Learn from Jonathan Davies and SWALLOW QUIETLY

What a beautiful listen it is!!! 

Let's ignore the natural melody of his voice and its depth... this is a genetic lottery he has won. the acquired skills in modulating, intoning and pronouncing right in various "voices" and impressions... 

•  this is a result of all the time he was able to put in to get here... 

 Let's ignore the perfect pausing and excellent pacing of the read... 

•  comes with experience, the technical team supporting the recording and of course the modern technology allowing such fine tuning and editing possible even if one isn't great at it. 

All the men, women (cis or trans) of this world who are working as audio book readers and voice actors, listen to this perfect SWALLOWING OF HIS SALIVA in between the reads. 

This for me is the absolute epitome of good reading. All those gum chewing, throat clearing "Talents" out there (I do not want to name and shame) listen to such GODS of the industry and learn. 

You may be the author or a "best selling" book who is now so empowered as to be demanded to read your own books because yes your audience and followers are dying to hear it, but the respect you pay to the people that are listening to you would be the first thing you might want to think about and train for. 

It doesn't matter if you have Victorian-lady-like-manner and dinner etiquette when you dine at home or out. Mastication, be it of a chewing gum while you record an audio book is about the worst idea ever thought of. 

And that when you are not trained to "keep it quiet" (even if you personally think is marvelous") is the worst damage you can do to the audio version of your "best seller" 

So kindly SWALLOW QUIET! 

 PS: In my future podcast episodes I will strive to practice my own advice or strive harder to edit them out :P

The pursuit of passion -series 1/episode 1

 

My very own podcast (series)

 I’ve uploaded my podcast on buzzsprout for now to make things easier for myself.

Submitted to the usual platforms such as apple podcasts and soon to be on spotify.  I’ll be sharing those links as well later once it is “live”.

I also thought belatedly of my own very little space right here.

I think if I have enough of you listening and I do one or two more I will start (try) hosting here directly and then also promoting on those two platforms.

Give it a listen and let me know what you think. Would love to hear your comments (here) or wherever you listen (and not on Facebook or Twitter which is where they will eventually get shared too).

For who am I...

Questions and doubts plague me a constant

Every word I spell a chore for I doubt

As I write I edit and delete

Changing them into submission and supplication

For who am I to dare to speak

For who am I to think worthy of being heard

For who am I to dare to voice

For who am I to feel I could

I mimic in misery while fully aware

That the brilliance of me that comes out at times

That makes you see, hear, laugh and may be even respect

Is nothing in truth but my disguise

Of the garment woven craftily from countless personalities

That I see, that I hear, that I read and am in awe of

Of the countless you’ll I constantly try to match and fail

For who am I to dare to dream

That I could truly be me and still matter...

In my darkness

In the dark center of my being

You come shining a gentle light

Albeit a gentle light it casts your shadows long...

They precede you in the race to help me

But aren’t I scared of the shadows around me...

Good or bad... shadows are mute 

And in the silence I hardly discern

I hear your feet on the heavy dust of my confidence scatter

Cowering in the corner I huddle into my arms

The only ones I trust...most days...

Aren’t I scared of the darkness for the shadows they hide...

Aren’t I scared of the darkness for the light they might let in...

Aren’t I scared of the darkness for the truth they hide

Aren’t I scared of your gentle light for what they might reveal...

Aren’t I scared...

ROOM - the movie —- An experience I want to share

One of the most impressive and impactful movies I have watched ever.  And that done in the subtlest way possible!

To handle a subject such as captivity, rape, confinement, sexual abuse without ever mentioning these words quite explicitly.  

And to keep a child’s innocence intact (as it would be if Jack’s story was real) as the child only sees as much.

But to then portray the complex and “almost incomprehensible beyond a point unless you’ve lived it” mix of emotions.

Poignant.  If you ever want to experience that word and it’s meaning then watching Room would be one way.  A most soul crushing way too.

Shudder to think of how many such tales are true life to countless humans.  Why we do this to each other.

The same psyche that can be as innocent and beautiful as Jack’s as a barely 5 year old boy can turn into the sick individual who leads to events of Jack’s being born and his living as he does is one of the many mysterious of Human brain and psychology for sure!

A movie to watch, behold, cry with and about, to lament those countless human lives that have lived such experiences and to lament the innocent children that are born and raised in such circumstances around the world and to sing praise for those countless resourceful parents who make the world for those children bearable and lovable if nothing else.  That’s what ROOM is for.  Go watch it.  

And yes for book lovers - this movie is an adaptation of the book by the same name.  I am eagerly waiting although with a sense of guilt and anxiety for I know how much the movie moved me and expect the book to do more to my emotions.

Here are the links to lookup the movie (rotten tomatoes) and the book (good reads)

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/room_2015

https://g.co/kgs/LC2Ewu

I could not shake it off and am still continuously playing it in bits and pieces in my head.  As a parent I can relate to it.  As a woman I can relate to it.  

I am looking at my child with renewed cherishing and realise how absolutely precious he is to me, to us, and every single child on this planet.

Can we make sure, as a society, we do all that we can to prevent little Jacks turning into Old Nicks?

And I say that fully aware of this being gender specific or relation specific, irrespective of geography or race or religion or philosophies.  This is a human responsibility to the human civilisation!

American Son - A Netflix Movie

I just watched the movie American Son yesterday and was impressed with the simplicity and the execution.

It deals with racism in today's USA and how the human factor complicates it in every side of the issue.

One word of caution though: It is a pure drama almost a stage play made into a movie.

Edit: Oh I just googled for a link to add to the blog when I mention the name above and I was right with my guess or naive depending on how you see it - it was a Broadway play adapted into a movie so yes a "stage play"!

It is the likes of Man from Earth in the respect that it is simply about listening to the conversation occurring between the main characters.  I still believe Man from Earth is a better movie of course but it is a completely different subject matter and this one has all its weight in the content and discussion more than the storytelling.  So I guess in that case it is apples to oranges so not fair.

Definitely worth watching is all I want to say.  And well done to the people involved in making this movie.