Megs pulled up the slides for tonight’s lecture and clicked on one of the links.So many words.Her eyes skimmed as she tried to force them to slow over one sentence at a time. She leaned back in her chair and drew a deep breath, waiting for the instructor to finish with his course introduction.
When he did, he launched into module one, and Megs buried herself, doing her best to follow and keep track of everything she’d need to study before tomorrow’s class. At least for now, memorization wasn’t required, only convenient to make her betterand faster at her job. Her initial panic faded, and pretty soon, she was flowing along to the gentle rhythm of the instructor’s voice.
When he went on a tangent about the importance of accurate and precise communication, Megs’ thoughts wandered back to the article sitting on her mother's desk.Why hadn't she ever tried voice-over work before?Sure, there was competition, but at least she could've put herself out there. She'd never considered doing audiobooks, though she'd listened to plenty. Not romance, but thrillers. Mysteries. A couple of horrors Kiara had recommended. Those were abjectly awful, though the narrator had been decent.
How much would equipment be?Megs pulled out her phone and typed 'recording equipment' into her search bar. A map pulled up, and Megs frowned. Was she in her map app instead of her browser?
A red and white bubble with the title Audio Engineering Department appeared on the screen next to her blinking blue circle.They had an audio engineering department at Champlain?
Megs zoomed in and clicked on the website.
Welcometo the Audio Engineering Building, nestled within the vibrant campus of Champlain Community College. Our state-of-the-art facility is dedicated to providing aspiring audio engineers with the perfect environment to hone their skills and unleash their creative potential. Whether you're an aspiring sound technician, music producer, or audio enthusiast, our building offers a range of cutting-edge resources and educational opportunities to help you excel in the world of audio engineering.
Megs scannedthe list of services and features and sucked in a breath.
Recording Studios:Immerse yourself in our professionally designed recording studios equipped with top-of-the-line sound equipment and acoustically treated spaces. From capturing live performances to producing studio-quality tracks, our studios offer the ideal setting for your audio projects.
She scrolledover 'Mixing and Mastering Suites' and 'Sound Design Labs' to land on the next bullet point.
Equipment Rental:Need access to professional-grade equipment? We offer equipment rental services, allowing you to experiment and perfect your craft using industry-standard tools.
Holy crap.There was professional recording equipment available a mere five-minute walk from where she was currently sitting. Both a studioandrentals.
"And with that,let's take a break. Ten minutes, and then we'll get back at it."
Megs looked up from her phone to see the professor guzzle from his water bottle. She’d zoned out. Hopefully, he hadn't said something too life-altering in the past five minutes.
She drew a breath and leaned back, continuing to scroll as her classmates stood to stretch and walk out into the hall to use the bathroom. At the bottom of the page, she found what she was looking for.
Admission information and bingo.For professional inquiries, please contact Professor Gideon Adams.His email was listed. Megs felt that glow in her chest as she clicked on it and started to type.
Dear Professor Adams,my name is Megs DeBosse . . .
Her thumbs flewover her phone's keyboard as her thoughts raced.What was she doing?This wasn’t a good idea, but she couldn’t stop herself.Was she going to try and submit for this audiobook competition?
No, this was simply informational. For future projects.For funbecause she was sitting here in a classroom to form a solid life plan. If she was able to use these recording studios, she could tell Lake Talent to submit her for voiceover projects. In her spare time. After she spent eight hours a day for weeks on end submitting medical claims while locked in the back room of her childhood doctor's office.
A knot settled in her stomach.Worst-case scenario, this Professor doesn't reply, and you're back where you started.Totally fine. Nothing to lose.
Megs hesitated before closing her email and opted to add a personal note.
I havea passion for voice acting and narrating, and I truly believe that access to the right equipment could make all the difference in turning my dreams into reality.
Too much?She deleted the 'voice acting and narrating' section and replaced it with simply 'acting.' Then, at least she wasn't pretending to be something she wasn’t.
Thankyou so much for your time, she concluded.Best, Megs.
Her finger hoveredover the send button, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tapped.
Four
Gideon pulledout the sandwich he'd picked up at the deli on the corner and took a bite. Nobody had booked the first recording session tonight, which meant he could eat his dinner in peace. He moved his mouse to wake up his sleeping screen and checked his inbox. Two messages from his department head and one he didn't recognize. An email from someone named Megs.Did he have a Megs in any of his classes this semester?
He clicked on it and read the short message. Someone interested in audio, possibly a recording session. Gideon swallowed and set his sandwich down, then brushed his hands on his pants before copying and pasting his response from his saved form messages.
Thanks for your interest. Here's the admission process for the program. If you're looking to book a recording slot, here's the website.
Students didn't have to be enrolled in a recording or audio class to take time in the studio, but Gideon's students always took precedence. Hopefully, she'd jump on it. It would be infinitely easierto find an open time in the next week or two before his assignments were in full swing.
