On this edition of Podcaster Profiles, Ear Worthy focuses on Tania Mohammad, a podcast producer, host, and community builder. Tania's gift to podcasting and to society continues to resonate even after her podcast to celebrate heroes was made nearly four years ago.
Over those five years, history has been revised and reinterpreted as a time of vaccine imperatives and government overreach. What we've forgotten in the haze of anti-vax hysteria and conspiracy fantasies is the heroes that revealed their courage during the pandemic. These heroes didn't have capes or weren't wealthy or influential. No, these heroes were the transit workers who kept the systems running; the store clerks who gave us access to supplies; the police and fire departments who didn't shut down, and all those "essential workers" who were there for us when we needed them.
Podcaster Tania Mohammad didn't forget either, so in 2021, working with CitizenRacecar, the Act Two New York podcast was born.
Tania explains: "It was made as New York reopened after the COVID lockdown. It captures
the creativity, diversity and resilience of NYC’s arts, culture, and
nightlife scene at that pivotal moment."
Tania adds: "With tomorrow (March 12) marking five years since the lockdown, it feels like the right moment to revisit it."
The podcast ran in nine episodes from August 2021 until Christmas 2021. I've listened to it, and the podcast details heroes in the arts and entertainment world who found ways to provide entertainment and the creative arts to a public starved for those two ingredients during the pandemic.
Before we delve more into the podcast, let's introduce Tania Mohammad, another brilliant independent podcaster. Tania Mohammad is a
Karachi-born storyteller and global citizen who grew up in Canada, the
U.S., and Saudi Arabia but now calls New York home. With a passion for
connecting people and ideas through powerful storytelling, she has over
15 years of experience in media production, content development,
marketing, and event management across media and non-profits.
Her other shows include Act Two New York, which celebrated New York's arts revival post-pandemic, and The Big Shut-In, which documented diverse global experiences during pandemic isolation. Her current projects in development are a Music Podcast on Karachi's famed nightlife era called Karachi Nights and a Poetry Podcast on the African Burial Ground (w/David Mills). She is also slated to produce a few episodes on the new season of Mobilize (from Silver Sound).
We asked Tania about her podcasting experience, and Tania told us: "I
have been podcasting since 2021, and I was
formerly an event operations manager for non-profits, film fests, and a
Web Project Manager. In 2021, I was at the right time in the right place;
an acquaintance in the neighborhood runs a production company called
CitizenRacecar and needed admin support. I originally signed on to help
diversify the guest roster for later episodes of The Big Shut In (another Pandemic show), and worked my way up to producer.
Tania goes on: "When
that wrapped, I was asked if I had any ideas, and that's when Act Two
New York was born. Before kids, I was quite the woman about town; that
part of my life was pretty dormant, and then the pandemic hit with the
slog of homeschooling. So, in a way, the show was my 'act two,' as I
rediscovered arts, culture, and nightlife, just as these artists and
performers were finding their way back to the stage. Careerwise, it was
also an 'Act Two,' as I had taken time to be a stay-at-home mom,
caretake for my father who was ill, while my husband launched a
demanding business. I had been searching for the next thing for a
while, a bit lost, and after heading out to that first club event with
my recorder in hand, I knew I was in love with storytelling. I am
essentially self-taught, but supported and directed by very talented and patient people."
Tania explains about Act Two New York. "The lockdown gave NYC an almost Prohibition-era feel, pushing nightlife back to its scrappy, underground roots. I’d love to honor the work in some way."
Tania talks about working on Act Two New York. "CitizenRacecar took a huge
chance on me as a baby -- aka GREEN -- podcaster in 2021. Because it
was such a weird time, I got access I never would have now—cold-calling
Lincoln Center and NYC Ballet actually worked! But back then, I knew
nothing about marketing. I thought a cool show would just find its
audience. Between pandemic fatigue and constant upheavals, it never got
the traction it deserved, but now serves as a time capsule I am really
proud of."
CitizenRacecar is a full-service audio production agency specializing in
creating engaging, informative, and "utterly un-boring" podcasts for
nonprofits, government agencies, and forward-looking companies. The company has an extensive educational outreach and focus on non-profits.
Act Two New York is a brilliant piece of citizen podcasting. Tania is a double threat here as a superb narrator and excellent interviewer. The second episode takes listeners to literally new heights As the summer ramped up, Tania headed out to the Empire Rooftop to speak
with Dawn Durham, VP and Director of Operations at Hospitality
Holdings, Inc. Like so many venues, the Empire Rooftop struggled
throughout 2020. But when Dawn received a call from Melissa Gerstein and
Kimberly Giannelli, Co-Founders of iHeartDance NYC, about organizing a
dance performance on the rooftop, Dawn couldn’t resist. Suddenly, dancers
like Ingrid Silva and Gilbert Bolden were performing for the first time
in well over a year.
Tania shared some standout episodes from Act Two New York:
Episode 6 -Violins, Corpses, and Candles: PublicQuartet and Death of Classical
Episode 7
- God Wants Us All To Be Strippers: Last Chance Dancers & The City
Reliquary
Episode 9 - Nutcracker Rising
What's Tania doing now? Working on a new project called Karachi Nights. You can connect with Tania at taniamohammad.com.
Tania Mohammad is immensely talented and a podcast producer and host dedicated to immersive storytelling and, in the case of Act Two New York, reminding us of heroes we may have forgotten.
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