Using Music to Tell the Stories of our Community
Jacob Holtzman
Jacob Holtzman grew up right outside of Muncie and came to Ball State for a degree in Telecommunications (now known as the Department of Media) with an emphasis in audio production and a minor in music recording.
Holtzman’s passions consist of “three pillars,” podcast and broadcast production, music recording and live sound, and the technical aspects of production like building equipment.
Those passions came together when he found “The Scene,” a weekly public radio show produced by Indiana Public Radio. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, and in recent months, members of “The Scene” would travel to Indiana music festivals to record live sound. That sound would then be mixed and released as a show, his favorite being “Homegrown,” a show that focused on the history and importance of any particular festival.
“It’s what I’ve enjoyed the most out of my college experience,” Holtzman said. “To have the opportunity to share stories and music from Indiana and connect to a part of our community.”
The show has helped foster his love for storytelling, allowing him to curate a well-rounded show that he’s proud to present. Holtzman works on finding that balance through his connection to music, which he says is just as much of a story as any verbal account.
“It’s something that’s innately unique to the human experience and I think it’s so cool that we get to share stories… they can tell a multitude of different things to different people,” Holtzman said. “To help broadcast that is something that I’ve enjoyed immensely and want to continue doing in the future.”
Holtzman is one of two recipients of the 2022 Al Rent Honorary Ball State PBS/IPR Public Media Student Award, being recognized for his ability to jump in and help without being prompted.
“IPR has really meant a lot to me, so seeing that my hard work has paid off for an award like that is really meaningful,” Holtzman said. “I wouldn’t be here in this role without Al Rent— it’s amazing to see how much work he did for Public Media at Ball State.”
He’s currently working on “The Scene” remotely while he finishes up an internship in Connecticut assembling microphones with Telefunken Elektroakustik, fulfilling his “third pillar.”
Hotlzman’s many interests may catapult him in one direction or another, but he knows he’d be more than happy to end up somewhere that will help him find more opportunities to showcase stories— somewhere like NPR.
Give to IPR on #OneBallState Day here.
By: Emma Fullen, Ball State PBS Marketing Intern
