By Barbara Rosenblat
The discipline of the audiobook… I say ‘discipline’ because it is an art form like no other. There are no real parallels to stage or film work or even radio theatre because of one key fact. The recording artist is the final product. She or he has been charged with the task of taking one artform, an already established published work, and elevating it to a new plane wherein the single voice of the artist digests and renews the focus and aims of the author for an eager listening public. And yet…it is done for one pair of ears at a time.So intimate, so immediate. It is a powerful and sacred trust.
How well do we remember being read to as children?
Being drawn into unknown worlds of fiction by artists with the skills and Endurance to create that bond with the listener over many hours of audio magic, requires acting skills above and beyond what you see on stage and screen. It is a journey fraught with twists and turns, compelling the recording artist to engage every tool in the box to make that journey and its final destination both memorable and meaningful.
And yet, this artform is a collaborative effort. The skills and sensitivities of a good director and engineer combine with a talented artist to bring that audiobook to its rightful place in the pantheon of great recordings that can be enjoyed again and again.
For me, each new audio project is a chance to, once again, ‘connect’ with the listener in that primal way. One pair of ears at a time.
Barbara Rosenblat is one of only a handful of award-winning narrators whose name is as well known to consumers as audio publishers.
How well do we remember being read to as children?
Being drawn into unknown worlds of fiction by artists with the skills and Endurance to create that bond with the listener over many hours of audio magic, requires acting skills above and beyond what you see on stage and screen. It is a journey fraught with twists and turns, compelling the recording artist to engage every tool in the box to make that journey and its final destination both memorable and meaningful.
And yet, this artform is a collaborative effort. The skills and sensitivities of a good director and engineer combine with a talented artist to bring that audiobook to its rightful place in the pantheon of great recordings that can be enjoyed again and again.
For me, each new audio project is a chance to, once again, ‘connect’ with the listener in that primal way. One pair of ears at a time.
Barbara Rosenblat is one of only a handful of award-winning narrators whose name is as well known to consumers as audio publishers.