All about the voice
Three weeks ago, I was on holiday deep in the countryside when my mobile had a brief moment of connectivity, and delivered an email to me from a friend inviting me to join Audioboo. Audioboo? My first thought was: isn’t that just a place for geeks who love the sound of their own voices? My second was: if Susie (who had issued the invitation) is involved, there must be more to it than that. I first got to know Susie when recording short ‘Pause for Thought’ sessions for a BBC Radio 2 breakfast show. She is the person to whom I owe my understanding that good radio is all about tone. When interviewing her for this book, she explained that radio was her great love, and she had no interest in ‘upgrading’ to television.
My years as a preacher, and my dabbles in broadcasting, have taught me to respect the power of the human voice. Despite my love of visual aids, there is nothing so compelling nor convincing as finely honed human speech. Well done, human speech can whip up a revolution, mend a broken heart, or transform a perspective. On an average week I often devote up to 60% of my working time to preparing two lots of twenty-five minute preaching. I do so because I believe passionately that compelling, relevant, passionate and finely crafted preaching changes lives. I would like to think that I see the evidence to prove it. Voices matter, and Audioboo gives them a forum. I am pleased to say that I have now joined it.
Since its foundation in 2009, Audioboo has been steadily growing as it catches the social sharing wave. In short, people are enjoying the sound of each other’s voices. Some might see it as the young pretender to YouTube’s crown. Devoted lovers of audio would balk at such a suggestion though, don’t you think? After all – would it fit?
