Out of the the Blocks 1200 Edmondson Photo: (Supplied/Images by Wendel Patrick)
Baltimore in Maryland (Population: 611,000) is the birthplace of baseballer Babe Ruth and of the US national anthem 'The Star Spangled Banner'. It's a historic port and manufacturing centre, with more heritage buildings per capita than any other US city.
But Baltimore's also got an unenviable and unwanted reputation for crime, drugs and violence. OK, some of that could be down to The Wire: the epic TV series used the gritty city as a backdrop. But there is some basis in reality; one recent survey places four of America's ten most dangerous neighbourhoods in Baltimore.
'Out Of The Blocks' started up as a short audio project 6 years ago...an experiment to collect stories by chance, and to capture the distinctive sounds of individual city blocks.The beauty of the idea is easy to grasp. If you can get out and meet people in their own environment you can tap into a whole group of people normally ignored by the traditional system of audio production. They'll probably be more willing to speak to you. And there's also an element of chance and serendipity that you just don't have when you have to set up a meeting with someone in advance by phone.
The results were so compelling that the idea expanded out into more neighbourhoods, and now it's practically becoming a franchise, with grant money taking the show to other US cities including Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago- and also onto the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota earlier this year.
We play some of an award-winning episode of the show called 2100 Edmondson Avenue and speak to host and creator Aaron Henkin, who makes the show with photographer and musician Wendel Patrick.
What's On Your Headphones? Aaron Henkin's listening recommendations:
Baltimore, Rise of Charm City
One Day at a Time: in Recovery in Baltimore
We Live Here
The Beef and Dairy Network Podcast
