Santa Fe, NM – November 2014… International storydancer Zuleikha Bethami—known professionally as Zuleikha—inspires dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through movement. As a performer, she has been described by the Edinburgh Guide (the authority on arts and culture of Edinburgh, Scotland) as ‘a singular figure on the horizon of sacred theater and dance.’ Zuleikha’s performances encompass the telling of ‘teaching stories’ while accompanied by live world musicians. The ability to communicate with her audience while dancing to live music requires a microphone that keeps pace with the creative flow—without inhibiting any aspect of the performance. For this, she relies upon the proven capabilities of the E6i Earset Microphone from Menlo Park, CA-based Countryman Associates.
Zuleikha’s performances take place in a wide range of venues, including theaters, schools, auditoriums, conference rooms, and other gathering places. In addition to her dance performances, she also conducts a core wellness program called TAKE A MINUTE™ for young people and adults in group settings. For all of this, the ability to communicate effectively with her audience is critical.
“My use of the Countryman E6i has made performing a lot more fun,” Zuleikha reports. “Since I don’t have to try to make my voice ‘louder,’ I can concentrate on the quality of dance and movement, as well as working with the rhythm of my ankle bells. The combination of speech and movement is now a joyful, seamless experience. I’ve been using the Countryman E6i for about four years and I find it makes my presentations more effortless. I use the mic with a Shure wireless microphone system and, together, they make a great setup.”
When queried about those E6i attributes that make the microphone so well suited to her work, Zuleikha described both the microphone’s audio characteristics and its fit. “I love the fact that my Countryman mic is so easy to work with. I never experience any difficulty getting enough level for the audience to hear clearly. Speech intelligibility with this microphone is clear and very natural sounding.”
“I also love the way the microphone fits,” she continued. “The E6i has a very flexible boom that can be bent and reshaped repeatedly—making it very easy to position the mic’s capsule exactly as you want. The E6i is both comfortable and it stays securely in place. This is very important because the last thing any performer needs is a distraction. With the E6i, I can forget about the sound reinforcement aspects of my work and focus on the creative. This microphone enhances the performance without ever requiring me to focus on the technical aspects of operating it.”
For any performer, knowing that one’s equipment is backed by quality customer and technical support services is crucial. Here too, Zuleikha is very complimentary of Countryman Associates. “Rosa Pimentel, the company’s General Manager, is a joy to work with,” she says. “The help that Rosa gave me enabled me to learn how to properly position the microphone in order to ensure a secure and comfortable fit. Recently, when I took delivery of a new earpiece and different neck gear, she took the time to help me get really comfortable using them. It’s wonderful to be able to move and work with others without having to strain my voice to be heard. I appreciate the kind technical support provided by Countryman. It seems this is a company that enjoys working with its customers. The Countryman staff actually takes the time to speak with us! In these times of automated customer support, this is a very welcome change!”
Before turning her attention to some upcoming projects, Zuleikha offered these parting thoughts, “I performed recently in my new setup and I couldn’t be happier. It was such a relief to be able to concentrate on my communication with the wonderful musicians as well as my rapport with the audience, without having to worry if anyone could hear me or if the earpiece would shift as I moved!”
To learn more about Zuleikha, visit her website at www.STORYDANCER.COM.
About Countryman Associates
For more than 30 years, Countryman has focused on developing microphones and accessories that deliver maximum gain before feedback, with the highest possible rejection of wind, vibration, interference, and other unwanted sounds. The result is warm, clear vocals in speaking and singing applications, delivering natural audio reinforcement that requires almost no attention from the sound engineer or the performer. For additional information about Countryman Associates, visit the company online at www.countryman.com.
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