Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Gold Walthers.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
You can say that it all started when I was in middle school putting together mixtapes using my Sony stereo system with the double cassette and EQ buttons. I always had a lot of fun playing around with sound and music, and that love has carried me all through my life. I was known as the “Mic Lady” in high school, doing all the live sound for school musicals and plays. I was a college radio DJ at Michigan State University’s IMPACT 89FM.
And my first “real” job was as an engineering assistant at a commercial recording studio just out of Detroit, before I went back to school to get an English degree and secondary teacher certification. Fast forward to 2019, I was at a crossroads with my career and had just relocated to Florida for my husband’s job. I could either teach in Florida or get back into engineering. I think I made the right choice.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When first getting back into engineering, there was a bit of a learning curve since the editing programs I used nearly 20 years prior had undergone significant changes. It was frustrating to not automatically understand the process and have to go down YouTube and Reddit clickholes trying to troubleshoot Pro Tools just so I could do simple edits.
Most people are interested in engineering for music, so there was a big gap in the information available on how to work on audiobooks. Eventually, I took things into my own hands and worked with an incredible Pro Tools instructor, Jack Connors, who tailored our sessions to what I needed to do for audiobook work. Learning is a recursive process, and I think I’ve come a long way in understanding how to create a wonderful experience for the clients I work with and their listeners.
Thanks – So what else should our readers know about Whole Story Studio?
I like to think of Whole Story Studio as a small but mighty post-production company specializing in audiobooks.
Everything I do is remote, meaning, all of my voice talent records either in their home studios or somewhere local to them. They then send me their audio to edit and prepare for retail publishing. When working directly with authors to produce their audiobooks, we’ll set up a Zoom meeting to discuss their vision, deadlines, and any goals they have. I then do auditions to cast talent and coordinate the rest of the project from start to finish.
I’d like to say I’m known for being very communicative and organized. I pride myself on not only producing great-sounding audiobooks, but also for being friendly, reliable, organized, and deadline-oriented. A compliment I’ve received from a number of my clients is that they can just send me their audio and not have to worry about anything, which makes me feel great. People trust me with their stories and their voices, and that means so much.
I want Whole Story Studio to be the place where new voice talent and new authors can come and feel comfortable asking any questions about the process. I think my background in teaching has given me a unique advantage when working with people who are new to the process. I’ve heard too many stories from new narrators who didn’t have a positive experience recording because they were working with people who didn’t have the capacity or general awareness to slow down and explain things.
In essence, Whole Story Studio strives to be a place of inclusivity. I want to help share stories from diverse voices and diverse backgrounds. I want Whole Story Studio to be a place of creation, creativity, and empowerment for anyone who has a story to tell.
What does success mean to you?
I think professional success is when you can financially support yourself by doing something that you love and feel good about. When I think of success for Whole Story Studio, I think of a real brick-and-mortar space. I would love to create a studio for narrators around the world to stay and record their audiobooks; something beautiful and relaxing and inspiring. I want to have a space for writers to workshop their ideas and write their stories.
I want a place for authors and voice talent to organically meet and bring their work to life. I envision an open space with natural light, comfortable and cozy furniture, books, blank notebooks, and large chart paper to organize plot lines and characters. Coffee. More coffee. And a vibe that just feels like home. It’s a big dream, and I’m going to have to produce a lot more audiobooks (or find a wealthy bibliophile) to make it a reality!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wholestorystudio.com
- Instagram: @wholestorystudio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/WholeStoryStudio
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jgwalthers/
Image Credits
Gabby Perez – Emagen Photography and Brian Larrabee – Larrabee Photo
