Lee Wade has been chosen to fill a key role within the WYSO's Eichelberger Center for Community Voices.
Wade is now editor and community audio producer for the center, which is a collaborative space under WYSO's umbrella dedicated to audio training, production, and storytelling.
Prior to joining the staff full-time, Wade produced two seasons of Translucent, which amplifies trans voices and creates space for the real everyday conversations that don't make headlines.
In this WYSO Weekend interview, he speaks with Jerry Kenney about his new role, family life, and musical taste.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Kenney: So, newest staff member, you've been involved with the station for a couple of years now through fellowships and volunteer work, part-time work, but you have just been hired full-time in the Community Voices division of WYSO, so what is your official title?
Wade: Yeah, my official title is editor and community audio producer.
Kenney: And that's nice. So let's go back a little way. You are the producer of Translucent, a series that has gone through several seasons now. Tell us about that.
Wade: I started working on the project back in 2023 for a class project of mine, learning how to podcast. And at the moment, I wasn't thinking that it would turn into a series, but more of like, I just wanted to create a story to share with people.
That first story that I worked on was an interview between my dad and I just a few weeks after he returned home from prison and then me basically just like sticking a microphone in his face to ask him about what he thinks of my transition since he came back home. And later on down the line, I saw that the Community Voices class was opening up, and so I pitched a series of the same concept, but just wanting to educate listeners about what it's like to be trans, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming, and bringing in people here locally, just to share their own stories, to educate people. And so yes, Translucent is an audio journalism project, a podcast, highlighting the trans community's wins and some of the things that the current administration is throwing at us and just talking about how those things are impacting us locally, but adding a global scope to it because these are things that people are doing with nationwide.
Kenney: What does it mean to you to be able to start with a very personal story and then have that turn into additional conversations with other people throughout the trans community and allies?
Wade: That's a really good question. I don't even think I have all the words to explain, but yeah, it feels good to hear feedback from people like 'your story is something I can relate to' or stories that I've produced with other people on the podcast, people are learning how to be better parents, better allies, and even how to accept their own self. So that really means a lot.
And it really can’t be done without the help of other people and other people wanting to be brave and share their stories publicly as well.
Kenney: You've learned a lot about production and audio through creating your own stories and the Translucent series, but now you're going to be working with other people on their projects as editor and community audio producer. Tell us how excited are you to be doing that?
Wade: Yeah, I'm really excited. I think it's a privilege to be motivated or excited about something and then see that turn into something. And now just being underneath Will Davis’s wing to learn about his own editing techniques and tools and things like that that he has to offer has been helpful. And so I'm pretty much happy and excited to hopefully provide those same tools and things to people who may have an idea but haven't messed around with audio equipment or know how to put a podcast together.
Kenney: You're doing some news stuff occasionally for the newsroom as well. So you've kind of got a foot in all the doors here.
Wade: I think that's a good way to kind of learn how the station works and just collaborate a little bit.
I was out in Dayton, at Daybreak, reporting on a story. They just got a huge grant from Lowes to add another wing to their campus. So yeah, working on stories for the news department helps me exercise some of those same skills and so I'm not showing up rusty.
Kenney: Yeah, yeah, because it's not just audio. It's writing, it's producing, you know, it's actually thinking of what you want as far as end results and then working toward that. So that's enough about work, but we do these interviews with staff members just so listeners can get to know who they're supporting here at the station and so we can get know each other as well because we're all busy getting our work done throughout the day. So tell me a little bit more about yourself I always ask this music is also a big component of what WYSO does are you into music? Do you play any instruments?
Wade: Oh yeah, I'm a big music head. I kind of grew up in a musical family, but I like a mixture of different genres. Lately I've been really into alternative rap, a little bit of jazz, hip hop, rap, listening to music, and people may not be happy with me after saying this, but Spotify, I have like 20 hours active on Spotify during the week, so there's always something in the background playing.
Kenney: Ah, no, that's quite all right. And so tell me a little bit about your family. Siblings? Are you a Dayton area native?
Wade: Yeah, so I grew up in West Dayton, was a product of the Dayton Public Schools. And then, so yeah, I'm not too far from home. I chose to go to Antioch; it was pretty close. But yeah, most of my family lives in Dayton. I have a pretty big family. I have about eight siblings.
Kenney: Wow. We had six in my family, so, but eight. Are they all, are you all close?
Wade: Well, I have a twin sister, but besides my relationship with her, my other siblings are a little older and so we're not too close.
Kenney: What else would you like our listeners to know about you?
Wade: That's a great question. I think I'm really excited and honored to be able to take on the role as the new editor and producer here at the station. And yeah, it feels like a pretty much like a full circle.
I remember stepping into Luke's office my first time interning and I came to Antioch not even knowing what it is that I wanted to do, but my first internship as a Miller Fellow here at WYSO guided my steps into what it was that I want it to pursue at school and then now as a career. And so yeah, I remember stepping into Luke's office and saying I want to do this when I graduate. He's like, okay, just stick around. And so I stuck around and I'm happy to be here.
Everyone on the team has always been so supportive and welcoming and very good advocates and mentors.
Kenney: That's great and it's exciting to have direction at such a young age and the possibilities are really endless for you. So congratulations on becoming a full-time staff member here at WYSO, you're doing really great work, and I appreciate you sitting down for some conversation.
Wade: Of course. Yeah. thank you. Thank you for having me, Jerry.
