While brainstorming possible subjects for my audio profile, it was imperative for me to find a story that only I could tell. For me, that key component required attaching a personal sentiment to a historical event. The reason why I chose the allied occupation of Okinawa during World War II was because my grandfather served in the military during that time, and his recollections of his time there provided me with a story that bridged the personal feeling I wanted to convey as well as a well-known event. This relationship between history and personal recollections provided the material that made it so that the story I told was unique and unable to be told by anybody else. Composing for the ear presented challenges that I had never encountered, as I have always written academic papers. It required me to actually listen to excerpts of audio books in order to understand how stories were properly told in an entertaining matter. I conducted interviews with my grandfather on the phone and tried to replicate his answers as accurately as possible in my writing. I realized that conversation is the ideal way to relate ideas for the ear, it is completely different from writing informational pieces that will be read by someone else, therefore it was extremely important to re-tell these conversations I had with my grandfather while narrating background historical information vividly.
Rhetorically, I tried to keep my entire piece in first and second person, that way the background information seems more vivid. I tried to be as descriptive as possible during the first person recollections, adding as many adjectives as possible to help the listener put himself in those situations. This particular part was challenging, because too many descriptive words ruins the flow of what is being told, therefore it had to be done efficiently. I found that the use of found sound, as it applied to my story, had to be used in a matter that complemented what was being told rather than simply for transition effects, this helped me cut down on excess words that interrupted the flow of the narration because I could fill in the appropriate descriptions with sound instead of words. Lastly, the biggest challenge that I felt held my piece back was the fact that I could not record my grandfather’s actual voice for the first person recollections. Since he lives in Florida and isn’t technologically savvy at 90 years old, it wasn’t possible. Ultimately, this audio profile provided me with a unique experience that not only allowed me to learn more about somebody I’m close to but also challenged me as a writer and storyteller.
Notes:
Music: Horizon by Joachim Heinrich (royalty free, re-use allowed). All sound effects from http://www.freesound.org.