The musicians are basically a two-person in-house band for Reveal.

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
Mural by Molly Crapabble

This week’s episode: An American murder in Istanbul: Justice for Halla Barakat ([link removed])

An American journalist and her mom are found murdered in Istanbul. Friends and family say the police did not solve the crime.
------------------------------------------------------------
Sound designers Jim Briggs (left) and Fernando Arruda (right) in their jam-packed home studios.


** Making the music of Reveal
------------------------------------------------------------

Each week, sound designers Jim Briggs and Fernando Arruda spend hours in their home studios composing and performing the original music that accompanies each episode of Reveal. The musicians are basically a two-person in-house band for Reveal, crafting wordless songs that create the show’s rich emotional atmosphere. “We wanted to make Reveal be something that was its own, that had its own space and its own sound,” says Jim. “That wasn't going to happen if I had to rely on the same library that everybody else has access to.”

The work of scoring each show begins when the episode is about 70% complete. After reporters do interviews, write their narration and edit their audio into a cohesive story, they record a rough draft of the episode that’s played for the entire radio team at a listening session. Fernando says he keeps three things in mind when listening to the rough cut of the show: tempo, range and the content of the story.

Tempo means how fast a person speaks and how quickly the story moves. “People that speak really fast, you might want to pair with slow music. People that speak really slow, you might want to pick up their pace in the music,” Fernando says. With regard to range, if a person has a low voice, the sound designers may pair that with higher-pitched music and vice versa. “You don't want to clash with them. That allows the music to go up and have a much more immersive experience,” he says.

Sound designers think deeply about the emotional heart of each story in deciding what music to compose and also how their score can punctuate key points in the story. Music can make a new chapter in an audio story, build suspense or be a calming point that lets emotionally intense moments sink in. “The big challenge is weaving music into the story so that it's not manipulative and hitting people over the head. We really don't want to be heavy-handed, and we don’t want to be bland,” Jim says. “It’s a balancing act; it’s a good challenge to try to rise to every week.”

The original music from Reveal is now available on Bandcamp ([link removed]) , with each episode working a bit like a concept album. The scores are available to stream for free, or listeners can pay to download them, which is another great way to donate to Reveal.

To listen to original music from new episodes, follow Reveal on Bandcamp ([link removed]) .


------------------------------------------------------------

At Reveal, we pour the necessary time and resources into investigative reporting that consistently contributes to real-world impact. Because of the generosity of our members, we have the courage, freedom and independence to dedicate our entire newsroom to this work. Thank you for your support.
Donate today ([link removed])

Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, stands with his wife, Annie Lam, before he is sworn in as the new Assembly speaker in 2016. Credit: Randy Pench/The Sacramento Bee


** Questioning corporate donations
------------------------------------------------------------

Reveal’s Lance Williams teamed up with Sacramento Bee reporter Hannah Wiley last week to report on the more than $500,000 of donations given to nonprofits connected to Annie Lam, the wife of California House Speaker Anthony Rendon, since Rendon ascended to the speakership.

The corporate donations and sponsorships – led by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. – aren’t illegal, experts said, but raise questions about whether Rendon can be influenced by those who support organizations his wife leads. They also reveal limitations in the state’s political finance laws, which don’t extend to this kind of fundraising by nonprofits with a Capitol connection.
Read the investigation: Since California speaker rose to power, corporate donations flowed to nonprofits tied to his wife ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------


** Reveal Recommends
------------------------------------------------------------

Will Evans is a senior reporter and producer at Reveal. Between helping his young kids, he tries to hold powerful people and institutions accountable – most recently, his reporting has focused on Amazon. ([link removed])

Reading: We’re almost done with "If You're Reading This, It's Too Late," ([link removed]) the second book in the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch. It's exciting, but we're nervous about what will happen to the homunculus.

Watching and Listening: I recently saw the Disney movie “Zombies 2 ([link removed]) .” It’s right up there with “Descendants.” Really glad the werewolves, zombies and cheerleaders could unite in the end. We’ve also got the soundtrack on repeat – I can't get it out of my head at this point. My favorite is “We Own the Night,” ([link removed]) the howling werewolf anthem.

You can follow along with Will’s work on Twitter at @willCIR ([link removed]) .
------------------------------------------------------------

Do you have feedback for Reveal? Send it over! This newsletter was written by Sarah Mirk (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Weekly%20Reveal%20feedback) , who will share your thoughts with the team.
------------------------------------------------------------

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
Copyright © 2021 The Center for Investigative Reporting, All rights reserved.
You're on this list because you signed up for The Weekly Reveal newsletter.

Our mailing address is:
The Center for Investigative Reporting
1400 65th St., Suite 200
Emeryville, CA 94608
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.