I N D I A N A S TAT E M U S E U M A N D H I S T O R I C S I T E S
CROSSROADS EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2022
GIVING VOICE TO
By Marc Allan No audio recordings of Marshall “Major” Taylor are known to exist, so no one can be sure what he sounded like. Karen Brown Donovan, his greatgranddaughter, has a hunch, though. And when she heard Indianapolis voice actor Dominique Shelby speak, she knew Shelby should be the one to portray her greatgrandfather, the world champion cyclist, in the museum’s new exhibit “Major Taylor: Fastest Cyclist in the World.” “Dominique Shelby’s way of ending his sentences reminded me a great deal of the way my father spoke,” Donovan told museum staffers who have created the exhibit, which runs from March 5 to Oct. 23. “I also think he was very convincing as a proud young father who missed his daughter.” Shelby will be heard reading excerpts from letters and postcards Taylor sent to family during his European comeback tour in 1909. “It doesn’t get to a point where he’s spilling his heart out in the excerpts they gave me, but there is a lot of sentiment,” he said. Shelby recorded his part at the museum in mid-February. Beforehand, he worked with a voice coach, Milicent Wright,
who instructed him to “take the words off the page and lift them up so the patrons stop and go, ‘Ooh, what is this?’ And afterwards, they’re able to tell you something they learned from the letter.” “You’re capturing the true sentiment – emotions – of the letter,” she told him. “Of the man. Of the time. Of his situation. That’s it! Bravo.” Shelby received some training and advice, too, from his wife, Latrice Young, who has been a voice actor for years, working on audiobooks and other projects. Sometimes, when her projects call for a male voice, she has enlisted Shelby’s help. “I’ve been complimented on my voice before,” he said, “but it was nothing I thought to put on the microphone.” When Young saw a notice on Facebook that the museum was looking for someone with “a resonant, professional tone,” she suggested that he audition. “I’ve seen her do voice acting for so long and saw how powerful it was and how it brings stories to life,” he said. “So I kept that possibility in my head.” Major Taylor is the first solo project for Shelby, who just left his job as a UPS supervisor to nurture his artistic side. He went into the job knowing a little about Major Taylor – mostly stories his mom would tell when they’d drive past the Major Taylor Velodrome at Marian University when he was young. When he was hired to be the voice of Major Taylor “that’s when I learned a lot.
Like one time he won a race and one of the people he beat choked him out on the track. That specific occurrence lit the fire under me to understand just how important a figure he was and just what it meant to be successful in a hostile environment or at a time when you’re not widely accepted.”
Shelby said he’s honored to be Major Taylor’s voice – and to have the endorsement from Taylor’s greatgranddaughter. “It’s hard to explain how that made me feel,” he said, “but it’s kind of like when you get a compliment out of nowhere that really hits home. It just put that warm feeling inside of me. Because you never know how you’ll touch somebody. I’m just glad I could make that much of an impact and lend my voice to a project like this and do the story justice.”
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: KEVIN TODD Kevin Todd is the audio/visual – or AV – technician at the Indiana State Museum. He began working for the museum system in October 2013. Kevin’s duties include maintaining all the audio and visual equipment in the galleries and event spaces, as well as assisting with the design and installation of new AV interactives in new experiences. He lives in Broad Ripple with his wife, Angela, and son, Max (age 1). IF YOU COULD SNAP YOUR FINGERS AND BECOME AN EXPERT IN SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? An expert linguist. It would be amazing to be able to communicate fluently with all humans. Unless I can become an expert at quickly becoming an expert at anything, then I choose that. Infinite wishes! WHAT IS ONE THING YOU'VE DONE, BUT WILL NEVER DO AGAIN? Get married, hopefully. WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE YOU WERE EVER GIVEN? Always wear clean underwear. (My father was an EMT and saw lots of gross stuff.) WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SHOW TO BINGE-WATCH RIGHT NOW? Ted Lasso. His relentless optimism is just something that the world needs right now.
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? I feel like I should say graduating college or having an amazing little boy or something grownup like that, but I once made a game-winning shot in the county tournament consolation game for my high school JV basketball team. So yeah, obviously that. WHAT'S YOUR SECRET TALENT THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT? Not many people know that I’m a halfway decent musician, but even fewer know that I’m also a pretty good pilot. I’ve only ever flown in an online flight simulator, but I’m 100% positive that my skills would translate to the real world.
MARCH ANNIVERSARIES
MIKE LINDERMAN Angel Mounds
CHARLIE SHOCK Visitor Services
26 years 22 years
LEIGH-ANNE RICE-WEDDLE Experiences 19 years BETH BREYMIER Facility Rentals
JON MAYS Vincennes
10 years 7 years
AUSTIN BARTISH Whitewater Canal
STEPHANIE KAZMIERZAK Education
1 year 1 year
SECURITY UPDATE Unattended Bags Or Suspicious Items? You’ve noticed a bag that appears to have been left behind. It’s easy to continue on your way and not worry about it or think the owner is just steps away, but unattended bags or suspicious items should always be reported to Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites security. Follow the safety steps below before reporting: • Survey the environment to determine if the bag/item appears to be hidden or make note of anything that appears obviously suspicious like visible wires,
•
• •
unusual packaging, peculiar smells or sounds coming from the bag or item. DO NOT TAKE PICTURES as an electronic device may disturb the contents. You should physically report to ISMHS security control office and provide as much information about the item as you can. Don’t use an electronic device (phone or radio) to report findings near the item. Do not attempt to look inside or move the bag or item.
See Something, Say Something If you see anything or any circumstance that you deem suspicious, please call the security office at 317.234.2455 for the Indiana State Museum, or local authorities at the state historic sites. It’s never bothersome to contact security, and it’s always best to report anything you feel is out of the ordinary. Always remember, if you see something, say something.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO SAVE Security Non-Emergency 317.234.2454 | Security Emergency 317.234.2455 | After-Hours Security Mobile 317.509.5396
This year, 5,600 visitors joined in the three days of fun during GeoFest at the museum. Visitors browsed and purchased gems, minerals, fossils and other items from more than 20 vendors and organizations, and learned about Indiana geology throughout the museum.
SHARE YOUR STORY IDEAS! Renee Bruck, manager of communication | 317.260.3506 | rbruck@indianamuseum.org