About
Iru Ekpunobi is a storyteller, podcaster, Salt alum, and our inaugural Gimlet Union scholarship recipient.
Interview
How did you hear about Salt?
I heard about Salt from a coworker, who’s a Salt alum himself. We were working at a news station, and I was trying to make artsy audio pieces out of everything. Like, in a segment about seasonal allergy trends, I’d weave in birdsong and sneezing SFX, even though I knew those additions wouldn’t make it to the second draft.
What made you decide to enroll?
When I first learned about the program I checked the website out, did the deep dives and all that. It looked great, and I had never been to Maine, but I wasn’t ready to make that transition yet. Maybe a year later, I did a creative radio art fellowship in Upstate New York and felt very alive. So when Kalila Holt, whose work I follow and really admire, tweeted about an opportunity between Gimlet and Salt, I recognized Salt’s name and was ready to try something new. I guess that’s when I decided to apply. I decided to enroll when I got the scholarship.
How did the Gimlet Union Scholarship impact your decision?
It made my decision. Like I said, I was working in radio before coming to Salt, so it wasn’t just a question of moving to Maine and going to art school, it was a question of leaving my job in radio, moving to Maine, and going to art school. It was a leap of faith. But I’m looking to grow, and to meet new people, and really searching for strong creative mentorship. And being a scholar offered all of those things. I felt strongly that a door had opened for me.
How has your career changed since graduating from Salt?
I’m more confident in my production portfolio and in my writing and sound design skills. Proving to myself that I can do a difficult thing in any area of my life makes me more capable in all areas. That’s something I’m holding tight, especially as the audio industry and a lot of people in it are hurting.
I’ll also say that I have goals and dreams for the future that are much bigger than they were when I was starting the program. I have a small-and-mighty group of people I went to radio school with, who are becoming my friends and collaborators. I didn’t even know to dream of that before I came to Salt, I just lucked out.
What were some of your biggest takeaways?
Having trusted editors, and being one in return is one of the biggest gifts. My classmates and our teacher are all amazing producers, writers and artists. We built this shared trust that allowed me to receive some of the best feedback I’ve ever gotten. Every creative person benefits from a brain trust.
Also, start keeping a journal.
What projects are you currently working on?
I really want to keep growing as a sound designer, so I started an online course that was recommended by Peter, my teacher. I want sound to be a character in my radio stories, and I want to score films / supervise the soundtrack on a really good limited series one day.
I’m also interviewing people in the communities around me and seeing what may become a story. But my primary project is catching my breath! I have lots of creative energy for things and newly developed skills to do them better, so I have to remind myself to relax. I’ve been journaling a lot.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Yes! I’m looking for my next staffed and freelance audio/multimedia production opportunities. I’ve been working hard to update my website, and can be found at iruekpunobi.com.
I’d also love to share my final project, which I made at Salt: ‘Movie Person’.
Finally, if you’re reading this and looking for friends in audio, I am too! This is an evergreen statement, please hit me up.