Reviving the Rhythm Narrator Ash Beverly

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!

In Reviving the Rhythm, Ash Beverly brings Sammy to life by capturing both his heart, and his hidden hurt beneath the surface with perfection. And fun fact: Ash sounds exactly like Sammy sounded in my head when I was writing him. His performance catches both the “everybody’s little brother” side of Sammy but also his vulnerability and the result is an amazing audiobook.

How long have you been narrating audiobooks? Approximately how many books have you narrated?

About 5 years; roughly 175 audiobooks to date.

What first sparked your interest in becoming an audiobook narrator?

I’ve always loved audiobooks. Never thought I could make a career out of it. Then COVID shut down the rest of the entertainment industry and I thought to myself, “Let me look into that audiobook narration thing again.” And here we are 5 years later.

Did you have any mentors, inspirations, or influences when starting out?

I kind of jumped in feet first. But I fell in love with Dan Stevens’ narration style. I also kept going back to Scott Brick, Ray Porter, and Simon Vance who are absolutely prolific narrators. It’s funny, as a consumer I think I prefer a female narrator. But as a student, I tend to listen to male narrators more (and steal what I can from them).

Has there been a moment in your career when you thought, “Yes—this is what I’m meant to be doing”?

Honestly, about 2 years ago when I looked at my calendar and realized I had work as an actor for the next 6 months, with plenty more to come. It’s been such consistent work. Which any actor can say, is a very rare thing. I’ll forever be grateful for that stability. And also, I get to perform stories out loud from the comfort of my home. It’s a dream job, really.

What was your very first narration experience like?

Okay, the first book I did I was in WAY over my head. It was a Why Choose, with 1 FMC, 3 MMCs, and all POVs… narrated by me. I had to learn the recording process, the equipment, the editing produces (to meet ACX standards), and it was all a Royalty Share deal, so I made next to no money on that book. I probably spent 60 hours on that one book, and when it was over… wanted to walk away for good. I just didn’t think I was cut out for it. But then I started getting more work, figured out my equipment, recording space, the recording/editing software, and started to enjoy it. But once I got on the roster with production houses and could just send in raw audio… that was a game changer.

What does a typical recording session look like for you?

I do a quick 2-3 minute warmup; usually lip trills, humming, stretching, etc. Then, I open up my DAW (Digital Audio Work station), turn in my mic, open up my tablet, open up my prep packet (with character descriptions and chapter summaries), get my voice bank of character voices ready, and then… it’s go time.

How do you prepare before reading? Do you mark up a manuscript before narrating?

I tend to look at the chapter summary I have in my prep along with which characters have spoken dialogue. I may listen to their samples real quick, just to refresh their voices in my head. I also like to know when a quoted dialogue is coming up in the text, so highlighting those is helpful; as well as knowing which character is speaking. If I’m constantly having to readjust to figure out who is talking, that can be a momentum killer. But as long as the character names are highlighted and I can see the quotes coming up, I’m good to go.

Do you have any pre-recording rituals or warm-ups?

Just some lip trills and basic stretching. I’m a firm believer that a warm-up shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes. I did a warmup one time that was an hour!! I don’t know who has time for that. I was exhausted by the time it was over. If you wanna spice things up, throw in some tongue twisters and call it a night.

How do you care for your voice during long or emotionally intense recording periods?

I tend to take frequent breaks. Every 45 minutes to an hour, I’ll take a break. And even during recording, I’m constantly drinking water and warm/hot tea with honey. I try to not over exert myself while recording. Audiobooks are a marathon. And if you come out the gate screaming and sobbing, you’re gonna gas out in the first mile. Gotta pace yourself. Let the writing do the heavy lifting for you. If you’re connecting to the text, the words will affect you and bring out the emotion. Believe me.

How do you balance staying true to the text while still bringing your own performance to it?

That can be tricky, especially if you feel an impulse to go “off book” and add a word here or there. We have to narrate verbatim, or else deal with the pickups/corrections later. But we have a lot of liberty when it comes to creating the character voices, pacing, tone, breath, and other elements. End of the day, we’re trying to make the narration and dialogue sound natural. So that’s gonna take some natural instincts and trusting your choices as an actor.

Is there a scene or performance you’re especially proud of—and why?

I will always be proud of playing Ilmari Kinunnen in “Pucking Around” by Emily Rath. I performed all of his narration and dialogue in a Finnish accent. It was a challenge, but that series built my career.

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?

Oh, constantly. The trouble with an emotional scene, is you have to code switch and get back into the narration and/or other character dialogue. It can be tough to shut that valve off once it’s open. Again, I take a lot of breaks.

Do you prefer to narrate dual, duet, solo? Why?

At first I preferred dual. But lately, I’ve been enjoying duet more. It’s nice to just perform male voices and not dip into that higher register for the female voices. Plus, I feel my female vocal range is far more limited than when I get to perform a cast of male characters.

What’s something you wish authors understood better about audiobook narration?

Accents and Acting are two different things. Accents are not party tricks. And accents are super hard for most actors. Give us some grace if we don’t nail every pronunciation exactly.

What’s something you wish listeners knew about the work that goes into narration?

Sometimes the narrator you wish was on an audiobook wasn’t available. And the author makes the final casting choice. If the listener doesn’t like the audiobook narrator, they should know that sometimes we narrators have to perform hurt; either we are sick, fatigued, overworked, or dealing with personal issues. Give us narrators some grave if we didn’t reach your standards.

Are there any audiobook trends or industry changes that excite you right now?

I’m seeing duet become more common. Plus, Romantasy is taking the world by storm. So that’s been super fun to see.

What was your first impression of the Blind Rebel when you started narrating your book?

I loved the whole rockstar romance world. The characters are definitely cooler than me.

Was there anything uniquely challenging or surprising about narrating a rock star romance?

One challenge is making the voices unique. But luckily, the text tends to provide clues for the voices and personalities. But if you play them all as cool and/or edgy, then you’re gonna get a ton of crossover. So you gotta find a way to make all the charterer voices distinct.

Have any characters in the Blind Rebels series surprised you or grown on you as a narrator?

Well for the MMC Sammy in “Reviving the Rhythm” I definitely enjoyed his playfulness. So many times we see these goofy and happy characters as just fun, playful people. But digging deeper, we realize that everyone is masking something. And sometimes that’s something dark. Everyone has secrets. And Sammy was a ton of fun to unpack.

Is there a moment in the Blind Rebels book(s) you narrated that you feel truly comes alive in audio?

I loved the panic attack moments for Sammy. That felt very raw and unsettling (in the best kinds of way).

What do you think listeners who experience Blind Rebels in audio might pick up on that print readers might miss?

It’s always my hope that the audio adds a new interpretation that will differ from the listener. A reader/listener is going to “hear” the story and character differently in their head. But an audiobook narrator can (hopefully) provide a different take on the material that expands the experience alongside the reader’s imagination.

Which part of the story would you most want listeners to experience in audio?

I love the banter between Sammy and his bandmates. The flashbacks to his sister. And Melody adds a whole new layer of intrigue and vulnerability to the cast.

One word that best describes your narration style:

Saucy

If your narration style had a theme song, what would it be?

“Pony” by Ginuwine (so my wife says)

What song do you think best fits the Blind Rebel character you narrated?

Anything by “Highly Suspect.” Pure, unfiltered hard rock and roll. Maybe “Lydia” or “My Name is Human.”

Has your own musical tastes influenced how you approached these characters?

Oh yeah, I love hard rock. I could see these characters and imagine their style of music clear as day.

If you could narrate any musician’s memoir, whose would it be?

I’d love narrate Anthony Kiedis’ (Red Hot Chili Peppers) memoir. But he’d never have me. Haha

What’s your favorite song right now?

I find “I Remember Everything” by Zack Bryan and Kacey Musgraves hauntingly beautiful. I also keep going back to Matt Maeson

What’s something you always keep in your recording booth?

Water, tea, and chapstick (which doubles as an articulation tool – you pop it in your mouth and speak the lines around the obstruction). Works like magic.

What’s one of the funniest or strangest lines you’ve ever had to say on mic?

Not sure. I’ve played a few serial killers so I’m sure those psychos have said plenty that cracked me up.

Favorite genre(s) of music?

Rock and Roll or Blues.

Favorite genres/authors to read for fun?

Science Fiction / Philip K. Dick

I’d like to thank Ash for taking time with these questions, but also for helping make the audiobook of Reviving the Rhythm an amazing listen! You can connect with Ash on his Instagram: @ReadbyAshBeverly.