Hi! Welcome! Some people think I’m from the Midwest, maybe because I sunburn with the best of ’em, but I’m a SoCal native — and wildly proud of my story-rich, bone-dry stomping grounds. I’ve spent the bulk of my career here writing, producing, reporting, editing, and sound-scaping for podcasts and public radio.
One of my recent audio projects is the fictional podcast The Sea in the Sky, which I wrote and created. To my happy surprise, Audible named it one of the Top 10 listens of 2020 alongside work by Brit Bennett, Aiden Thomas, Isabel Wilkerson, and Mariah Carey (!!). The space-and-sea saga follows a marine biologist who dives deep into the waters of a distant moon, and then reports her findings back to Earth via audio “dispatches.” The podcast reckons with discovery and anxiety, faith and queerness, old regrets and new horizons. There’s also a talking tubeworm.
Most days, you’ll find me producing and booking shows across the podcast pantheon. I’ve worked with some of the best in the business: Pineapple Street Studios, First Look / Topic Studios, Audible, YR Media (formerly Youth Radio), American Public Media, and more. I also regularly throw my producer engine in reverse and serve as a publicist, helping interesting people (usually authors) land on interesting podcasts. For instance: Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, the bestselling authors of Big Friendship. You’ll find info/testimonials about my roles and hiring me here.
Prior to my freelance life, I produced public radio’s irreverent
culture (and cocktails!) show The Dinner Party Download, which meant booking top-flight talent (some faves: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lupita Nyong’o, Steve Martin), writing zippy scripts, editing into the wee hours, and trying not to mispronounce all manner of fusion dishes. “DPD” taught me the joys and rigors of audio production, and how delicious a well-crafted story or interview can be.
I was lucky to cut my teeth as an intern-reporter with the much-loved show Off-Ramp on L.A.’s NPR affiliate KPCC. My features took me high and low: I panned for gold in the San Gabriel Mountains with modern-day prospectors; recorded person-on-the-street stories in WeHo on Election Night 2008, when both Barack Obama and the anti-gay-marriage Prop 8 prevailed; and danced tango in the Valley at a multigenerational midnight milonga. True story: my voice gave out before their feet did.
(And yes, I love alliteration.)
When I’m not working with sound, I write things that make me happy: middle grade fiction (yes, #kidlit!), poetry, crossword puzzle clues (a new obsession), and spec scripts for a kids’ animated TV show that a farsighted studio with “the means” should totally produce, for the enjoyment of children everywhere and the general betterment of humanity. 🙂
A while back, I graduated Duke University with an English degree and a love for pickup basketball. It’s still one of my favorite things… apart from drinking margaritas with this guy.
Ping me, if you like, at jackson dot inquiries at gmail dot com.
Jackson Musker 