Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1545886
| OHCC LIVING | AUGUST 2026 | 11 AV Committee - Speak UP! Have you ever been that audience member who leans over and whispers, "What did they just say?" Or maybe you have been the speaker, singer, or actor whose biggest hurdle isn't stage fright but microphone shyness. Let's face it: your voice is your art (or message) and you want to be heard. A microphone does not change your voice; it merely makes every detail of it bigger. Think of it as an extension of your body. If you stand or sit with good posture and project from your diaphragm, the microphone will convey your clarity and self confidence. If, on the other hand, you mumble or speak softly, the microphone will amplify those characteristics and the audience will have trouble hearing or understanding you. In olden days, when microphones were less sophisticated, common advice was to "eat the mic," meaning to place it very close to or touching your mouth. Those days are gone. With modern mics such a technique will produce harsh plosive sounds: BOOM! POP! BBBbb! PPPpp! A better technique is to keep the mic about four fingers from your mouth and angled down no more than 45 degrees from horizontal. Frank Sinatra was a virtuoso of mic placement (as well as crooning). Microphones are directional. If you turn your head to look at a screen or another performer, move the microphone with you. Otherwise you will be "off mic." A final tip: If you think your voice doesn't need amplification you are probably wrong. Trusting the microphone is your ultimate performance superpower. Relax and let it work for you! Written by AV Audio Chief Kevin Sorensen and Kathy Whitten Mulch Is Our Friend Master Gardeners use mulch to reduce weeds and retain moisture in gardens. As the mulch breaks down, it forms a rich and loamy top soil, weeds pull out easily, and new plants get off to a new start because the mulch keeps the top soil moist, thereby saving you from a higher water bill. Mulch is also a great way to prevent weeds and reduce the need for pesticides that may disrupt our beneficial insects, and stress out the plants. It is used on all the drought-tolerant slope plantings along Leisure Village Way. Various types of mulching materials are available at garden supply stores. Oceanside residents are fortunate to have access to an additional resource from the El Corazon Composting Facility. Due to Oceanside's "Zero Waste Program," material from our green garden recycling totes is treated and recycled into mulch and/or compost and is available for free to verified residents. There is a small charge for specialized mulches. The El Corazon Composting facility is located at 3210 Oceanside Blvd. //www.agriserviceinc.com, phone (760) 439-9920. Residents must bring their own shovel and container to bag what they have chosen. Also available for free from the Moody's Corazon Facility, are various hardscape items such as rocks, decomposed granite, bricks, pavers, and various other items dropped off by contractors as un-needed: Moody's Recycling: http: //www. moodyselcorazonrecycling.com/ Landscape Committee AV audio volunteers Janice Hart and Scott McKay positioning microphones