Making a Hearts of Space Program

Dear Stephen,

As we progress in life things we like change, favorite movies/foods/songs etc evolve and change.  We are rarely today what we were 20+ years ago.  HOS is just about the only thing I can think of that is still a constant. Obviously some programs strike more of a chord than others but I still look forward each week to that hour where we enter another world.

I'm sure your plate is full but should time permit I think sometime on the blog a short piece on what it takes to make a program would be interesting.  How long does it take to put a program together?  Do you decide let's do a space week or a piano week or a change of season week. etc.

Thanks for looking out for us Space Fans.

Alan Griffin 

Dear Alan,

Thank you for asking. At the risk of creating the kind of disillusionment that famously accompanies seeing sausage made, I'll give this a shot.

WARNING: this post may contain spoilers, read at your own risk.

After 26 years, the process of creating the weekly HOS program has settled into something of a routine, but it has never been 100% predictable. The music gods either smile on your work and allow it to flow with little effort...or they do not. The deadline remains the same in either case. So we long ago decided that when a show was not reaching our standard of quality, it was better to rerun a good one and put more time into the new show.

It must be said that where HOS shows are concerned, we try to take a longer view of our source material. After all, this kind of music has been around for centuries. What's the rush?

Most radio music programmers are focused either on exposing newly released material — a form of music journalism that is supposed to aid the listener in "music discovery" — or, optimizing a format composed of classic tracks in their genre.

We do neither, which I realize can be frustrating for the many worthy artists, labels and music promoters who are looking for timely airplay for their new releases. Our answer to music discovery is our online service, which now provides not only a "curated" source of the best music, but also a detailed reference guide to all the artists and albums we play.

From the very beginning of the national show in 1983, Anna Turner and I were concerned primarily with creating an immersive, hour-long contemplative music experience. This is the reason for the uninterrupted format and minimal announcing, and I believe is largely responsible for our longevity as a program.

So while a great new album release can certainly inspire us to create a show around it, it can also sit in our "on deck" circle for years before we find the right material to combine with it and the right moment for a show. I sincerely apologize to any artist or label who has waited in vain for airplay, but we have found that a show where the component tracks truly join together to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts is more than worth the extra time it takes. Not only that, like a classic album, it is the only standard that will support repeated listening.

PREPRODUCTION

To prepare, we review new material and collect it around various themes or program ideas until something like a "critical mass" of raw material is reached. At this point we can consider using the material to create a finished show, which is a separate process with its own dynamics.

An additional element in our creative process is the subtle question of seasonal and cultural appropriateness: what show is best for a particular week? The week of 9/11, for example, we completely changed our plans and wrote new voiceovers for a rerun show whose music took on a totally different meaning in the light of the event. (Pgm. 536) There's no formula — it's an intuitive process.

When you are working with ambient music that itself creates a virtual sound environment, this musical "space" also relates to the larger environment we live in — the season, the weather, and the cultural moment. This correlation, whether obvious or subtle, informs many of our scheduling decisions.

We have found that certain ambient sounds and musical genres simply sound more effective at certain times of the year. For this kind of seasonally related material, there is a sense that the music is "locking in" to the surrounding atmosphere, from which it gains a kind of inevitability and power.  Other music is more neutral and could be scheduled anytime.

Longtime Associate Producer STEVE DAVIS does most of the initial filtering of the new material that comes our way. I also review and comment on new arrivals as time permits. After 26 years of national syndication, many of the artists whose music relates to our format send us their music automatically. We also go out and beat the bushes by requesting service from new artists we have not previously contacted. As the web has grown, this process has become much easier, since we can listen to samples and full-length tracks online. This year we added a 4 terabyte file server to our in-house network to store downloads, since some artists are now abandoning CDs altogether and only releasing their music online.

Steve and I discuss the upcoming schedule and make initial decisions about what we will work on in a given week. After years of working "just in time," we now produce one week ahead of our broadcast release schedule, which makes it easier for both our public radio stations and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio to process and promote the upcoming shows in their own production systems.

PRODUCTION

Once we have determined the musical theme and the schedule, the patient is moved to the operating table by loading all the material we have collected for that show onto our Pro Tools digital audio workstation. Pro Tools is a professional audio editor that we have used since it was released, but we could do it with any number of other programs. Our hardware is a little Mac Intel Mini, a 24" flatscreen, a Beyer microphone and Genelec monitor speakers, which is all we need. Here's our studio:
 

Digital audio has been a great boon to our work, as it maintains the full quality of the original CDs or hi-res files and allows instant and almost effortless editing and experimentation with the music. Nevertheless, there is no substitute for simply sitting back and listening, just like you do at home.

Steve Davis does the initial load in, then takes a pass at establishing the starting and ending pieces and creating a sequence for the rest of the show. This usually happens on Monday. He listens during the day, I listen at night when I can work uninterrupted.

Then we begin a process of adding and subtracting, moving and changing, editing and tweaking that can take as little as a day or as long as three. Regardless of how long it takes, the object is to make sure that the individual pieces feel like an integral part of a larger entity, and the journey through the sequence feels natural, inevitable and correct. If it's just not working we remind ourselves that we work to a standard of quality, not a schedule, and start to think about a rerun.

When we get it right, the program begins to emerge as an entity in itself. At that point, if it hasn't already become clear, it's time for me to give the show a name, and start writing the copy for the intro and the outro. Normally I do this at night when it's quiet and I can really hear the music with fresh ears. In the course of a typical week, I may have listened to the program a dozen times in various stages of completion.

As I listen, I refine the volume levels of each piece using Pro Tools and additional "plug in" processors. The goal is: not too loud, not too soft...just right. This sounds trivial, but along with the editing and sequencing is one of the keys to a program that flows effortlessly from end to end and does not have you diving for your volume control at any time. We want you to relax, listen, and perhaps think about wonderful things, not worry about adjusting your radio or computer.

We must deliver shows that are exactly 59 minutes long every week, so this means that some music editing is necessary just to bring the programs to time. But over the years we have found that we can often improve the flow of the listening experience by making additional edits within the component pieces of music. These edits may be anywhere from a few seconds to 80% of a longer piece. This explains the (edited) and (part) references within our playlists. Remarkably, no artist has ever complained about this.

Now it's time for the voiceover session, which I do first thing in the morning of deadline day. Normally I "rough cut" the voice tracks, then turn them over to Steve Davis for fine editing and a first pass at mixing them into the head and tail of the show. Editing voiceovers with tape and razor blades used to be unbelievably tedious; now it's almost fun with a digital editing system.

When this is done, it's time for more tweaking to fit the announcements into the first and last piece of music. 1/10th of a second more or less makes a difference for the pacing to sound natural; tiny volume changes to both the voice and the music allow the words to "float" over the background music and still be perfectly audible. And shorter is always better, so I edit and rewrite as necessary during the session.

DISTRIBUTION

When everything has been checked and rechecked several times (more listening) we record the final show to the hard disk and then transfer it to another computer, where it is transformed into several other formats: one for public broadcasting, one for SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and several more for our own online service. We use special "batch encoding" software for this in one operation. Then we upload all the different files to distant servers, where they eventually find their way to you.

In the end, the idea is to make every show sound like floating through a dream you want to have again, and again, and again...

:: SH

Comments

[Dave Curphey]

After being "with you" since '83 and the kpfa days it's great to hear some detail of how a program is constructed.
curf

[Stephen Hill]

Thanks, Dave. HOS has the most awesomely loyal listeners of any program in the world!

:: SH

[Tom Nyquist]

Hi Stephen,

I really enjoyed reading about how you create a show. I've also been curious how the delivery process has changed over the years. Did HOS feed the NPR stations through satellite for the weekly shows? How did that process change over the years as technology advanced? Fascinating stuff! Thanks again for doing such great work.

[Stephen Hill]

Yes, since we started national syndication in 1984, the disribution to the *stations* has been via satellite.

We used to send the show to NPR via satellite as well (from KQED in San Francisco), but a few years ago they rebuilt the system to accept digital audio uploads via a secure web site, so now we upload the programs directly.

[Bob F Dowd]

Turning 44 later this month, I have found Hearts of Space to be constant Sunday night companion as I drift into the inner space of the mind and sleep. For as long as memory serves, Hearts of Space has followed me, as I it, whenever I made a family move or later as an adult changed employment. I have encouraged others, including students to seek it out and listen, really listen, for the promise of radio doing more than "selling things." I remember being a High School Student listening in the 1980's, then a College student, a Graduate student and now just an "old hat" space fan.

What will I do with my Sunday evenings now that I find Hearts of Space no longer on here in Nashville? Listening on the computer is somehow longing for the endless expanse of radio waves flowing through my home, heart and head. Alas, the computer it shall be...

Fear not, Stephen Hill... this space fan will follow, float and find Hearts of Space, where ever you are....

Bob F. Dowd
Electronic Media Communications
Middle Tennessee State University

[Eli]

I have been a loyal listener to this show since the early 90s. I was in 3rd grade then, and HOS came on around 9pm, my bed time. I would put it on and drift off to sleep listening to the erie, enchanting music that flowed through my stereo. I'm 30 years old now and this program is a lifeline for me. Nashville no longer carries the show, but I am grateful for the acess I have via the wonderful internet. THANK YOU Steven Hill and everyone involved for all that you do, and I believe I say that on behalf of millions of listeners, thank you again for the magical experience that is Hearts Of Space.
P.S. You guys should do another Flamenco type show soon :)

[Stephen Hill]

Thank you, Eli! We got you early;-)

Thanks also for the suggestion re another Spanish/Moorish/Flamenco show. Good idea and perfect time of year for it!

[Reginald Thomas]

Good day Stephen. I have enjoyed your show for many years and have purchased a number of CDs that no other station will play. I have an idea for a program. Do you accept program ideas?

Reginald

[Stephen Hill]

Hi Reginald, we're happy to consider any program ideas. You can send then to love(at)HOS.com.

[Joe Valley]

Swoon.

[Mikemenn]

As many others have mentioned, I too started listening in the early 80s. I started in High School in Macon, GA and then on into my college years in Nashville, TN. I really remember the 100th episode with the 6 versions of Pachelbel's Canon in D. Wow.

But since leaving college in 1989, I haven't listened because I couldn't ever find it on the radio where I lived. At the end of 2013, I remember the program and the internet and have been listening non-stop. Wow, again. Over 1,000 episodes. It's still awesome.

Thanks for the overview of how you make it. Passion of love is what comes to mind.

[Stephen Hill]

Thank you Mikemenn! Our archive was built especially for listeners like you. Frankly, we're just as amazed by it as you are!

Safe journey :: SH

[Jess Stuart]

Stephen,

I really enjoy listening to HOS. But, I have a problem. Often I find the music so relaxing, I fall asleep! When reviewing large quantities of music for the show, does this ever happen to you? If not, what's your secret?

Thank you for HOS and your continual efforts in locating, compiling, and sharing wonderful music with the world at-large.

[Mary Keith]

Dear Stephen et al,
I have been a loyal listener for many years but only recently became a subscriber as I really wanted the playlist feature. Has anyone, that you know of, done an analysis as to the physiological effects of your programs?
My only request would be the ability to create a playlist from my iPhone.
Thank you for your beautiful programs and their positive effects on humanity.

[Mark Mumaugh]

I first discovered Hearts of Space late one night in 1995 when I was driving home after a VERY stressful shift in the hospital ER. When searching for some relaxing music on the radio, I suddenly heard the most wonderful music I had ever heard. The man who presented the show said "I'm Stephen Hill" and the program he presented was called "Riding Solar Winds." The experience was almost transcendental! No other music before or since has so enabled me to relax and find my peace and calm at the center; a safe journey indeed... Thanks for all you do Steve and Stephen!

[Stephen Hill]

Mary, thank you for your kind comment and your story. Peace and calm are what it's all about.

[Tim Warner]

Stephen and crew,

I consider myself so fortunate to have found HoS on public radio late one Sunday evening in 1988 while doing homework for one of my 10th grade classes. David Arkenstone's, "Valley in the Clouds" was playing and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The music instantly spoke to me, and I've been in love with it ever since. I'm 43 years old now and truly believe that my ability to stay calm and not stress over the ups and downs of life has its root in my love of this music. Thank you so much for dedicating your life to providing listeners with access to life-changing, quality music! As I write this I'm listening to Jeff Pearce's 2013 AMBicon performance...WOW!

[Stephen Hill]

Tim, thank you for your years of listening, and for sharing your story.
:: SH

[Maury Brooks]

I love how your music blend transports me to another time and place. Thanks for sharing your creation story, I never realized so much went into each program.

[Brad Berg]

Stephen,
I'm a loyal listener who first heard your show on NPR at the suggestion of a friend back in 1991. I worked second shift then and would get home on Sunday evenings just in time to hear your program. I recall recording your shows on old cassette tapes that, when your show wasn't on, I'd listen to over and over until I thoroughly wore them out! I lost touch after the program was cancelled here in the Minneapolis area, but delightfully reconnected again several years ago online. Your program has carried me safely through dark times and I keep a list of particularly favorite "gem transmissions" (Prgms 286 thru 372). Would you consider dusting off a few old favorites from this time period for a throwback show? Thanks for being the beacon for all of us Space Fans. Your tireless work is very appreciated.

[Stephen Hill]

Hi Brad, thank you for your story and kind comments about Hearts of Space. We are "dusting off" program 406 this week, and will definitely consider others from your favorite group for replay.
Safe journey :: SH

[Howie Shelly]

Why I have listened to Hearts of Space for 40 years?

#1. The Music. Steve and Anna pick the absolute best music and then somehow magically weave it together into a 59-minute miracle. I don't know how they do it so well, and I've been editing and designing music for 46 years!

#2. No ADS to ruin the music and the mood. Try listening to Spacemusic on Pandora. YUCK. Google Music YUCK. Spotify YUCK. They all suck because ADS pull you out of space and back to Earth. I hate that!

#3. High quality audio. MP3 YUCK.

#4. Steve Hill & Anna Turner. There are no others that share this place in electronic music history. Can't we just import their brains into Wikipedia? PLEASE! Steve & Anna need to write a book or something to preserve all of their knowledge. They have the entire history of e-music between their ears.

[Stephen Hill]

Thank you, Howie, for the lavish praise! Anna Turner was an integral part of developing and refining the HOS music concept and presentation. She left the program in 1987 to devote herself to her spiritual practice, and tragically died in 1996 from pancreatic cancer. We miss her and continue to honor her contribution to the program.

By the way, we did do a100-page annotated catalog called The Hearts of Space Guide to Cosmic, Transcendent and Innerspace Music in 1980. It’s long out of print and now a bit of a collectors item.
:: SH

[Dave Boellner]

Mr. Hill,

I have "rediscovered" HOS in a way previously described by Joe Valley in 2013. I used to listen in the '80's and '90's, then came marriage, children, divorce - the usual turmoil - and I lost touch with HOS. Then a few months ago I did a web search and - lo and behold! - HOS is still broadcasting, and has an app!

I feel that listening to HOS in my early, formative years made me a better human being. And listening to it today still does. I've turned others on to HOS as well.

Thanks for the great service you provide. It's impossible to measure the positive influence that HOS has made, and continues to make, on my life.

You wouldn't happen to be hiring, would you?

Safe journey, space fan.

Dave Boellner
410-227-4908

[Stephen Hill]

Dear Dave, Thank You for the extravagant praise. We’re delighted you found us again. And thanks to the internet you can hear everything you missed!

Sorry about hiring—we’re a tiny company trying to stay that way. Good luck finding the right job.
:: SH

[Mary]

I've been a listener ever since I happened upon Hearts of Space by chance on NPR in 1983. It was fall/winter and I had just begun my last year of high school and I would tape the show on my stereo religiously every week. I graduated and left my hometown for college and could not find it on the airwaves anywhere.

It was a frustration repeated over and over in subsequent moves and I simply fell back to playing all the casettes I'd recorded in high school. The 90s came and went. The new millenium began. Computers and broadband internet opened up the universe in ways I couldn't have anticipated ... including streaming music.

After nearly 20 years of going without the show, I did an online search for Hearts of Space and there you were! I listened for free for several years and decided that it was infinitely worth subscribing to.

All my favorite programs were there, which was a relief because my old tapes had long ago been played down to nothing. I could listen to Arabesque again (#108), Airs and Graces (#103) and others.

Long story short, I love your program and I am grateful beyond words to have it online and streaming into my heart again after so many years of going without.

Thank you so very much for the happiness you've returned to me. Thank you.

[David Gregory]

How far back to you have a list of music played on each show? Believe it or not, I am looking for the playlist from late September 1988.

[Stephen Hill]

The playlists for every show since we began national broadcasting in 1983 are all available on our website. To save time, try using the search tool for any artist or title you remember from the show.

[James P. Hunter]

Dear Mr. Hill,

Hearts of Space is a “House of Beorn” in a dim and dark Mirkwood. It was approximately 35 years ago that I first heard HoS on Alabama Public Radio on Sunday nights. My all-tlme favorite edition was entitled “Journey to the Emerald Isle”, featuring many selections from the soundtrack to the movie “Cal”, composed by Mark Knopfler. I had the pleasure of listening to the “Cal” soundtrack last night, and the innumerable pleasant memories of “Sunday night with Hearts of Space” came flooding into my heart, mind and soul. My thanks and I know the thanks of countless others to you and your colleagues for a life’s work well done which has brought peace and joy to so many.

James P. Hunter
Pensacola, Florida

[Juan M Nunez]

Mr.Hill

I was 22 years old when I was in a small town in Tennessee beginning with my pilot career in 1988 and we did not fly on Sundays. I usually went to have a walk on sunset through the cotton fields in front of my student house observing the fireflies. One Sunday evening I discovered in the public radio of my walkman your HoS program and It was “the beginning” of my emotional mood from that day matching my flying experience and my flying imagination. Now I am crossing the world skies as a airline pilot watching stars like Tennessee fireflies and after flying 32 years with your programs, music and voice I can only say a big Thank You for a peaceful message with the music you choose for our peaceful souls.
Well done Stephen.

Juan M Nunez
Madrid
Spain