Silver Sound has just finished its Winter 2026 Sonic Dash contest! There were so many great entries that will be featured in future episodes of this podcast, but for now, we present to you our grand prize winning piece by Eric Yang, Charlie Gillette, and Henry Butler titled, "Scooby Who?"

Technical Director: Tom Fama

Produced by Christian Cuciniello and Cory Choy

Festival Directors: Mark Blumberg, Cory Choy, Emily Reeves

Today we sit down with Markette Sheppard to explore the future of news. Hear her story as we dive into how independent reporting and nonprofit journalism are reshaping the industry.

To learn more, check out her website: http://www.markettesheppard.com

Markette also has a a new book coming out in September of 2026 called  "Grandma Dee's Pineapple Upsidedown Cake" that is available for preorder now: https://markettesheppard.com/pre-order-new-book

Featuring Markette Sheppard

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Ivan Bronson

Music by Ivan Bronson

Sound by Silver Sound

From operating intricate machinery, to preserving and protecting the traditions of cinema, listen as Aaron Kudja tells us a little about his path, and the importance and artistry of film development.



Featuring Aaron Kudja 

Produced by Cory Choy, Tom Fama, and Christian Cuciniello

Music by Tom Fama 

Sound by Silver Sound 

Take a listen as Kevin Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps tells us about the depth, realism, and impact of Tolkien's maps of Middle Earth.

https://www.geographicus.com/

Featuring Kevin Brown from Geographicus Rare Antique Maps

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Music by El Buru and Luke Allen

Sound by Silver Sound

The more nonviolent action you take, the better you might feel about our current situation. Listen as Mandy Keifetz talks about what she does to make an impact on society and mitigate some of the frustration current events might cause.

https://www.visibilitybrigade.com

Featuring Mandy Keifetz and Cory Choy

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Cory Choy tells us about the inaugural New York City Podcast Awards happening on March 13th, 2026. Nominations will be announced on March 2nd, so submit your work by following the link here: www.podcastawards.nyc

Featuring Cory Choy

Produced by Cory Choy and Chistian Cuciniello

Music by Juston Cummings

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Paige Campbell tells us about identity, and their path to living their own truth.

Featuring Paige Campbell

Produced by Cory Choy, Tom Fama, and Christian Cuciniello

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as Tessa Flannery tells us about the Girl Tales Podcast and some of the magical worlds and characters they created to get their uplifting messages across.

Check out the Girl Tales website here: https://girltalespodcast.com/

Featuring Tessa Flannery

Produced by Cory Choy, Juston Cummings, and Christian Cuciniello

Music from the Girl Tales Podcast

Sound by Silver Sound

At Silver Sound, we encourage everyone to pull out their microphones and make something new! Every winter and summer, we host a 48-hour audio storytelling competition, shower the top three winners with money and fabulous prizes, and showcase the top 10 finalists both live at a celebration event in NYC and online via our Silver Podcast Network. We call this the Biannual Sonic Dash.

Registration for our Winter 2026 Sonic Dash, which will take place from January 9th to the 11th, is now open so check out the link below to learn more about the contest and the insane prizes you can win!

https://www.silver-nyc.com/sonicdash

Featuring Mark Blumberg

Produced by Cory Choy, Christian Cuciniello, and Juston Cummings

Sound by Silver Sound

Take a listen as James Roy, from the band The James Rocket, talks about their new album "Seen", which releases on November 21st, 2025.

To pre-order the album, check out this link: https://thejamesrocket.bandcamp.com/album/seen

Also, check them out live! The James Rocket will be playing at:

• Young Ethel's in Brooklyn, NY on October 23rd, 2025
• Sanger Hall in Sunnyside, NY on November 22nd, 2025
• Century in Philadelphia, PA on December 13th, 2025

Featuring James Roy

Produced by Cory Choy and Christian Cuciniello

Music by The James Rocket from their new album "Seen"

Sound by Silver Sound