How About A Listen? 'Sound Off' With Katy Henriksen

In her substack (like a blog, but also sent out to your inbox) “Sound Off” host Katy Henriksen includes playlists or mixtapes, extra interviews, context that doesn’t make it into the podcast episode, and she is expanding out into review coverage of books, music and art, plus personal essays. Find the show wherever podcasts are streaming.

criticalfrequency.org, soundoff.substack.com, podlink.to/soundoff
In her substack (like a blog, but also sent out to your inbox) “Sound Off” host Katy Henriksen includes playlists or mixtapes, extra interviews, context that doesn’t make it into the podcast episode, and she is expanding out into review coverage of books, music and art, plus personal essays. Find the show wherever podcasts are streaming. criticalfrequency.org, soundoff.substack.com, podlink.to/soundoff

Did you know we have a plethora of funny, educational, captivating and insightful podcasts produced and hosted by the deep well of talent cultivated in our own Northwest Arkansas? In this series, we’ll continue to highlight some of these local offerings, so keep an eye (or an ear) out for something that may tickle your fancy.

Sound Off

“'Sound Off’ features in-depth conversations about music that challenges the status quo — hybrid sounds that fall through the cracks because they aren’t easily labeled,” explains host and creator Katy Henriksen. “Whether it’s a classical flute-and-electronic music project that takes on police brutality and race, or a mix of poetry, pop and chamber music, ‘Sound Off’ explores creativity at the intersection of art, music and literature and digs into what that work and the people making it tell us about art and life in the 21st century.”

Hosted by: Katy Henriksen

Airs: On Critical Frequency Podcast Network at criticalfrequency.org and podlink.to/soundoff

"As an avid music fan and a longtime radio host, I’ve always been drawn to music that isn’t easily categorized. Growing up my favorite musicians included Bjork and Nina Simone — artists who blended many different genres together to create something entirely their own. I also love interviewing artists and looking at the way music intersects with our larger culture for insight into what makes us human. I also love the intersections of music into art, literature and society. This could all come off as really high minded, but that defeats the purpose. The idea is that everyone can benefit from listening to these multifarious sounds and to these conversations. I definitely wanted to highlight diverse, under-served voices and discuss topics ranging from racism, sexism to finding joy as we find ourselves deep in a pandemic."

Q. What kind of gap did you perceive in the audio world that you wanted your program to fill?

A. There are straight interview shows and also lots of music podcasts that take on specific spheres of music, but I didn’t see anyone combining my love of long-form interview for richly rewarding conversations that also highlighted full selections of music, not to mention music that isn’t easily labeled. It was a bit of an extension of my radio program on KUAF, “Of Note,” but expanded, because the sounds didn’t have to fit into classical music at all, even though when I was at “Of Note” I also held a loose definition of what fit into classical programming.

Q. How has your program evolved over the past year? In what ways did 2020 impact your show or your process?

A. I launched “Sound Off” [in 2020], and it was intentional. I love the medium of radio as a connecting force, as I love music as a connecting force. Having “Sound Off” there as we deal with this collective grief is my love letter to everyone who listens.

Regarding social justice, that was always at the forefront of my programming decisions. I’d planned to highlight the Black classical guitar duo Duo Noire before the movement against police brutality erupted. I’d interviewed them for "Of Note" prior and talked to them about the challenges of being Black in the world of classical guitar, and about their decision to commission all women composers for new repertoire because they saw so few women composers on recordings and at concerts. What the pandemic and the national reckoning with race is doing is bringing systemic issues to the surface in plain sight for all to see.

Q. Who would be a dream guest for the show, or dream topic to discuss for an upcoming episode?

A. As I mentioned earlier, Bjork was an early musical idol of mine. She’d definitely be a dream guest for "Sound Off." Yet, I’m also interested in having insightful conversations with those who aren’t stars — their stories are so important to tell and rather enriching. The idea behind "Sound Off" is not to give celebrities yet another mouthpiece in a celebrity obsessed world, it’s to help artists who I’ve loved gain a wider audience as well.

Caroline Shaw, my final guest in season one, who by all accounts should be “world famous” because she was the youngest person to ever win the Pulitzer for music and has collaborated with Kanye West isn’t all that visible. We’re living in a moment where we can stream the entire digitized music of the world by pulling out our phone at a time when coverage of musicians, particularly musicians who don’t operate within confines of genre or pop stardom, is dwindling. My aim is to shine a light on these important voices.

Q. What about your show are you most proud of?

A. This is like asking who your favorite child is I can’t really say — because they all have different reasons for making me proud. What I’d say is that each is such a meaningful conversation and in each episode I produced I found myself tearing up. Each conversation touched me so. I hope that listeners experience that connection as well.

Q. What’s next?

A. I just got off the phone with my editor — who runs Critical Frequency Podcast Network, where “Sound Off” lives. We’re planning for season two launching late spring. I’m also continuing to expand my online arm of “Sound Off.”

I have a substack, which is pretty much the same as a blog, but it also sends to your email inbox. I include playlists or mixtapes (I’m a child of the '80s and '90s after all), extra interviews, context that doesn’t make it into the podcast episode and am expanding out into review coverage of books, music and art, plus personal essays. I’m working to have a more regular presence there and also bolster subscribers there (soundoff.substack.com) and to my podcast (podlink.to/soundoff). This is only the beginning of building the “Sound Off” community, and I’m thrilled to be on this journey.


Send information about your podcast to Jocelyn Murphy at [email protected].

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