by Jack Uslabar

Ex Fabula recently wrapped up the seventh season of Real Stories MKE, our radio show airing on WUWM 89.7 FM. The program features stories told by community members at Ex Fabula StorySlams, repurposed into episodes focused on a specific theme. In this blog series, we’re introducing you to the people who bring Real Stories MKE to fruition every year. 

Sam Woods is the Audio Engineer of Real Stories MKE. Hailing from Kent, Washington, he attended college in Washington D.C before moving to Milwaukee. What was initially intended to be a short stay ended up long-term as he engaged with the city through a tenure at Public Allies, during which he got connected with Ex Fabula, where he worked with Executive Director Megan McGee to transform anecdotal accounts of Ex Fabula’s impact into measurable data.

Prior to his involvement with Real Stories MKE, Sam founded the podcast Bridge the City and used this to foster a greater knowledge of civic engagement in Milwaukee. He describes his turn toward the medium of audio as an interest in the power of the human voice and its remarkable ability to convey feeling in ways that the written word cannot. His involvement in Real Stories MKE started with Megan, who reached out because of his previous experience in audio.

Sam’s favorite episodes of Real Stories MKE are the ones in which he has more freedom to add unscripted sound effects. He cites the Music episode as the first to grant him this creativity. In engineering Real Stories, he tackles a number of unique challenges, including pulling together audio from a wealth of different, incongruent sources, and editing the hosts for continuity.

Outside of Real Stories MKE, Sam works at WUWM as the producer for Lake Effect, their flagship program. He is a passionate gardener, particularly fond of the pollinator garden he has established on his front lawn. To him, happiness is drinking coffee on his porch while watching the bees.