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Hi there!
Well its all been about the extreme heat this month hasn’t it? The Climate Emergency I mean - I’m ignoring the other source of ‘hot air’ filling our screens...
Now then. lots of us voice people work in very small, very warm voice booths most of the day and this time - well I had to shut down! It was a race to finish a couple of projects to meet deadlines ahead of the weekend and then Monday and Tuesday last week I sat in the coolest room in the house and did some writing instead.
So despite this e-news being a little late this month, due partly to heat and partly to a full work schedule - hooray! I have written more ‘Low Light’ than usual and have loved every minute. More on that below.
This month too I've been thinking about the pleasure of listening to stories or listening to the human voice generally and I think you'll find that theme running through the stories and snippets below.
Next month WORDS OUT LOUD will be taking a summer break - the next installment is back in September. Keep eyes on the podcast feeds though...in case I get busy with the writing and suddenly publish another episode. It could happen!
Read on for more details! |
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AUDIO PROFILES OF AUDIO PEOPLE
with Rachel E Thorn
My monthly chat with colleagues, clients and friends from our world of recorded voice. This week, its improvisation specialist, comedy writer and actor
Rachel E Thorn.
Subscribe to the podcast below - or listen to snippets first!
Rachel has written for Dead Ringers (BBC Radio 4), Newsjack (BBC Radio 4Extra), DMs Are Open (BBC Radio 4Extra) Breaking The News (BBC Radio Soctland) and The Treason Show (Latest TV). She's colaborated with Alistair McGowan, Darren Altman and Charlie Hopkinson and her work has been performed by Alistair McGowan, Rory Bremner, Christina Bianco, Adam Diggle, Danny Posthill, Al Foran, Kate Harbour, Kate O’Sullivan, Darren Altman and Josh Berry (and me!).
If you're attending Edinburgh Festival this year Rachel is taking three (yes 3!) shows:
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LOW LIGHT written and narrated by Melanie Crawley.
Episode four of the ongoing narrated audio-drama.
On a cold northern street, murder is afoot! Meet the neighbours - the well-meaning, the curious and the devious. Those with seemingly humdrum lives and those who gaze out into the low light and begin to imagine a different world...
This week Lower Leigh is blanketed in snow. The crows gather ominously, the wind whips up as dark forces wait in the wings.
The neighbours discuss a celebration for Padma, the police continue their enquiries and Eric trys (again) to explain the significance of Padma's death. Kat makes a confession about Henry.
And because its summer - there's another episode out later this week to take us through to September!
Low Light is now a podcast - you can subscribe via your preferred app or listen on the podcast website.
Headphones recommended - there is some swearing and reference to violent acts but nothing graphic.
©Melanie Crawley |
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AN AUDIOBOOK A DAY...
A story from Psycology today - shared by The Audio Publisher's Association caught my eye this week.
It seems that audiobooks "have the power to boost our moods and disrupt negative thinking patterns. Psychology Today notes that for “those of us prone to anxiety and depression . . . listening to someone else read aloud can help by replacing negative thoughts with something else.”
Audiences for audioboks continue to grow and the podcast world is blossoming. Audio is booming - interesting given the whole 'video killed the radio star' thing a few decades ago. But this isn't just about consuming media in a building or at home, solo or in a group. Audio is standing up against sophisticated technologies - video, VR, gaming.
The article suggests that some of this is because oral storytelling has a long history and draws on deep cultural and psychological impulses. Undoubtedly this is true but what I found resonated with me was the point that on average, people spend around 10 hours a day looking at a screen i(n the uk and us). We're visually overstimulated. By using our ears we can relax our eyes.
The article also reminded me of a call out for actors on a jobs feed too though. The charity InterAct Stroke Support connects actors with stroke victims by employing them to read out loud - either in person, sometimes in hospital or on a zoom call.
Their research shows that this kind of activity works to stimulate memory, engage language, and lift spirits and can be part of a benificial healing process.
Surely any story though - factual or fiction is brought to life by a skilled narrator - when drama and humour are brought out in vivid colour and ideas or information is conveyed with empathy and resonance.
Read the full article
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Listenarium
We voice actors and voice artists are freelancers mainly and as such we're small businesses competing in a very crowded market (particularly since the pandemic struck - many actors who lost work got themselves a microphone and set themselves up as voice artists for the first time). So its very competative and to set ourselves apart we get up to all sorts - setting up new business initiatives, collaborating with others, building glorious websites and generally mucking about with marketing.
Some of the projects that are iniatiated are brilliant little businesses, filling a niche in the market and some are perfectly formed projects based on beautiful ideas that seem to go a step further than that.
Listenarium is one of these - a business that does something called 'audio-illustration' . Most of my narration is straightforward voice only - some audiobooks though and you may be a fan of them - go the whole hog, providing audioscapes - sound effects and music to really immerse the listener in the story.
Set up by fellow voice actor Eleanor Sturt with her business partner and audio designer Jack Gionis, Listenarium provides bespoke audio storytelling for books of all genres, bridging the gap between traditional audiobooks and audio dramas.
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PHOTO-ME.
I managed one, yes just one trip out of Sheffield this month - to Halifax for new actor headshots. I’ve not done much as an actor since the beginning of the pandemic and nowadays everyone needs photos for the feeds right?! I had some lovely ones taken last year mainly for my voice website but when I visited James Melia we concentrated on getting a few studio shots for acting work - they’re lovely though so I’m busy posting them everywhere! I’d highly recommend James if you want corporate, acting or other portraits done.
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IN THE STUDIO.
As mentioned...it was quite hot.
So only half a month really...
My voice projects this month have, as ever, been varied with a bit of commercial, a bit of corporate and a lot of audiobook narration.
I’ve almost completed production on Dissonance by Carol Cosman - the Russian-Israeli spy thriller set in the 1970s I mentioned last month.
Now that was challenging to narrate! Besides Hebrew and Amaraic words and phrases ethere wer Israeli, Arabic and Russian and Dutch accents - oh how I have struggled with that especially when switching between Dutch, Israeli and Russian in the same conversation. Well if you want to see how I got on and listen to an enthralling book with a resonant cold-war atmosphere look out for it on Audible in the Autumn.
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PROJECT RELEASE
Riverside
“The feel-good, life-affirming story of love, friendship, family and new beginnings!” - an audio drama soap (a northern Archers if you will) I was involved with is released on Audible as a podcast on Wednesday 27th July. Its a full-cast drama recorded remotely from each cast-member's studio - not easy to do but massive fun!
Changes are coming to the riverside town of Ryemouth, and while some of the community are excited by new beginnings, others are finding it hard to let go of the past.
When the community comes under threat from developers, can everyone put their differences aside to defend the town they love?
Riverside is full of romance, heartbreak and secrets, as well as gentle wit and humour. You’ll laugh and cry along with the family and friends of Ryemouth.
The Riverside audiobook drama is based on the popular weekly magazine serial Riverside, created and written by Glenda Young. The audiobook script is written and adapted by Ian Skillicorn.
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GIVING VOICES CHOIR
This month I am feeling very appreciative of a group I joined a few years ago - one step removed from the 'spoken voice industry' if you like but still all about the voice. I'm a member of 'Giving Voices' choir.
Run by Josie Robson - the choir is 'mixed ability' and was set up to highlight the work of Speech and Language Therapists. Every week we meet in a church hall - or outside in a car park or park or even over zoom during the height of the pandemic. We sing all kinds of songs - from traditional folk and protest songs from around the world to contemporary popular music and traditional Christmas carols.
I joined partly because I love to sing but also to help strengthen my voice so I have better resonance, resilience and stamina in the vocal booth and it really works! Josie does some briliant and often quite daft warm-ups as well which are useful for me...
So my appreciation this week goes to Josie, her partner Gerry (on guitar and of Audio Profiles fame!) and all the choir members of Giving Voices.
Its a joy to sing with them.
(Rehearsal room recording, Giving Voices June 2022, written by Patti Smith, arranged by Choir! Choir! Choir!)
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If you have friends or colleagues who might like to receive this e-news please send them over via email or ask them to sign up at www.crawleyvoicestudio.com.
If you want to share the audio bits - please do - via your choice of social media and tag or credit me and any other participants - it would be great if you could also use the hashtags #audioprofilesofaudiopeople and #lowlight - THANK YOU...
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...THANK YOU
Thanks to Rachel E Thorn, this month's interviewee! Next month we'll be taking a summer break but I'll be back in September with a new interview and more tales from the booth.
Thanks also to my comedy and acting pals for their encouragement with Low Light, you know who you are!
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Crawley Voice Studio is a trading name of Melanie Crawley -
Voice Actor. Melanie narrates audiobooks, acts in radio drama and sketch comedy, provides voiceover for corporate and commercial projects and for many other applications.
Audio samples, client details, studio spec and other information is available at the website
Or contact via:
Email: voice@melaniecrawley.com
Phone: 07976350741
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