Podcast update - nerves of steel

I've mentioned a couple of times before that I've proposed that we do a podcast for the educational programs that my office offers.

The ideas have been percolating for a while (obviously), but we've never had the time to really sit down and do it. We've talked about it, come up with a mini-proposal that our manager has approved, and done some thinking, but time has gotten away from us and we haven't actually accomplished anything.

That's about to change, however.

The idea is to do about 30 minutes, at least for now. A short interview with somebody (either a person in the field, a student, professor, or something like that), some discussion on an interesting topic, and who knows what else.

This is all probably going to become a regular thing in the Fall, when we have a bit more time and the producer/co-host is actually working here full-time (she's just part-time right now). But we decided that we're going to do a "practice" one for selected people to listen to (assuming it's actually of usable quality). Who knows? If it's good enough, it may become our first show when we finally start putting it out for public conception, or it might not.

Because it's just "practice," we're not doing anything external, and thus I'm interviewing a co-worker. We're scheduled to record the interview next Thursday. Then, the next week, Sharon and I will record the podcast itself.

Yes, we have a concrete date for this now! And thus the nervousness is starting to kick in again. I hate the sound of my voice, even more so when it's recorded. Is this actually going to work? Can I speak at both an audible volume and in a manner that's actually understandable to somebody listening? And even if I can, will anybody want to?

Those are the fears that I have to get past. It's a bit of a safety net, doing a "practice" one, but it will make it easier to cope with for me and it's also a good thing anyway. That way, we can iron out any technical difficulties we might have without subjecting the listening public to them.

My good friend Dawn did a brilliant post yesterday on the fear of doing new things and getting past that fear. It hit home to me because this is a totally new experience for me, and it's one that does make me a bit fearful. It's also along similar lines to my recent crisis of blog confidence, in the sense that I have to wonder if anybody wants to listen to me ramble on?

Anyway, with concrete dates now established, I think this thing is going to happen! And I am excited about it. We'll see what happens.

P.S. We're using Google Docs to collaborate on show notes and interview questions, and I have to say that it's been a godsend. I know Google is taking over the world, but I can't help it. They create a lot of useful stuff!