Climbing the Multiplication Tables

I got the following request via
email:

Can you send me a short clip sample of
the actual CD, perhaps the mountain
climbing one?

--V

The mountain climbing CD that she refers
to is called Climbing the Multiplication
Tables. Of course, it is not about mountain
climbing at all. Rather, it climbs the
multiplication tables from bottom to top.

Here's Climbing the Multiplication Tables:

Climbing the Multiplication Tables

I sent her a random clip, track 33. Here's
how she replied:

Yes the audio worked, but not quite what
I'm looking for. Same idea but a little
faster.

--V

I can't blame her for wanting it to go
faster. We live in a very zippy culture.
Everything moves along quickly.

Television and radio and the Internet are
all very fast paced. It seems like there
is barely enough time to slow down for anything
anymore.

Here's how I replied to the above email:

Thanks.  I really appreciate the feedback!
I'm sure there are many people who feel the
way you do.

My CDs are slow paced for a reason.  They are
designed to be played in the background while
you do other things.

However, I understand that picking up the pace
a bit would make them more entertaining.  However,
there are many products out there (singing
multiplication tables, for example) that are
designed to be entertaining.

I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to
do a CD that blended in the background rather
than was entertaining.

In fact, there are many who use my CDs to go to
sleep by.

Thanks again.  Honest feeback is very very helpful!

Kind regards,

Ed Abbott

I know that I'm bucking the trend. In the world
today, the tendency is for people to move faster
and faster and faster.

I've chosen to make my learning CDs contemplative
rather than exciting. I choose to sooth rather
than to stimulate. I choose to educate rather
than entertain.

While the short term effect of that decision may
mean less CD sales, the long term effects are what
I'm looking for. In the end I want people who listen
to my CDs to know their multiplication tables by
heart.

Ed Abbott

Spelling Words on Audio CD

I got a phone call from a man in Miami,
Florida. He told me he was interested
in my spelling CDs. I offer spelling
words on auido CD here:

Spelling Words Guy

The man said he was originally from Haiti
but he had gone to high school in New Jersey.
He graduated from high school barely knowing
how to read.

After high school, he made himself proficient
in reading by reading many many books. He
became an avid reader.

In spite of all the reading he has done, he
spells words poorly. He told me that he
could not spell even the simplest of words.

After I hung up the phone, I sent him the
7 spelling CDs given in the link above. He
has been listening to these CDs in his car
ever since.

He called me the other day after listening
to these 7 CDs for 6 months. He wants the
8th CD. Where is the 8th CD?

I had to admit that I've been busy and have
not made the CD yet. I just haven't been
able to get to it.

His phone call was very inspiriational to
me. I realize that there is a real need
for these CDS.

The man likes the CDs because of the pauses.
My voice pauses long enough to allow the
listener to spell the word before I do.

We've talked on the phone several times. He
told me in a previous conversation that
if he does not spell the word correctly
the first time he listens to the CD, he
is likely to spell it correctly the next
time he listens to it.

I, myself, love using audio CDs to learn.
That's why I make audio CDs. I love them
myself.

Ed Abbott