Guest Post from @DoctorMikeReddy

"Wouldn't say Boo to a Goose"
by
Doctor Mike Reddy

AudioMo is in full swing by now, but I suspect more in transmission than reception; it is encouraging, I fear, more production than consumption of audio, with numerous posts but few reactions on Twitter. Maybe, the comments are mostly restricted to the AudioBoo web site, but it is hard to see whether exposure to the creations of others will be as successful as encouraging new Boo-ers to start Boo-ing. However, this in itself is a good thing and here's why…

When Ernie asked me to write this guest blog, he suggested I consider how I use sound or how/what I Boo about, as well as what I think AudioMo is for.

The latter is the easiest to answer: I've been writing flash fiction, specifically six minute stories (that is the time limit from start to finish), for over two years; see http://sixminutestory.com for details. I'm also looking at impending redundancy, due to UK Government cuts in Higher Education.

It's just a matter of time, I think, so a career I've been wishing to pursue again, namely voiceover and audio work, is becoming a stronger possibility. I've worked as an actor/presenter, as well as a freelance writer/journalist, and have (what they say is) a good face for radio, which is shorthand for an excellent voice, without the curse of leading man's looks.

So, putting the two together, I thought it would be good practice to create audiobook versions of those short pieces, some of which have already been published in print form. AudioMo has inspired me to start this now, rather than waiting for inevitable unemployment. For this I'm very grateful, as it has given me something positive to do, instead of feeling sorry for my imploding academic career.

How I've used AudioBoo prior to this month is quite different. A while ago, quite a while in fact, I could feel my work/life balance slipping away, which was having a negative effect on all aspects of work and home. I recognised the signs of unsupportable strain, and the need to do something tangible to slow down and take stock. AudioBoo was fairly new back then, and something about the 5:00 minute recording limit reminded me of John Cage's 4m33s.

Like many I'd had a good giggle when he'd sued someone for breach of copyright over it, but noticed that actual, real, tangible silence was virtually impossible. There is nowhere you can go where there is "Silence". So, somewhere between two neurones, the idea of sound mapping this "Not really Silence" in 4:33 with 27s to introduce each sound map came into being.

Many of these #4m33s Boos are repetitious - the most common being wind and water sounds while walking my dog - but they all have one thing in common: they all made me stop and listen, really listen, and granted 5 minutes meditation as well as an increasing awareness (psychotherapists call it "mindfulness") of the World around me. Not a bad thing for someone feeling overloaded by Life.

I don't expect many people to listen to these recordings, although the British Library included many of them in its UK Sound Map Project; search for #uksm for other examples. The database has an eclectic collection, and I was interviewed by BBC Radio over my involvement. The reporter asked me what my favourite Boo was. I explained the need to slow down, take stock and recognise the lack of true silences, and my usual format - 27s of introduction, followed by 4:33s of ambient, unedited audio - but there is one exception: the sound of church bells from St. Peter's Church, Lower Heswall, at my Father's graveside, for which there could be no meaningful introduction. It's the one recording that doesn't follow the formula.

While I set up my AudioBoo account to create #4m33s recordings, hoping that others might join in (none have), I rarely get much feedback. This isn't (unless you're Stephen Fry) really a broadcast medium, but more a personal blog for many users and fewer followers. That's as it should be. Better to speak to a few than stay silent.

So, enjoy AudioMo even if it just gets you more aware of the sounds around you. Try to listen to a few other contributors, if you can. There's an old proverb: You cannot hate an enemy when you know his story.