Voice actors tend to be lovers of words. I know I am, and in VO life, there’s nothing I love more than feasting my eyes on a beautifully or cleverly written script. After 20 years of script reading, I’d say my vocabulary has grown a bit, too. 😉 Reading, in general does a body, mind and soul good. So read as much as you can! And whenever possible, read aloud to continue strengthening your chops. [Read more…] about On Words and Being Proactive
What To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed
Ever feel overwhelmed?
You know… like your brain has too many tabs open? I think it’s fair to say we’ve all been there. It can leave you paralyzed, panicked, and just plain pooped. And when you have VO awesomeness to achieve—auditions, jobs, marketing, demo prep—feeling overwhelmed can stop you dead in your tracks. [Read more…] about What To Do When You Feel Overwhelmed
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Give Up
Ever hear that ‘doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will?’ Well, I’d say that’s pretty accurate. We’ve all had times where negative thoughts creep in and they play over and over on repeat in our minds like the occasional high-maintenance client who doesn’t know what the hell they want – asking for take after countless take. (They end up liking take 1). 😉 [Read more…] about Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Give Up
7 Things You Should Do Before Every Voiceover Session
Let’s talk session prep. It’s so important to be as prepared as possible when working with your clients. Follow these steps to make your sessions more relaxing and fun – all while knocking your client’s socks off! [Read more…] about 7 Things You Should Do Before Every Voiceover Session
What You Need to Start Your VO Journey
Getting started is often the hardest part of any process—including starting your VO journey. Usually, it’s doubt and fear that stop us from getting the ball rolling. (“What if I’m not good enough?” “What if I can’t do this?”)
Spoiler alert: You are good enough and heck yes, you can do this! What you need are some clearly outlined goals and strategies to succeed. [Read more…] about What You Need to Start Your VO Journey
Read to Express, Not Impress
When you step into the booth, do you find yourself overthinking? Worrying about what everyone else in the room is thinking? Worrying about how you’ll do—if you’ll read too fast, too slow, or if you’ll “mess up?” [Read more…] about Read to Express, Not Impress
10 Tips for Taking Care of Your Voice in the Winter
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the thick of winter right now, and with winter comes warm, tasty mugs of cocoa, comfy sweaters, nights snuggling by the fire, and…colds.
Lots and lots of colds.
As a voice actor, it’s important to take care of yourself. Our money-maker happens to be a part of our body! Missing scheduled recording sessions or auditions because of a sore throat or an illness can cost a VO talent a lot of money–not just in lost wages, but in opportunities like auditions for potential jobs! [Read more…] about 10 Tips for Taking Care of Your Voice in the Winter
How I Record On the Go
Recently, my husband, Troy, and I went on a cruise to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We had a blast, and I was still able to take care of my clients while traveling. Believe me, we had all kinds of time to eat and play and get our vacation vibes on, but taking an hour out of our day to make sure all of my regular clients had everything they needed has led to long-lasting, wonderful business relationships. My clients trust me. They know I care. They know they are a priority to me. This has served my career well over nearly twenty years. At the end of the day, in addition to the super fun creative work we get to do. it’s all about serving our clients’ needs. [Read more…] about How I Record On the Go
Gratitude is Everything by Melissa Moats
Curl up with a cozy blanket and a mug of tea, because I’ve got a story for you:
About 18 years ago, I was sitting in the lobby of a local studio waiting for my recording session to begin. I was hired to voice some commercials for a Las Vegas casino client. I arrived about 10 minutes early.
(Side note: It’s always a good idea if you’re recording in person for a live/directed session to get there a little early, but not too early. About ten minutes ahead of time should do it. Otherwise, it gets weird for the staff because they don’t have time to entertain you! If you can print your script(s) ahead of time–if they’ve emailed you in advance–make sure to do so and bring them with you. Also, it never hurts to bring a bottle of water, a pencil, and a piece of hard sour candy just in case your mouth goes dry! Never assume the studio will have everything you need–though most studios do! I just like to come prepared. I’m kind of a Girl Scout like that) [Read more…] about Gratitude is Everything by Melissa Moats
Are You A VO Perfectionist?
Do you overthink things? Me, too. (I’m a little weird about locking doors. I’m a double/triple door-lock checker!)
Thinking about overthinking makes me think of (bear with me here) voicers I see struggling to make their reads ‘perfect.’ I’m here to tell you that a perfect read is impossible. Heck, perfection is impossible! Who is your ‘perfect’ read for, anyway? You? Your client? Your cat? Millions of listeners? [Read more…] about Are You A VO Perfectionist?
