Training by Experience: Volunteering for Audiobooks

I'm getting myself some on-the-job training by reading for Librivox.com. It's a site where volunteers can read public domain texts and make their recordings public domain, too; ordinary doofliggies can also go there to pick up free audiobooks by amateurs and others. The other readers give lots of constructive criticism and proof-listen the text you've read. I'm reading "What was it?" by Fitz-James O'Brien and also planning to tackle a brute, but one that should make great listening: Lavengro by George Henry Borrow. It was a central text for my dissertation. It's gonna be a great experience and I hope you will listen as chapters come out. I'll give updates here. Feel free to offer any criticism that won't destroy my confidence.
Also there on the Web is audiobooksforfree.com, but so far I like the style of Librivox much better. Check them both out, I suggest. (Thanks to Greg Proops)
Chris
UPDATE: There used to be the option to record for Audiobooksforfree.com, but now they state they only use professional readers and directors, and there is no mention of recording for them on the site so far as I can see. However, they're worth a listen. Or, if you're a pro yourself, you could contact them...Chris

Demo Updates

Golly, what a time!
I spent some time the other day working on adding music and sound effects to some of my demo vocals that seemed to call for that. Please visit and check out the new version of the Jazz Club demo. The music is by Spike Jones and his City Slickers--their recording of a straight jazz tune, an original called "Lassus Trombone" which fitted my needs perfectly. I'm a big Spike Jones fan, by the way.
I have added a single sound effect to the ad for Toil Deodorant--a product I invented as part of one of my classes years ago. I'll upload the updated version soon.
Also, please check out the temporary version of the Nature Special--it's still missing some sound effects such as flapping, but the cricket ambient noise is there, spliced so as to suggest various shots taken at different places and times, and the bunny noise is in place too. Pore old Wilhelm--a life of strife and trouble! I was working on my MacBook and used nothing more or less than the Open Source software that I like to call Audacity.
Best to you all and thanks to whoever voted for the marvelous Paul Frees.

Assembling a new demo--"The Nature Special"

My father has recommended that I should include among my voice demo clips a session of straight narration, so during a relatively unoccupied period last Sunday I wrote up a swell little bit of voiceovering to accompany an imaginary nature video about the Snowy Owl, an old favorite avian. I recorded a raw vocal demo for it already, but I want to work a version of it up to sound like an authentic nature video a la National Geo. I am working on the ambient and other sound effects for the clip, and I have a variety of cricket sounds to cut around for different "shots" of the predator at work and at play. I have recently been fascinated by the Wilhelm Scream, and so I intend to use a version of it for the death scream of a hapless little bunny. I am sure I can pick up some feather ruffling and related sounds fairly easily. I'll post it when I have a full version ready.
I have recently been getting into various open source projects and I've been using Audacity for multitracking, though it's relatively hard to work with. I have more often used a free piece of software, the Freeware version of Quartz Audio Master (registration required), where you can slide the tracks around at will without specifying the lead-in duration. For general recording I've been using GoldWave for years and it's been just fine for me.
---Just in case you're interested. Got alternate suggestions? Love to hear them!
Chris O'Brien