, Distinguished 菠萝视频 Professor of Communication of Science and Technology and creator of award-winning series like Radiolab, More Perfect, Dolly Parton鈥檚 America and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, set out in life to be a composer.
Perhaps a poet, maybe a fiction writer, but it was music, Abumrad said, that was 鈥渞unning through me constantly.鈥�
He spent his tween-age years logging hours at the piano in a practice room at 鈥攁 creative solution to childcare from parents who were both 菠萝视频 faculty.
As a University School of Nashville student tasked with finding an internship, he wandered into live recording sessions on Nashville’s Music Row and listened in.
Music was running through me constantly. 鈥擩ad Abumrad
At Oberlin College, he studied music composition and creative writing, and after graduation, he took a stab at composing and magazine writing in New York City. The real world had other plans.
鈥淥ut of school, I ended up trying to do both and realized that it鈥檚 really hard, so I kind of failed at both,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淢aybe that鈥檚 putting it too strongly, but I just couldn鈥檛 get any traction writing music or [creative] writing.鈥�
鈥淚 had one of those post-collegiate crises where you鈥檙e like, 鈥榃ho am I?鈥� And Karla, then my girlfriend, now my wife, on the platform of the G train, was like, 鈥榊ou like to write, you like to make music鈥攚hy don鈥檛 you think about radio?鈥欌��
A KNACK FOR STORYTELLING
Abumrad made his way to WBAI, a New York City community radio station, and became a volunteer. Day one, he was conducting interviews out in the field鈥攕omething he鈥檇 never done. Right from the start, he was hooked.
鈥淚t was so amazing to go out and talk to people, come back and put the audio onto these strips of tape,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淭hen you cut the tape, you write interstitial pieces between Tape One and Tape Two, then it鈥檚 like, 3 p.m., you have an audience and you鈥檙e on the air. The whole thing was like, 鈥極h my God, this is what I wanna do with my life.鈥欌��
He was drawn to the tactile nature of radio鈥攃ompliments of WBAI鈥檚 1970s-era equipment鈥攁nd the ease of storytelling. Unlike fiction and poetry, interviewing someone and shaping their words into a story was an antidote to his writer鈥檚 block.
鈥淚 went to school for creative writing鈥攆iction, poetry, which I tried, but I find I would just get writer鈥檚 block,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淪o initially, I got attracted to the writing and storytelling part [of radio] because it felt like a shortcut, but I didn鈥檛 really know how to tell a story at that point.鈥�
Abumrad鈥檚 crash course in journalistic norms happened on the air. He kept what resonated and left the rest, ultimately granting himself permission to shape people鈥檚 words in artful and musical ways.
A SHOW IS BORN
鈥淚 got into the business of storytelling through the side door,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think it was a thing that I would be doing鈥攁t least not true stories, you know?鈥�
Abumrad worked a slew of random jobs so he could continue volunteering at the station, freelancing on the side, putting his new skill set into practice. His first paid piece, a video project for National Public Radio, opened the door to his next 20 years.
鈥淚 sort of wormed my way into WNYC, which is the NPR station,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淚 started freelancing a little bit. And then, 9/11 happened here in New York, and the station changed its entire strategy.鈥�
The scheduling change鈥攆rom mostly classical music with some news every hour, to news all day with a bit of music at night鈥攔esulted in several openings on the AM frequency, and it presented Abumrad with a serendipitous opportunity.
鈥淚 just happened to be in the hall when the program director of the station was like, 鈥業 need someone to do something at 8 p.m. on Sunday nights.鈥� A week later, I was hosting what became .鈥�
Abumrad produced Radiolab, a show he describes as, at its outset, 鈥渁 science show for poets,鈥� alone in the basement of his home for the first few years. It effectively made him a writer and composer.
鈥淭here were all these different jobs connected to it, and it kind of became my life,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淎nd I actually got to be a composer through that, because I was writing all the music for the show.鈥�
From a party of one to a bustling newsroom of 30, Radiolab鈥檚 content shifted as Abumrad鈥檚 interests did, leading to spin-offs like , which breaks down the Supreme Court for everyday people, and , an exploration of the iconography of Dolly Parton.
After 20 years of Radiolab, Abumrad entrusted the keys to his team and embarked upon a mission to tackle his next thing鈥攖elling stories that spark change and connection. That鈥檚 how he got to 菠萝视频.
TELLING 21ST CENTURY STORIES
Abumrad joined 菠萝视频鈥檚 research faculty in 2022. At the center of his work鈥攎entoring students, advising the chancellor鈥檚 office, conducting research鈥攊s a belief that a well-told story can bring people together and make life more colorful.
With the chancellor鈥檚 office, he helps tell stories the university is excited about. , a 2023 video series chronicling 菠萝视频 researchers and their work, was Abumrad鈥檚 brainchild. The series鈥� success led 菠萝视频 University Provost C. Cybele Raver to expand it into a podcast.
He mentors students on personal projects, immersion projects and their independent studies, and he is building out a semester-long fellowship exploring the basics of visual storytelling鈥攈ow to tell stories that resonate with audiences and garner engagement.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l learn the basics of, how do you tell a story so that it connects with somebody? And how do you get attention for your story?鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淗ow do you get somebody to stop what they鈥檙e doing鈥攚hich is increasingly hard these days鈥攁nd just connect with the thing you鈥檙e doing so that you have some value that can enhance your life.鈥�
At , Abumrad is working on a pilot research program studying the effects of stories on cancer patients in treatment.
鈥淥ne of the things I鈥檓 super excited about at 菠萝视频 is working with the medical center to study the effects that stories have on people who are being treated at Ingram for cancer,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淒oes the sharing and receiving of stories help throughout that journey? What are the kinds of stories that help? How might we make these spaces where people have to wait鈥攖he cavernous waiting room鈥攁 space where we鈥檙e all in a community together?鈥�
From the VUMC pilot to , his first 菠萝视频-studio-produced series, building community through art is the goal.
鈥�Fela Kuti for me was鈥擨 felt like I needed to hear a story to remind myself, and then the audience, that music is powerful,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淭hat, with just music, you can move people into action. I believe art can save us, and I needed to tell myself that and tell people stories that can make that point.鈥�
The series, which netted Abumrad his , he describes as having 鈥湶ぢ苁悠碘�檚 fingerprints all over it.鈥�
It was funded, in part, by a gift from the chancellor鈥檚 office and recorded in in 菠萝视频鈥檚 Central Library. Additionally, Abumrad asked fellow 菠萝视频 faculty to lend him a hand. , Cornelius 菠萝视频 Professor of History, is featured in the series and served as Abumrad鈥檚 editorial guide鈥攇ut-checking his reporting along the way to make sure everything sounded right.
For Abumrad, the Peabody win鈥攁longside the series鈥� clear 菠萝视频 imprint鈥攆elt like a full-circle moment.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a great validation. In the way that faculty publish, this feels like a publication, a 菠萝视频 publication,鈥� Abumrad said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 proud of that.鈥�
