Meet Team TVAS!
Melissa Moats
Head Coach
Commercial – Narration – Promo
melissamoats.com
Melissa Moats LOVES her job! She started her “vocal” journey singing with a 20 piece Big Band at age 16 in the Chicago suburbs where she grew up. As a little girl she always wanted Julie McCoy’s job on the Love Boat, so it was no surprise when she went on to cruise directing and singing on ships around the globe! After getting married and leaving her sea legs behind, her childhood dream of “Doing Commercials” took shape, and Melissa has now voiced thousands of radio and television commercials for National Brands like Ashley Furniture Homestore, ProActiv, McDonalds, Best Western Hotels, Jenny Craig, & Skechers – just to name a few! And she was completely beside herself to have the opportunity to voice “Drake’s” recent Documentary! Not only has Melissa been voicing for well over a decade, her passion runs so deep for voice over she enjoys mentoring people too! She’s loved every step she’s taken to make her own creative dreams come true, and she takes a lot of pride in helping others do the same.
John McClain
Commercial – Narration – Audio Editing – Gear
dogandponystudios.net
John McClain is lead sound designer and the owner of Dog and Pony. His experience ranges from award winning campaigns for companies like Chevrolet and Dodge to a Grammy nomination in 2000 and a Grammy win in 2001 for his work with the late, great George Carlin. His work with HBO on the series 24/7 brought his company a national Emmy in 2008 and his work both as a voice talent and as a composer and sound designer brought him to the small screen in 2010 with the Comedy Central short series Shmitty, Mcfunkle and Stump. When not working his audio mojo, John likes to ski the avalanche-prone back country of Utah, cook paella for his friends and spend time with his beautiful wife Dawn and amazing son Declan.
Chad Letts
Commercial – Narration – Radio – Promo
chadletts.com
Chad is a near 20 year radio broadcasting veteran that has successfully transitioned to full time voice actor. He has trained with Melissa and other top VO coaches around the country and is living (and working) proof that the techniques taught at the Voice Actor’s Studio really do work. He takes a practical approach to the craft of VO and a logical approach to the business side of things. Chad loves sharing his knowledge and experience with other voice actors. When not behind the mic, you will often find him at concerts all over the Las Vegas Valley, or a local pub sipping a fine drab of single malt Islay scotch.
Jack de Golia
Audiobooks – e-learning – Video Games – Commercial
jackwestcoast.com
Jack is the “Voice of Character,” flourishing as a narrator of audiobooks and e-learning, and voicing video games, and commercials since 2009. Jack is a consummate storyteller and character-voice actor. He comes from four-decade background in public relations and stage acting. Jack has a Bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Art from U.C. Davis. He has trained in voice-over with Alice Whitfield, Melissa Moats, Pat Fraley, and Marc Cashman. Behind the scenes, Jack is the guy who produces the weekly show logs for the “Voice Over Body Shop.” He’s also an enthusiastic member of the World-Voices Organization (WoVO). Jack is an “Audible Approved Producer,” having narrated over 70 books since 2013. You’ll find him on Facebook, SoundCloud, Linked In, and Twitter, but mostly he’ll be making magic in his studio in Henderson.
Dustin Ebaugh
Commercial – Narration – Promo – eLearning
dustinebaugh.com
Dustin has been behind a microphone since the age of 15 with a 20-year career in radio as a DJ, production director, program director and operations manager. Now, as a full time voice actor for over a decade, Dustin works in the industry every day for clients like Ferrari, UPS, The Harley-Davidson Museum, Cholula Hot Sauce and many others. Most of his work is commercial, narration and eLearning. As one of the founders and president emeritus of World-Voices Organization (WoVO), Dustin is most interested in helping others in our industry and sharing what he’s learned over the last three decades.
Shelley Avellino
Commercial – Narration – eLearning
shelleyavellino.com
Shelley is actually from the other side of the pond. Originally from Wales in the UK, Shelley has spent her whole life in entertainment, whether it be singing, acting or playing one of the several instruments she owns. Her transition into Voice Acting was the next natural development in her creative career. She has lived all over the globe, which gives her amazing perspective on VO and she is literally bursting at the seams to share that with the rest of the voice acting community. Shelley is currently the main e-learning voice for Cisco, the narration voice for Microsoft, and the medical voice for Beyer. Shelley’s even done on screen camera work for Virgin Travel. When she’s not voicing, she’s travelling with pilot hubby or cuddling her two cats.
Abby Elvidge
Animation – Video Games – Audiobooks – Commercial
voiceabby.com
Abby Elvidge is an Audiobook Narrator and Character Specialist. She recently narrated the Brilliance Audio production of ‘GRUNT: The Curious Science of Humans at War’ A New York Times / National Bestseller written by Mary Roach “America’s funniest science writer.” (Washington Post)
“I won the vocal-cord lottery when Abby Elvidge took an interest in narrating GRUNT. She is perfect for the project: energetic, friendly, and right on the mark with her tone and inflection.”
-Mary Roach
“Abby is also featured in award winning voice actor, producer and coach Patrick Fraley’s Cutting Edge Audiobook Narration course, alongside Scott Brick and other luminaries in the industry. Along with fellow coach, colleague, and friend, Jack de Golia, she was an Audie Award Finalist as part of the ensemble cast of “GADZOOKS!”
Troy Moats
Marketing – Business – Logistics Expert
Troy Moats is a man with MANY talents! After 16 years in the Airforce and earning his degree in Business & Marketing, he was top salesman with every company he set foot in. He’s been working side by side with his wife, Melissa Moats, targeting his marketing skills specifically to apply to the ever-changing voiceover industry! Troy is quite the strategist in Voiceover Marketing and Business, and shares the tools needed to be successful at landing gigs and creating longterm clients. As our “Logistics Expert” Troy fixes everything from hardware to software and makes everything behind the scenes run seamlessly! His “get things done” attitude is a driving force behind his own success, and his business philosophies will help you with your success too.
Jesse Estrada
Chief Studio Engineer – Bi-lingual –
jevoiceovers.com
Jesse Estrada “The Latin That Makes It Happen” is a professional bi-lingual voice actor with decade of experience behind the mic. Jesse’s career began in radio and flourished into positions such as On-air radio personality, Music Director and Radio Imaging Producer. Now Jesse is a full-time English & Spanish Voice Actor with a fully-equipped professional home studio, who has voiced for clients such as: 76 motor oil, Sea World, Wendy’s, FDA, Pepsi, & Make-A-Wish foundation to name a few! In addition to voicing full-time, Jesse is now the “Chief Engineer” at The Voice Actors studio!
Michael Profunato
Acting – Animation – Video Games – Narration
profunatovoice.com
Michael Profunato is currently a voice actor living and working in Las Vegas, NV. Over the past 15 years, Michael has had the opportunity to learn and teach the creative process of acting and the Stanislavski system under Johnny Sarno, protégé to method acting teacher Lee Strasberg and master teacher of the works of Adler, Misner and many others. Sarno was one of Hollywood’s top acting coaches, training award-winning actors until his death in December 2015, and one of the few teachers in the world to master the application of sensory technique applied to scenes and monologues. Over the course of his own studies as an actor, and one of Sarno’s only teaching students, Michael Profunato was also the co-writer, producer, cinematographer, editor and director of the training series featuring Johnny Sarno’s work. He has taught all ages and levels of acting from grandmothers, lawyers, and postmen wanting to act in local commercials, to young actors looking to break into the business or supplement their university theatrical training. Michael has coached privately on auditions, on-set ghost directing digital features, and with kids and young aspiring actors at the John Robert Powers schools in Los Angeles, California.
Brent Mukai
Improv Specialist
brentmukai.com
Brent Mukai is a stand up/improv comedian, actor, and voice actor from Pearl City, Hawaii. As an improv comedian, he is a part of Las Vegas’ longest running improv comedy show, Jest Serendipity, which has had residency shows at Planet Hollywood and The Palms Casino. He performs improv and stand up all over town, and currently produces the monthly two-man nerd improv show, The Cosplay Improv Mashup Show at the Millennium Fandom Bar.
As a teacher, he is an instructor at two schools in the city-wide improv league the High School Jesters, and also puts on corporate team building workshops. In his spare time Brent likes to freestyle rap, play pictionary, and write about himself in the third person.
Amanda McCune
Studio Coordinator – Business Expert
aardvarkgirl.com
Amanda McCune, also known as “Aardvark Girl,” spent 14 years managing production companies before starting her own business aimed at helping others, primarily those in creative fields, handle the organizational and financial functions of their companies. Although she is not a voice actor herself, Amanda has been involved in casting for a variety of projects over the years, and understands what clients and producers look for from talent. She has always enjoyed working with the Las Vegas voice over community, and was excited to find an opportunity to join Melissa and the TVAS team as the Studio Coordinator. Amanda is also happy to be coaching some business workshops to help prepare students for how to deal with rates, bookkeeping, organization, etc. as they grow their own businesses as voice actors!
Tia Marlier
Voice Coach
Tia Marlier loves everything having to do with VOICE! She’s spent most of her life as not only a voice over talent, but also as a vocalist singing in bands and acappella groups, and performing in musicals, musical revues, and plays. She’s a full time voice over talent with decades of experience, specializing in Narration, ELearning, and Commercial VO, and additionally spent many years as an on-camera talent, including hosting HGTV’s “Dream Drives”. Tia brings a unique perspective to her coaching as a former VO talent agent at the national agency Go Voices, and she’s been a voice over instructor and coach in the Education Department at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for over 10 years. TVAS is thrilled to have Tia on board as a remote coach, conducting private sessions for our students via Skype.
