Florence Barrau-Adams

Florence Barrau-Adams has sound-designed stage productions that debuted at Aaron Davis Hall, the Smithsonian Institution, Fringe Festival NYC, NJPAC, and the Kennedy Center. She was integral in creating over a dozen audio programs (a mix of radio and podcasts) from inception to implementation for outlets such as Paramount/CBS, WNYC: New York Public Radio, Scholastic, and PRX. Video work was commissioned by The Appeal, Scholastic, McGraw Hill, and NowThis, to name a few. Florence hosted New York Kids for nine years, a weekly two-hour magazine format show on WNYC. Florence is the Senior Producer of Citations Needed, a podcast about the intersection of media, PR, and power. With over 20,000,000 downloads, Citations Needed was a 2020 WEBBY HONOREE and won a 2023 Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts Davey Silver Award: News & Current Events.

 

Past podcasts include:

• Unreformed: the Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children: From iHeart and School of Humans, “Unreformed” is an eight-part limited documentary series about the untold story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children and what happened to the children who were incarcerated there in the 1960s. Nominated for a 2023 Peabody Award and a 2024 Webby: Best Writing. Winner of 2024 The Podcasting Academy, Ambies: Best History Podcast, among many more awards.

• Black Kitchen Series Created by Heinz and Wieden+Kennedy, season 2 brought us all over the
  country as we attempted to find the chefs, farmers, healers, artists, organizers, historians, writers, and other brilliant Black innovators changing the face of food as we know it. Winner of a 2024 James Beard Media Award and 2024 Webby: Best Branded Podcast or Segment, among many more awards.

• All Ears with Abigail Disney, served as the Mix Engineer for 2021 season 3, and 2023 season 4. Highlighting interviews with a slate of creative and courageous thinkers pushing back on old systems and reimagining what “normal” should look like. Featuring conversations with Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Me Too movement founder Tarana Burke, and environmental activist Varshini Prakash. 

• Culturati: Conversations With Kierna Mayo,  produced in partnership with PRX, served as Senior Producer for this sonically rich podcast that explores the connection between the culture, the community, and the self, all from a Black feminist lens. Featuring conversations with culture’s leading voices, such as comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell, foodie feminist Tanya Fields, and Q-Tip from Tribe Called Quest. Culturati was a 2022 Signal Awards Bronze Winner: Most Innovative Audio Experience, 2022 Winner Black Podcasting Award: Best Black Culture Podcast 2022, and a 2022 Winner International Women’s Podcast Award.

 

For the 2020 electoral season, Florence served as Technical Supervisor/Editor for The Appeal’s now-defunct The Briefing and The Count - in partnership with NowThis. Managing a team of editors to support 10-15 weekly live video streams of conversations between lawmakers, leading experts, and advocates on justice-related topics and featuring interviews with Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, to name a few.

 

In audiobooks, Florence has produced, directed, and edited titles for Simon & Schuster and Scholastic, working with Stephen King, William Shatner, and Iyanla Vanzant. In 2001, she won an AUDIE AWARD for multi-voice audiobook production, “Pay it Forward.”

 

For Scholastic's Weston Woods, Florence has produced, directed, and edited numerous iconographic animations, author video profiles, and behind-the-scenes segments featuring Julie Andrews, Jane Goodall, and Mo Willems. In 2013, she was part of the production team that won an ALA NOTABLE RECORDING & VIDEO award for Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Williams. Florence edited Coretta Scott, narrated by Phylicia Rashad, which won a 2014 ALA NOTABLE RECORDING & VIDEO award.

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In 2005, Florence joined NYU Kanbar Institute of Film & Television as an adjunct teaching Pro Tools. Soon after, she began teaching Sound Image, the first-year audio production class. In fall 2022, Florence joined the staff as an Assistant Arts Professor. She is honored to share her deep love of media and all things post-production with her students.

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Florence is open to new and exciting opportunities.