Brian Richardson on Reclaiming His Voice (Full Transcript)

[00:00:14] Speaker 1: I Want to wear a short sleeve button up today you got it how button do you want it? Can you button up my shirt halfway, please all right sounds good anything else I would like to wear my gold chain.

[00:00:33] Speaker 2: Yeah, you got it, buddy. Brian.

[00:00:39] Speaker 1: My name is Brian Richardson and I am 24 years old. I'm an AVM brain injury survivor. Although I have always enjoyed fashion, I have gained a greater appreciation for it after my injury. It has been a great way for me to have fun and say a little about myself without saying anything at all. There you go, V. I enjoy making beats because it's creative and not only a good way to express emotion, but to invoke emotion. I made the music we're listening to now. Before Eleven Labs, I used Grid 3's programmable voices, which sounded like this.

[00:01:20] Speaker 3: This is the voice I had for four years after my injury, until Eleven Labs.

[00:01:26] Speaker 1: which got the job done, but isn't nearly as personable as being able to use my own voice. I would like a deluxe boy with all the toppings and extra sauce.

[00:01:41] Speaker 4: Okay, one deluxe with all the toppings and extra sauce. Thank you kindly.

[00:01:47] Speaker 1: On a sunny day, there's nothing better than some root beer, a burger, and some great company. I really enjoy the local businesses down the street from where I live because of their proximity and accommodations they provide for me Being able to order what I want off my computer offers me control and the opportunity to connect with the community The first time I heard my voice post-injury was when my amazing speech therapist Trinity came over I was ecstatic once she played my voice Everyone in the room was in awe I distinctly remember my mom, who hadn't heard my voice since my injury cry of happiness.

[00:02:28] Speaker 2: I hadn't heard his voice for over four and a half years. The last thing I heard was, Mom, come get me. I have a headache. And this was nice to hear this. Good to have this, so yeah. And then when I, we all jumped up for joy when we actually heard it all. Everybody was just so ecstatic. All of his friends there, everybody just loved to hear O'Brien's voice again, so it was awesome.

[00:02:53] Speaker 1: Although many things have changed after my injury, my friends and our humor together have not. It has been a great way for me to continue to bond with them by being able to make them laugh through my communication device. Once I received my communication device post-injury, we were pretty quick to get the poker up and running. Long before my injury, my friends and I always used to trash talk one another. I feel like it is a way for us to say, I love you, or I care about you. Even though, more often than not, it sounds like the complete opposite. For some reason, you think you can come into my house and disrespect me like this.

[00:03:38] Speaker 2: Called out.

[00:03:39] Speaker 1: It's been about a year with 11 labs now on my computer. The thing that brings me the most joy is my support system. They know how to take a joke and how to dish one back. They have been there for me since day one.

[00:03:55] Speaker 5: Check it out to see if they're liking your music. Yeah, he totally is.