Recording Instructions
- You will need two devices, one on which you can both view this screen and listen to the audio through connected earbuds or headphones (earbuds are easier for this), and another which has an audio recorder to record your voice. Most computers, smartphones, and iPads can do both of those jobs, so you will need any two of them.
- Set yourself up in a quiet room and connect your earbuds or headphones to the device on which you are viewing this screen. Make sure the sound comes through them when you press the Play button on the audio above. You can play it and sing along as many times as you like for practice until you feel ready to do your recording.
- When you are ready, activate your recorder to begin recording. Hold one earbud up against the microphone on your recording device. Then press the Play button on the audio above (if there is more than one part, you can choose one or do them all). Keep the earbud against the microphone to catch some of the drumbeats at the start, and then pull the earbud away from the microphone before you start singing. (If you don’t know where the microphone is on your device, you may need to experiment. Most computers and smartphones have several microphones, but it may not be obvious where they are or which one is being used. You may have to move the earbud around the likely places until you find that your recorder is picking up the sound from it. If your recording app has a visual display that shows a pulsing line to indicate what is being recorded, you will be able to watch that as you move the earbud around to see when it is picking up a clear sound.)
- After moving the earbud away from the microphone, sing along with the audio playing in your ear(s). That way you should end up with a recording that has drumbeats at the start and then nothing but your voice after that. (The drumbeats are used to easily line your recording up with everyone else’s.)
- Our recommendation is that you don’t listen to your recording when you finish. Most people don’t like the sound of their own voice, especially unaccompanied, so if you keep redoing it, trying to get one you like, you may be stuck there forever! If you know you made a big mistake, you can do it again, but otherwise just send it in without listening to it.
- When you are done, email your recording to Nathan. Most recorder apps on smartphones or computers have a “Share” button that allows you to email a recording from within the recorder app. If you can’t work out how to send it, ask Nathan.