We build our stage with art and sound.
We can handle all audio types and will convert the file you send us to mp3. Most poets use the voice memo app on their phone or the free audio recorder with Google Drive. But there are a number of audio recorders available online.
We like the recording to be organic, in your own style. Some poets have deliberately recorded with background, a busy street in Newark, rain on the roof, a train whistle at the turn. The most important element is your diction. Your reading of your work will unlock the poem.
If more than one poem has been accepted, we prefer a separate recording for each unless there is a specific artistic choice for a single file.
Recording with headphones will sometimes create a hollow echo or pick up too much breath or pop, but sometimes your environment necessitates it. A carpeted room or placing the recording device on a tablecloth can prove helpful. Hold the recording device too close and there will be a lot of added noise. Hold it too far away and the recording will be too soft. Holding a recording device mid-chest or setting the device down four to six inches away tends to prove winning.
You have time to get the recording to us. With your acceptance, we provide a cutoff date. But please don’t make us chase you.
If you need further assistance, contact Rogan at thenightheronbarks@gmail.com
One final note, try to let go of perfection and aim for something true. For some of you, this isn’t your favorite feature. But it is one of ours and it means a great deal to us when you follow through.
Audio Examples: