Blending Chords and Finding Harmony Narrator Cassandra Myles
I wasn’t much of an audiobook listener before working with Tantor Audio to bring my Blind Rebels series to life in audiobook. But finally hearing my characters breathe, fracture, heal, and fall in love through the voices of incredible narrators changed that completely. Their performances added an extra layer to the stories for me and allowed me to experience my own books more like a reader would- and I absolutely loved it. I’m honored to introduce to you one of the amazing narrators for my series. I hope you like these spotlights and find a new favorite narrator!
Cassandra Myles brings emotional depth and compassion to the heartbeat of my Blind Rebels series. In both Blending Chords and Finding Harmony, her narration highlights Ari and Vi’s resilience and strength in a way that made them feel even more real to me. Hearing her voice my sisters was an emotional experience for me, and I truly hope it was for you too.
How long have you been narrating audiobooks? Approximately how many books have you narrated?
12 years
What first sparked your interest in becoming an audiobook narrator?
I’ve loved books and performing since I was 4 yrs old and to be able to merge the two together and go on a magic journey with the listeners based on the storytelling the authors create is a powerful pull.
Did you have any mentors, inspirations, or influences when starting out?
My mom has been an influence for sure as she’s the one who jump started my love for reading while she was pregnant reading to me and then teaching me to read very early. She encouraged my silly, improv stories I would tell and encourage me to write them down. My performance coach, Kelli, was a massive inspiration for in helping learn the craft of acting and entertaining. I’ve also had so many incredible audiobook coaches – Shannon Parks, Sean Pratt, PJ Ochlan, to name a few! They’ve all helped not only teach me the skills and techniques but helped me refine how I navigate my life-work balance, mental health and how to enjoy what I do.
Has there been a moment in your career when you thought, “Yes—this is what I’m meant to be doing”?
Honestly, after my first audiobook. Even though I was going through a learning curve to learn the art and science of it all, it was so rewarding to finish recording the book and when I got that first response from the author who said that they loved how I brought their story and characters alive – that was it for me.
What was your very first narration experience like?
It was overwhelming. I come from the theatre world so it was a bit of a transition to still myself into a recording booth and learn the many techniques of being a narrator which includes learning how to edit, self-direct, self-market, research, accent and language work. But I connected myself with remarkable coaches who guided me and helped set me up for success.
What does a typical recording session look like for you?
I rest and stretch in the morning before getting into my booth. Prepare my tea and then my water bottle so I’m well hydrated. The first thing I do, once my computer and files are open, I create Room Tone for the day’s session so the engineer will have just the sound of my booth (w/me not in it) to use whilst editing. Then I open my script on my iPad, my DAW (digital audio workspace) on my computer and begin recording. If I’m working on my own, aka Self-Directing, then my recording schedule is around 12pm – 6pm. If I’m working with a director, then we work out the times that make sense for us both.
How do you prepare before reading? Do you mark up a manuscript before narrating?
I used to mark up the script, but I mostly get a prep script way before the Recordable, and it’s a pain to move everything over and remark the script, so I use Google Drive Spreadsheets where I have a comprehensive amount of data. Every character with their Gender, Age, Species (when it calls for it), pronunciation, Accent, Voice qualities, Personalities and quirks – whatever I get from the author either directly but especially from the manuscript. Also words/languages I need to look up, and other information about the story/characters that will help me in the performance. I share this with the production team so we’re on the same page for pronunciations, etc.
Do you have any pre-recording rituals or warm-ups?
Yes, I do a 10 minute singer’s warmup, drink some tea and stretch my face/mouth
How do you care for your voice during long or emotionally intense recording periods?
When I’m going through intense vocal periods, when I’m not recording, I put myself on vocal rest, drink lots of fluids. To help me mentally and emotionally, I’ll journal, mediate or binge fun shows where I can either laugh, not think about anything too deep like “Is it Cake” or “Love Island”.
How do you balance staying true to the text while still bringing your own performance to it?
Great question. Our biggest goals as narrators is to honor the work that the author has done. However, when we come on board, it’s now OUR audiobook, OUR baby. I won’t go against what the manuscript says or the descriptions of the characters, etc. but my interpretation of the subtext of the story, the character’s choices, pacing, emotional intent is what I bring to the table to make the words lift off the page and into the “movie in the minds of the listeners” as they listen. Also, I do have some vocal limitations so I do my best to approximate what the author is describing and lean into the emotions and the genuine aspects of what the characters are going through. For instance, I’m a mezzo-soprano. My voice is in the middle. Not too low and not too high. If a male character’s voice is described as “gravelly, as if he chewed broken glass”, I’m obviously not going to make that happen vocally and I won’t do anything to harm my voice, so I do the best I can and get to the heart of what that character wants. My performance is rarely going to match exactly how it sounds in the author’s head, but if I can transport them into an entertaining place where their characters are alive, then that’s a true win.
Is there a scene or performance you’re especially proud of—and why?
It’s hard to pick one scene from so many. I really enjoy “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” type snarky, funny and smart characters but also really emotionally rich scenes where the characters are in all the deep feels.
Has there ever been a scene in any of your narrations where you’ve had to pause recording because the emotion of the scene hit you?
Too many to count. I’m really lucky to get to work on such well written books.
Do you prefer to narrate dual, duet, solo? Why?
Each of these are fun to narrate for different reasons. Oftentimes, solo narration can be “easier” because I don’t have to coordinate with other narrator’s schedules, but I also really love working with other narrators as we work together on the pronunciations, characters we share, etc.
What’s something you wish authors understood better about audiobook narration?
Hmmm. Not everything written works out loud. Some sentences can be really tongue-twisty, or awkward to say smoothly or conversationally and can take a lot of time in the booth to just get that one sentence out.
What’s something you wish listeners knew about the work that goes into narration?
Audiobook narration is complicated and nuanced. It’s a long process from prepping to pickups which can be tedious at times. We don’t just plug in a microphone and read out loud. It’s harder than people think – and – we don’t make as much money as people think, especially if when you break it down to actual hours worked and what that would be hourly. Our rate covers prepping, research, practicing accents and languages, recording the narration, troubleshooting IT issues with our equipment when they pop (or costs that accrue), pick ups or marketing. We’re not employees of the publishers, but contractors/freelancers and we get a 1099 and have to pay estimated taxes quarterly or in full when filing. But we do love what we do and it’s one of my favorite jobs I’ve ever had.
What was your first impression of the Blind Rebel when you started narrating your book?
This is such a well written, fun story that is driven by human experiences and emotion. That spoke to me immediately when I first read the books and I loved the brotherhood that the band had. Having so many men being open, vulnerable or learning to be vulnerable and supportive of each other while living the Rock Star life was appreciated. Real men cry! Both Ari and Vi are very strong women who have gone through a lot of trauma and I appreciate their arcs and how strong they were even when times were the most tense.
Was there anything uniquely challenging or surprising about narrating a rock star romance?
No. It was a lot of fun. I grew up around music and am a singer myself and am familiar with that lifestyle a tiny bit so I enjoyed having the time on the tour bus, the sound checks, writing and recording sessions, how tempting things are with drugs, alcohol, sex and how you can still be an loyal partner even in the midst of all that temptation.
Have any characters in the Blind Rebels series surprised you or grown on you as a narrator?
Killian grew on me for sure especially after learning what had happened with him which scarred him and made it difficult for him to connect with his nephew.
Is there a moment in the Blind Rebels book(s) you narrated that you feel truly comes alive in audio?
MMMM. That might be hard for me to answer since I’m more on the “inside” of the audio instead of listening to the book as a whole, but the kidnapping of Ari and Gibs and the fight that she had with Todd was intense and I really hope that it gripped the listeners.
What do you think listeners who experience Blind Rebels in audio might pick up on that print readers might miss?
Amy really captures the subtly of how trauma hides in all of us and how it can leak out over time and then when things come to a head and emotions explode and whilst it’s powerful in writing, I think (I hope) that the emotional nuances are picked up through the performances.
Which part of the story would you most want listeners to experience in audio?
All of it. The character building is so important for you to truly connect and enjoy the romance, the fights, the trauma and resolutions that I think you should start with book one and binge through the entire series because you learn more about each member of the band as the story progresses.
One word that best describes your narration style:
emotional
If your narration style had a theme song, what would it be?
Super tough question. Maybe “Joyful Girl” by Ani DiFranco or “Beautiful Trauma” by P!nk
What song do you think best fits the Blind Rebel character you narrated?
Ari – Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
Vi – Still Learning by Halsey
This is so tough for me to find one song for each as they are so wonderfully complicated.
Has your own musical tastes influenced how you approached these characters?
I have a wide array of musical tastes, so no they haven’t influenced my approach to the characters really as there are so many songs that can connect to the different emotions each character goes through and I try to tap into their truth of what they are feeling, why they are feeling those feelings, how they feel about them, etc.
If you could narrate any musician’s memoir, whose would it be?
Wow, great question. I don’t have just one. Kelly Clarkson, Halsey, Mariah Carey, Ani DiFranco, Billie Eilish, P!nk, Hayley Williams, Stevie Nicks, Gwen Stephani… I could go on and on lol.
What’s your favorite song right now?
“Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga and “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish
What’s something you always keep in your recording booth?
A picture of my dad holding me when I was a baby.
Favorite genre(s) of music?
R&B, Pop, Rock, Indie
I’d like to thank Cassandra for taking the time to answer my questions (there were a lot!) but also for the love and care she narrated both Ari and Vi with. I can’t imagine them being narrated by anyone different! You can connect with Cassandra on Instagram: @mylesofromance or on Facebook: CassandraMylesNarrator.
