Radio
Reporter. Editor. Producer.
Shortly after moving to Berlin on a journalism grant from the Fulbright Commission in 2017, I started working with KCRW Berlin 104.1 FM. I began as a reporter, producing short, weekly segments on tech, science, food and music in Berlin. In July 2018, I became Associate Editor and less than two years after that, I was named Deputy Editor and Co-Host of the flagship current affairs show, Studio Berlin. Due to fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, KCRW Berlin went off the air at the end of 2020.
Below you can hear samples of my radio work from my three years with the station, including:
“Berlin Report,” a regular segment breaking down local news and issues
“Wednesday 3 p.m.,” a series of short essays
“On Stage,” a feature on Berlin’s theater scene
“Taste,” a segment about food and cooking in Berlin
“Amplified,” a weekly feature on musicians in Berlin
Note: All photos were taken by me unless otherwise credited.
Berlin Report
A regular segment examining news, politics and local issues.
Broadcast on Sept. 24, 2020.
With just about five weeks to go until the scheduled opening of Berlin's new airport, the question on many minds is: Will it actually happen this time? To help answer that question, I took part in a test run at the Brandenburg site of BER airport, documenting my day with a Twitter thread as well.
Broadcast on Jan. 9, 2019.
The Fraenkelufer Synagogue in Kreuzberg is home to a diverse Jewish community, spanning nationalities and denominations, and it’s quickly outgrowing what remains of the building, which was mostly destroyed by Nazis and bombing in 1938 and the early 1940s. I took a look at the effort to reconstruct the synagogue, including a Palestinian-born Social Democrat who says: “A country that rebuilds palaces should also rebuild synagogues.”
Broadcast on Feb. 27, 2019.
More than 7,000 cyclists were involved in traffic accidents in 2017, 10 of whom died, according to Berlin police. In an attempt to create a safer cycling environment, David Bermbach, assistant professor at the Technical University Berlin, and his team have developed an app to document the accidents that almost happen.
Broadcast on May 9, 2018.
Private residences across Berlin opened their doors to the public as part of "Denk Mal Am Ort" - which roughly translates to "Memorial at a Place" or "Think on a spot." The initiative began in 2016 as a way to remember Holocaust victims through the places where they once lived.
Photo courtesy of Nazli Chaudry.
Broadcast on August 15, 2019.
“It’s easy to hate someone you don’t know. When you know them it’s harder, and when you care about them, it’s impossible,” says Sheryl Olitzky, the co-founder of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. What started as a meet-up for Jewish and Muslim women in her home state of New Jersey grew into a national organization with 170 chapters across the U.S. In 2019, some 50 members flew to Germany and Poland for a 10-day trip to grapple with a difficult history.
Photo courtesy of Daughters and Sons of Gastarbeiters.
Broadcast on April 4, 2018.
Ok-Hee Jeong, Zoran Terzić and Çiçek Bacik were all children when they arrived to Germany between 1974 and 1980. Their parents were considered economic migrants. Originally hailing from South Korea, the former Yugoslavia and Turkey respectively, they are now members of "Daughters and Sons of Gastarbeiters," a writers' collective based in Berlin.
Wednesday 3 p.m.
A series of short essays and observations from writers in Berlin and around the world, created and curated by Monika Müller-Kroll.
Illustration by Jonathan Kroll.
Broadcast on Sept. 9, 2020.
In this short story, I accidentally discover the history of a “German” classic.
On Stage
A segment featuring people on and off the stage in Berlin’s theater scene.
Photo by Emily Bader.
Broadcast on Sept. 6, 2018.
Actress Sophie Berner estimates she has performed the role of Sally Bowles in the musical "Cabaret” nearly 1,000 times. She first landed the role 12 years ago, at the age of 21. "I just jumped in like a child would," she says.
Taste
A segment where we talk food with the people who make it.
Two-part episode broadcast on Nov. 20 & 21, 2018.
Thanksgiving in Judy Grossmann's family was always a big deal. Growing up on a farm in Washington, she says though her family had plenty, they didn't have a lot of money. But Thanksgiving was a time to pull out all the stops. She’s continued that tradition in her Berlin kitchen, and I got a peek inside.
Amplified
Conversations with musicians based or touring in Berlin.
Photo by Dovile Sermokas.
Broadcast on Aug. 20, 2020.
hear now berlin is a chamber group that plays works by contemporary composers. Inspired by the music she loves playing and hearing, the sextet's founder and flutist, Kelly Watson Woelffer, searched for five musicians who shared her vision: a violist from Australia, a cellist from New Zealand, and a trumpeter, violinist and clarinetist from Germany. Woelffer and violinist Xina Hawkins joined me in the studio.
Photo by Gianmarco Besadola.
Broadcast on Feb. 23, 2019.
Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra is made up of 18 musicians from a wide variety of musical backgrounds, who all share a dedication to experimentation. They typically meet to practice and improvise together about once every month. I visited the group during a rehearsal.
Photo by Barbara Löblein.
Broadcast on Feb. 15, 2020.
On Feb. 27, 1920, Berlin saw the premiere of the psychological thriller, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” Today, it’s considered a quintessential film of German Expressionism. But a century ago, a mismatched score nearly cost the film its audience. I spoke with Hans Brandner from the Babylon Orchester Berlin who shares the story about the original screenings of the film and how they prompted the director to work with composer Giuseppe Becce on a whole new score.