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Radio Host Character Narration for Rock Opera “Missing Time”
Voice actor Andy Taylor provides character narration for composer Greg Bartosik’s rock opera Missing Time: Silent Secret Wakes Again. In the scene, Andy plays a radio host promoting an upcoming event at “Neptune’s Hall” in fictitious Hesperus.
Bartosik wrote and produced 16 original songs for the musical, where – through music – the visually-impaired main character finds common ground with his alien abductor. The full-length story is available on double-CD — as well as iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, iHeart Radio, Napster, and more.
Read more about the author and composer in North Shore Magazine.
Audiobooks: Fiction, nonfiction, periodicals, poetry, musicals and more
“Not for me. I prefer the feel of an actual book. Nothing will replace turning pages.”
We hear this all the time, but numbers don’t lie. According to Forbes, book sellers saw record low sales in 2017. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that according to Publishers Weekly, the following year saw audiobook sales jump over 20%.
You see, it’s not that humans have grown averse to consuming the written word. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Today, people simply have more options when it comes to how they read. Not to mention, ebooks and audiobooks make the idea of reading more palpable to a hustling generation constantly on the go.
With new technology comes access
Readers no longer need to lug around paperbacks. Better still, they could have an entire library on a single device. If that weren’t enough, readers can actually choose to hear an author narrate a book in his own voice.
Meanwhile authors no longer need to depend on the page-turning public. Technology provides new audiences. And just as significantly, tech brings new revenue streams to overcome declining print sales.
With audiobooks, those authors can give a voice to their characters through self-narration or voice actors. Plus, authors can authentically convey intended subtlety or attitude often lost in print on a page.
Audiobooks. Ideal for today’s demanding pace of life
Consuming media only stops when one’s head hits the pillow. It’s relentless. From television and radio – to billboards, computers and personal devices. Today’s human brain is bombarded with more messaging and branding than ever before.
In response, many choose to control that continual intake by wearing earbuds or headphones virtually…everywhere. While the trend looks ridiculous to anyone over 40; when couched in this context, it makes sense: Control the noise with your own chosen noise.
Audiobook listening is an academic way to drown out the cacophony, with content catered to one. Listening to a narrator is intimate, easy and triggers the brain to constructively follow a story or message. Rather than face the ceaseless assault of distraction offered up with every passing billboard, pop-up, or timeline scroll.
Andy Taylor | Audiobook Narrator and Storyteller
When authors hire voice actors to tell their stories, the process of selecting a narrator is similar to film casting, minus the visual. For example:
- First, does the talent’s tone fit the author’s imagined sound of the narration?
- Second, is the narrator versatile enough to create unique sounding characters when the story calls for interaction?
- Third, does the talent possess the equipment and skills to create a great sounding read?
- And finally, is the narrator reliable and capable of delivering on important deadlines?
Voice Actor Andy Taylor possesses all of these attributes. As a result, he often exceeds the expectations of authors who believe his sound and style fit the needs of their narration.
I’m incredibly grateful to you for your time and incredible talent and professionalism…the read is perfect! You’ve captured all the subtleties and emotion perfectly. I totally could see hearing this on the History Channel or one of those. Very Ken Burns man, very.
Author Bryan Molloy. The John Harris Project
