{"id":853,"date":"2020-07-02T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T09:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gobetween.wpengine.com\/?p=853"},"modified":"2021-02-11T16:26:52","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T16:26:52","slug":"the-audio-version-of-the-digital-media-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.courtauld.ac.uk\/digitalmedia\/2020\/07\/02\/the-audio-version-of-the-digital-media-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cYou are listening to the audio version of the Courtauld Digital Media blog\u2026\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have long had an ambition to make this Digital Media blog more accessible by adding audio versions. Since lockdown began in March, most of our day-to-day library-based digitisation activities have been re-jigged so that we can do them remotely. A silver lining to the change of pace is that the team have had to design alternative activities that volunteers can do at home. These activities are all aligned with the aims of the project, and also fit around people\u2019s changed schedules alongside the stress and difficulty of lockdown.<\/span><\/p>\n

One such opportunity has been to record audio versions of blog posts. We have been wary that not everyone can participate in volunteering from home because of a lack of the right equipment. However, audio recording is something that a lot of people can do using something they carry around in their pockets every day. Most phones now have free voice recording apps, which, combined with some tweaks to the home recording environment, produce a pretty good sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Home studio shared by journalist @RebeccaRideal<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Pillow fort \/ podcast studio of @jameswmorland<\/a>, researcher and podcaster for Queen Mary University Pathologies of Solitude project<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Posts on social media from journalists and podcasters show that almost anyone can create a makeshift recording studio: crouching under duvets, throwing blankets over children\u2019s bunk-beds, or making a pillow fort all suddenly become very serious, professional activities!<\/span><\/p>\n

Our volunteers really rose to the challenge! Pictured below are John and Tanya: John rearranged furniture to create his home studio, while Tanya went for the old fashioned duvet-over-the-head approach. Other volunteers used a cheaply-available yet extremely effective clip-on mic, or nestled in a walk-in wardrobe – anything to reduce the ‘sound of silence’ (all rooms have a drone or buzz!), external noises, and echo.<\/span><\/p>\n

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John home studio with rearranged furniture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tanya’s tried and tested under a duvet recording studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also held an audio skills video chat, and volunteers shared their recording tips (smile as you read) and pitfalls (prop the duvet up on a clothes horse for much-needed ventilation) with each other. A huge thank you to Norman, Tanya\u2019s partner, who is a vocal and performance coach, who shared some brilliant advice on breathing and speaking clearly <\/span>https:\/\/sway.office.com\/EsjdpNM0H7uPbtgC?ref=Link<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the outtakes now on the cutting room floor (I admit I have had an empathetic giggle at some of the frustrated noises, self-coaching, and occasional cursing that comes with making a recording) the first wave of 25 recordings are now available to listen to!<\/span><\/p>\n

A huge, enormous thank you to everyone who wrote the blogs to begin with. And a massive cheer and many thanks to everyone who read them so beautifully: Amanda Roberts, Anna Thompson, Anne Hutchings, Ben Britton, Bill Bryant, Celia Cockburn, Christopher Williams, Elena Vardon, Ellie Coombes, Francesca Humi, Francesca Nardone, Gill Stoker, John Ramsey, Megan Stevenson, Peyton Cherry, Sam Cheney, Tanya Goodman-Bailey, Tianyu Zhang, and Verity Babbs.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Behind-the-scenes of the Digitisation project<\/p>\n