In today's episode we hear from Karen Jacobsen, who is also known as the voice of Siri, speak with DJ Brad Flamingo about his upcoming Friday Session show and get an update on fun activities at the Library.
Local news highlights include construction starting at the new Grillex Facility, the upgrade at the Gin Gin Recreational Reserve, and the Volleyball Bundaberg tour event at Elliott Heads this weekend.
In today's episode we hear from Karen Jacobsen, who is also known as the voice of Siri, speak with DJ Brad Flamingo about his upcoming Friday Session show and get an update on fun activities at the Library.
Local news highlights include construction starting at the new Grillex Facility, the upgrade at the Gin Gin Recreational Reserve, and the Volleyball Bundaberg tour event at Elliott Heads this weekend.
Hello and welcome to the Bundaberg Now Podcast brought to you by the Bundaberg Regional Council. This podcast is all about showcasing news events and people in our beautiful region. I'm your host Adele More and today on the show I'll speak with Karen Jacobson, who's a voice you may hear on a daily basis without realising it. DJ Brad Flamingo about Friday sessions at the Bundaberg Regional Art Galleries, and we'll get an update from the library. But first here's a quick news recap from this week's top stories. Construction is sizzling at the new $3 million Grillex facility which will support around 30 jobs in the region. Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Stephen Miles visited the site and said the project was made possible through the Queensland government's $175 million jobs and regional growth fund.
Karen:The Government's proud to be supporting Grillex with this new facility and expansion. I know Bundy locals are proud of what they produce and what they send to other parts of the state and around the country. And in this case, it's barbecues and swings and park equipment and shade cells enjoyed by children and families right across the country and there'll be more of it thanks to this fantastic new facility.
Adele More:Work is set to begin at the Gin Gin Recreational Reserve on Monday with a new toilet block, carpark, skatepark viewing area and pathway part of the planned works. Around 100 beach volleyball players will take to the sand at the Bundaberg major Tour event at Elliott heads this weekend. Play gets underway at 8am on Saturday with semi finals on Sunday at nine and the finals around midday. And that's the weekly news wrap. So I'm speaking with Karen Jacobson, who is also known as the GPS girl, and whose voice you may recognise as Siri used in over a billion devices worldwide giving people directions and advice. Welcome to the Bundaberg Now podcast, Karen, and thanks for joining us. Can we start by giving our listeners a bit of a background on who you are and what you're doing?
Karen:Ha, goodness, Mackay born singer and songwriter and a voiceover artist who has unexpectedly had her speaking voice end up in over a billion devices around the world. And as a little girl growing up in Mackay in North Queensland, I In my show, you know, I share my story. And it's part had a dream to become a professional singer and moved to concert part motivational but I tell the story of my life and America. When I first arrived in New York, I was performing my experiences from a sitting at the grand piano and I share songs, and then original singer songwriter, and touring and songs I've written from the age of seven, all the way to the present day. So there are some songs in there that I still have writing songs with amazing writers and colleagues. And to just take a deep breath and shave because The younger me along the way, I got an audition. And the client was would have been so incredibly embarrassed to share, to share looking for a native Australian female voiceover artist living those little childhood DVDs. But as I was writing the show, I in the northeast of the United States, which was very specific. just felt like if I had the courage to share those early And I went to the audition, and I got the job on the spot. And songs and the seeds from which my ultimately my international who could possibly have imagined where that voice system would go career grew from that perhap that could really provid that that I recorded for that particular job. What I'm doing something for for somebod listening or watching now is you know, I have an empowerment brand called the GPS girl because somewhere along the line, I made this connection between directions in the car, and directions in life in business. And I have used the word recalculating as a powerful principle for people to use in their lives. when things aren't going the way they thought they were going to go. And to my mind, the entire world happens to be recalculating the lives or aspects of them right now. And what happened is, I really wanted to share some of what had really worked for me, and I have a long love of personal and professional development. And I'm melded that with the fact that my voice had been this navigating voice.
Adele More:So you've got two shows coming up here in Bundaberg at the Moncrieff first one on the 26th it's called Mackay to Manhattan. Can you give our listeners a bit of a rundown on what they can expect if they come along to the show. And then you've also got an intimate afternoon, scheduled for the 27th of February, which is a smaller show. Can you explain a bit about the difference there that people might experience?
Karen:Absolutely. So Mackay to Manhattan on a Friday evening is 90 minutes of music and stories and songs and, and it's a show, it's a 90 minute show. And on the Saturday afternoon, I'm so delighted to be able to share in that format as well because it is going to be much more up close and personal. And more casual.
Adele More:What does it feel like to be coming back to Queensland and to some regional locations to spread your message here?
Karen:I was a very creative child writing songs from the age of seven, not looking around and not seeing one single professional musician in the town I was growing up in and I felt so different to everybody else. I felt like nobody got me and that I really felt like maybe I was born in the wrong place all together. And I felt trapped. You know, because I had this very clear vision creatively about what I wanted to go out and and experience and accomplish in the world. And I went out into the world and have had so many experiences that have, I'm just trying to even share with you but to come back to this region with that perspective and to now see what a blessed upbringing I've really got to have. I mean, this is Queensland is the jewel of the world. I mean, truly, Bundabergians you may not realise or think or even fully, you know, be able to take in but Gosh, we just hit the where you live in the world jackpot.
Adele More:Awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to have a chat with me today and tickets are on sale for Karen's show at the Moncrief Makati Manhattan on February 26, and an intimate afternoon on Saturday the 27th of February.
Karen:Oh come and join me where we will reach our destination.
Adele More:Thanks so much, Karen. The Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery is kicking off Friday sessions next week catering for workers looking for Friday evening entertainment to start their weekend. The first Friday session is called grooving the full moon and will feature DJ Brad Flamingo. Brad, can you tell us what will people be able to see at your show? And what can they expect if they come along?
Brad Marcellos:Because I have my little DJ mixing booth set up with my little icons, my little symbols which are funny little things I put on my mixing desk, and a bit of a colourful character myself. You know, people know me from around Bundy riding my trike, and my, my colourful way. I think it's a little bit visual, but it's mainly about seeing the art, you know, because we're in an art. And that's gonna be really cool as well. And so yeah, I just sort of set the mood with as far as that's concerned, and try to speed him with the vibe of the art gallery as well.
Adele More:Great. So, yeah, that leads me to my next question about the mixing of your interest. You're a bit of a photographer, artist yourself. How does it feel to be bringing that to the gallery?
Brad Marcellos:Yeah, well, on the back regional Art Gallery is such an important place for the whole community. It's like our soul, isn't it? You know, that, that that the last base, it's where creative people can feel at home. You know, it's somewhere we can feed our mind and it's stored there. What about history? My accident exhibition I had there in 2014 was related to recovery from the floods a photo exhibition I had as well, they are Yeah, it's really important space for the whole community. So it's real honour to be out you know, get in there and and play some beats. Because we want to encourage people to use that space and get in there and feel like it is part of their, their living room. So be able to crack a beer and then taking some amazing art in there is just so cool. It's really good that they're doing this up like schedule because it's something that's worked really well around a lot of art spaces, you know, Brisbane has been doing and of course, all around Melbourne and places like that. And then meribah ghatak is off base. I had a really successful applied programme once a month that you know, they get together and have bands and things playing. So, you know, I think it's something that everyone I'm really excited about just using the space in a different way than just sort of feeling it's a very formal opening. It's where some people can just chill out and talk about art and have a beer and listen to beats.
Adele More:Great and what do you think it's gonna do for the nightlife scene here in Bundaberg? Do you think it's going to add something?
Brad Marcellos:Sort of that Friday knockoff is sort of time five to seven. And then people can click on if they want. I think you know, we all are aware that the Bundaberg CBD needs things happening in it to keep that because a beautiful CBD you know, but so music and light and entertainment is a way of bringing life into into the CBD. So things like markets and just having music playing wherever you can, is a real way of engaging with other people and having that European style sort of vibe going on as well because we've got the climate for it so beautiful here and so warm. And you can walk around and whatnot. So yeah, be great. And oh gosh, there's so many younger people that have moved here recently as well. I think there's definitely change in the air as far as people leaving the cities and, and finding out about how good places like Bundaberg are.
Adele More:Awesome. Thank you so much for that Brad. For everyone listening, head down to the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, Friday the 26th at 5pm for a drink with friends and kickstart your weekend by immersing yourself in award winning artworks and great beats from DJ Brad. Here's an update from the team at the Bundaberg Regional Libraries.
Stephen Harris:Hello, it's Stephen Harris here Information Services Librarian and I'm here with jala Beauchamp, the Youth Services Librarian. And we're going to have a little bit of a chat about our board game of club. So jala can you get the ball rolling? And tell us about it?
Jaala Beauchamp:The board game club is something that I'm personally passionate about because I love the communication that you can do within board games, the strategy, the creativity, all that fun stuff. So it is a club designed for those ages eight and above. And it's run on a couple of Tuesday afternoons this term. So just to get that that ball rolling. Um, Steven, I see you I have a few of the different games in front of me what one really takes your eyes at the moment?
Stephen Harris:I am indeed, the the game that's really you know, caught my eye is bears versus babies. So essentially, it's the box itself that's sort of attracted me to it. It's got bear fur on it. It's completely covered in bear fur, and it just looks like a super interesting game. Could you tell us a little bit about about the games that we have?
Jaala Beauchamp:Yes. So start with bears versus babies. That's, that's a game that's where it's a little bit of fun. It's it's a lot of fun, actually, where you build up a bear army or an army of different creatures to diverse these baby armies in reverse. So you provoke them and see if you can win over them. So it's a bit of fun battle, to battle to provoke. We also have things like a zoo, which is is a beautiful tile game where you create almost like tapestries. It's really, really a good one for all ages, and all genders. We have lutes, which is a fun pirate game. And we have zombicide, which is a game that is more designed for those older crowd. So teenagers are very welcome in this club. We do have some games that are particularly suited to them. But we also have some games for those younger ones, the eight, eight to 12th grade stu
Stephen Harris:Zombies are lways popular. So can you tell us when this programme wi l be running?
Jaala Beauchamp:Absolutely. So bookings are open now. Our first one kicks off on Tuesday, the second of March from 3.30 to 4.4. It is at the Bundaberg libra y branch, followed by Tuesday, t e 16th of March and Tuesday, t e 30th of March, all of those a e from 3.30 to 4.45 because the library does close at ive o'clock. But those games do ake a little bit of time and li tle bit of fun. So I c n't personally can't wait to see some of the different strate ies that people bring to it. And it's just a whole lot of fu to meet like minded peo
Stephen Harris:Absolutely. Awesomely awesome. So I'm gonna say goodbye from me.
Jaala Beauchamp:Goodbye from me as well. More information, check out our Facebook page, our library Facebook page, or the Bundy Whatson. Until next time
Stephen Harris:Ciao.
Jaala Beauchamp:Bye.
Adele More:Thanks for that great update on the libraries. Sounds like they've got a lot going on over there. That's all for today. I hope you've enjoyed this week's podcast. Join me again next week for more news and stories from across the region. Bye for now.