School of Communication & the Arts students take home second in NRB audio competition

Liberty University senior Ariana Murphy and junior Ethan Houk made the most of their first time at this year’s National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention by earning second place in an audio competition and making presentations about the dynamics of sound design. Held in Dallas Feb. 24-27, the convention brings together professionals and students to share what is happening in Christian media today.

The 12-Hour Audio Challenge, sponsored by Intercollegiate National Religious Broadcasters (iNRB), tasked each duo with creating a two- to three-minute audio drama on the theme of “second chances” for a non-Christian audience and using at least one Bible verse. They had 12 hours to create the drama and present it to judges.

For their submission, Murphy and Houk crafted a monologue piece addressing how every day is a second chance to live differently.

“The audio (drama) features a repeating structure that gives the piece a poetic flow while further reinforcing some of the main themes: daily life and the feeling of meaningless repetition,” Murphy said. “The character moves from a state of despair and hopelessness to one of hope and gratitude after engaging in raw honesty with others and compassion towards himself.”

The piece ended by quoting Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Since the audio competition launched in 2016, Liberty has taken first place four times (2016, 2020, 2021, and 2024) and third place in 2018.

Studying graphic design and studio art and having only one semester of experience in audio, Murphy said she wasn’t sure how well she’d fit into the competition. The duo’s faculty advisor, digital media professor Kornel Gerstner, reassured her.

“The vote of confidence in my skills that (Gerstner) extended through his invitation encouraged me to try something outside of my comfort zone,” she said. “I’m so glad that I didn’t allow fear of the unknown to dissuade me from going; otherwise, I would have been deprived of the great opportunity to collaborate and network with other talented artists, to deepen my understanding of how to tell an emotionally engaging story, and to expand my awareness of the possibilities that exist beyond (Liberty).”

During the conference, both students joined Gerstner in giving a presentation to other college groups about the 10 bipolarities of sound (fundamental oppositions or contrasting elements that create a rich and dynamic soundscape, such as high/low pitch, dry/wet reverberation, or ordered/chaotic rhythm). In Houk’s words, it is a strategy of “how you can manipulate sound to make the audience feel something.”

“Bipolarities in sound design are important because they create contrast and variety in a piece that can help to subconsciously lead the audience on an emotional and reactive journey,” Murphy added. “The opportunity to share what I had learned in class with other universities was a very rewarding experience and opened my eyes to the fact that schools can approach the same subjects in very different ways.”

They heard presentations from professionals also, covering topics like the role of artificial intelligence in Christian media and how the Gospel can be shared and conveyed in various media forms.

“I had the opportunity to meet with other talented students from different universities and make connections that may prove valuable in the future, hear the wisdom of industry professionals gained through hard-earned experience, hear about trends and movements within the field of media from business owners who are immersed in it on a daily basis,” Murphy said. “Overall, the opportunity to hear from so many different perspectives was thought-provoking and inspiring.”

Houk, a video production student, said the conference was a chance to meet potential employers and collaborators.

“I figured that this would be a great opportunity to expand my experiences and showcase what I’ve learned while here at Liberty, not to mention the networking opportunities and the ability to visit Dallas on behalf of Liberty was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. There are a lot of opportunities to meet like-minded Christian organizations who have an influence in media.”