Amanda Ronconi @audible_com ‏@mollyharperauth @authordgarrett

 Amanda Ronconi, actress and audiobook narrator is with me today. Ronconi divides her time between New York City and upstate New York. She has a BFA from NYU, where she studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory. She has performed in theaters around New York City and regionally at the Alley, Capital Rep, and many productions at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.  Her voice-over work encompasses nearly 100 audiobooks available on audible.com.


And onto the interview...

Amanda, have you recorded from home and if so, what is the process for recording audio books from home?

Yes, I mostly record from my home studio these days.  The process is the same no matter where I am recording except at home I have a second job, I am the narrator AND the engineer, which means I am in charge of recording on ProTools, the computer program I use.  I am in charge of hitting record when I start talking and hitting stop when I mess up or swallow or a big, rumbly truck goes by outside and I can hear it in the headphones. There’s a lot of technical stuff, organizing audio files, uploading them, etc.  That’s an extra responsibility I never thought I’d have. The plus side of working from home (as I am sure everyone who does knows) is that I am just a few steps from my office and I’m in charge of my own schedule. The minus side is that I am just a few steps from my office and I’m in charge of my own schedule.

Having recorded over 100 books on Audible, how do you keep your voice in shape?

You definitely develop vocal stamina.  I do notice, if I’ve had some time off from recording, that it takes a bit for me to put in a full day.  I drink lots and lots of water. Talking that much is dehydrating (when your mouth is dry, the microphone picks that right up).  You also need mental stamina.  Recording audiobooks is the marathon of the voiceover world.  My recording days are usually 10AM to 4PM, and most of that is spent talking into the microphone.  It can get pretty grueling. The better the material, the easier it is to deliver. I try to avoid getting sick, a cold can stay in your voice for two weeks.  I also try not to turn into a freak about worrying about getting sick.

Do you have favorite genre?

I just like a good story.  If the characters are well-developed and their emotional arc is believable, if the story pulls you along and surprises you on the way—that’s my kind of book. For non-fiction, if I learn something new, I love that.

Have you built relationships with authors along the way?

Yes! I have gotten to know several authors (not in person, just through email correspondence and the occasional phone call).  It’s great. I’ve had authors whose books I have done for a while give me a heads-up, before the final draft is even turned in at the publisher’s, to let me know, “hey my next book has a main character with an Australian accent”, or “my next books are all set in the Louisiana bayou, you better get cracking on those accents.”  It’s great to get a little lead time, because often you don’t get a giant window for recording once you have the job.

Are you working on anything now?

Yes, I am just about to start recording a dog-training book, which I am psyched about, because I hope I can apply it to my sweet but incorrigible dog.  I also record a new Molly Harper title for Audible this week, which is always a treat.

More about Amanda Ronconi:

Website:  AmandaRonconi.com

facebook: /amandaDronconi

#Interview with Jason Culp #voiceacting #amjoy @kakuralasombey

Actor and audiobook narrator, Jason Culp, is with us today. Jason was born in LA and played the original Julian Jerome on General Hospital. He's been an actor since he was 10 and narrator since he was 35.

Onto the interivew...

Jason, you have been in a few soap operas prior to your voice acting career, can you tell us a little about that?

Nancy Wu #RecordedBooks #VoiceActing #Audiobook

Nancy Wu pictured above

Nancy Wu is with me today to discuss audiobook narration.  

Nancy has been narrating books since 2004. She has recorded in studios all over the world—from Italy to Switzerland to Thailand.  She has performed all the books in MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead—Betsy the Vampire Queen series. She has also recorded War Cross by Marie Lu. Nancy makes her home in Boulder, Colorado, as an avid yoga practitioner and rock climber.

Audio Narrated by Nancy Wu

Let’s talk about Mia Alvar’s book, In the Country. Now, I connected with this work and it’s array of diverse characters and specifically the story  of “The Miracle Worker.” You see, I converted to Islam more than a decade ago and the main character is also muslim and struggled with her Islamic faith.  {In the story, a Filipina woman named Sally is contacted by a wealthy Saudi woman in hopes that she’ll teach her special needs daughter, Anoush, and fantasizes that the Filipina woman be what Anne Sullivan was to Helen Keller.}“Yes, I remember recording that story a while back and I remember the characters quite well...I did my best to bring out the dialect of the character, Anoush.  All of Mia Alvar’s stories required me to get to know dialects of Filipino characters...I’m often given jobs for characters who have Asian accents.

Do you look up unknown words you come across in books and write them out phonetically before you record?

Yes, Pennequin audio has a research department that is available to audiobook narrators from where I can research unknown words.  Occasionally, there will be directors for certain books that request that they work with audiobook narrators specifically on certain works, this can be done over Skype or actors can be flown into New York or LA for recording...Some writers have either full or limited access to their work and some can choose whether they’d like to give feedback to actors.  I recorded one of Amy Tan’s books and she requested to read a chapter herself.

Oh my God, I love Amy Tan! In high school I pictured my little group of friends from Laos  to be similar to that of Joy Luck Club and we’d have dinner at one another’s homes.

Here’s another question for you, I have read that audiobooks are becoming more popular.  Do you think that is a correct assessment?

Yes, ever since Amazon bought out Audible there are audio versions of almost every book. Some well-known audiobook narrators like Scott Brick or Wil Wheaton have home recording studios where they can retreat down to their basement and record...let’s say when the kids have gone to bed or during the day.  

Last question. When you were younger did you see yourself as an audiobook narrator?

Nobody ever dreams that they’ll become an audiobook narrator mostly everyone dreams they’ll be a hollywood actor but ever since Amazon bought out Audible, almost every book has an audio version and audible has just been booming.  In the beginning engineers and actors were recruited

via GIPHY