by Chad Campbell, senior producer
When I first met Gwen Thompkins, she was the senior editor of Weekend Edition Saturday at NPR – back when it officially was still called National Public Radio. Sometimes, I would help them put the show on the air Saturday morning and it was always a joy to work with Gwen, Scott Simon and the rest of their great staff. I also didn’t mind the overtime pay. Gwen moved on to become NPR’s East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi and whenever I heard her reports from Kenya or Djibouti or Mozambique, I would be reminded of those good old days at WESAT and National Public Radio. It turns out Gwen was often reminded of home – especially when she’d catch bits of familiar songs on cab rides . At some point, the New Orleans native decided to settle down and start her own public radio show and to do it in her hometown. She called Sean Collins, a former colleague at Weekend Edition and they created Music Inside Out to focus on the unique sound of New Orleans. Usually Gwen interviews a local musician and Sean helps weave music in and out of the conversation, but for their first show after Mardi Gras, they decided to break format with a special playlist of “Songs for the Soul.”
Click here for that Music Inside Out broadcast and for our interview.