Stories
Shane
[Students chattering]
Shane in a school hallway.
Shane: Go to class.
A student gives her a hug.
Shane: Good morning, Asia.
She greets two girls. Students in a band room.
Shane: Get your instruments, have a seat.
[Instruments warming up]
A student holds a tuba. Others play a flute and a clarinet.
Shane: Now, are you going to be able to play today or what?
A student hits a snare drum.
Shane: All right, guys. Ready to try it?
Shane stands on a podium.
Shane: Let’s try it. Clarinets, you’re up!
[Clarinets play quietly]
An iPhone is synced to “Shane Hearing Aids”. Shane adjusts her hair, revealing a hearing device. She changes the preset from Normal to Music.
[Volume increases]
Shane: Clarinets, ready?
[Clarinets play]
Shane turns up the “Hearing Device Mic Volume” on her iPhone.
[Volume increases]
She holds a conductor’s baton and sweeps her arms upwards.
Shane: Breathe.
[Music playing]
- Titles: Crescendo featuring Shane Rakowski.
- Shane conducts the band, moving her arms in broad, sweeping gestures. Trophies line a shelf behind her.
Shane narrating: I love seeing the ‘I got it’ face. When they understand and get something, you can actually see it in their faces. And that encourages me to do more.
[Music playing]
A girl plays a flute. Shane sweeps her arms downwards and makes two fists, midair.
Shane: Clean music joke. Howard, go!
Shane narrating: We tend to joke around in the classroom. I think that’s part of teaching. Let them see that you’re human.
Student: Take notes!
Shane: I said a joke, not two words. Sit down.
Student: No, it’s a joke!
The boy smiles and waves his hand. Shane plays a clarinet.
Shane: That was not the best, was it?
Shane narrating: For homework, the students record themselves playing.
A girl with a clarinet shuts a door.
[Clarinet playing]
She uses an iPad to record herself playing.
Shane narrating: I can stream the music from the iPad into my hearing aids and, actually, it sounds like they’re right next to me. So I can grade it right then and there.
Shane uses an iPad.
[Instruments playing]
She teaches students in the band room.
Shane narrating: Band is a family. Once you walk in these doors, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you’re accepted.
Shane: Crescendo!
[Instruments playing]
Titles: Designed for Shane R. Designed for everyone.
Shane: Half notes. Crescendo! And that’ll be a dramatic pause there. One.
[Instruments playing]
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Shane: One.
[Music playing]
Patrick
Patrick sits at a home recording studio, speaking into a microphone.
Patrick: This is the station to rock you, shock you, move you and groove you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My name is Patrick Lafayette. Don’t you ever forget. It’s ChrisMix Radio, Patrick with you.
[Reggae music playing]
- Titles: Like a Volcano featuring Patrick Lafayette.
- Patrick tunes a guitar.
Patrick sits at an open MacBook Pro.
Patrick narrating: To do something for yourself ...
VoiceOver: VoiceOver on Logic Pro X.
Patrick narrating: ... is one of the greatest things you could ever do.
VoiceOver: Record. Menu, 10 items. Count in. Submenu. Metronome setting. Checkmark. Allow quick punch in. Checkmark.
Patrick navigates a Logic recording session.
Patrick narrating: Now, I can express myself.
He rinses peeled prawns under a tap. He holds up an iPhone running the TapTapSee app.
VoiceOver: Camera. Picture two in progress.
Patrick: There you go.
VoiceOver: Picture one is citrus-printed plastic bottle.
Patrick narrating: It’s a big thing when you’re a father and you want to participate.
Patrick digs through his spice cabinet.
VoiceOver: Picture three is garlic powder.
[Patrick laughs]
VoiceOver: Picture three is person holding white onions.
Patrick’s family enters the kitchen.
Girl: Hi, Daddy.
Patrick: What’s up, baby?
The family serve themselves prawns and rice and sit down to eat together.
Patrick narrating: Not just make food, but make excellent food, where I see my wife take her shoes off and say, “Give me some more!” [Patrick laughs]
And my kids lick their chops. They say, “Daddy, that was great”.
[All laughing]
Patrick narrating: I have so much that I've always wanted to express. I’m like a volcano. I’m like Pelée or Mount Etna.
Patrick is back at his laptop, working in Logic Pro X.
VoiceOver: Arm the track for recording.
Patrick narrating: I’m about ready to erupt!
Wearing headphones, Patrick dances to a Logic session as titles appear.
[Patrick laughs]
Titles: Designed for Patrick L. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.
Carlos
Carlos narrating: At first, my motivation was proving people wrong.
Heavy metal CDs line Carlos’s bedroom wall.
VoiceOver: Accessibility. Vision. VoiceOver on.
Carlos, a long-haired man, uses an iPhone.
VoiceOver: Button. Scheduled arriving. Second location.
Carlos uses the Uber app on his iPhone to schedule a ride.
Carlos narrating: We don’t want our first album to sound like a local band.
[Drumming]
He drums on a drum pad.
VoiceOver: ETA 10 minutes.
Carlos narrating: We wanted our first album to sound like a professional band that’s been doing it for years.
He unfolds a white cane and continues to use the Uber app on his iPhone.
VoiceOver: Requesting a ride and connecting to nearby drivers. Finding a ride.
[Drumming]
Carlos narrating: We’re called Distartica, and we play heavy metal.
In a lounge room, Carlos plays the drums and rehearses with two long-haired guitarists.
[“In Flames We Rise” by Distartica]
- Titles: In Flames We Rise featuring Carlos Vasquez.
- Carlos is a passenger in a car.
Siri: Turn left onto Empanada Drive.
Man: [Laughs] Empanada.
Carlos: Empanada Drive?
Man: That makes me hungry.
[Laughter]
Carlos: I ended up becoming the PR manager in the band.
Carlos uses his iPhone.
Carlos: I didn’t get what it was before, then I was like, oh, dude. Like, hashtag why? Like, what? Hashtag metal, hashtag new music or, you know, in this case, like, hashtag, like, debut album.
[“In Flames We Rise” by Distartica]
The band practises in a lounge room. The two guitarists headbang and Carlos plays the drums.
VoiceOver: Messages. ReverbNation.
He uses the ReverbNation app on his iPhone.
VoiceOver: Double-tap to open. Text field. Dictate.
[Chime]
Carlos: Album will be dropping worldwide on April 14th, comma, 2017, exclamation mark. Follow our ReverbNation page, period.
[Clicking]
VoiceOver: Done. Successfully shared.
[“The Cybernetic Eye” by Distartica]
Carlos smiles, and the band resumes rehearsing. He drums intensely, his long hair falling forward. He leans into a microphone and sings. The two guitarists headbang in unison, their long hair flying.
Titles: Designed for Carlos V. Designed for everyone.
A white Apple logo against a black background.