Audio
I work with audio in many forms, crafting and editing stories and immersive listening experiences for podcasts, exhibits, installations, and soundwalks. Here are some examples of that work. Please explore Maine Sound + Story and The First Coast for more!
from the sea up: island institute’s podcast
I am the lead producer, writer, editor, and reporter for the past three seasons of Island Institute’s podcast, “From the Sea Up.” The series features limited-run seasons focused on coastal and island communities and issues in Maine. Some of my favorite episodes include an episode on workforce housing in Deer Isle, Maine, an episode about kelp farming, and an episode about innovations in energy. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
THe First Coast Deer isle - stonington exhibit and soundwalk, 2023
The Deer Isle - Stonington Exhibit was produced by Celia Morton and Annika Ross at College of the Atlantic in 2022-2023, with mentorship by Galen Koch. This exhibit was on display at 44 North’s Stonington Cafe for two seasons, 2023 - 2024, and can still be seen at the 44 North’s Deer Isle location in our digital Story Frame or can be accessed at Maine Sound + Story. The Stonington Soundwalk was produced by Galen Koch and is accessible anywhere, anytime. Travel to Stonington, Maine to get a Soundwalk postcard at 44 North to listen and take the walk! All audio produced by Galen Koch, Celia Morton, and Annika Ross © 2023.
THe First Coast Lubec Exhibit and soundwalk, 2018
First exhibited in October 2018, The First Coast Lubec Exhibit and Soundwalk features twenty-eight unique photographs by TFC photographer Greta Rybus, and twenty-four audio stories from community members who live in Lubec and the surrounding area. Listen to the audio as one larger piece, or individually. The Lubec Soundwalk is an immersive audio piece, designed to be listened to while walking a specific route through the town… but we have it on good authority that the audio is fun to listen to wherever you are! All audio produced by Galen Koch © 2019.
Wharfside, multimedia series, 2016
In 2016, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership and the Waterfront Alliance cooperatively supported a series of audio/visual stories that illuminate the many facets of Portland Harbor’s working waterfront. Click here to access the series. Produced by Galen Koch with photographs by Justin Levesque and Jenny Nelson.
Desiray + Aaron, produced for The Heart, 2016
Desiray felt a deep, human connection the moment she first heard his voice: Aaron Carter spoke to her through his music. When Desiray was down, Aaron always cheered her up. When she needed him, his music was always there. And when they finally met, it was almost as if Aaron could read her mind. Maybe the deep, human connection Desiray felt as a kid was real. Dozens of concerts later, Desiray and Aaron are almost friends, almost. Now Desiray wonders, Can a fan ever be a true friend? Does Aaron value her as a friend, or as a fan? And if she’s just a fan like any other, can she live with it?
"The Resurrection Men," Radio Doc, 2015
Produced for the BBC World Service.
For centuries, students of medicine have dissected the dead. But the idea of wilfully donating one’s body to medicine is somewhat new. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, American anatomists used executed criminals for dissection. When they needed more specimens, anatomists robbed graves, or rather, paid dusky characters to rob graves for them. Those who supplied doctors with bodies were sometimes called resurrectionists or resurrection men.
Nowadays, people in America donate their bodies to science. This has sufficed the medical demand for cadavers until recently. But university programmes are burgeoning, and they are not the only places that want bodies and body parts. Private medical research companies, medical device companies, and surgical training centres all need human tissue. This demand has created a strange new industry in America.
Garland Shreves is the CEO of Research For Life, a whole body donation company in Phoenix, Arizona. In short, he is in the business of acquiring and selling dead bodies. Peter Lang-Stanton, Galen Koch, and Nick Farago take an in-depth look into Garland Shreves’ business - from donation to dismemberment to delivery.
Produced by Peter Lang-Stanton, Galen Koch, and Nick Farago. With original music by Peter Lang-Stanton and Andy Bickerton. Thanks to Samuel D. Koch for audio mastering.