Week 9: Creating Through Collaboration — Podcast Recording and Media Production

This week marks the beginning of recording for the very first episode of Unseen Curtain Podcast. We seek to create a space that explores the stories, experiences, and creative practices that exist beyond the stage, reflecting on how artistic expression can be shaped not only through performance but also through conversation and personal reflection to create emotional resonance.

Having this opportunity to talk with Dr. Declan Patrick, who is an academic and theatre practitioner with a huge background across performance, dance, directing, and theatre studies, was truly a gift. Alongside his academic research, his creative practice also offers a unique perspective on how performance unfolds both on and beyond the stage. With this in mind, I specifically designed a series of questions that suit his personal and professional experiences in order to encourage a more focused and insightful conversation.

However, the core intention of the podcast was to create an unscripted and natural conversation. For this reason, I did not send the full question list to Dr. Declan too early, but only confirmed the interview time in advance. On the morning of the interview, just a few hours before recording, I sent him the question list through email only as a reference. This helped maintain a sense of immediacy while still giving him enough preparation time. I also kept several follow-up questions outside the outline, allowing space for spontaneous interaction during the conversation. This approach made the podcast feel more dynamic and engaging, while also trusting Dr. Patrick’s extensive professional experience and ability to respond thoughtfully in the moment.

During the conversation, Dr. Declan Patrick reflected on his own artistic journey, from his early experiences in music and performance to his later work across theatre, dance, directing, and academic research. He emphasized that creative practice and research are deeply interconnected, as artists are constantly observing, experimenting, and developing ways of understanding the world through their work. He also highlighted that audiences often notice only the polished beauty of the performance on stage, while the years of enormous human labour, disciplines, and artistic struggles behind it remain largely unseen, which also leads to the cost of artistic practice that every artist is currently going through.

The discussion further explored the challenges facing classical performing arts in the digital media era. Dr. Patrick pointed out that contemporary audiences are increasingly accustomed to consuming short, highly selected pieces of content, which has changed the way attention is captured and sustained. However, he suggested that this reality can also create new opportunities: a recognizable piece of music, a striking operatic scene, or a particular moment in dance may function as an accessible point of entry, encouraging audiences to explore further for themselves. Rather than forcing interpretation, artists can create invitations that allow people to approach these art forms on their own terms.

He also spoke about the irreplaceable power of live performance, arguing that direct, embodied encounters between performers and audiences create a sense of immediacy and presence that digital media cannot fully represent. The conversation concluded with sincere advice for emerging artists, reminding them that the only true failure is giving up by choosing not to do. In the final moments of the interview, he kindly recommended “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” from Camille Saint-Saëns’ opera Samson et Dalila, Op. 47, as a piece of music he deeply admires, and introduced several of his colleagues as potential contributors to the project.

The technical setup also proved to be the funnest part of the process. Learning from the previous experience, I used the RØDE USB microphones this time to ensure clearer and more reliable sound quality. I arrived at the location early and connected the equipment to my laptop in advance, so that only minor adjustments were needed before recording could officially begin. This minimized unnecessary time loss and allowed the conversation to proceed smoothly for both sides.

Editing the audio project was literally one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. This time, I completed the whole post-production workflow in GarageBand. Since it runs so smoothly on Mac, I was able to finish the editing efficiently and maintain a high level of quality without encountering any unexpected technical issues. I was also glad to have previous experience with DAWs, such as FL Studio, Ableton Live and Logic Pro X, which made the whole process much easier to manage.

I can‘t wait to share the first outcomes with the world. Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback, as they will help us continue to improve. There are more valuable perspectives still to come. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress and more original creative materials to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLsLtobi9YI

References:

1. Kang, B. (2026). Unseen Curtain — Episode 01: Conversations with Dr. Declan Patrick [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/QLsLtobi9YI

2. Kang, B. (2026). Unseen Curtain — Episode 01: Conversations with Dr. Declan Patrick [Audio podcast episode]. In Unseen Curtain Podcast. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3aotavf32YJ0QaRELzShF6

3. Patrick, D. (2026). Declan Patrick About. University of Waikato. https://profiles.waikato.ac.nz/declan.manning

4. Saint-Saëns, C. (Composer), Parry, D. (Conductor), Philharmonia Orchestra, Montague, D., & Ford, B. (Performers). (1998). Samson and Delilah, Op. 47, Act II: Softly awakes my heart… (Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix) [Song]. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/2ZIax09DVQoOJ3YZUZHG8f