Requiem for Larry Massett
The Kitchen Sisters Present
The Kitchen Sisters & Radiotopia
4.5 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 21 April 2026
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Pioneering radio artist Larry Massett, a producer's producer, who led listeners into unexpected worlds and influenced so many in public radio and beyond, died last year at the age of 80.
The Kitchen Sisters were fortunate to work with Larry on our NPR series Lost & Found Sound and Soundprint. He was a friend and colleague.
We learned of Larry's passing last spring on Transom.org, the premier site for producers to come together, share their work, and access the latest tools and advice.
It was there that we found a “Requiem for Larry Massett” created by Barrett Golding of Hearing Voices. We asked Barrett if he’d help produce an audio piece and bring it to air. He said yes. Transom said yes. And all of the producers who offered their memories said yes. And so, yes!
The Kitchen Sisters Present: “A Requiem for Larry Massett” — produced in collaboration with Barrett Golding and Transom.org.
Featuring excerpts from some of Larry Massett's iconic radio works including: Listen Up: Piano Down the Stairs, A Trip to the Dentist, Helium Filled Astronaut, Death in Venice, The Road, Solidod, Apache Elder and more.
With remembrances from Larry's friends and colleagues: Jay Allison, Art Silverman, Bob Boilen, Rob Rosenthal, Joe Frank, Jesse Boggs, Katie Davis, Erica Heilman, Susan Stamberg, Keith Talbot, Robin Wise, Scott Carrier.
Special thanks to Transom, Hearing Voices, NPR, Soundprint, Jake Fleming, The Shed Studio. And thanks to: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Kitchen Sisters Present is produced by The Kitchen Sisters (Nikki Silva & Davia Nelson) with Nathan Dalton and Brandi Howell. We’re part of Radiotopia from PRX, a curated network of podcasts created by independent producers. Visit kitchensisters.org for more stories and news from The Kitchen Sisters.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Radio Topia. Welcome to The Kitchen Sisters present. |
| 0:04.0 | We're The Kitchen Sisters, Davia Nelson, and Nikki Silva. |
| 0:11.4 | Today, we're here to honor my dear departed friend Larry Masson. |
| 0:17.5 | He was a wonder boy playing with sounds. |
| 0:21.1 | Larry's radio stories and his music were all of a piece. |
| 0:25.4 | They all flowed from that same uncharted universe. |
| 0:28.6 | He championed and mentored the outsiders. |
| 0:31.3 | He didn't give me a lot of advice, but he told me if what I was making was dead or alive. |
| 0:35.8 | I feel like Larry and radio were made for each |
| 0:38.4 | other. Requium for Larry Masset from the Kitchen Sisters present, an exploration of audio |
| 0:45.5 | by a really influential radio producer. Operator, do you read me now? |
| 0:53.3 | Hello. Operator, will you stand by? |
| 0:56.0 | I have a tape which I've been playing for friends for more than 20 years now. |
| 1:01.0 | I tend to play it to anybody who stops by the house. |
| 1:04.0 | I've played it for the postman. I've played it for the plumber. |
| 1:07.0 | I've had it for so long I don't exactly recall how I got it. |
| 1:11.5 | It would have had to have been back in the 70s sometime when I was scuba diving along. |
| 1:15.6 | The owner should be on in about 30 or 40 seconds. |
| 1:19.8 | At the time I had friends, you know, scuba diving buddies, who were in the U.S. Navy. |
| 1:25.6 | Apparently, it was making the rounds among U.S. Navy divers. |
| 1:28.3 | All right. |
| 1:29.3 | Scott, we have a long-distance call for you. |
... |
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