As an avid user of Evoca phone-to-web services to podcast her literary work online, Alice Shapiro, Atlanta-based poet and Pushcart Prize nominee has partnered with Evoca to launch The Change Interviews project to enable Pushcart Prize winners and 2010 nominees to share their spoken words online. Authors’ voices are recorded and podcast For The Change Interviews project using Evoca’s phone-to-web services.

Annually about 60 authors from dozens of presses in the independent publishing field are named Pushcart Prize winners. Outstanding works of fiction, poetry, memoirs and essays are published in the anthology The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses. Founding Editors of the annual anthology include Paul Bowles, Ralph Ellison, Joyce Carol Oates and Reynolds Price. Since 1976 thousands of authors have been honored by the Pushcart Press, recognized as one of the most influential publishers in American history. It was founded by Bill Henderson in 1972, publishing its first book in 1973, Henderson’s The Publish It Yourself Handbook. A harbinger of the contemporary self-publishing market, Henderson initially distributed his book by foot and auto.

Inspired by an author’s instinct to convey the sound of words through readings, Alice Shapiro explained, “I use Evoca as a virtual Internet microphone. I can turn the world into a poetry reading stage, reaching a much broader global audience than traveling from bookstore to bookstore.” Using the phone registered to her Evoca account to make each interview recording, Shapiro asks each author to describe the impact of their association with the prestigious Pushcart Prize and to recite their poems. Upon hang-up, the interview recording is instantly saved as an MP3 recording to her Evoca account. Then she copies and pastes the Evoca-generated player widget code into her website.

Featured poets include Elena Karina Byrne, Bryan Borland, Alice Shapiro, Ray Sharp, Cassie Premo Steele, Lynne Thompson, Bobbie Troy, and Lorraine A. Vail. For example, Ray Sharp, nominated poet, talks about what led him to compose Threnody for the Survivors of September 11, 2001 and recites his own poem.

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The Change Interviews also are available online at Shapiro’s Evoca account for listening and downloading for non-commercial use. Anyone interested in automatically savings new recordings to iTunes or a computer file can subscribe to The Change Interviews RSS feed. Author of poetry collection Cracked: Timeless Topics of Nature, Courage, and Endurance, Shapiro’s poetry readings are streamed from Evoca servers to her website. Shapiro chose Evoca’s phone interview recording method; other Evoca subscribers use the Evoca Skype call recorder to record interviews.

Evoca CEO Murem Sharpe observes, “At a time when the publishing industry is grappling with fierce competition, disruptive technologies, and content ownership controversy, it is refreshing to simply listen to writers recite their work and talk about it. Evoca makes it possible to have this very human listening experience. The Evoca team is pleased that our easy-to-use digital media technologies have contributed to the creation and distribution of authors’ voices.”

About Evoca
Evoca (http://www.evoca.com/) is a leading global Voice-to-Web services provider, enabling businesses, organizations, educators, and individuals to easily create and share interviews, testimonials, opinions, stories, and language lessons using phone, Skype™, and its browser microphone. Its online recorder also enables recording through any computer mic. Evoca subscribers can share recordings on Facebook, Twitter, websites, and blogs by posting player widgets streamed by Evoca or use recordings within a private group. Evoca uses Google Translate to enable its worldwide subscribers to sign up, access its user guide, and record and share languages from around the globe.

Evoca Express is available online as a 30-day free trial, Pro, Local, or Toll-free subscription. Subscribers access the call recording feature by dialing any of its worldwide public phone numbers or Skype, and also can get dedicated local or toll-free telephone numbers in over 45 countries and more than 5,000 cities around the globe. It is delivered through Evoca’s highly scalable “Software-as-a-Service” media platform.

Large organizations, other web services, and telecommunications partners also can license Evoca Enterprise, its multi-media, enterprise-grade platform delivered through a flexible interface (RESTful HTTP API – applications programming interface).

For more information, visit www.evoca.com or contact Evoca at +1.212.372.7670, toll-free U.S./Canada +1-866-940-9988, businessdevelopment@evoca.com, use our online contact form, or record your message using our Skype call recorder contact: evoca-bizdev-call-recorder. Any Evoca Express subscriber can receive the Evoca Express webinar training schedule by emailing: customerservice@evoca.com.

Evoca for Educators™ provides educators and students with an easy, affordable method to record language learning exercises and other subjects that benefit from audio recording and teacher feedback.  Now a teacher or professor can register their students’ phone numbers and/or Skype accounts to make it easy to record audio assignments straight from their phones or computers.  It’s a web service so no downloads are required.  Read on.

How Evoca for Educators™ was launched is described by Murem Sharpe, Evoca CEO: “High school and middle school teachers asked the Evoca team for a way that students could use their phones to record practice assignments because many students and families could not afford a computer at home. They needed an accessible, affordable solution to offer to their Advanced Placement (AP) language students preparing for the College Board tests in Spanish, French, German,  and Japanese, and while learning other foreign languages during their cultural and religious instruction.  English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers also wanted their students to practice outside of class.”

The story is somewhat different, but equally compelling for higher education. Sharpe continues, “University and e-learning professors needed a way for their active students to use their mobile phones to record audio assignments. Students are often on the move between classes, work, and home. Evoca is meeting these important logistical challenges and delivering tangible learning opportunities with its Evoca for Educators program.”  As adults, university students often get their own Evoca accounts and email the recordings to their professors to get feedback.

Evoca turns any phone into a digital microphone. The phone is connected to the Internet without the user having to download any software or worry about updates. Students simply dial any of Evoca’s publicly available numbers. Evoca’s technology instantly recognizes the students’ registered phone numbers and saves the recordings to the educator’s Evoca account as digital (MP3) recordings, auto-tagged with the students’ names and course numbers. The recordings are always available online for the educator to listen and email the recording to the student with valuable feedback. Educators also can register their U.S. and international students’ Skype accounts, enabling them to record from anywhere in the world, just like having a global toll-free phone number.

Educators with a blog or website can also invite their students to record online using the embeddable Evoca Browser Mic, an in-browser Flash recorder. After recording, the student can add her/his email address, comments, or other identification in data fields associates with their recordings. Recorder “plugins” are available for popular web programs such as WordPress TypePad, Blogger, and Drupal, as well as a generic plugin for any website, blog, or social media profile.

In addition to foreign language and ESL (English as a Second Language) training, educators in “seated” public and private schools and universities, as well as e-learning organizations around the world are benefitting from Evoca’s Voice-to-Web services for a wide range of audio assignments. Any educator can use the convenient online sign up for an Evoca Express Pro subscription and have their students recording the same day. The program’s applications include:

High schools and middle schools
•     Advanced Placement (AP) foreign language test practice sessions
•     Beginning through advanced level language course assignments
•     English — including ESL (English as a Second Language)
•     Performing arts, writing, poetry, elocution, and speech classes
•     Oral history and storytelling courses
•     Job and college admissions interview role-playing

Universities, colleges, and eLearning organizations
•     Foreign language courses and practice sessions
•     English — including ESL (English as a Second Language)
•     Clinical training and intake interviews — psychology and other professions
•     Performing arts, writing, poetry, elocution, and speech classes
•     Oral history and storytelling classes
•     Clinical intake interview training
•     Job and graduate school interview role-playing
•     Journalism field assignments
•     Scientific research projects

About Evoca
Evoca is a leading global Voice-to-Web services provider, enabling businesses, organizations and individuals to easily create, post, and share fresh, engaging voice recordings using any phone, Skype™, and its browser microphone. Evoca Express is available as a Free 30-day Trial Pro, Local, and Toll-free subscription. It provides voice recording and online distribution services through its highly scalable “Software-as-a-Service” media platform, providing worldwide public phone numbers, as well as dedicated telephone numbers available in over 45 countries and more than 5,000 cities around the globe.

Organizations of any size can easily integrate and customize Evoca features into their online properties, marketing programs, education and language training courses, and customer-facing operations. Evoca launched its Twitter audio update application, TweeVoca to enable posting of audio recordings to this popular micro-blogging site. Evoca subscribers can also “share” recordings on Facebook, MySpace, websites, and blogs by posting digital media players streamed by Evoca. Large organizations and partners can also benefit from Evoca Enterprise, its media platform delivered through a flexible interface (RESTful HTTP API – applications programming interface).

For more information, visit www.evoca.com or contact Evoca at +1.212.372.7670, toll-free U.S./Canada +1-866-940-9988, businessdevelopment@evoca.com, use our online contact form, record your message with our Skype call recorder contact: evoca-bizdev-call-recorder.

The first in a series of free WordUp Workshops for aspiring and experienced storytellers to learn about, practice, and share storytelling techniques is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 at 7:00 PM at the Bull Street Library Branch of the Live Oak Public Libraries, located in the first floor auditorium at 2202 Bull Street (north of 37th Street), Savannah, GA.

The program begins with a “How To” session delivered by J’miah Nabawi, Savannah’s national award-winning Master Storyteller, Teaching Artist in the Chatham County school system and educational and community programs throughout the United States, and Performing Artist at the renowned Savannah Music Festival.  “Everyone has a story to tell”, says Mr. Nabawi, “especially here in Savannah. We are reaching out to storytellers of all ages and experience levels to create stories from our treasure trove of memoirs, humor, folklore, history, and experiences.”

Participants will receive hands-on assistance with developing and performing their stories, non-fiction and fiction, and can take home a CD with their recordings. To continue to record following the workshop, Savannah storytellers can receive a complimentary subscription to Evoca Express, the Voice-to-Web audio recording service from WordUp Workshop co-sponsor, Evoca. The Savannah-based audio web services company enables anyone to easily create and post audio recordings to their private accounts as well as blogs, websites, and social media profiles using any phone, online recorder, and Skype.

For more information about the Wednesday, August 26th WordUp Workshop in Savannah and future workshops, please call 866-860-9988 or email wordup (at) evoca (dot) com. Inquiries also are invited about launching WordUp Workshops in other U.S. and international cities and to learn how to host “virtual” workshops using Skype, the free international phone service.

Evoca is pleased to announce that The Moth, the acclaimed non-profit organization dedicated to the art of oral storytelling, selected Evoca’s online audio recording service to deliver The Moth Story Line. The Moth invites aspiring storytellers to record a one-minute audio recording “story pitch” to compete for air time on its new NPR (National Public Radio) program, The Moth Radio Hour. The Moth is now capturing storytellers’ audition recordings with Evoca’s digital media creation methods: phone (U.S./Canada toll-free 1-877-799-MOTH), Skype global recorder (the-moth-story-line), and online recorder.

The Moth competition continues throughout the broadcasting season of The Moth Radio Hour, which is being aired by NPR stations around the United States. Finalists’ recordings will be streamed on The Moth website. Winners will be invited to tell their stories live on The Moth stage in New York City. Whether it’s for fun or to launch a professional career as a performing artist, The Moth Story Line offers a chance to be in the spotlight.

Featured in the Sunday New York Times, The Moth was founded in 1997 in New York City by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, to recreate his storytelling experiences while living in St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. The Moth attracts storytellers from all walks of life including police officers, neurosurgeons, teachers, musicians, office workers, and actors. They tell true stories from their lives, with no notes, to enthusiastic audiences. Since their inception, The Moth StorySLAMs in New York and Los Angeles have been sold out.

The Moth’s national tour has attracted keen interest in the organization’s plans to expand to additional cities. Savannah, home base of Evoca, is on The Moth’s short list due to its history with Mr. Dawes and because of its thriving community of arts, culture, and history enthusiasts. “When Evoca was contacted by Lea Thau, The Moth’s executive director, we welcomed the opportunity to provide Evoca’s audio web services and to strengthen the natural bond between this outstanding arts organization and our Savannah community”, explained Murem Sharpe, Evoca CEO. Addressing whether Savannah could support StorySLAMs, Sharpe responded, “It is likely that Savannahians would embrace The Moth, given the vibrant pool of amateur and professional talent here. With Savannah as a global tourism magnet, future Savannah StorySLAMs could also attract out-of-town visitors who want to try out their storytelling skills.”

The Moth brought its Mainstage national tour to Savannah’s Telfair Museum on July 23^rd featuring five top winners of StorySLAMs, including Mr. Dawes, Wanda Bullard, an engaging storyteller from St. Simon’s Island and long-time school teacher, and Steve Osborne, a retired New York City police lieutenant. The evening incorporated music by Savannah’s Ben Tucker, hailed as one of the world’s Top Ten Bass Players and successful musician, businessman, and community leader.

Members of the Savannah community can attend “Pitch Your Best Story” workshops sponsored by various community organizations at locations throughout Savannah and surrounding counties beginning in August.  For more information call 1-866-940-9988 or send an email to wordup@evoca.com.  Skype users can click on the “Add me to Skype” button at the top of www.evoca.com to call using the evoca-bizdev-call-recorder.

About Evoca

Evoca is a leading global Voice-to-Web services provider, enabling organizations and individuals to easily create fresh, engaging voice recordings using any phone, Skype, and its browser microphone. Evoca provides its voice recording and online distribution services through its highly scalable “Software-as-a-Service” media platform, providing worldwide public phone numbers, as well as dedicated local and toll-free telephone numbers available in over 45 countries and more than 5,000 cities around the globe.

Organizations of any size can easily integrate and customize Evoca features into their online properties, marketing programs, education and language training courses, and customer-facing operations. Evoca launched its Twitter audio update application, TweeVoca, to enable posting of audio recordings to this popular micro-blogging site. Evoca subscribers can also “share” recordings on Facebook, MySpace, websites, and blogs by posting digital media players streamed by Evoca. Large organizations and partners can also benefit from Evoca Enterprise, its media platform delivered through a flexible interface (RESTful HTTP API – applications programming interface).

For more information, visit www.evoca.com or contact Evoca at businessdevelopment@evoca.com, +1.212.372.7670, toll-free U.S./Canada +1-866-940-9988, or via Skype contact: evoca-bizdev-call-recorder.