SEAMUSONLINE INTERVIEWS: NPR's Susan Stone

Susan Stone is a producer and co-director for the weekend editions of NPR's award winning news magazine All Things Considered. Her signature on the show is a monthly feature called "What Are You Listening To?" that asks people around the country what's in their CD players, tape decks, and computers that we might not hear on the radio. Other notable productions on the show include profiles of al-Jazeera's Washington bureau, a look at the emerging wave of liberal talk radio, and an in-depth interview with Oscar winning filmmaker Errol Morris, to name a few. she has also reported on various topics from SARS to sitcoms, but she can usually be heard doing stories on the media and culture, with an emphasis on audiences and trends. In her nine years at the network, Stone has worked on (or filed reports for) every desk and show in the News Division. She is also a contributor to Readymade Magazine.

In a recent week-long interview conducted by NPR's Susan Stone, Bebe Barron went into detail on the role she played in the realization of their historic body of work which accompanied Forbidden Planet. SEAMUSONLINE spoke to NPR's Susan Stone about the interview, the effect it had on her and on working with Bebe.

How were the Barrons selected by NPR for the Art meets Science series?

Susan Stone: I wasn't in the original meeting for the project, but I've worked for both the Art and Science desks at NPR, so when I heard about the series I immediately wanted to participate. The brainstorming list I saw included an idea for a piece about Robert Moog. I felt he was somewhat well known, and suggested the Barrons as more unexpected alternative. I heard about Bebe Barron from a filmmaker/music collector named David Hollander I profiled in October (Moving Background Music to the Forefront - ATC 10/9/04: ). We were talking about the power of the musicians' union and he told me some of Bebe's story. I was entranced by the idea that she and Louis thought of their music as 'the sounds of circuits being born and dying.'

What was your experience with electro-acoustic music before you did this feature?

SS: Well, I don't know about the acoustic part, but I do listen to a lot of electronic/somewhat experimental popular music like Kraftwerk and Can. Until recently I was directing one of our news programs once a week, which means choosing the music heard between segments. That requires spending a lot of time with instrumental music of various kinds. My favorites include John Kusiak, who composes for Errol Morris soundtracks, anything by Mark Mothersbaugh, Wendy Carlos' Clockwork Orange soundtrack, and many more.

How was the week with Bebe? How was the interview conducted? Who was involved?

SS: Bebe was extremely generous with her time, and through spending time together, we developed a friendship. It's not everyday you can have tea with a legend! In some ways it is very humbling to spend time with someone with so much history. But she was always gracious, and patient with hours of questioning. I hope that I was able to portray a little bit of her lovely personality along with her accomplisments in my story.

I interviewed her three times over five days, but we met every day that week. We also went to a concert (Green Umbrella series at Disney Concert Hall) and a film screening (Short films exploring art and science(!) at the Skirball) together. For two of the interviews, others who know Bebe were present and they participated - first Richard Zvonar, then Barry Schrader and Peter Grenader. Everyone involved with SEAMUS was very helpful to me in the research stages of the project. I have to thank Richard Zvonar for sharing the cache of articles he collected while he was writing his recent article for ei magazine. At times the 'guys' were helpful in bringing the interview along, and they had fascinating things to say; but ultimately I thought it was Bebe's story to tell. I ended up using much of the final interview that we conducted alone.

Now that it's over - how has it affected you? Are you changed? Has your appreciation for electronic music changed as a result?

SS: I think my interest and appreciation for the art has grown. Through the course of working on the story, I kept coming across people who have special connections to electronic and experimental music. Many of my co-workers shared tales of building early synths, listening to the Forbidden Planet soundtrack, and even meeting John Cage. Also, in some ways I feel an affinity for the work Bebe and Louis did - I collect hours and hours of tape, and listen through them for gems to string together. It's time consuming and frustrating, but the end result can be wonderful!

What's next for Susan?

SS: Right now I'm working several stories, including another segment for the art and science series that will run in March. This one follows sculptor Andy Goldsworthy as he builds a permanent work at Washington's National Gallery of Art. Goldsworthy usually makes ephemeral work out of leaves and stones and even ice. I'm trying to follow his process and how he comes to terms with the evolving work and the material its constructed from. Also, I'm taking German lessons - I was just awarded a Bosch Foundation Fellowship to go to Germany for a year -- birthplace of the tape recorder! And maybe there will be more stories on electronic music in my future too.

I'd like to close by thanking you for giving the Barron's accomplishments the national exposure they so rightfully deserved. The electro-music community loves it's heros and Louie and Bebe Barron most certainly fit into this category. However -- on February 7th, 2005 - you were our hero, Susan.

On behalf of all of us, thanks again for job well done.

photo credit: Tracy Wahl, NPR.