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JB: Lovely! In the midst of our interview, your publicist arranged for me to receive a copy of your new Kindle ebook. I'm so glad she did. It's a fascinating inside look, chock-full of practical advice for people contemplating going into the field. On page 17, you write: "You need to know how you sound to yourself and to others, because the bones in your head give you a sound that only you can hear." What an interesting concept, Barbara. What does it mean exactly?
BR: How many times have you heard the expression,"I hate the sound of my own voice!"?
That's because our interior head voice is dictated by the bones in the cranium and we, alone, are privy to that particular sound. So, once you find out what you sound like to others, you can begin to explore what I like to call 'my toolbox'. That refers to the highs, lows, timbre and vocal changes that a voice actor can call upon when deciding on the 'audio landscape' of an audiobook. Just like singing in the appropriate key, a voice actor wants to be able to comfortably lean on that 'toolbox' to create all those characters without wearing out the artist in the process.
JB: Let's extrapolate from audio narration for a moment. There are many people out there who just don't like the sound of their own voices. I think you're saying that there's something they can do about it, if they're mindful and willing to put in the effort. Is that about right?
BR: "Willing to put in the effort"... And there you have the crux of the matter. Well said, Joan! Effort includes good preparation, a keen understanding of the project before you and a willingness to let a little 'magic' happen when you are actually in the booth and starting work.
JB: One thing I've noticed is that what seems to differentiate good readers from great readers is the ability to slow down and leave enough space between thoughts, paragraphs, chapters, whatever. The use of what I'd call a "judicious pause" makes an outsized difference. Do you agree or am I being overly critical? And is this something one has to have training as an actor to be aware of?
BR: I find that those 'judicious pauses' you refer to come about when your are really connected with the material and you are 'channeling' the author's intent. Many of my colleagues have had years of stage work that they bring to the party, only now, it is their voice alone that is doing the work.It's quite the challenge for the best of us. And oh, so satisfying when done well. I have often said that a great book records itself and I am just along for the ride.
JB: You make an interesting point. What's the goal of a really attentive audiobook narrator? To have a distinctive voice or to disappear into the background and, as you say, simply channel the author? I imagine it's a fine balance.
BR: You've just answered your own question. All audiobooks are a fine balance between the skills of the voice talent seamlessly blending with the dramatic structures of the author. Yes, I hope to disappear into the book and be memorable as a result. Make sense?
JB: Yes, I believe that's true. That's what led to this interview: my sudden consciousness that this amorphous but simultaneously distinctive voice that was narrating my favorite books was actually the same voice and I wanted to know more. What is AudioFile and why is it important?
BR: Robin Whitten was a woman working in the rag trade for many years and she was listening to many audiobooks and wondered why there was no place to go to read reviews and articles on the people who did this work. She would go to libraries and present audio excerpts from different recording artists and begin to discuss the variety of talent out there. I was doing a personal appearance at a library in Portland, Oregon when I met her. I think that was in the late '80s, early '90s back in the last century. You could say, I've known her since she was a 'pamphlet'. We went on to become fast friends and her magazine, AudioFile, is a wonderful and widely read resource of all things audiobooks. It's published in Portland, Maine where I head every summer to share stories and lobster with her family and many of my colleagues.
And this year is rather special as I shall be returning to Maine in August to officiate at the wedding of her son who I have known since he was a little boy...awwwwwww.
JB: Sounds absolutely fabulous. And there's one more of your many hats: actor, jazz singer, audiobook narrator and officiant. What don't you do or wish you did?
BR: I'm a pretty lucky kid, all told, but, I have always harbored a secret desire to conduct an orchestra, doing a piece of my choosing like, Concerto in F by G. Gershwin, one of my favorite composers.
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