Greetings

I seem unable to break the habit of sending out personal emails, regardless of whether I know someone or not. To be sure, a mass email would save a lot of time but I feel some endeavors require a bit more of a personal touch. So, a compromise to say that a little of this will still be form, but the hello, not so.

Personal.

I’m writing to you with the news that I’ve launched a low-budget audiodrama network in Toronto. I was going to do this in January 2025 but circumstances necessitate a little more urgency. You see I have a brother dying of Stage 4 Liver Cirrhosis who will be saved by a living liver donation. He’s running out of time & we can’t afford to wait. In order to reach as many people as possible in the search for the right match, releasing the art into the world seemed a little more urgent. You never know who you’ll find in doing so - art, does indeed save (& if a voice is strong & true, it’ll find it’s place in the right sort of way)

I grew up on radio dramas from the CBC. When I was a kid I wrote to Dave Carley (who was running the department at the time) about how much I appreciated the work & he kindly invited me in to the studios to experience a little bit of the magic made. But then you live life, settle more into the practical, the dream kind of fades & there’s that pesky urge to live now that comes with encountering death (first my own, then my brother) Going for it seemed an appropriate response.

I always wanted to be part of running a network using more traditional methods of production. Live noisemakers are a much more fascinating approach, though I appreciate the effort in engineering it takes to make this kind of art happen.

I was also a canvasser in Toronto for many years. Walked down every street several times over from day to night in all seasons & bloodied many a knuckle knocking on every door, sometimes to find heartbreak, sometimes joy - always a story. So I kept a journal of what was encountered & felt & let it sit on the shelves gathering dust for many years (some things you just have to let sit for awhile & see if it still sings many years later)

It was the spark for what you’ll hear/read now (& I say read as I think it’s important for people to become familiar with a voice & to start, I think seeing will help with the feeling)

Right now we have four series (two have began, two are about to) Roncesvalles 2013 & Toronto Eulogies are online in raw form. Just me & my own voice. The eulogies are self-contained, the narratives for Roncesvalles 2013 are samples of what’s ahead - a sort of preview.

A historical drama set in Rexdale (Yes, historical, in Rexdale) will be forthcoming & we’ll be doing a live presentation/broadcast either around Christmas or in the new year, depending on when we secure the venue & I find the players.

Once we get our feet wet in producing audiodrama in front of a crowd (noisemakers in hand & underfoot) I hope we can be using modern methods to livestream while still maintaining & employing traditional production techniques.

So, if you feel compelled to listen - if this email has at least convinced you to tune in, the links are here:

I’m grateful for the time taken to read this & as I hope to hear from you soon, I hope you choose to hear me in the now.

Cheers,

rahim

Greetings

I seem unable to break the habit of sending out personal emails, regardless of whether I know someone or not. To be sure, a mass email would save a lot of time but I feel some endeavors require a bit more of a personal touch. So, a compromise to say that a little of this will still be form, but the hello, not so.

Personal.

I’m writing to you with the news that I’ve launched a low-budget audiodrama network in Toronto. I was going to do this in January 2025 but circumstances necessitate a little more urgency. You see I have a brother dying of Stage 4 Liver Cirrhosis who will be saved by a living liver donation. He’s running out of time & we can’t afford to wait. In order to reach as many people as possible in the search for the right match, releasing the art into the world seemed a little more urgent. You never know who you’ll find in doing so - art, does indeed save (& if a voice is strong & true, it’ll find it’s place in the right sort of way)

Part of this outreach is a fundraiser for my brother, but more, his circumstance has made me understand we can do so much good not just for him, but for so many others.

So we’ll be running a nationwide campaign to sign up 500 living kidney & liver donors. Why save only one life when in outreach I was going to do anyways to find him a living liver donor, can save many lives? I’m hoping that if people like what we’re doing with art, they take a moment to consider being a living donor as well.

Right now we have four series (two have began, two are about to) Roncesvalles 2013 & Toronto Eulogies are online in raw form. Just me & my own voice. The eulogies are self-contained, the narratives for Roncesvalles 2013 are samples of what’s ahead - a sort of preview.

A historical drama set in Rexdale will be released next week & we’ll be doing a live presentation/broadcast either around Christmas or in the new year, depending on when we secure the venue & I find the players.

Once we get our feet wet in producing audiodrama in front of a crowd (noisemakers in hand & underfoot) I hope we can be using modern methods to livestream while still maintaining & employing traditional production techniques for classic radio drama

So, if you feel compelled to listen - if this email has at least convinced you to tune in, the links are here:

I’m grateful for the time taken to read this & as I hope to hear from you soon, I hope you choose to hear me in the now.

Cheers,

rahim