# Into the Fold, Episode 2: ‘Inside baseball’ transcript

*Voiceover*
You’re listening to a 3CR podcast, 
recorded in a 3CR Community Radio studio 
in Melbourne, Australia.  
If you like what you hear, 
please consider donating or subscribing, 
so we can keep bringing you more independent community content.  

For more information, go to 3cr.org.au

(Music: Enne R ‘Spo0o0o0on’)

*Kermie Breydon*
Hello and welcome!  
Into the fold, with Kermie Breydon.  

A program coming to you 
from community radio station 3CR 
on Kulin Country. 

And here you are!  
Hearing it on your local station, 
on the Community Radio Network.  

We acknowledge all the First Nations 
throughout whose Country 
we’re holding these conversations, 
with especial respect to Elders.

Today we’re going to go a bit “inside baseball”.  
That term’s often used to disparage… 
details that don’t attract the notice 
of the general public.  
But I reckon that we’ve all 
got a deep capacity for interest and engagement 
in people’s passions.

Also it’s an excuse 
for a ripper track by babyteeth, later on.

You and I are gonna get to know Madonna, 
one of the participants in the latest round 
of the Audio Ability media course.  
We’ll also be catching back up 
with project lead Gemma and mentor Paul.

My brief time in broadcasting, 
I’ve been oriented towards 
rippling news bulletins 
in jam-packed breakfasts 
where international diplomacy, intricate state politics, 
and environmental upheaval seem to lunge forward, just 
in the course of your ordinary morning routine; 
or to generating momentum and bounce 
for work-weary listeners in a long afternoon music mix.

Whereas my mentor, Nat – 
they bring oral history to air.  
And while that’s a form I’ve dabbled with, 
it’s not been a discipline 
that I had the psychic room 
to think to apply to radio.

I dunno how much I’d rate Into the Fold as oral history, but 
the experience & sensibility that Nat grew over the years 
through slower talk like 
the sonic portraiture of their Prima Donna podcast, 
3MDR’s 40th birthday retrospective, 
and their immersion, as a tech, in 3CR’s Beyond the Bars events — 

that, of course in concert with and informing their presence, 
in the studio, 
their constant pull to clarity and readiness to wait – 

has all had an influence 
on the different ways I’ve experimented 
with approaching these conversations, for Into the Fold.

The kernel of the concept, 
the heart of this show, was Nat’s.

Harnessing the steady, inertial nudge of their thought-bubbles 
has been a privilege and pleasure.

Let’s see where it takes us.

First, to Paul.  
Our Reading Radio veteran on Turrbal and Jagera land.

Thanks for coming back, Paul Price.

*Paul Price*
Thank you very much for having me.

*Kermie Breydon*
These days a lot station training 
can be quite, I guess, standardised, 
presented in groups, um…  
But how does the mentoring type of relationship compare?  
How do you approach that?

*Paul Price*
C.M.T.O. has a set of modules that the mentees complete.

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhm.

*Paul Price*
I will also do those modules, 
so that I know what the mentees are learning.  
And I will listen to the classes 
that the mentees have on the Monday night.  
Again, to see what’s being discussed, 
and the questions that have been asked, 
so that I can best teach ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhm.

*Paul Price*
⸺ and try and tailor my responses and my questions 
to what’s going on in the class.  
We’ve focused on 
history of community radio, 
broadcast techniques.  
We’ve focused on 
volunteering.  
I don’t have any of the modules in front of me, 
so I can’t remember a lot of it.

*Kermie Breydon*
That’s alright.

*Paul Price*
There’s training in using Digital Access Workstations.

*Kermie Breydon*
Mm.

*Paul Price*
And that will also depend on 
whether the student has some sight or no sight.  
As the training with somebody with no sight 
will be different to what is being taught in the modules, 
from where I sit with them 
and help them use whatever systems that they 
are either comfortable with 
or want to learn.  
I’ve had some people who⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
What⸺ sorry.

*Paul Price*
Sorry.

*Kermie Breydon*
Sorry, I was just wondering, um, 
what sort of options are there 
for doing that kind of audio editing stuff?

*Paul Price*
We can use Audacity.  
It has some accessibility with screen‐readers.

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhm.

*Paul Price*
We can use Reaper with screen‐readers.  
That accessibility is quite good.

*Kermie Breydon*
Okay.

*Paul Price*
There is a program from the U.S. 
called Studio Recorder, 
which was made by the American Printing House for the Blind.  
It was specifically designed for reading of books 
and it is a single‐track recorder, 
but in my station, 
we do voice‐recording and reading of books and magazines ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh, well suited, then.

*Paul Price*
⸺ on a single‐track.  
So very well suited and very easy to use.

And I encourage the students, 
as I do, to use a number of these packages, 
because one package won’t do everything 
that you need to do; 
however, a combination of using two or three of them ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah.

*Paul Price*
⸺ will get the job done.  
And I always encourage them to work out 
what their need is ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhm.

*Paul Price*
⸺ and what they want to achieve 
in their recording project, 
and then use 
the best software for various different parts of it.

*Kermie Breydon*
Cool. Oh, well thanks, Paul, 
for sharing your insights.  
Really appreciate it.

*Paul Price*
Thank you very much for the opportunity.

And I would encourage anyone 
who wants to apply 
for the next round 
of Audio Ability 
to do it, 
because it certainly 
will teach you a lot of information 
that you don’t know about radio, 
even if you are a current presenter.

I have learnt a lot just being a mentor.  
It’s taught me a lot about working with mentees, 
and group work, and various other things, 
stress management, et cetera, 
that we cover in our training.

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh that’s really good.

*Paul Price*
So I would encourage everybody 
with a disability 
who has some experience in radio 
and wants to learn something, 
to apply for the next round.

*Kermie Breydon*
Paul Price, there.

We’ll be talking more mentoring, 
right here on the Community Radio Network, 
after a small celebration 
from the iconic West Australian band Alter Boy.

*Assorted voices*
3CR is about community 
and we welcome your participation at the station.

3CR is open to a wide diversity of volunteers 
and is a great way to connect with Melbourne’s activist community.

Have you ever thought about volunteering?  
Doing a reception shift?  
Getting a program on air?  
Training in radio skills?  
Or contributing to one of the station’s committees?

There are many ways to be involved at 3CR.

To find out more go to 3cr.org.au 
and get in touch!

(Music: Alter Boy ‘Section 504’)

*Voiceover*
You’re listening to a 3CR podcast.  
3CR is an independent community radio station, 
based in Melbourne, Australia.  
We need your financial support to keep going.

Go to www.3cr.org.au 
for more information 
and to donate online.

Now stay tuned 
to hear the rest of your 3CR podcast.

*Kermie Breydon*
From Boorloo Perth, 
on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodja, 
that is Alter Boy’s 
‘Section 504’ — 
a tribute to disabled people 
who fought to amend 
the Rehabilitation Act 
in the United States, 
which the band say 
was monumental 
in guiding revisions 
to the Australian 
Disability Discrimination Act.

Now, when you’re operating 
a pretty ambitious community project, 
like Audio Ability, 
there’ve got to be 
some serious challenges, right?

Let’s check back in with Gemma Purves, 
from the Community Media Training Organisation.

*Gemma Purves*
You know, 
I’m going to be really honest with you; 
we’ve had people who haven’t had the same opportunity 
to participate as others.  

Geography can play a part.

For those of us in cities, 
we’re really fortunate; 
there’s dozens of radio stations.  
So it’s much easier to find somewhere 
that will meet our own personal values and ethos 
as well as our accessibility needs.

*Kermie Breydon*
Mm.

*Gemma Purves*
But if you live in a regional or remote area, 
it’s not so easy.

This is one of the things that does... 
it does frustrate or upset me — 
is that people who don’t live in the city, 
we can sometimes struggle 
to facilitate their involvement.

That’s not necessarily anyone’s fault.  
It’s simply that 
community radio stations are often 
based in older buildings 
or they’ve got peppercorn rentals 
from the local council.  
And so they don’t have either the funding 
or the legal right 
to improve accessibility.

And we can lend equipment.  
We do actually lend out 
microphones and headphones, 
and we’ve been known to lend out 
Zoom recorders and laptops as well, 
if you want to do it remotely.

*Kermie Breydon*
If you were given more resources, 
what other sorts of things 
would you be really looking to try and offer?

*Gemma Purves*
Oh, wow, how long is a piece of string.  
Um.  
There are so many things that I would love to do.

A session for all past Audio Ability participants 
— mentors and students —  
to meet face-to-face.

Follow-up courses, refresher courses.  

And also have the administrative capacity 
to actually build a network.

And one of the things I am truly proud of is 
how we do create employment pathways.  
It’s what our funding’s for.  
And we have a number of students who have 
gone on to become mentors.  
And the course coordinators we have now, 
started off as mentors.  
We create opportunity.

*Kermie Breydon*
On that note, 
for people who are new to mentoring, 
what does the C.M.T.O. do 
to equip them to feel confident 
taking on that kind of role?

*Gemma Purves*
So, we run professional development training sessions 
for the mentors.  
We discuss certain topics 
and also have a bit of a conversation and debate.

*Kermie Breydon*
It seems like the sort of thing 
where people could very easily pour themselves into it 
and kind of go a bit far and...  
Have you had trouble with things like burnout, or...?

*Gemma Purves*
We have. And it’s...  
It’s really difficult, 
because anyone who signs up to do this 
tends to do it cause they are passionate.  
And they care.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yep.

*Gemma Purves*
That’s why we do try and limit people 
to just working with one person, 
because it’s a lot to be doing 
on top of your regular life.

And also, you know, 
mentors and students do become friends.

But we do try and encourage boundaries 
and just say, 
“Listen, stick to time.  
Sure, if you want to hang out, that’s great.  
But also, you’re not obliged to do these things.”

My course coordinators — Ellie and Sarah — and myself 
are always here to step in and help facilitate 
any difficult conversations that need to be had.

Sometimes people need to 
change mentors partway through 
because availability doesn’t work.  
Sometimes people change stations.  
We’re not magicians, 
we can’t do everything, 
but if we can make it happen, 
we will.

*Kermie Breydon*
For those who are coming in fresh to radio 
or wanting to develop their skills more...?

*Gemma Purves*
...Audio Ability covers a lot.

Hopefully it allows you 
to work out what you want to focus on.

Some people have actually done the course 
and then not been on the airwaves, 
but have actually joined the board 
of their local community radio station.  
Which just makes me extremely happy, 
because we want more diverse voices 
absolutely at that most senior level of the sector.

I know one person who, 
they record writers’ festivals and so on, 
and edit the talks down 
for broadcast at their radio station.

So people end up doing a lot of different stuff.  
We just try and give you a taste, 
and also then support you and your mentor, 
and hopefully the radio station, 
to help you achieve your goals.

So the next round will be running from January next year.

A few months before we’re going to start the next course, 
we go through that long spreadsheet, 
and we do the pairings.  
To find that perfect fit, 
we get people to have chats.

We keep it capped,
because we want to make sure 
that everyone has an opportunity 
to speak up in class.

Not everyone attends, cause some people 
do struggle with the technology 
or struggle with social anxiety, 
and so some people will watch the recordings after the event.  
Again, we try and make it as flexible as possible for everyone.

But yeah, we try and help you find a community space 
that is outside of your family unit.  
Because of course, isolation can be a really big issue 
for any of us that do have disabilities.  

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah.

Well, thank you, Gemma.  
We’ll talk again soon.

*Gemma Purves*
Thanks so much, Kermie.

*Kermie Breydon*
You are listening to Into the Fold 
on the Community Radio Network.  
We are hearing from 
a number of different folks 
who’ve been getting stuck right into 
the 2026 edition 
of a community radio course 
for people with disability.

When I asked my next guest 
how I should introduce her, on the radio, 
she told me she is a busy woman.

Not in a 
“Not now, Kermie!  Can’t you see I’m a busy woman?” way, 
but just cause it’s true.

Madonna Brady creates everything from quilts to community.

After a diagnosis of young onset Parkinson’s disease, 
she established an online group 
that’s now over five‐thousand strong 
and 
she started the first non‐contact boxing group 
for people living with Parkinson’s.

Madonna, thank you for making the time for this.  
Welcome to the show.

*Madonna Brady*
It’s great to be here, Kermie.  Thank you.

*Kermie Breydon*
Now you and I have connected through 
being students together 
in the latest Audio Ability course.  
What was it that got you into that?

*Madonna Brady*
I like the word “community”.  
I think that 
it’s what brings us all together.  
I just think that 
when you realise that community 
is what could be missing in your life, 
that’s when you really yearn for it.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah.

*Madonna Brady*
Mm.  
It’s just such a nice way to deliver it.  
You know, by radio.

Yeah, I’m excited.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah.

*Madonna Brady*
I think it’s great to be talking to you and 3CR.

Yeah, I enjoy the people who are in the course.  
You know, it’s a Zoom meeting, so 
for me sometimes that’s a bit tricky to get onto Zoom, 
but then when you see all the other participants 
and then you hear their questions or, 
or read what they’re talking about...  
Yeah, it’s, it’s great.  
It’s really just coming together and 
working together to communicate and show each other 
you know the respect that is, 
is just always there, I think.

*Kermie Breydon*
I’ve found I’ve been looking forward to each week.

*Madonna Brady*
Oh yeah, it’s nice, isn’t it?

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah⸺

*Madonna Brady*
And my mentor’s been really helpful as well.  
And the people who, um, 
who are doing the course, the organising —  
the coordinators.  
They’re great as well.

They’re really very supportive.  
I’m pretty surprised at how much they’re willing to give.  
And I think the best thing is, yeah, 
working together and sorting through things?  
Yeah.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah, I’ve found that kind of, 
that sense of understanding, 
that comes from everyone being in a similar kind of boat, 
is really nice.

*Madonna Brady*
Yeah, definitely.

*Kermie Breydon*
What’ve you been getting up to, 
in terms of the practical stuff?

*Madonna Brady*
Oh practical...  
Making some interviews.  
I interview people on just a small recorder, 
probably about the size of an old Nokia phone.

*Kermie Breydon*
Okay.

So who’ve you been interviewing with the portable recorder?  
You getting out and about places?

*Madonna Brady*
Oh yeah!

Well, some of my interviews are ten years old, 
because I’ve had a, 
a bit of time off due to surgery.

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhm.

*Madonna Brady*
Ahh so, ten years ago, 
I interviewed a bunch of people doing the Unity Walk, 
going around Central Park in New York.

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh wow.

*Madonna Brady*
Yeah, so that’s a pretty exciting one.  
But because it’s ten years it’s sort of um, 
you know, a bit of a time stamp as well.

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh yeah, for sure.

*Madonna Brady*
⸺ interviewed people who I know 
who are living with Parkinson’s.

And recently 
I’ve been interviewing people 
in Brisbane or nearby.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah?

*Madonna Brady*
Um, Bob Black, 
who’s a ringer at a farm 
in the Conondale Ranges. 
He’s a very interesting fella.  
Very entertaining interview too,
[???].

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah?
What, what were you talking about?

*Madonna Brady*
Oh, he, um...  
He went to a party on the weekend, 
and it was a living wake.

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh okay!

*Madonna Brady*
Yeah.  
He was going along to the party.  
He was dancing and having a great time.  
And he’s actually also living with chronic dystonia ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh okay.

*Madonna Brady*
⸺ which is a neurological condition ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhm.

*Madonna Brady*
⸺ which is really pretty hard‐going.  
But he had a really good time at the party, he said.

What else did we talk about?  
Oh there was just so much.  
He was really easy to talk to.  
And he’s...  
And he’s got a good sense of humour as well.

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh nice.

*Madonna Brady*
And I think that that’s really necessary, you know?

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh yeah.

*Madonna Brady*
Especially if you’re living with 
something like the chronic dystonia.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah, yeah.

*Madonna Brady*
Cause he said it makes his head shake a lot.

*Kermie Breydon*
How are you finding...  
Is your Parkinson’s interfering at all 
with you doing these interviews and things?

*Madonna Brady*
Sometimes I forget the words that I want to say.

*Kermie Breydon*
Uh‐huh.

*Madonna Brady*
And my skills on the computer are not that good.  
So, yeah⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
⸺ computers aren’t important.

*Madonna Brady*
No.  It’s um...  
Yeah, I’m supported by people, you know, 
within the group, the C.M.T.O.

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhm, yup.

*Madonna Brady*
And yeah they make it really...  
Ah...  
Not “worthwhile”, but really, um... 
easy ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Rewarding?

*Madonna Brady*
⸺ because I’m supported.  
Yeah, the rewards haven’t come yet 
because we’ve just been learning ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah, yeah, makes sense.

*Madonna Brady*
⸺ and so I think when we have the listening party, 
that’s when we’ll see, 
you know, 
how different everyone’s concepts are.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah.  
Alright, let’s dig into this some more, 
after a quick song.  

Stick around.

*Assorted voices*
We know you love listening to 3CR, 
but we also know that 
many of you haven’t downloaded 
the Community Radio Plus app, yet.

The app lets you tune in anywhere 
and share the station with your friends.

So, show the love 
and share the love 
and search “Community Radio Plus” 
wherever you get your apps.

*Kermie Breydon*
On the Community Radio Network, 
this is babyteeth, with ‘Baseball Annie’.

(Music: babyteeth ‘Baseball Annie’)

*Kermie Breydon*
And babyteeth delivered.

babyteeth are a Tarndanya band, 
who right from the start 
have been priding themselves 
on their focus on 
accessibility and gender diversity, 
making them pretty apt 
for this show, Into the Fold, 
where we’re having a chat 
with Madonna Brady, 
who’s been one of the students 
from the Audio Ability radio course, in 2026.

Every round of Audio Ability culminates in 
an opportunity for participants to show off a short sample 
of the work that they’ve been doing with their mentors.  
Madz, what are you preparing for the listening party?

*Madonna Brady*
Oh yes!  
It’s the interview with Bob Black.

*Kermie Breydon*
Oh cool!

*Madonna Brady*
But it’s really hard just to pick two minutes.

*Kermie Breydon*
I know.  
I haven’t even decided yet what I’m doing.

*Madonna Brady*
Yeah well, 
I was gonna do something 
from when I went to America that time.  
But it’s just too much to condense into two minutes, 
cause you just miss the whole, um ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah, of course.

*Madonna Brady*
⸺ essence of the talk.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah.  
Yeah, you’d really only be able to have like, 
“Here is this person answering a quick question”, 
type of thing, 
wouldn’t you?

*Madonna Brady*
Yeah, yeah.

*Kermie Breydon*
Rather than that kind of craft.

*Madonna Brady*
But one day we’ll, we’ll do something, 
you know, user‐friendly with it.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah?

*Madonna Brady*
But yeah, the talk with Bob Black...

*Kermie Breydon*
Yep?

*Madonna Brady*
It’s probably six minutes of really good stuff.  
And then we were trying to work out, today, 
whether to do it at the start or at the end ⸺

*Kermie Breydon*
Mmhmm.

*Madonna Brady*
⸺ of the talk.  
Yeah.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah.

*Madonna Brady*
And I’d rather just get it done, 
and submit it.

*Kermie Breydon*
Yeah, fair enough.  
Oh, I’m really keen to hear that.

*Madonna Brady*
Oh it’s really fun, yeah.

*Kermie Breydon*
Cool.  
Aw, well, thank you, Madonna.

Madonna Brady’s been sharing 
some of her experiences 
as a student of the Audio Ability radio course.

Next time, we’ll find out 
how what Madonna’s learnt 
applies to her life right now, 
where the program can take you, 
and how to make the first steps.

‘Start at The End‘ 
is the suggestion from Magandjin’s Forest Blue, here, 
closing out this episode of Into the Fold.

Our intro music 
comes from jazz bassist Enne R on Kaurna Country.  
Today we heard their composition ‘Spo0o0o0on’ — 
with seven Os, 
some of which are the numeral zero.

I’m Kermie Breydon, 
thanking 
Paul, Gemma, and Madonna 
for stopping by our ears, 
Gemma, Sarah Bailey and Ellie Violet 
for rustling up some of our guests, 
producer Nat Grant 
for the whole kit and caboodle, 
and you 
for being here!

Stay tuned for more community radio.

Or, you can catch up on our podcast, 
complete with transcripts, 
on 3cr.org.au/radicalradio.

This show has been produced at 3CR, 
and heard on the Community Radio Network.

I will meet you back here for the final episode!

(Music: Forest Blue ‘Start at The End’)

*Voiceover*
You’ve been listening to a 3CR podcast, 
produced in the studios
of independent community radio station 3CR 
in Melbourne, Australia.  

For more information, go to
all the Ws dot 3cr.org.au