Recently I have begun a project to record some of my theory lectures, using an iPod with a Griffin iTalk microphone and an attached lavalier mic. It works well enough, not great but perfectly acceptable — especially once I learned how to set it to a constant “low gain” setting and not “automatic” in which case the recording was full of clicks as the thing tried to adjust to varying room volumes.
I haven’t heard myself lecturing much before and it’s an interesting experience. I’m becoming aware of a few verbal mannerisms which I do believe I want to expunge. I can expect to have some various quirks and mannerisms, of course, but there are a few that are a bit distracting. One in particular (a tendency to whisper the last word or two of a sentence) could be causing people to miss information.
Still and all, this is a good exercise. I’m putting some of the lectures up on the departmental website in the hopes that others can benefit from what I have to say, even if I’m not always crazy about how I say it.
I was also a bit surprised (and pleased) to find that I don’t sound like a 52-year-old man; my voice sounds younger. Or am I pleased? Maybe I’d like to sound grave and profound, Orson Welles-ish. I’m also a bit surprised that a fair amount of my original Houston accent remains, after all these years of being out of the southern regions. You have to know where to listen and what to listen for, but it’s definitely there.