I struggled with finding an appropriate story. I decided, in the end, to pick a story which I didn’t really understand what was going on at the time. Sharing this story was therapeutic in the sense that it forced me to reflect on what had happened. I kept most of the story pretty vague because I wasn't really comfortable disclosing more intimate details, but also because I wanted to create something that could easily be applicable to other people. I think it's easy for any listener to put themselves in my shoes, and because of that, I think it's powerful. I also wanted to share a story was deeply personal. I didn't want the community member to feel awkward sharing their deeply personal story, so I thought this was a good way to keep my narrative genuine.

 

I began my audio bio by creating a rough draft of my script. Then, I began rehearsing it out loud, making changed as I went along. When I finally reached a more polished version, I rehearsed it multiple times until it sounded less like reading a script and more like I was just naturally sharing a story. The next part of creating my audio bio was playing around with audacity. I practiced reading lines from my script to get the right kind of sound. In my initial draft, I went for a gentler, more conversation tone and pattern. Then I recorded my bio until I got to a version I liked that had no mistakes. Later, I made a change to the tone of the piece, making it more forceful and raw. I think part of that had to do with the reflection portion of this project. As I reflected on my experience, I felt a certain degree of resentment and I thought I should reflect that final piece to keep it genuine. Although I am generally happy with what I have, I wish I had more pauses and breaks within my piece--because I feel like it should include time for the listener to reflect upon. However, I didn't want to risk it being too long that the listener loses interest.

 

Overall, I think I got my desired effect. I do think it's a piece that can be applicable to everyone. I also thought it would be comforting to anyone who listened to it; it would provide some solidarity for people who have "lost" something or someone. At the same time, I wish I had included more details about my story. I think it many ways, it lacks a personal touch. And although that choice was deliberate, I would be interesting to see if a piece with more personal details would have the same effect. However, I don't think I'm comfortable sharing more details with anyone else at this point. I wish my story also lends itself to sound effects. There is a portion of my story where I reference thunder, and I included the sound of thunder during that part. However, when I played it back, it sounded strange to only use sound effects once in the narrative, so I cut it out. I've always appreciated written word--I think written storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have. Because of this project, I have grown to appreciate the power of oral storytelling--I think it makes our stories more captivating and real. I definitely think it's something that I will utilize as a member of the public sphere.