A reestablished friendship between a retired Morehead State professor and his former teacher sparked the beginning of a podcast from across the country.
Retired communications professor John Modaff began “The Unruly Muse” alongside his co-host and former professor Lynn C. Miller after reconnecting with her for the first time in 40 years. The podcast will be dedicated to their shared enthusiasm for music, literature and performance.
“The purpose of the show is to be a respite from the chaos in society and give people some entertainment and diversion,” said Modaff, an Illinois native. “We’ll perform stories and songs and poems and then we discuss various ideas and techniques and so forth.”
Modaff met Miller at the University of Texas at Austin in 1980 during Miller’s first year of teaching. He recontacted her while writing his memoir last year and they have since been corresponding and sharing their creative works.
The decision to begin a podcast started last fall.
“You can listen to [podcasts] anywhere,” said Miller. “Unlike video, you don’t have to be looking in one direction. You can be doing something else and listening to the podcast. It’s a really flexible form, which I love.”
With Miller currently living in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Modaff in Morehead, Kentucky, the two have had to create a unique process to make the podcast work.
Both Miller and Modaff use their own audio devices to record themselves separately in their own homes as they discuss over the phone. They then compile their audios to make it sound like they’re together.
“The purpose is for us to create the illusion that we’re in the same place although we don’t pretend to,” said Modaff.
Miller believes this format allows them to speak to more people, regardless of where listeners live.
“It’s kind of woken us up to how we can reach people who don’t necessarily live where we are,” said Miller.
The podcasts will provide an escape from social controversy through the light-hearted adaptation and performance of existing and original short stories, poems and music.
“Since we’re both interested in literature, composition, music, performance and analysis, having been professors that taught that, it seemed like a good fit to have a podcast that had those two purposes,” said Modaff. “To play to our strengths and to avoid the mudwrestling that goes on in so many radio programs and podcasts.”
Miller said the podcast stands out from others for its ability to rejuvenate music and literature.
“For me, it’s about making both music and literature, and talking about them, come alive,” said Miller. “I think that makes it different than a lot of the podcasts that are out there.”
“The Unruly Muse” will launch once a month on Apple Podcast, iHeart Radio and TuneIn Radio.
Modaff and Miller encourage and welcome people to submit their work to theunrulyweb@gmail.com for the opportunity to be included in one of their upcoming segments.
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