Silver Shorts

James Roy tells us about the importance of live music as his band, The James Rocket, prepares for their upcoming shows.

To buy their music, check out this link: https://thejamesrocket.bandcamp.com

Go see them live! The James Rocket will be playing at:

Featuring James Roy

Produced by Cory Choy...

Today we are presenting the geography of William Emerson Baker. Called the "Porcineograph", it is one of the greatest, and earliest American Pictorial images.

Check out the Geographicus website here: geographicus.com

Featuring Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Music by Luke Allen and El Buru

Sound by Silver Sound

On this special season finale of the Sonic Dash Podcast, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy Award-winning sound mixer, and owner of Silver Sound Studios) sits down with Oliver Morris, who, along with his creative partner Jude Hodgson Hann, took home back-to-back Grand Prizes at the 2025 Sonic Dashes.

Oliver shares the techniques behind their team's unmistakable sound and unique storytelling: rapid-fire creative exercises that helped them develop the skills to quickly get to a first draft, and then refine it through ruthless cutting and rewriting. They also break down their winning pieces, from the goat-sacrifice...

The Sonic Dash Podcast continues its behind-the-scenes look into the standout pieces from the latest Sonic Dash, themed "Go For Broke." In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy-winning sound mixer, and owner of Silver Sound Studios) talks with finalist Colin Colfer about his piece.

A filmmaker and self-described DIY advocate, Colin breaks down how he built a vivid sonic journey through Coney Island, a story that emerged from a technical idea he had for the piece's structure. Colin shares how he raced to build the piece in one day, recording field sounds along...

The Sonic Dash Podcast continues its behind-the-scenes look into the standout pieces from the latest Sonic Dash, themed "Go For Broke." In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy-winning sound mixer, and owner of Silver Sound Studios) talks with finalist Jeff Van Dreason about his submission, "Dishwasher."

Jeff shares how a frustrating encounter with an automated insurance phone line inspired the story of this demonic, capitalist appliance, and breaks down the sound design techniques he used to bring the dishwasher to life. He also talks about learning audio production from scratch while making Greater...

The Sonic Dash Podcast continues its behind-the-scenes look into the standout pieces from the latest Sonic Dash, themed "Go For Broke." In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy-winning sound mixer, and owner of Silver Sound Studios) sits down with finalists Alex Strong and Arun Chhetri to dissect their piece, "When I Wake Up."

Alex and Arun, two student producers with the Stanford Storytelling Project, share what it was like to take on the Sonic Dash during finals week. They break down how they divided the work according to their strengths and leaned on...

In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy-winning sound mixer, and owner of Silver Sound Studios) sits down with Sonic Dash finalist Lynn Ermann, the reporter and producer behind "There Used to Be a Statue."

Lynn shares how, through assembling the right "ingredients" (a source she was familiar with and an intriguing location), she was able to find a story on-site and lean into spontaneity. She also shares how movement influences her creative process, along with the editing challenges she faced while shaping the story.

One note: Lynn wanted to offer a...

Take a listen as Jen Ng describes her nostalgia for the '90s, and how it shapes her relationship with the internet and her multidisciplinary storytelling.

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The Sonic Dash Podcast continues its behind-the-scenes look into the standout pieces from the latest Sonic Dash, themed "Go For Broke." In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy-winning sound mixer, and owner of Silver Sound Studios) sits down with finalists Nathan Burke and Audrey Hill, two freelance journalists who brought their reporting instincts to the Dash for the first time.

Nathan and Audrey break down how an hour of Googling in the park led them from the phrase "Go For Broke" to the story of Japanese American soldiers during World War II, and...

The Sonic Dash Podcast continues its behind-the-scenes look at the winning pieces from the latest Sonic Dash, themed "Go For Broke." In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy-winning sound mixer, and owner of Silver Sound Studios) sits down with Glasgow-based audio creator Bronwen Livingstone, who took home third place with her piece "Shooting My Shot."

Bronwen walks through how she distilled a deeply personal and vulnerable story into just two minutes of audio. She discusses her scripting method, including a handwritten "paper sound edit" where she marked emotional cues and sound effects before...

The Sonic Dash Podcast continues its behind-the-scenes look at the winning pieces from the latest Sonic Dash, themed "Go For Broke." In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash, Emmy-winning sound mixer and owner at Silver Sound Studios) sits down with actor and director Michael Satow to discuss his piece "Free Piano," which took home the second-place prize at this summer's Dash.

Michael, the co-creator of the true-crime parody podcast The Murderer Killings, walks us through how he built "Free Piano" almost entirely from real life. Rather than planning in advance, he let his daily...

Twice a year, contestants from around the world compete in the Biannual Sonic Dash, where they have only 48-hours to build a two-minute piece completely from scratch: meaning no pre-existing music, no archival audio, and no generative AI is allowed.

So how do they do it? This season on the Sonic Dash Podcast, we're taking you behind the scenes of our finalists' processes. You'll hear the genius audio tricks and creative solutions our finalists used to create audio magic.

In this episode, host Cory Choy (founder of the Dash and Emmy Award-winning sound mixer) sits...

Welcome to the Biannual Sonic Dash Podcast presented by the New York City Podcast Awards.

The Sonic Dash is a 48-hour storytelling competition and we receive submissions from all over the world. The surprise prompt for this 2026 Summer Dash was “Go For Broke.” 

This episode, we’ll be listening to our third-place winning piece “Shooting My Shot” by Bronwen Livingstone, from Scotland.

Produced by Cory Choy, Emily Reeves, and Christian Cuciniello

Edited by Zach Treanor

Sound by Silver Sound

Welcome to the Biannual Sonic Dash Podcast presented by the New York City Podcast Awards.

The Sonic Dash is a 48-hour storytelling competition and we receive submissions from all over the world. The surprise prompt for this 2026 Summer Dash was “Go For Broke.” 

This episode, we’ll be listening to our second-place winning piece “Free Piano” by Michael Satow, out of NYC.

Produced by Cory Choy, Emily Reeves, and Christian Cuciniello

Edited by Zach Treanor

Sound by Silver Sound

Welcome to the Biannual Sonic Dash Podcast presented by the New York City Podcast Awards.

The Sonic Dash is a 48-hour storytelling competition and we receive submissions from all over the world. The surprise prompt for this 2026 Summer Dash was “Go For Broke.” 

This episode, we’ll be listening to our Grand Prize Winning piece "Go For Broke or Gopher Broke?" created by Long Island-based crack improv and podcast team, “Tales From the Cloud Sea” (Matt Silverman, Megan Leahy, Karen Cassady, Travis Sharp, Amanda Lee Williams, and Eve Krueger).

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Listen as Kevin Brown of Geographicus Rare Antique Map takes a look at a remarkable con perpetrated by the Japanese against the Chinese to seize control of Taiwan.

Check out the Geographicus website here: geographicus.com

Featuring Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Edited by Zach Treanor

Music by Luke Allen and El Buru

Sound by Silver Sound

Today we wanted to feature an awesome original score that Luke Allen composed to update one of our previously published episodes. Stay tuned for more musical updates to the CartoCuriosity series, but for now, Take a listen as Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps describes a very uniquely shaped map created for travelers of the Ancient Roman world.

Check out the Geographicus website here: geographicus.com

Featuring Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Produced by Cory Choy, Tom Fama, and Christian Cuciniello

How many hours of interviews does it take to create a compelling podcast story? How do producers shape raw conversations into emotional, immersive storytelling experiences? On this episode of Secrets of the Stage with Quinn Lemley, producer and director Mark Blumberg talks about his creative process behind the acclaimed podcast production of My Phantom Memory, a documentary-style portrait exploring the life of swing actor Greg Mills in Broadway’s  longest-running show, Phantom of the Opera. Blumberg shares how sonic layering, editing choices, and authentic human connection can transform raw interviews into cinematic audio experience with documentary storytelling.

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At Silver Sound, we encourage everyone to pull out their microphones and make something new! Every winter and summer, we host a 48-hour audio storytelling competition, shower the top three winners with money and fabulous prizes, and showcase the top 10 finalists both live at a celebration event in NYC and online via our Silver Podcast Network. We call this the Biannual Sonic Dash.

Registration for our Summer 2026 Sonic Dash, which will take place from June 5th to the 7th, is now open so check out the link below to learn more about the contest and the insane...

Today we wanted to feature an awesome original score that Luke Allen composed to update one of our previously published episodes. Stay tuned for more musical updates to the CartoCuriosity series, but for now, take a listen as Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps offers a glimpse into the imagined geographies of the New World, blending fact, myth, and political ambition.

Check out the Geographicus website here: geographicus.com

Featuring Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Produced by Cory Choy, T...

Take a listen as Chris Platt talks about war, leadership, and the disconnect between decision-makers and the people affected by their choices.

Written by and Featuring Chris Platt

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Chris Platt tells us about war, leadership, and the disconnect between decision-makers and the people affected by their choices.

Written by and Featuring Chris Platt

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as filmmaker Colin Colfer tells us about his animation process, the challenges of the craft, and what he’s working on now in the world of stop motion.

Featuring Colin Colfer

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Music by Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Saul Austerlitz tells us about the origin of the Brooklyn Resisters, the important work that they do, and his book entitled "How to Assemble an Activist"

Featuring Saul Austerlitz and Cory Choy

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Spencer Hunt from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps explains the story behind Sir John Franklin's lost expedition as he searched for the fabled Northwest Passage.

Check out the Geographicus website here: geographicus.com

Featuring Spencer Hunt from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Music by Luke Allen and El Buru

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Amy Ernst tells us about how she uses her art as a creative outlet and a way to visualize a more loving world.

Featuring Amy Ernst

Produced by Cory Choy, Ivan Bronson, and Christian Cuciniello

Music by Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

Welcome back to Silver Shorts! Today we wanted to feature an awesome original score that Luke Allen composed to update one of our previously published episodes. Stay tuned for more musical updates to the CartoCuriosity series, but for now, take a listen as Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps explains how he stumbled upon a classified part of American history. 

Check out the Geographicus website here: geographicus.com

Featuring Kevin J. Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Produced by Co...

Take a listen to our adaptation of Robert Reich's writings on our Current Political Climate.

Script adapted from the writings of Robert Reich

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Music by Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

Zoe Sullivan tells us why she is running for the 76th Assembly District in Wisconsin, some of the issues that the state is facing, and some of the things she would like to accomplish.

Featuring Zoe Sullivan

Produced by Cory Choy, Ivan Bronson, and Christian Cuciniello

Music by Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Sam Schild tells us about his path towards becoming a comedian and his style of performance.

Featuring and performed by Sam Schild

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Sound by Silver Sound

Today we’re joined by Donna Elam to talk about equity in education. Take a listen as we discuss the disproportionality of educational support, what segregation can look like in schools today, and how her work is pushing toward more equitable schools.

Featuring Donna Elam and Cory Choy

Produced by Cory Choy, Cristian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson 

Sound by Silver Sound   

The final days of the longest-running show on Broadway, as told by one of its longest-running cast members.

Keep an eye on the Silver Podcast Network for My Phantom Memory's full release on March 12th!

Performed by Scott Mikita

Produced by Mark Blumberg

Executive Produced by Cory Choy

Mixed by Christian Cuciniello

Edited by Tom Fama

Music by Luke Allen

We're back with another finalist spotlight for the Winter 2026 Sonic Dash. Today we will be highlighting our 3rd place winning piece by Nat Hardy and Will Hardy, titled "Mother May I March"

Technical Director: Tom Fama

Produced by Christian Cuciniello and Cory Choy

Festival Directors: Mark Blumberg, Cory Choy, Emily Reeves

Silver Sound has just finished its Winter 2026 Sonic Dash contest! There were so many great entries that will be featured in future episodes of this podcast, but for now, we present to you our 2nd Place Winning piece by Jacki Huntington, entitled "Because They Can"

Technical Director: Tom Fama

Produced by Christian Cuciniello and Cory Choy

Festival Directors: Mark Blumberg, Cory Choy, Emily Reeves

Take a listen as Kasia Plazinska tells us about how she turned an annoying sound into her creative outlet.

Featuring Kasia Plazinska

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Music by Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Cory Choy interviews Shannon Burkett and Christine Scheinman to set the story straight about the current NYC nurses strike.

Featuring Shannon Burkett, Christine Scheinman, and Cory Choy

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound 

We’re back with another episode of Sumo Chicken! Cheery, once again, is trying to show everyone that she is the chunkiest chicken, but a very familiar reptile has other plans. 

Written by Leslie and Laurel Collins

Featuring Leslie Collins, Laurel Collins, William Collins, Hollis Beck, Tom Bartos, Rowan Gilvie, Rachel Napolitano, Tess Gill, El Buru, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Music by Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

Silver Sound has just finished its Winter 2026 Sonic Dash contest! There were so many great entries that will be featured in future episodes of this podcast, but for now, we present to you our grand prize winning piece by Eric Yang, Charlie Gillette, and Henry Butler titled, "Scooby Who?"

Technical Director: Tom Fama

Produced by Christian Cuciniello and Cory Choy

Festival Directors: Mark Blumberg, Cory Choy, Emily Reeves

Today we sit down with Markette Sheppard to explore the future of news. Hear her story as we dive into how independent reporting and nonprofit journalism are reshaping the industry.

To learn more, check out her website: http://www.markettesheppard.com

Markette also has a a new book coming out in September of 2026 called  "Grandma Dee's Pineapple Upsidedown Cake" that is available for preorder now: https://markettesheppard.com/pre-order-new-book

Featuring Markette Sheppard

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

From operating intricate machinery, to preserving and protecting the traditions of cinema, listen as Aaron Kudja tells us a little about his path, and the importance and artistry of film development.



Featuring Aaron Kudja 

Produced by Cory Choy, Tom Fama, and Christian Cuciniello

Music by Tom Fama 

Sound by Silver Sound