Welcome to Audio Drops -
After immersing ourselves in technology for a collective 20 years, we've come to realize that there is a human side to the technology we work with and we're lucky enough to see it through our projects.
For my 10th birthday, my dad let me have my very first slumber party. My friends and I played games, giggled loudly and generally drove my dad crazy with all the antics that 10 year-old girls will use!
After he passed away the following year, my step-mother presented me with two cassette tapes that my dad had intended on giving me for my 21st birthday. They were recordings from the slumber party.
I was shocked, to say the least, and overjoyed to have these tapes to hold onto.
They’ve been in a box for 25 years and I just recently re-discovered them. As I was transferring them to CD today, I thought about how grateful I am that he did this. What a great way to celebrate his life on the anniversary of his passing (September 21, 1985.)
I remember looking for candy bars that my dad hid all over the house and, while checking the book case, saw a tape recorder. As odd as I thought it was to see it sitting there, I didn’t think anymore about it and never brought it up to my dad.
The original intent, I’m sure, was for me to have the memories of the party. But the best part is hearing his voice - what a gift!
I often wish I could have asked him what made him decide to record the slumber party. Was it so we could reminisce about how silly I was? So I could hear the way my voice sounded at the age of 10? Maybe so I could remember my friends. Or, perhaps, he already knew he was sick. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I can hear my dad’s voice any time I want.
I guess this is what caused me to drive my family and friends nuts, over the years, with tons of picture taking, videotaping and recording of anything and everything! You just don’t know when it will become priceless.
Our sister-in-law blushed with excitement when she found out she was pregnant with her first son, our nephew, Gavin.
Kelly’s a talented woman with an eye for the creative and scrapbooked her memories surrounding Gavin’s birth and first year of life.
We loved the images and mementos in her scrapbook, but they left us wanting to know more about their relevance; you know, the stories behind what we were looking at.
In this age of technology, great stories can be shared instantaneoulsy, with family & friends, by clicking a mouse. That’s when it hit us – we need to get her in our studio!
Scrapbook in hand, Kelly sat behind the microphone and began.
What came out was far more touching than we’d ever imagined. As well as relaying topical information about how much things cost when he was born and what she craved when she was pregnant, Kelly also laughed and cried as she talked about his first time in a bath, his passion for sucking on tags and how she felt about being a mom.
Gavin just started first grade and it’s always hard for a mom to watch their child go off to school without them. Kelly keeps her ”Audio Journal” inside the scrapbook of Gavin’s first year and when she’s feeling a little teary-eyed about how much he’s grown up, she pops it in and reminisces about baby Gavin.
It means alot to the rest of the family too (especially those who are far away), as we all get to hear the stories of the child we love – some we know and laugh about right along with her, some we may not have known that strengthens our bond to Gavin that much more!
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- excerpt taken from the full recording
Recently, a client named Dan came to us with a record he wanted transferred to a CD. As he handed it to us, we could sense his excitement to hear the recording. He shared that it was pressed in 1945 on the boardwalk in Atlantic City and was his father singing “Danny Boy,” in tribute to his son.
Bobbi and I were caught up in how cool it was that he had this recording of his father, from that long ago. Naturally, we were excited for him to hear it.
He left the office and we got to the transfer.
The day he picked up his CD must have been an exciting one for him, because he was almost giddy when he came in.
Once he explained his excitement, it all made sense.
His father passed away when he was 5 years old, so that was the last time he heard his father speak. The record, we found out, was not known to exist until about a year before he came to us and having it transferred would mean he’d hear his father’s voice for the first time in over 50 years.
Bobbi & I are humbled and honored that we helped this man connect with his father after over half a century.
Needless to say, he wept, which made Bobbi weep, which made me weep, which made us realize, we deal with people.
