We recently connected with Carole Ann, Mark Miller, Killmer and have shared our conversation below.
Carole Ann, Mark, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project that we have worked on is our podcast, “The House of Branching Paths.” Carole Ann and Mark had spent a number of years working on other people’s projects and fulfilling other people’s visions, and to have a chance to bring their own vision to fruition and bring it to the public has been a wonderful and transformative experience.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Carole Ann Miller is an actor, educator, business owner, and social media coordinator in the St. Louis area. She earned her BFA with an emphasis in Acting from the Southeast Mo State University, and is currently working on her MFA with an emphasis in Theatre Pedagogy. Mark Killmer is an actor, audio technician, and business owner in the St. Louis area. He has performed as a voice actor as well as on stage and at several local festivals. Carole Ann and Mark met while both performing at a local festival where they shared their mutual love of storytelling.
The House of Branching Paths creates immersive audio experiences that seek to breathe new life into classic stories. Our episodes each take place in a room within the titular magical house where a group of eclectic storytellers have gathered around the fire to share these tales with our listeners. Throughout each season, the listener will learn more about each storyteller’s unique personality through the various goings on in the house. With soundscapes, foley work, original music, local voice actors and binaural audio we immerse the listener in the world of the story as well as The House of Branching Paths itself. We are most proud of the skilled and dedicated team that we have built and the connections that we have begun to build with our listeners. The House of Branching Paths is dedicated to both honoring the rich history of storytelling and creating a new way for people around the world to experience these stories. Not only do we adapt literature our audiences that they are familiar with, but we introduce new and lesser known stories to drive increased interest in literature, the library, and storytelling from all backgrounds and cultures.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
To best support rising creatives, we think that society needs to be aware of the negative impact AI has on artists, actors, musicians, and writers. People need to remember that art is created by humans. Individuals need to be cognizant that while AI can be a fun toy or even a useful tool at times, its capabilities have come from predatory practices toward creatives. It is important now more than ever to attribute the creation of art in all forms to the humans that pour their lives into it.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist to us is knowing that the art we are creating is making an impact on people’s lives, and that audiences are finding meaning in it. Being able to see people’s faces light up at a story title we perform is the best feeling, and seeing audiences get excited about the library and reading will always be impactful. Giving back, even in a small way, to our local libraries is also very important to us.
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Mark Killmer, Carole Ann Miller