How would you talk if you couldn't talk?
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As a kid I had a stammer
I struggled to say words that started with certain letters
I struggled to say D words
I struggled to say B words
I used to avoid saying them
There were other words and sounds I struggled to say. I avoided saying them. Blocking me from connecting with people as my full self
I dreamed about being able to speak fluently
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The Journey
In 2013 during the final year of my university degree at Northumbria for the first time I confronted my stammer head on creating an app which was born out of me exploring the inner dynamics of a stammer in my final major project
Coming through the other side of that and living life post university I reached a point where I needed to confront it further walking into the therapy room for the first time in June 2019
On November 6th 2024 I shared my story of reaching fluency at Sound Affects hosted by Jak Hutchcraft sharing the journey I have been on to find my voice going into parts that I don’t always feel comfortable to open and share spreading the message let the juice in you → out
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The Song
On the other side of the talk I connected with Ken of Rooftop Studios
He said the things I shared in the talk are things that people don’t always talk about
Leading to Ken inviting me into his studio to produce a song
That evening I went home and got my guitar out and I sang a song as a way to encapsulate that night
One month later we produced that song in Rooftop Studio. I played it. Ken recorded it. Alex mixed and mastered it
In 2 hours
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From having a stammer and struggling to talk to being on the other side of it being able to share and say what I’ve got to say fluently. I feel proud
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The Message
I want to share is…
You can share your voice too
You’ve got something amazing to say inside of you we all do
Allow yourself to express it
Don’t let fear push you down
Allow yourself to push forward and express what you’ve got to say because it matters the world wants to and needs to hear you
Let that day be today and then tomorrow and the day after that
If I can
You can too
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Thank you Jak for the invitation to share a talk at Sound Affects
Thank you Rosanna & Keith & Jason & Tim & Cevat & Alex & Karl & Laurence & Simon for coming to see the talk
Thank you Ken x Alex of Rooftop Studios for producing the song together
