Stephanie Forryan

I covered the song "Demons" by Guster to test this vintage AKG D19C microphone.

These curtains in the background might seem unimportant, but they are an essential component of my studio. They're not just any curtains - they are HOFA acoustic curtains and keep sound from bouncing back into the mic during recording sessions. 

Having a recording space that's acoustically treated makes recordings sound truly professional. And thanks to the gvl NEUSTART KULTUR grant, I am now able to use these studio curtains to flexibly shape my recording space to fit each individual project.

Would you like to book my voice for your project? You can request a quote here.

Thanks to the gvl NEUSTART KULTUR grant, I was able to upgrade my cans to these Sennheiser HD 300 Pro headphones. My old Shure SRH840's still produce great sound, but after 12 years of steady use, the joints now squeak and click whenever I move my head, making them unusable when I record. Now I have this exceptionally quiet pair. I'll keep the old Shures for mixing, but these are my new secret weapon when recording.

Would you like to book my voice for your project? You can request a quote here.

Thanks to the gvl NEUSTART KULTUR grant, I was able to add this industry standard microphone to my arsenal: the Sennheiser MKH416 P48 U3. I've been in productions using this microphone all over the world, and now I am able to use it for content creation in my own studio.

Would you like to book my recordings for your project? You can request a quote here.

My new studio is coming together! Thanks to the gvl NEUSTART KULTUR grant, I was able to add this industry standard microphone to my arsenal: the Neumann TLM 103. I've spoken and sung into this microphone in studios all over the world, and now I am able to use it for voice acting and music recordings in my own studio. And thanks to the power of the Internet, I'll still be able to send my voice all over the world. But now I can do it from "home".

Would you like to book my voice for your project? You can request a quote here.
 

I am pleased to announce that I was a recipient of the 2021 NEUSTART KULTUR grant! It is funded by the German Federal Goverment's ministry for culture and media and administered by the GVL, the German copyright collection society that represents the interests of performing artists like me.

This scholarship can be roughly translated as "rebooting culture" and was set up to help artists get back on their feet after two years of the coronavirus pandemic.

In my case, they granted me funds to upgrade my studio with industry standard microphones, acoustic treatment for my walls, and other improvements that will help me expand my studio services and so that I can work remotely in this new post-COVID world.

I have worked as a session singer and voice actor for years, but it was always a side gig in between tours and live performances - and I was often "flown in" to work with production teams in studios throughout Europe and North America. Now that live music has become an unreliable source of income for the foreseeable future and travel has become increasingly complicated due to constantly changing restrictions, this grant is helping me make the investments I need to continue working in my profession. I will now be able to work remotely from my own fully equipped professional studio.

I am thankful for this opportunity to expand my professional horizons and look forward to continuing my own productions, but also to providing support for other artistic projects wherever I am needed - all from my remote studio.

Would you like to book my voice for your project? You can request a quote here.

Happy New Year!

Several people have asked me if I will be performing live music again this year. I have plans for a local tour in the fall and a few individual private performances that can be transferred to online concerts if need be, but I'm still laying low on the touring for now. Things are simply still too uncertain.

But I'm ok with that. The past two years have made me realize that I truly enjoy being a hermit. So I'm embracing it and have been creating a new studio space so I can dedicate more energy to session singing, voice acting and content creation. It's slow moving due to supply chain issues, but deliveries are gradually trickling in and everything is starting to take shape. Once my space is ready (or at least further along) I'll hop back online. For now, however, I am reveling in my isolation. I hope you're doing well, too.

Here's to hoping that this year will be a little easier than the last two in all sorts of ways!

Wishing you health and happiness,
Stephanie

Time to cuddle up and buckle down.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything for all of us, but it hasn't all been for the bad. Yes, I've been frustrated by all the crumbling of best-laid plans. I mean, every single one of my tours got pushed indefinitely or cancelled in 2021. Every. Single. One. 
Yikes.  
But it also became an opportunity to rest and to grow.  
All the cancelled gigs meant that I had more time to explore studio opportunities and different types of creativity, doing more voiceover work. And I've come to love it more than ever. So I am currently expanding my production possibilities.  
I've been laying low on social media, but that's not cause for concern. The quiet is just a cocoon for the exciting things to come.

Fa la la la la la la la LLAMA!!!!

There were many highlights and small joys in 2020, despite all the hurdles and disappointments the year held. This moment was one of those bright spots.

One day in the height of summer, I got a message from Thomas, who invited me to an evening video session in Berlin. I took him up on his offer. Within 15 hours, I had written and recorded this song, all sparked by his message and the lovely filming experience he set up.

I woke up that morning and sat on a balcony overlooking the capital city, sipping coffee and listening to the sounds of the neighborhood waking up. It was several months into the pandemic and I was just beginning to realize the extent of my losses and how many more blows were likely yet to come. As always when I am struggling with any emotion, my guitar, a pen, and paper became the key to letting it all go. I thought about my years in Berlin, the spirit of the once-divided city, and the times we were all living through as I picked up my guitar. My fingers quietly began searching for patterns that resonated with my mood. I began to hum as the sun started to press its way through the clouds, and my pen began to scratch words into my notebook. This is the song that came together there, during this pandemic, in the heart of a city that managed to put itself back together after being ripped apart.

That evening I sat on the banks of the Spree River and watched the Berlin Cathedral become a silhouette as the sun set. I saw people with masked faces meander by, their smiling eyes and muffled laughter showing a hundred different happy moments. The air was warm, the lights of the city rose to greet the darkening sky, and I met Thomas.

As we set up our equipment, we talked about the times, our lives, and our art; it was such an easy moment of connection - one that probably never would have happened if this virus hadn’t thrown our lives into disarray. A new friendship, a new song, a new beginning, all opportunities that popped to the surface when the world turned upside-down. And, thanks to Thomas’ talent, we were able to capture that moment and share it with you now. Watching this reminds me of the thousands of small joys that I had this year, and that if a whole city can rebuild itself after being blown apart, I will be able to put all of my shattered plans back together when this is all over. They will be different, but they will be beautiful. Here’s to 2020 - a year of hard lessons and small joys. And here’s to all the wonderful potential that 2021 holds. Happy New Year!

"Berlin" is a song I wrote in midst of the coronavirus pandemic about healing. This version was filmed and recorded live on the banks of the Spree River in Berlin by Thomas from Night LIVE Sessions.