I Am Hear
I AM HEAR IS ME.
It’s saying I’m Here.
Hear me. I belong. I am welcome. I’m not going anywhere.
I AM HEAR IS YOU.
It’s saying You’re Here.
You deserve to be heard. You are welcome.
You belong. And please don’t go anywhere. You are wanted.
Join the conversation
About
I Am Hear is a podcast that features interviews with people active in the RPG community around the world. The people featured are podcasters, artists, musicians, game designers, crafters, and other RPG enthusiasts. I Am Hear is a platform where women, non-binary people, people of colour, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community tell their stories and talk about what inspires them to play/create/listen/run RPGs, why representation in tabletop gaming matters, and what they want to see in the various RPG communities.
Hello!
I’m your host, Tess!
Here's some cool things about me:
I love the Oxford Comma.
Janelle Monáe, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Muse, and BB King are all my jams.
I adore rain, thunderstorms, and petrichor.
If you love Steven Universe and Studio Ghibli, we can probably relate.
I have a husband and a son who are both the best (I'm biased).
While I adore RPGs and RPG Podcasts, I also love Audio Dramas!
The Seasons
SEASON ONE
Season One was the launch season, and has twenty episodes.
SEASON TWO
Season Two ended shortly after it began. It has seven episodes. For various reasons, it had to end earlier than planned. The show is currently in hiatus.
SEASON THREE
Season Three intends to begin in the Summer of 2019. Stay tuned!
So... Stay a while, and listen.
Episodes are released bi-weekly on Tuesdays (when not on hiatus).
credits
MUSIC
The intro and outro music was composed by Emily E. Meo. Emily is a sound designer and composer based in Austin, Texas.
DESIGN
The graphic art and assets for I Am Hear were created by Peter Grelli.
PRODUCTION
I Am Hear is a production of RPG Casts.
Patreon
PATRONS
A big and wonderful thank you to the following patrons. You help make I Am Hear and RPG Casts possible, and I so appreciate your help, support, love, and belief in these projects.
Thank you SO much to: Austin, John, Michael, Anthony, Kelly, Dice for Brains, Fandible, Roll Like A Girl, DC, Minna, The Hydian Way, Rhi, Adrian, Max, Flying Grizzly, Ryan, Waffles, Michelle, M.A.B., Long Live The Dungeon, Tavern Tales, The Broadswords, Alice, Zachary, and Laura.
If you’re unable to financially support, talking to your friends, spreading the word over social media, retweets, and iTunes reviews and ratings are also extremely appreciated! These are all things that help new listeners find us!
FUTURE PATREON GOALS
$55/MONTH: BREAKING EVEN - REACHED!
$55 per month will pay for web hosting, RSS hosting, and editing suite licensing fees for the I Am Hear podcast and for web hosting for the RPG Casts site. Basically, this means I'm breaking even and no longer losing money running both.
$100/MONTH: RECOUP COSTS + TRANSCRIPTS - REACHED!
$100 per month means a few really fantastic things. I'll be able to recoup the costs invested early on (unique music composition/production, graphic design, and giveaways). I will do an annual Question & Answer episode. Patrons will be able to submit questions and I'll record and answer as many as I can with a very special guest! Finally, getting up to $100 per month means that I can pay for transcription of all of my episodes to make I Am Hear more accessible.
$250/MONTH:
MIC/EQUIPMENT UPGRADES + SEARCH FUNCTION DEVELOPMENT
$250 per month means I'll be able to upgrade my equipment. Better quality sound! On top of this, I'll record a very special Patron Appreciation One-Shot episode of an RPG game once per year. I'll do a draw of all patrons and invite three of you to play! Additionally, I recognize that the search function on the RPG Casts site is not as optimal as it could be. If I hit $250/month, I could hire a web developer to create a custom search function for the site with the goal that individuals can search multi-categorically, or search for a tag specifically within a single category, or other specific search functions.
$500/MONTH: NEW CREATOR BURSARIES
$500 per month is a dream! I'll create an annual bursary for new creators to apply to for equipment/startup costs. Special consideration will be given to marginalized and under-represented folks. At $500/month, this means at the end of one year at this level there would be three $1000 bursaries for folks to apply for.
love for the show
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Tess is doing some really powerful stuff with this podcast. She’s tapping into some very real and necessary conversations about community in a way that is both accessible without being simplistic. While there’s always more to be said, I feel like the conversations are loose enough to allow a natural flow without going through too much of a telephone game with the subjects at hand, and I’m always left with some interesting insights to percolate on. I cannot wait to see what else she has up her sleeves for this project!
-Greyson, from Heroes Not Included and The Transgender Language Primer
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Tess is doing great work here! She and her guests are talking about important issues in the RPG podcasting community – things that affect the world as a whole – with grace and tact. This first week has me hooked, I already get a big smile on my face when I hear the opening music.
-Therin, from Roll Like A Girl, Interference, and Legends of Chel
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This show is amazing! Tess and her guests have unbelievable conversations about RPGs that somehow become an examination of human nature and society. This show works on so many levels. Even if you aren’t into RPGs, the conversations about gender identity, sexual orientation and how society views and treats those outside the perceived “norm” is a must listen! This show should be mandatory listening for every DnD and TTRPG group.
-DeWayne Feenstra, from Aero-Girl and Flight Risk
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This is a show that is specifically designed to give marginalized people a platform to talk about issues that affect them, especially in the world of tabletop RPGs. Tess speaks frankly with guests about their experiences and asks how we can improve accessibility to the community for everyone. The interviews are interesting, informative, and heartfelt. The audio quality is good. The tone is frank but hopeful. It is, simply put, a great show, and well worth your time to listen. You will, at the very least, come away having heard about the experiences and concerns of other members of the gaming community and have that much more insight into how you can be a part of positive change.
-Richard KL
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Tess is just such an amazing champion of the RPG community. Her enthusiasm is absolutely infectious, and I'm so glad she's now doing interviews! She has a great interviewing style that obviously keeps her guests at ease even as they sometimes discuss some heavier topics related to RPGs and the greater tabletop gaming community. An absolute must listen for anyone who wants to get to know new and important voices in RPGs!
-Angela Craft from Fandible
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I am so grateful to Tess and this show for talking to groups of people who bring entirely new perspectives to the forefront. She has great chemistry with all of her guests and each new episode teaches me something new!
-Apple Podcasts User somnium36
press kit
ABOUT I AM HEAR
I Am Hear is a podcast that features interviews with people active in the RPG community around the world. The people featured are podcasters, artists, musicians, game designers, crafters, and other RPG enthusiasts. I Am Hear is a platform where women, non-binary people, people of colour, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community tell their stories and talk about what inspires them to play/create/listen/run RPGs, why representation in tabletop gaming matters, and what they want to see in the various RPG communities.
QUICK FACTS
Launch date: May 1, 2018
Season one: 20 episodes
Season two: 7 episodes
15,000+ downloads since launch
DETAILS
Website: iamhearpodcast.com
Email: rpgcasts@gmail.com
Download / Subscribe: The show can be listened to directly from the RSS feed via the main website, from iamhear.simplecast.fm, as well as subscribed and listened to on most podcast platforms, such as iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, and any other podcast catcher you might use.
Release Schedule:
Season 1: Episodes released weekly on Tuesday at 4:00 a.m. (Canadian MST)
Season 2: Episodes released bi-weekly on Thursdays at 4:00 a.m. (Canadian MST)
Season 3: TBA
Twitter: @RPG_Casts
WHERE TO START
Wherever you want! Because it's an interview show, you don't have to listen from the start, you don't have to listen to every episode, and you don't have to listen in order. You can pick and choose which episode you want. Every episode is someone's story. And every story is worth listening to.
CAST & CREW
I Am Hear is created, produced, and edited by Tess Cocchio from RPG Casts. As the show is an interview-style show, the cast is rotating.
Each episode features a new guest.
CREATOR
I Am Hear was conceptualized by, edited by, and produced by Tess Cocchio, who also conducts all the interviews. Tess began I Am Hear with the express purpose of promoting and showcasing a diverse and inclusive RPG community.
Tess really believes that this is a community that can be a wonderful, positive, and supportive place. The support for the project has been unexpectedly heartening and is very appreciated.
MAJOR THANKS
For their brilliant Press Kit inspiration, major thanks to the Love & Luck Podcast.