Podcasting Class Available in Spring 2023

Podcasting (COM 380) is a new course that will be offered in the spring semester of 2023. Professor Thomas Galli will be teaching this course for the first time. In the class, students will explore how to plan, record, edit, and host their own podcasts. 

Galli has had this idea for a new podcasting class brewing in his mind since 2020. Galli decided to offer this class in hopes of shining a spotlight on the audio aspect of video production. 

“In the mass media track we spend a lot of time working on video, and audio doesn’t get as much focus as it should,” Galli said.

Galli has tried to offer specific audio classes in the past, but it has never populated with interested students. As a result of this, he began to think of ways to get students interested in learning about the audio aspect of video production. This led him to come up with the idea of a podcasting class. 

“Offering a class called audio production might sound intimidating or it might not sound obvious, whereas podcasting, everyone has a pretty good grasp of what a podcast is,” Galli said.

Shortly after, Galli decided to launch his own podcast, “Thumbing Through Yesterday,” on Oct. 21, 2021. Galli talks about his favorite books from earlier in life. There are currently 34 episodes, and a new episode is posted on the 7th and 21st of every month.

“I did this so that I could work my way through the process and find out what works, what doesn’t work, and so that it wasn’t all theoretical knowledge and to get some practice,” Galli said. 

After going through the podcasting process and getting some hands-on experience in the subject, Galli decided it was something he wanted to offer. He went to Dr. Clifford Bieberly, associate professor of Communications, and he thought it was a great idea to get students excited about audio production.

Galli’s background and career path seemingly make him the perfect person to teach this new course on podcasting. 

Galli is from Louisiana, and his father had a Ph.D. in physics and a passion for photography. He grew up learning about photography from his father and in the early ’90s, and he decided that moving pictures were more interesting than still pictures. He then transferred into the Radio/Television/Film program at nearby Northeast Louisiana University. 

Galli worked professionally in video and television, running the production department for a Time Warner cable affiliate while earning his master’s degree. He moved to Hawaii in 1996 and began teaching classes for Chaminade’s weekend program while running the training department of ʻŌlelo Community Television. He became a full-time employee at Chaminade in 2004.

Galli is also active in the local indie film culture. He’s a member of the Hawaii Filmmakers Collective, where he volunteers on productions, mentors other members, and runs the occasional class.

Aside from Podcasting, Galli also teaches Introduction to Video Production (COM 250/COM 250L), Intermediate Video Production (COM 330/L), Advanced Video Production (COM 430L), Studio Production I (Com 350/L), Studio Production II (Com 450/L) and Communication Through Cinema (Com 422).

Galli said he believes this class will be a great opportunity for students who want to learn more about podcasting and maybe one day will want to launch a podcast of their own.

“I really hope this class makes it [with enough students],” he said. “I am really eager to see what students come up with.”