One of the joys of being a father, for me at least, is sharing with my daughter the films and TV that I loved as a kid.

I will admit, though, that this can be a demoralizing endeavor. She's yawned and grown fidgety during most of what I consider peak culture,

but some movies do make an impression. So while we inexplicably didn't make it through the

Goonies, we did finish and relish labyrinth. But though I love these films, even I must admit that

they all haven't aged well. Somehow the movies of my childhood have gathered the tarnished patina of the old black and white

Hollywood features that bored me when I was young. And it's not just because they might be too

adult or too of their time. It's because the characters, their voices, their mannerisms, feel more

than just old-fashioned. They feel foreign. People don't talk like that today. They don't look like that. They don't

act like that. They're not real. Of course, they were real. They just don't seem like it today.

So on today's Saturday matinee, we're investigating this phenomenon with an episode from the

podcast, Curiosity Meets the Past, which explores what human voice can reveal about history, identity,

and expression across time. I hope you enjoy. While you're listening, be sure to search for

and follow Curiosity about the past.

I'm Dr. Smitty Nathan, and I'm an archaeologist and your host.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Christine Adam, a voice, accent, and communication coach.

I first connected with Christine when I was looking for someone to help me better own my voice across different speaking contexts.

What stood out to me was how she approaches voice, not just as a sound we make, but an embodiment of our

lived experiences, including our histories. Christine has spent years training actors in both the

U.S. and the U.K. She's worked with performers to convincingly take on the physicality,

cadence, and accent of people from different time periods,

and she's going to share a bit of what goes into that type of preparation.

But her insights go far beyond the stage.

...