This project was very challenging for me. Since I always drastically underestimate the amount of work that actually needs to be done, I was faced with a time crunch that was made much worse by me not sucking it up and rescheduling my shift. So, when faced with a massive time crunch and not realizing that we needed to get our prompts approved by the teacher beforehand, I went for what I could. I tried to make up for not checking in by fully admitting that I did procrastinate. And I went with it. Stuck with my creative block, I was wasting a lot of precious time trying to decide what to make my project about. Sarcastically, I joked to my friend that I should do it on procrastination. We joked about it for a minute until I realized just how rich my idea could be. It’s funny because it’s relatable, we’ve all been there, when life gets in the way or in my case, I get in my own way. However, I do find that I do my best work when I am under pressure, it gives me a stronger sense of urgency and makes my working more efficient and better quality. I specifically chose the background song because it built the suspense I am currently feeling as the deadline is looming ahead, and it builds that tension that I feel while listening to me describe it. (Credit to the fantastic Kayley Cook for allowing me to use her song “Free Thinkxng” for my background audio!)

I recorded a narration of Aesop’s Fable: The Hare and the Tortoise. I just thought this would be fun because practically everyone knows the story. I had never really worked with audio, so my goal with this project was really for it to just sound good! I had a bit of trouble navigating Audacity but viewing tutorials and trial and error helped me figure it out. I wanted to add some fun sound effects to the story, so I have “happy music” from Freesounds.org playing in the background to add an element of fun. I also added some footstep sounds from the same website for when the race begins. The snoring in the audio is actually from my little dachshund napping earlier this week. She is an avid snorer. I don’t love the sound of my voice but I had to make due and just go with it. I figured I would be the only one who really doesn’t like it. Plus I didn’t want to force one of my family members to record their voices either! Overall I had a lot of fun with this project and I hope that the audio sounds good to everyone else too! 

By Morgan Murphy

With this project, I was trying to create a short segment for a radio show or a longer length podcast. Since it’s my intention to pursue a career in audio production, more specifically in podcasting or broadcasting, I decided to give my hand at something related to the field that I thought would be fun. The backing track is a remix by a close friend of mine who graciously allowed me to put some music to the segment. I know it’s not the type of music that would normally accompany a radio segment like this one, but I wanted to add something different to the mix. I think it is a nice consistent beat that helps hold the attention of the listeners because it’s not the usual hokey elevator music paired with goofy sound effects. These radio segments are usually a lot more full of characters and noises, but my goal is to give a break to the listeners while they are in the middle of a long listen instead of getting people to jump or real back laughing. This is meant to be fun, yes, but I don’t expect anyone to reel back in their chairs laughing for the entire segment. I feel confident that I achieved my goal, but recognize that I need more practice before I can actually start my own show of any kind. I aspire to be as good as people like Ira Glass and the numerous talents you hear on the radio, but for now, I have to get better at the technical parts of this craft before I find my voice.

by: Cole Brown

https://soundcloud.com/user-529896128/p4-audio

I make music of my own, but this was outside of the box for me. It was interesting making more of a spoken word audio rather than a hip hop oriented track, which is what I’m used to and I enjoyed the process. I chose to read a story called The Wolf and the Dog, a tale from Aesop’s Fables. In this particular story, a hungry wolf encounters a well fed but tamed dog who offers to help him get fed and tamed by the dog’s master. The wolf initially agrees, but on the way to said master notices the differences between him and the dog. The dog has to wear a collar and cannot leave his dwelling at night, while the wolf is used to being a free animal. At the end, the wolf decides it is better to be a free, hungry being than a well fed slave, and bids the dog goodbye. In this recording I used several sound effects. The first effect I used was a dog walking effect I found on frveesounds.org. I used this effect as the dog first approaches the wolf. The second effect I used was pouring food into a bowl when the dog offered to help feed the wolf. The third effect I used was multiple dogs walking and breathing to signify the wolf and dog walking into town together. The last effect I used was a wolf’s natural howl at the end of the story, to signify his choice to be free and live untamed. I compiled all of these sounds, along with the recording of my voice on Logic, and mastered them myself.

https://soundcloud.com/user-768996633/asmr-lugnut-from-transformers-chokes-on-cereal-and-dies

Well that was fun. I created “[ASMR] Lugnut from Transformers Chokes on Cereal and Dies”

Well that was fun. I created “[ASMR] Lugnut from Transformers Chokes on Cereal and Dies” because I was inspired by all of the meme ASMR videos that appeared on YouTube a couple years ago. You see, after the *actual* ASMR phase of the internet, the meme community got a hold of ASMR, and began releasing “ASMR” videos which were really just awkward voice overs / impressions of cartoon characters doing wildly inappropriate things, such as Kermit The Frog from The Muppets getting Vietnam flashbacks and Yoda from Star Wars developing an addiction to the drug Ketamine. The pre-pandemic times were iconic, because all humor wasn’t about how awful the world is. I decided to do my own (school-appropriate) take on one of these, and I settled on Lugnut from Transformers choking on cereal and dying. This is actually an idea I had a while ago and I was considering making as an April Fools upload, but now this class has given me the opportunity to expedite its creation. I created it in Adobe Premiere (Audacity is pretty limiting) and I consider it to be my greatest creation. All in all, I’m deeply satisfied with “[ASMR] Lugnut from Transformers Chokes on Cereal and Dies”. It was everything that I wanted it to be and more.

Baking Day at Nana’s

As my mom reads the story, I am drawn into my memories of hearing her voice, as she would read me yet another story, as I fell asleep.

My parents have become grandparent figures to several neighbor children. We love to find ways to find ways to create positive memories for them. When she reads Baking Day at Grandma’s, she uses her name the girls call her, Nana.

Even though she cannot be with the children like before, they can listen to Nana’s soothing voice.

Baking Day At Grandma’s
By Anika Denise; Illustrated by Christopher Denise
Published byPhilomelISBN-13: 9780399242441

Anika’s website includes recipes, recipe cards, craft, song and game ideas for educators, libraries, teachers and parents.