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I lost my radio virginity...

edited February 2011 in - Writing Tales
...and I missed it.

This morning I was on Radio Cumbria for a slot called Little Cumbria that I recorded late last month and I was not even aware until I received an email from a friend! I did manage to catch a repeat on the drive home but it is something quite horrific when you hear your voice on radio.

You can lister here by the way, I'm at 0:52.25

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/p00dfs4s/

Comments

  • Just had a listen, great stuff Emma!
    You didn't sound bad at all. I'd be a bundle of nerves, I couldn't do it at all...
    Well done!
  • short but sweet. Nice. So THAT's what you sound like!
  • So good to hear what you sound like. You didn't sound at all nervous. Well done.
  • Nothing wrong with your "radio voice" Emma - and it was a lovely little cameo.
  • You sound lovely!

    Ceka and I were discussing our 'voices' on Saturday - we never sound how we expect, do we?
  • [quote=Baggy Books]we never sound how we expect, do we? [/quote]

    There's a discussion on that topic on: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/555342
  • edited February 2011
    Oddly enough I broached this subject (complete with experiment) in a recent article...

    Christmas is over for another year. Trees and decorations are consigned back to the attic, the last of the Christmas cake is put out for the birds and all of the memories are stored safely on a DVD marked Crimbo 2010. Getting the camcorder out at Christmas time is a very popular way of saving those precious memories, from the excitement of children opening presents to that covert footage of Gran asleep in the chair after one too many sherries. And if you yourself were captured in the recording, the chances are your reaction would be, ‘Blimey, do I really sound like that?’

    The reason that our voices sound so different on recordings from what our own perceptions are is that when we speak we hear the sounds and feel the vibrations inside our heads as well as hearing what comes our of our mouths. A recording instrument only picks up what comes out of our mouths and so we often sound more high-pitched and quite unfamiliar. You can see how this works by performing this simple experiment. Stretch a rubber band between your fingers and twang it. Now hold one end between your teeth and the other in your fingers and twang it. Just as our voices sound deeper to our own ears, the sound of the latter twang is far fuller than the first one. Anyway, now that the science lesson is over, back onto the article.

    Oh and well done Emma - you sounded fine.
  • The first radio show I did I thought I sounded awful. I think I read somewhere that the voice we hear in our head when we speak is different to the one other people hear. Don't know if that's true. In my radio spot, I sounded like I was about to jump off a pier! It was years ago and even the thought of it fills me with horror.
  • I remember learning about that in school, c-o-s, but it's still a surprise when you hear it. Perhaps we should all record ourselves and post them on here - that would be interesting.
  • Thanks for all the lovely comments :-)
  • Just remembered the word I couldn't think of in my previous post when I wrote cameo. It's vignette!
  • good one, Emma, you sounded clear and confident!
    I've heard myself a few times, when I did a series on short story writing for Wiltshire Radio. I've been told several times I have a very good 'radio' voice, which helps when having to talk to others, like public speaking, etc.
    Jenthom, see the earlier posts, it is true that the voice others hear is different from what you hear. Phones change voices, too. My father in law is pure Welsh on the phone but not in 'real' life.
  • I was on again this morning at 09:40 (repeated at 17:40) which will be on listen again. I am on for the rest of the week.

    It was nice to be able to do a blog about hearing myself on radio too. I agree Dorothy what people hear is very different from how you hear yourself

    http://emmabragg.blogspot.com/2011/02/virgin-on-airwaves.html
  • Well done Emma! Agree with the comments about sounding different when we listen to recordings of ourselves although one male student who caught me speaking on Woman's Hour thought I sounded far too posh so perhaps I tried too hard!
    I tend to write my name on my hand along with the name of the interviewer just in case I forget once that red light comes on...
    I did have a fit of couching once halfway through an interview but it was a prerecord so we could stop and start again thank goodness.
    My biggest fear is not hearing the question properly and giving the wrong answer.
  • Emma, I haven't heard 'moonlight shadow' for YEARS and it was the song that comes on at the start of this - loved it, remember always loving it, thank you at least for that.
    Now I'm awaiting your slot ..
  • Got you.
    You sound very friendly and I bet you smile a lot ...
  • Emma, you sounded wonderful. Well done :)
  • You sounded great Emma and not a trace of nerves. Well done!

    (I hate the sound of my voice on recordings)
  • well done Emma. Haven't listened yet, but will later.
  • [quote=dorothyd]Jenthom, see the earlier posts, it is true that the voice others hear is different from what you hear. Phones change voices, too. My father in law is pure Welsh on the phone but not in 'real' life. [/quote]
    That's good to know Dorothy. I hate my voice.
  • Well done, Emma!
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