© Rochelle Potkar | Powered by Besides the poetry readings I have begun to watch for fun – subtle popcorn-fun: like my complicated relationships with the microphone.
I have always had issues with the mike, in angel-and-whore ways.
Either I am too soft (like at Tall Tales) where I have to record the whole story again. Or now at David Sassoon Founder’s Day reading where I am fighting with the mike, my breath scratching over auditory perceptions, or then juxtaposed with the readings at Goa Arts and Literature Festival (GALF) where I am dating the mike as if in a cafe.
I have sought advice from friends who are ‘miking’ the moment.
Some said I should hold it as if I was about to suck it. Okay? Okay…
Some told me to note the presence of collar or pedestal mikes to gauge quality of recording. If it’s a professional AV set up, the recordings will be powerful. So the reading voice can be lowered. My race against limited-reading-time should not show! 😉
I think I need to step back a little into ‘feeling” the poems and just reading them. How much should one feel poems as we read? When I read poems, I am in the moment, but am I intruding listening territory? As much as a reader’s imagination is with over-explained story.
But if I step too far aback I might be removed from the poem and the moment. So it’s a fine jive of sharing with effect but without imposition. The tone of reading voice has to go with the tone of writing Voice.
Then to include is the type of audience, the color of the night, the microphone system.
Muuuah, I’m going to do better. Promise.