to the First Voice Media Facebook page https://fb.watch/j2sJ3x2hFt/
(ICYMI) Tonight’s Full Circle, discusses A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross. In addition, sentient shiloh b plays excerpts of archived speeches and readings of Angela Davis, Shirley Chisholm, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ntozake Shange and Kathleen Cleaver from the Pacifica Radio Archives Voices that Changed the World Collection. All five women are contained in the powerful and important pages of A Black Women’s History of the United States because they all voice their visions of liberation, courageously resist, and assert their autonomy and authority in calling for social justice and how to achieve it. Black Women musicians provide the soundtrack to accompany and amplify these freedom dreams and calls for collective liberation. Tracy Chapman, Seinabo Sey, Alicia Keys, Andra Day, Nina Simone, and Shelly Doty with Skip the Needle are heard in this hour.
(LATE POST) On last weeks Full Circle show we heard from 4 phenomenal people who use and advocate ecological farming and/or gardening. Kanchan Dawn Hunter from Spiral Gardens in Berkeley, CA; Kelly Carlisle from Acta Non Verba in Oakland, CA, Marissa Lamagna, Bay Area Green Tours, based in Berkeley CA; and Dennis Hutson’s Allenworth Farm in California’s Central Valley.
This week on Full Circle we celebrate Black History Month with music. On tonight’s show we’ll hear music introduced by First Voice apprentices and graduates that highlight African American artists. Their music and words.
PLAY LIST: Check out tonight’s music choices on youtube.
This week on Full Circle we get some information on the 50th anniversary gathering for Wounded Knee and the fight to free Leonard Peltier, imprisoned now for 48 years for a crime he did not commit. On tonight’s show, we’ll speak with Carla Cheyenne, an organizer for the 50th anniversary of Wounded Knee. We’ll also hear from Dawn Lawson of the Eagle and the Condor Coalition, she is helping to organize a rally at the CA State Capitol calling for freedom for Leonard Peltier.
This week on Full Circle we dive into politics, some national and some local politics of East Contra Costa County in the city of Antioch. On tonight’s show we’ll hear an interview with Antioch city Council woman Tamisha Torres-Walker, fresh out of her recount victory. We’ll also hear from an advocate for the unhoused, Nicole Gardner of Facing Homelessness in Antioch, she’ll speak on the Antioch city government and the Antioch police treatment of the unhoused community. And we’ll hear from Apprentice Pamela P, as she speaks with a couple young folks who voted for the first time in the 2022 midterms.
This week on Full Circle we spend the hour on the case of Angelo Quint, Angelo, a Navy veteran, was killed by Antioch police officers December 23rd 2020 as they responded to a mental health call from the family. On tonight’s show we’ll hear sounds from the 2nd Annual Memorial commemorating the life of Angelo Quinto. Including the family, the family attorneys and impacted families. We’ll also hear an in depth interview with the Quinto-Collins family attorney Ben Nisenbaum. All that and we’ll feature music from the Justice for Angelo Quinto Justice For All ep.
Check out the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) online panel briefing to discuss topline findings and key recommendations of its new report, “‘Excited Delirium’ and Deaths in Police Custody: The Deadly Impact of a Baseless Diagnosis,” which finds that “excited delirium” is not a valid, independent medical or psychiatric diagnosis. This panel includes the Quinto Collins family.
First Voice Apprenticeship 