One of my more challenging speeches for Toastmasters was Vocal Variety. Because I don't think as much about how things sound rather than how they read, my voice generally sounds the same throughout the whole speech I'm giving. So I had to come up with a topic that would force me to use different voices. I had written a post for my friend Laura's blog on audio books, and adjusted it so that I could give it as a speech. Here is what I came up with:
When I was little, or should I say, young, there were many professions I thought of pursuing when I grew up. Of course, I considered the traditional professions: doctor, teacher, ballerina. But there were also the slightly odd: person in the picture that came with the photo frame and audio book narrator. While none of these quite panned out, I have actually become somewhat of an audio book connoisseur, thanks to long road trips back to Denver and driving all over town for my actual job. And tonight, I’m going to share with you what I have learned.
When choosing an audio book right off the bat, you have to consider the genre, just like you would a regular book. There are audio books that can teach you things, such as languages or how to be responsible with your finances. There are nonfiction books, such as biographies, history books, political books, and self-help books. And then there are fiction books, which I prefer simply because I like a good story. Generally speaking, I tend to play it safe and pick books I would want to read anyway, because if you’re stuck in the car for eight hours, you don’t want to listen to something that doesn’t interest you.
You also need to consider the narrator. While you could pick an audio book by the narrator, I’m guessing most people, like myself, have an author and subject preference and not an actual narrator preference. So, you’ll have to give the book a test listen. This is very important because otherwise you might find yourself without a book because you can’t stand the person’s voice. This has happened several times for me—as it turns out, it is not authentic, but actually really difficult to listen to someone with a british accent read Sense and Sensibility. And while I’m sure Three Cups of Tea is a wonderful book, the narrator had a very nasally voice.
Finally, you need to remember that there might be surprises along the way. For example, many audio books incorporate sound effects. When driving to South Dakota on our very first road trip, I made Nathan listen to “Little Town On The Prairie” so he could prepare for the destination—Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home. I love Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and everything was going fine until the fiddle started playing, and the narrator started singing. Badly. And they sing a lot in that book. You also should bring tissues if you check out books by authors such as Nicholas Sparks, as it is a lot more realistic listening to the book than reading it. Finally, remember that unlike a real book, other people can hear the audio book you are listening to if they borrow your car. I was listening to Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea, by Chelsea Handler, which was maybe not quite appropriate to be on when Nathan took my father-in-law to the hardware store in my car. All I’m saying is, be prepared.
Audio books are a great alternative to music on long road trip or even just as you drive around town. I hope that you will remember some of these tips and apply them to your audio book choices.
When I was little, or should I say, young, there were many professions I thought of pursuing when I grew up. Of course, I considered the traditional professions: doctor, teacher, ballerina. But there were also the slightly odd: person in the picture that came with the photo frame and audio book narrator. While none of these quite panned out, I have actually become somewhat of an audio book connoisseur, thanks to long road trips back to Denver and driving all over town for my actual job. And tonight, I’m going to share with you what I have learned.
When choosing an audio book right off the bat, you have to consider the genre, just like you would a regular book. There are audio books that can teach you things, such as languages or how to be responsible with your finances. There are nonfiction books, such as biographies, history books, political books, and self-help books. And then there are fiction books, which I prefer simply because I like a good story. Generally speaking, I tend to play it safe and pick books I would want to read anyway, because if you’re stuck in the car for eight hours, you don’t want to listen to something that doesn’t interest you.
You also need to consider the narrator. While you could pick an audio book by the narrator, I’m guessing most people, like myself, have an author and subject preference and not an actual narrator preference. So, you’ll have to give the book a test listen. This is very important because otherwise you might find yourself without a book because you can’t stand the person’s voice. This has happened several times for me—as it turns out, it is not authentic, but actually really difficult to listen to someone with a british accent read Sense and Sensibility. And while I’m sure Three Cups of Tea is a wonderful book, the narrator had a very nasally voice.
Finally, you need to remember that there might be surprises along the way. For example, many audio books incorporate sound effects. When driving to South Dakota on our very first road trip, I made Nathan listen to “Little Town On The Prairie” so he could prepare for the destination—Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home. I love Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and everything was going fine until the fiddle started playing, and the narrator started singing. Badly. And they sing a lot in that book. You also should bring tissues if you check out books by authors such as Nicholas Sparks, as it is a lot more realistic listening to the book than reading it. Finally, remember that unlike a real book, other people can hear the audio book you are listening to if they borrow your car. I was listening to Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea, by Chelsea Handler, which was maybe not quite appropriate to be on when Nathan took my father-in-law to the hardware store in my car. All I’m saying is, be prepared.
Audio books are a great alternative to music on long road trip or even just as you drive around town. I hope that you will remember some of these tips and apply them to your audio book choices.
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