Sound Files: The NRPF Podcast
If you ever wondered what it takes to preserve historic sounds, this podcast is for you! Come and listen to hear about the preservation of recorded sounds and the people and organizations who preserve them.
About the Podcast
NRPF’s podcast Sound Files shares stories about the preservation of recorded sound, as well as the people and organizations who preserve them. On the pod, we share and celebrate archival audio through conversations and stories.
The Sound Files podcast:
- Provides “behind-the-scenes” perspectives on the work that goes into archival audio preservation
- Features sounds and stories from some of the most significant American sound collections
- Shares and amplifies the work of audio preservation, the work of archivists, and the challenges and opportunities of preserving recorded sound
Each episode features a story about audio preservation or an interview with audio archivists. In addition, the show features sounds from the collections that NRPF has supported. We will also offer occasional updates on our activities and programs.
Ready to dive in? Subscribe now and never miss an episode! New episodes drop monthly.
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Most Recent Episodes
Citizen DJ: A New Spin on Historical Sound Preservation
October 2025
Explore the amazing world of Citizen DJ, a platform that lets you remix historical sounds in ways you never imagined. Join us, whether you're a history buff or just love fresh music, in this new episode of Sound Files!
Native American Sound Recordings, Communities, and the Federal Cylinder Project featuring Judith Gray
September 2024
In this episode, we explore the Federal Cylinder Project and its crucial work in preserving Native American sound recordings.
Preserving Alaskan Oral Histories and Native Languages featuring Leslie McCartney
June 2024
Leslie McCartney discusses the preservation of Alaskan oral histories and Native languages.
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Support Sound Files
Your donation helps us create, distribute, and share the podcast. Every gift helps us to tell more stories of recorded sound preservation!
Meet the Sound Files Team
Jesse A. Johnston
Host
Jesse is the creator, executive producer, and host of Sound Files. He is the Secretary and Executive Director of NRPF and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information. He has worked in various archival and library roles, including at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more about Jesse at https://www.jesseajohnston.net/.
Teresa Carey
Producer
Teresa Carey is the creative lead of Morse Alpha Studios, a media production company specializing in impactful media projects and storytelling. She is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and media producer known for crafting compelling stories in the science technology fields. Her work has been published with Discovery Channel, NPR, NASA, PBS NewsHour and more.
Evan Haywood
Composer, Host, and Engineer
Evan Haywood has engineered, hosted, and composed music for Sound Files. Evan is an audio engineer and founder of Black Ram Sound and Black Ram Treehouse recording studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds a Master’s of Science in Information, with a specialization in digital archives, from the University of Michigan School of Information.
Jacob Pinter
Writer
Jacob Pinter is a journalist and audio producer with deep experience translating complicated concepts into resonant, human-centered stories. As a producer at NASA and National Geographic, his work has won Ambie, Signal, Webby, and other awards.
