Sound Mind Game

Dr. Andrea Williams is a UX researcher, designer, and sound artist working at the intersection of sound, technology, and human consciousness. She holds a PhD in Electronic Arts and has over a decade of experience in human-centered UX research and design, including recent hands-on work designing a healthcare app with ethical AI. Alongside her industry work, Dr. Williams explores frameworks like deep listening and lucid dreaming to think through complex problems and design with care.Contact Dr. Andrea Williams via email or connect with her on LinkedIn

Hannah Melbourn, award-winning British voice actor known for video games, commercials, and more, helps you appreciate the power of your unique voice. In this episode, discover her career journey and listen to samples of her finest work. We also explore how AI is increasingly shaping voiceover across all sectors. Yet there is hope: Hannah shares the truth of why the human voice will always sound more real to us.Hannah's credits are many but include the following roles:Agrias Oaks ~ Final Fantasy TacticsThe Sorceress ~ Path Of Exile IIOmeuras ~ Lords of The Fallen IIHannah's commercial credits include spots for Amazon Music and TK Maxx.Follow Hannah on Instagram and connect with her on LinkedInVisit her website where you'll find her direct contact info and more about her work.

Sound designers Diego Hodge and Jesse Jones join us to reminisce about that time, not too long ago, when they embarked on their "most dangerous" quest for authentic sound—so far.Diego is a technical sound designer working on the narrative-driven adventure game ⁠Dispatch⁠ at AdHoc Studio. Jesse is a game audio implementor and sound designer with both AAA and indie studio experience. Jesse Jones: Explore Jesse's ⁠REEL⁠ and contact him by ⁠email⁠ and on ⁠LinkedIn⁠.Diego Hodge: Check out Diego's REEL and reach out to him by email and on LinkedIn.

The year is coming to a close. Take a moment to relax. Close your eyes. Surrender to a fleeting moment, both eerie and enchanting. A legendary steam locomotive departs—then arrives, completing the final leg of its Christmas tour, the gentle murmurs of the wind, birds, and falling snow in the surrounding forest filling the brief gap. Bound for the beloved Christmas market, the train travels from central to eastern Jutland, between Bryrup and Vrads on the Veteran Railway—also known as "Denmark’s Most Beautiful Railway."Note: Please use high quality headphones in a quiet space to experience the full immersion intended here, including the moments of "silence."Recorded, ambient silence isn't "true silence"; it's full of texture. Winter’s quiet isn’t empty—it breathes. Snowflakes drift and disappear into the padded hush, their sound swallowed before it can travel. It’s a stillness so complete, it almost hums.Production Credit:Quiet Forest with Steam Locomotive on Bryrup-Vrads Veteran Railway by recordist Jan Rouvillain. Equipment: Zoom h4n pro. Setup: Level 90, 120 deg. This episode of Sound Mind Game is for educational purposes only and is not monetized. If you experience advertisements, they are imposed by your podcast listening platform.

Think you don’t have an accent? Laura Markus thinks you do. From subtle pronunciation quirks to the lilts that betray our origins, Laura can explain why we sound the way we do.An American living in Tuscany, she has turned her accent into a career, coaching people who not only want to speak English more clearly but also hope to enjoy all the perks of blending in. Laura empathizes deeply—she’s still working on her own accent. Her Italian accent. She looks forward to the day when no one asks her, “Where are you from?”To keep up with Laura Markus, visit her website Speak with Laura and follow her on LinkedIn.

Meet Jeff Schmidt, the author of your sleepless nights.It’s no surprise that his award-winning audio fiction limited series, Ominous Thrill, is as riveting as it is addictive. Both its writer and sound designer, Jeff Schmidt stands among the most accomplished creators in audio fiction in history—especially in the deliciously intimate suspense-thriller genre he has helped to define.Join us as we explore Jeff’s richly creative sonic process—which he reveals is, ironically, just as much about making decisions as it is about making sound.Check out Ominous Thrill anywhere you get your podcasts.

This is Aly Burridge. She has the job you wish you had. When it comes to an up and coming sound designer for animated media, Aly is THE ONE to watch for—or should we say listen to? Aly has a brilliantly promising career in sound that's moving at the speed of light. Her most recent work includes pilots for ⁠Pretty Pretty Please, I Don't Want to Be a Magical Girl⁠ and ⁠Dungeon Flippers⁠Aly sees sounds and hears colors. That's because her brain works differently: It's called synesthesia. Among Aly's favorite sounds are silence (yes, that's right, using silence well sets a sound designer apart) and sounds "that come from nothing but they work!" She's so excited to tell us all about these things, and we're here for it. Aly also has a deep passion for "uplifting other women and nonbinary/gender-expansive folks in audio and bringing more accessibility into the industry." Just another reason she's way cooler than the rest of us.