Voiceover Artist Vocal Health

By Keith Brunson

Andy Pearson is an audiobook narrator. It's a profession he has trained for all his life. Beginning in the 1970's Andy entered voice work as a radio disk jockey, "and I loved it," he tells me.

Fast forward 40 years, and Andy is still lovin' it.  

In the last fifteen auditions, eleven authors have hired Andy. Right now, he's narrating this book.

It's 480 pages long and will take 14 days to complete. andypearsonvoice@gmail.com

So, to spend this amount of time using the human voice requires vocal healthcare. Simply stated, to put the voice through this much use requires doing certain things to keep Andy's pipes operable.

"I don't use dairy or bananas on a recording day," he comments, "because it produces crud in my vocal folds." Andy is talking about the way his voice performs. "I also use steam and tea before I record to make the mechanics of my voice do what I want it to do." Andy also mentions sleep. "If I sleep more than 7 hours, it takes a couple of hours to get the grogs and frogs out of my voice."

The most successful narrator nationally is USA Today's best-selling writer Tanya Eby. Tanya holds the distinction of narrating 1,000 books. Her vocal care is almost non-existent. "Some people are really fanatics about this, but not me," she says. "I drink plain hot water when I narrate because it feels good to my throat," Tanya tells me. "Your voice is a muscle, so treat it like one. I walk daily, eat well, relax and enjoy life fully; otherwise, I do no warmups, and I'm pretty laid back about it." www.tanyaeby.com/blog

Voiceover narration artist Tanya Eby.

Vocal health is ultra-important for the voiceover artist. Nationally known Los Angeles-based artist Bill Ratner speaks of vocal exercises necessary to keep the voice in tune and highly operational.

Bill Ratner at the mic using his vocal talents.

He speaks about vocal exercising in the "The Voice Choice" vodcast about the Art of Voiceover https://www.thevoicechoice.tv episode two. "To keep my voice from aging uncontrollably, I take classes and exercise my voice daily to ensure that the voice performs at will."

Mike George, Head Instructor at The Voice Shop, uses a specific vocal regiment to ensure he can perform well. www.voiceshopcoaching.com

Voice Coach Mike George (right) instructing a voice student at The Voice Shop in New York City.

"The night before, I do not drink alcohol, and on the day of, I avoid dairy, even soy, but I do drink black coffee." Mike also adds that he avoids bread. "I also exercise and make sure that I get enough sleep."

Doctors have noted the lack of sleep as one aspect the human body needs as badly as it needs air and food. Sleep is a must-have for peak performance in any professional or personal life. "Sleep recharges the body," says Dr. David Smith, "and without it, your body just won't operate optimally."

Dr. David Smith

"I'm damaged if I sleep too much and sleep too little," says Andy Pearson. "It just makes it very hard to perform well,"  

The disciplines of maintaining an operable voice include avoiding phlegm-producing foods such as bread and bananas. And because no visual is involved, enunciation is affected when you don't respect your voice as you should.

Metal musician Ken Smiddy says good oral hygiene is vital to deliver an excellent vocal performance. On the night before a performance or the day of the show, "don't scream" so that when you perform, you can use that part of your voice when you need it. "Some people are very strict," Ken comments, and to perform well, "you Must treat your voice well."

Ken Smiddy in the recording studio before a vocal performance.

Physiologically, the voice is composed of the larynx or the voice box. The vocal cords comprise the vibratory system of the voice mechanism. The vocal tract is comprised of resonators that give a personal quality to the voice, and the modifiers or articulators form sound into voiced sounds. With such complex anatomy in the voice, vocal health care is vital for anyone in voiceover to maintain.

"And that means that if I don't take care of my voice, I can't narrate, so I always protect my instrument," says Andy Pearson. "So, vocal health, well… it's everything."  

Keith Brunson is a writer and host of "The Voice Choice," a vodcast about the voiceover business. https://thevoicechoice.tv/

How to Start Voice Acting

By: Nate Myers

Voice Acting is a multi-million dollar per year industry. And it is growing! There is no shortage of voice-over projects coming down the pipe for an aspiring or experienced voice-over artist. There are opportunities in Animation, Podcasting, Radio, TV, Audiobooks, AI, and more! If you fall into the bucket of "Aspiring Voice Over Talent," this article is for you.

Sometimes it can be hard to get started. If you haven't taken your first baby steps, it feels like you must do everything at once. We hear it often from our students. Not to worry, this isn't the case.

First, let's answer the obvious question: "There's no better time than now." If you get hung up on the first step, it becomes a dream rather than a goal. Let's make it more concrete and lay out the steps you'll need to take starting with:

Voice Over Training and Personal Coaching

For the truly uninitiated, a class or two or three can make a world of difference in your comfort level with voice over, but even more importantly: define your path. As mentioned at the beginning, there are many sub-genres or niches in voiceover. You may like one or not know which is the best fit for your voice. This is where classes come in. The Voice Shop offers many voice classes covering diverse aspects such as audiobooks, podcasting, and the like. Check the up-to-date class schedule here: https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/class-schedule

 Voice training classes are offered in-person or online
at the Voice Shop in New York City.

With a few voice classes under your belt, you've got solid footing and have a basis to put together something that shows off your voice talents and attach it to your job applications to showcase you at your best. We're talking about:

A Voice Over Demo Reel

A Voice Over Demo Reel is like a highlight reel of you and your best moments. It can be diverse to cover a wide range of voiceover opportunities, or you can have several with catered clips to appeal to different job openings. At least one solid demo reel is instrumental to getting started. And luckily, The Voice Shop doesn't leave you stranded after voice over class completion. We offer professional demo reel mixing services to draw out your voice's subtle nuance. It's a surefire way to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Building an Online Following

Another thing you can do to stand out from the crowd is to build an online following which could include:

·        A Professional Website

·        TikTok or Instagram followers

·        Client Reviews

Potential clients will check you out on the internet when actively applying for voice-acting jobs. Make sure you're easy to find and that you put your best foot forward when they see you!

We can't give you the key to social media fame. But usually, the best path to success is steady and consistent posting. Slowly your followers will come to expect and look forward to the latest content from you. Keep up a regular pace, once a week or even daily, if you can. Film longer videos and split them into several reels. There are many ways to keep a content drip going, and this is the best tip we have for you at this point in the game.

Land Your First Gig

Getting your first job under your belt is a major milestone. There are many paths to landing the voice job. Still, most voice actors find their first break by finding an agency to represent them, volunteering and auditioning for voice-over work in your community (use your network), or the sign up for an online platform like Voices.

While no path guarantees viral success, we've seen our graduating voice acting students take these steps and go on to conquer their world in the voice over industry!

Best of luck to you!

From Actor To Movie Voiceover Artist

By Keith Brunson

Orson Wells spent a lifetime using his incredible voice. One of the millions he caught the attention of was a seven-year-old boy in east Tennessee, Calvin Cylk Cozart. "When I listened to him, he painted a picture, and it was only his voice. I never forgot it." It was the era in America of the Beatles, hippies, free love, and a social objection to the Vietnam war. And that was when Cylk had an epiphany about the power of the voice.

"Noticing the power of the voice impressed me early on." So, in a small community known as Karns, Cylk's wheels began to turn about the power of the human voice. He was watching. Listening. Observing. And that's when the positive impression of just the voice was imprinted on the young and impressionable little boy's heart.

A young and impressionable Cylk Cozart discovers the world of voice over and narration.

Cylk first encountered being paid for his voice for the megahit television show "Miami Vice" in the 80s. Cylk voiced scenes for Phillip Michael Thomas, the actor opposite Don Johnson. The process was known as looping. Cylk was brought in to repair spots of audio that had been botched during principal photography. "It was just as you picture it," Cylk tells me. "The footage was displayed on a large screen, and I dubbed in my voice to support the actor in scenes where sound needed to be re-recorded." And in that very moment, Cylk connected to the power of the voice.

Cylk Cozart's name means "Running Water" he was born of a Cherokee mother and a black father in the hills of Tennessee.

Because of his strong Cherokee/African American good looks, Cylk was encouraged by observation to try acting. He would appear in (70) motion pictures or television shows. He had notable success and is probably best remembered for the movies "White Men Can't Jump," "Three To Tango," and "Conspiracy Theory." A long list of memorable credits kept Cylk busy for over thirty years. But the undercurrent of his appreciation of the human voice always continued to percolate.

Ten years ago, Cylk relocated from Los Angeles back to his community of Karns and did so to provide for his ailing mother. "It was very difficult to leave that life, very difficult," Cylk comments. "One day, I was in Malibu, and the next day I'm back in Tennessee with my mother, who always came first."

Cylk created a scholarship in his mother's name, "The Bettie Ruth Cozart Scholarship," at King University.

His mentor Denzel Washington advised him well. "You now have a substantial body of work, so you don't need to be in Hollywood." And Washington was right. Instead of being in Hollywood, Cylk created Hollywood for himself in Knoxville.

 Cylk performing voice narration in the recording studio. 

Cylk morphed his Hollywood career into that of an independent producer. Translated, Cylk now could develop his own movies and direct them as well. He would launch Cozart Enterprises. And this move created an entirely new beginning to a life he had left behind in California.

 Cylk performs, provides voiceovers, produces, and directs films for Cozart Enterprises.

Because of his affinity for basketball, Cylk entered into the story of who invented the game of basketball with his long-time confidante Keith Zimmerman. The film would be the story of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. And true to form, Cylk narrated the documentary, which became titled "Ball Of Confusion." "I always had experienced the world of basketball as something that connected people that would not have otherwise met." That led to Cylk remembering the power of Orson Wells' voice, so he narrated the documentary. Keith Zimmerman agreed. Who better to tell the story? 

A sample of Cylk narrating his film, "Ball Of Confusion."

Cylk would now begin to use his voice in a way he did before for filmmaking. "Ray Liotta, who narrated "Good Fellas" helped me to understand that fusing narration inside a story your telling can really make a film memorable."

The latest film Cylk narrates is called "Inherit The Land." This film is a story of two white women who willed eight hundred acres of land to a black family during the Jim Crow era. Cylk teamed up with yet another personal v.i.p. Jim Johnson. Together, they went to Marvin, North Carolina, the town where the historical event took place. It was there that Jim produced the on-location historical movie, and both Jim and Cylk cast descendants of the story to appear in the film. Cylk would direct and then narrate. "To use my voice to communicate the historic event was very moving," says Cylk. "Jim and I were both affected by the love this town offers and its' historical racial impact on the south.

A voice narration sample from Cylk's upcoming movie, "Inherit The Land."

Marvin, North Carolina, today is a town of 6,358 people with a black population of 7.61 percent. The mean income is $269,257.00 annually. It has a poverty rate of 2.41 percent.

"When you discover a place where racism has no part of the fabric of the town, it'll really make a deep impression," Cylk tells me. "The town has never experienced racial problems where equality on all fronts is the makeup of this quiet southern hamlet. I used the feeling of that love in my narration in telling the story, and I hope it really comes through."

"Ball Of Confusion" and "Inherit The Land" have yet to be released. Cozart Enterprises brands its productions in documentary form with narration and centers around actual historical events.

As for Cylk's future in new productions that have yet to be made, he has a unique perspective. "The best voiceover narration I will do, I have yet to voice."

And as the recipient of Joe Biden's 2022 Presidential Humanitarian Award, Cylk speaks to everyone when he communicates through his movies. "I hope Mom is proud."

How to Become a Voice Actor

By: Nate Myers

Voice Actors: The genius behind an incredible array of advertisements and entertainment. Video games, audiobooks, cartoons, children’s TV shows, Siri, and Alexa. All feature Voice Actors who have perfected their craft. If you are curious about how to get your feet wet in the amazing world of voice over. Welcome! We’ll walk you through your first baby steps.

Voice Acting (or voiceover) is the art of delivering messages, dialogue, and script using your voice. Recordings of this art are used in entertainment and advertisements across the internet, television, and radio spaces. Voice Actors work for a huge span of projects and often have their favorite niche where they have created a name for themselves and delivered takes across all mediums.

While not always the key to success, voiceover training is the most effective path to success if you’re just starting. Take the music industry, for example. Most producers, studio musicians, and songwriters took formal or online education to perfect their craft. Taking that metaphor further, musicians must know which chords to play, which chords can follow, which notes fall within the key, the time signature, etc., to play with other musicians or an established group.

In voice acting, you need to know which tone of voice to speak, how to continue the message and speak longer (or cut it down depending on time constraints), you need to know the tone of voice that is expected and be able to execute that on demand: excited, cautious, encouraging, daring, the list goes on! This knowledge must be built-up beforehand to take instructions from a producer or director over the project.

There’s a lot to know, and it can seem intimidating. We recommend taking a few classes if you are interested in general voice acting techniques, specific industry niches, or identifying your voice’s unique strengths. The Voice Shop offers an incredible variety of courses each month to get you trained: https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/class-schedule

 Voice-over classes range from beginner to advanced levels at The Voice Shop.

You will need equipment for voice acting. It will represent an investment in yourself and your voice. But it will be well worth it! You will need:
1.   A laptop or tablet to record and edit your takes

2.   A professional microphone

3.   Editing software

4.   An acoustic environment (small recording studio or booth) https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/voiceover-booths

Next, you’ll want to look at putting together a demo reel. A voice-over demo reel is best compared to a resume. But for the voice-over world! Even having a different VO demo reel for different types of work can be beneficial. You can make your own if you have the editing/mastering experience, or you can have someone with expertise craft yours for you: https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/create-your-demo

The Voice Shop provides demo creation packages that include a voice coach, engineer, music & SFX, and language supervisor if needed.

After receiving training, purchasing equipment, and creating a demo reel, you’re ready to put yourself out there! There are many avenues to explore, applying directly for jobs on indeed or other platforms, using online casting platforms, or making connections with an agency or person of influence within the industry itself! There are often conferences held around the United States, which can also be an excellent opportunity to get exposure to these resources!

Let us know if you have any questions. It can be intimidating at first, but The Voice Shop’s mission is to help you succeed!

https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/resources

How to Get Into Voice Acting

By: Nate Myers

Alright! Starting from square one - this is everything you need to know about how to get into voice acting. We will cover voice acting in general, voice training, the voice skills and equipment you’ll need, and we’ll also get into marketing yourself on social media.

Voice Acting Overview

It’s important to start with the knowledge that anyone can do this, even kids and teens! There isn’t a “perfect voice” that casting directors are searching for. What matters most is authenticity. We’ll cover that more in the future but let that set the stage.

It isn’t difficult to become a voice actor (sometimes known as a voice-over artist or voice talent). But that also depends on what success looks like to you. If you’re looking for some side income or if you’re looking for an entire career. Your definition of success may differ from someone else’s.

There are amazing opportunities within voice-over. You can be part of the next big animated movie, narrate someone’s favorite book, or work with big brands on radio or TV commercials. The possibilities are actually astounding.

Voice Over Actors operate mainly like independent agents or freelancers. They make their own schedule and invest the time they’re comfortable with. Also, similar to a freelancer, you can set your own rates. What is your time worth to you? Just be prepared to back that up with some great reads and a demo reel. (https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/blog/2022/6/27/voice-over-demo-reel-whats-the-deal).

How Much Can You Make In Voice Acting?

The obvious answer is - it varies. There is a ramp-up period where you must invest more time and effort into getting gigs. An established voice over actor can earn $200+ per hour. Depending on the regularity of jobs, you’ll likely make less than $20k for the first few years. Most successful voice over actors moved their voice over careers forward while working regular jobs. When their income rose to a comfortable level, they transitioned to 100% voice-over.

There are many types of voiceovers:

·         Commercial (TV/Radio)

·         Film

·         Video Games

·         Animation

·         Audiobooks

·         Podcasts

·         Live Events

Finding the right niche for you based on preference or natural fit will take some time. But that’s okay! Throw yourself at every opportunity and use them as learning opportunities. Often you will at the very least receive feedback on how to improve your takes and become better over time.

Voice Over Training

Much like other trades or professions, it’s better to arm yourself with skills and knowledge before jumping into the fray. However, voice-over isn’t often a typical degree or even college course. Where can you turn?

Luckily The Voice Shop (https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/) has you covered. The Voice Shop is a voice coaching and voice education initiative. The Voice Shop’s mission is to establish and develop the voice skills necessary for you to succeed as a voice over professional.

The Voice Shop in New York City offers
voice acting classes in-person and online.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, a wide range of voice over classes, workshops, and private voice lessons are taught by esteemed industry veterans.  The Voice Shop gives students the skills and industry-savvy knowledge of voice over to take their careers to the next level.

In addition, Free Consultations are offered to give you an in-depth look at our class offerings and to help you determine which class is the best fit for you. Give us a call or email to set up a time to meet with Jessica, our Director of Education, at info@voiceshopcoaching.com. You’ll get a run-down of our class offerings, a personal assessment, and a chance to ask any questions you may have free of charge. Please take advantage of our free consultations to get the support you need when you need it!

Home Recording Studio

The next step is what you might consider voice-over’s barrier to entry. But don’t worry, getting into voice over can be affordable from an equipment standpoint. We’ve written an entire blog to help you identify the necessities, budget-friendly options, and even some recommendations to take you to the next level.

Read the full article (https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/blog/2021/3/11/setting-up-your-home-for-remote-vo-recording).

Finding Voice Acting Work

So, you’ve got the skills, you’ve got the equipment. What now?

The first step is a demo reel. Consider this your resume for the voice acting world. It shows you at your best and highlights what makes you unique and desirable for someone to work with! Here is the article again, because it is that important:

(https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/blog/2022/6/27/voice-over-demo-reel-whats-the-deal).

Long story short- The Voice Shop has you covered by providing professional voice over demo reels. Not only do we have professional mixing and editing capabilities, but we also have the industry knowledge of what casting directors are looking for in a candidate. Once your demo reel is secured, what next?

Marketing

It comes down to marketing. And this is something that will become a staple piece of your career in voice-over. Social media plays a big part in establishing yourself in the industry. Put yourself out there, don’t be afraid!

By far, the best content will be video content of you recording takes. TikTok is our recommended starting point. The organic exposure on TikTok is second to none. And you can always download your videos from there and repost them on Instagram Reels to easily cover two platforms! There are many types of voice over content on social media. Impersonations, live takes, vlogs of your travels/recording if you get an in-person gig, interviews, etc. Be creative!

And be on the prowl. Apply for everything and anything. The worst thing that can come from the application process is feedback on where to improve. Best case, you land a gig and are on your way! Best of luck! See you out there!

Who is the Voice of “How It’s Made” by Discovery Channel?

By Keith Brunson

Brooks Moore is a storyteller. One of the best there is. As the narrator for the discovery channel’s show “How’s It’s Made,” Brooks is the voice of choice for the television industry’s most recognizable brand.

Brooks Moore is the famous voice narrator of the Discovery Channel’s “How It’s Made” show.

Raised around the show horse business, the very young 10th grader became interested in radio at age 13 in 1979. Educated at the University of Maryland, Brooks knew from day one that working in broadcasting and storytelling would become his life’s work. Mentored by the very famous Steve Burns, a television icon, Brooks discovered radio in 1979. “and I liked it instantly.” This affection foreshadowed Brooks’ future that would be told as a nationally acclaimed narrator for the discovery channels’ most recognizable show.

“It requires luck,” says brooks, “and you have to work for it; it’s not handed to you.”  Brooks is involved in the superstructure of the brand over twenty years ago, comments on his introduction to very well-known Steve Burns, “so he took me under his wing at Discovery, and things started to really happen.”

Brooks also had the power of renowned broadcaster Hal Douglas behind him. “When Hal befriended me, it opened doors.”

Hal Douglas helped Brooks make connections in the world of voice-over.

Politics aside, Brooks was first given the narrator position on “How’s It’s Made” from 2004 to 2008, only to be restored as the show’s permanent narrator when a letter-writing campaign got him reinstated after a couple of seasons of another narrator being used.

“It was quite a surprise,” says Brooks, “but because I love storytelling so much, I think it just came through that I was at home when narrating.”

But all of this “luck” would not have happened if Brooks had not been at the right place at the right time. A scratch track was needed for a show, and Brooks cut the track so that the impending narrator would have a baseline.

“So had if I had not cut that scratch track at that moment in on that particular day, then my voice would have never been heard, and my political connections would not have been able to award me the show,” Brooks says. “I remember it all so well. It was October of 2003.”

That particular lucky track got brooks on TLC, Nat Geo, and the Science Channel, which led to “How It’s Made.”

Brooks believes deeply in the concept of being a type-B personality. “I let go of everything, and I try to be open and available every day of my life,” he says. “I don’t have to control everything.” It’s that simple mindset that has enabled Mr. Moore to remain a constant force in the biggest network brand in the world. But being inside the organization is the first step to achieving this high honor status because “they only work with and empower people that they know.”

And content-wise, it all happened early on because of this episode, the story of how the glass eye is made.

And now, some twenty years later, the 59-year-old narrator has become the voice of one of the Discovery Channel’s most famous shows. There are no plans to cancel the series, and Brooks has become very comfortable inside the worldwide operation. The reason? Brooks comments in closing, “It’s because I truly love storytelling, and that’s all there really is to it.”

Always Learning, Always Improving Voice Over Skills

Voice Shop Instructor Spotlight: Steve Tardio (Animation Voice Over)

Interview by: Nate Myers

Nate: Steve, tell me a little about your journey to where you are today. Your first steps into voice over and such.

Steve: When I started getting into voice over and was trying to find my niche, I started asking around. I could do Commercial Promo, Animation, etc. So, I asked around about good classes to take, and everyone kept saying, “Take improv classes.”

So, I went to some improv schools in New York and Chicago and started taking classes. These programs helped me develop characters and physical comedy. You must be physical in the booth to get into character.

After that, I went into coaching improv and all that helped my background when creating voiceovers.

 Steve Tardio is a voice coach at The Voice Shop in New York City.

https://www.voiceshopcoaching.com/

Nate: Would you say “you put in the time”?

Steve: I still do. I just finished the Conservatory Program and am now in the Grad Review program at The Second City. The Second City has an audition process for both programs where students audition, and once accepted, you develop a new show. Students develop and write sketches for a comedy show through improv!

 Overall, it’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Sometimes you do voice over and it leads to other things. I mean, I was cast into my first Broadway Musical Comedy before COVID! It is a constant continuing cycle. It’s always trying to study and find what’s new, develop, and improve. I ask myself, “What else can I do to stay fresh”?

 Nate: What is something you use to set yourself above the competition?

 Steve: The improv helps (if you have skill at acting or voices). There are a lot of people out there that are trying to succeed in voice over. One of the things that really helped me stand out was marketing.

Sure, no one sounds like you. Your voice is unique. But how do you get that across? One of the things that took me a while to understand and embrace is “How do I make myself stand out? How do I make my voice recognizable?” It’s taken a lot of time, investment, and thought. But I’ve established my personal brand as “The Older I Get - The Younger I Sound.” I use marketing to let people know I’m out there and available. Many aspiring voice-over talents think their agency or manager will take care of that, but EVERYONE counts on it. That doesn’t get your name out there. You need to try and hit the right people to put you at the top of the list.

You can't kick back and relax just because you have a manager or agent. You still must put in the work.

Nate: Tell me about your Animation Classes with The Voice Shop. What are they about, and how do they typically go?

Steve: Usually, students want to take the animation class because they already know what it is. Maybe they’re fans of an anime, an animated series, or film. So, they already have kind of an idea. They want to know more about that specific area when they come in.

What I do is I try to give them a broader picture of all the different categories of animation: traditional, anime, video games, etc. Give them a broader picture, and then they can narrow it down to what they want to do.

Usually, the class has 5-10 students. We go through all the different categories; everyone gets a chance to execute a read inside those different genres.

Nate: Have you had any highlights or breakthrough students?

Steve: There’s been a couple. Usually, they’re the ones that really want to make a career change. They have some “boring corporate job.” Then, in the class, when they hear, “Yes, there’s something there; we just need to refine it.” It quickly becomes: “Oh, okay!”

Often, they’ve got a sound that we just need to fine-tune!

In my Animation for Teens class, I had a student 15 years old from Texas. Usually, when they read the copy, they just read the words and put in very little emotion. This girl was 15, and another was in her mid-20s. When they read the copy, they really emoted and put some feeling and acting into it! I gave them some suggestions and notes. Then they did it again and did it even better! In the classes, that’s what I’m looking for. That’s what I want to hear!”

Nate: Okay, so put some feeling into it! What else can students do to get the most out of your classes?

Steve: Other things I’ve noticed: if they come in as trained actors or have other experience, they have some sort of impression that they are already ahead of the game. They feel like they know it all. A bit of overconfidence or even entitlement, you know?

“I know this; I’ve been doing this for years.”

“Oh, I’ve auditioned and got into this specific acting program, so I know what I am doing.”

And we need to bring them back to square one, day one.

When in-person, there are other schools where they audition and do the same thing. But in those environments, they forget about their predispositions. It comes down to passion and work ethic.

THERE HAS TO BE A HUNGER FOR IT. You need to be able to say, “Okay, I need to start from the bottom” Background will help but allow yourself to take direction. Have a growth mindset.

I have a recent favorite quote from Marc Cashman: 

“Your first take tells the director if you’re prepared; your second take tells the director if you’re listening.”

When auditioning, the Director will give you notes; they want to know if you’re listening to their notes/direction. If you read it back the same way you read it the first time, he knows you’re not.

I love this quote so much that I recently shared it during one of my classes, and the students had an epiphany moment. And I’m a little harder on students now because I know I’ve heard the same thing twice, and they aren’t listening.

Nate: I love that! Can you tell me about your most interesting recent job or gig?

Steve: I just booked a commercial where I’m the voice of a snail!

It’s for these hiking shoes that have a good grip on the heels. It’s live actors hiking, and there are these two snails (I play one of them).

The audition was to play one of the snails, named Michael and Jonah, which is a Superbad reference. I’ve auditioned for parts like this before.

At the top of the audition take, I said, “Oh, Jonna Hill, I get it.” “Oh, Michael Sara, I get it.” I accidentally left those moments on the takes that I sent to my agent!

A couple of days later, my agent texted me asking for availability, and here I am!

I got the Jonah snail because I went overboard. Bigger, loud, obnoxious. The hikers almost step on the snail, and I go, “Hey, I’m crawling here, watch it” Being from New York, I fell right into character with that line. You know, the classic “Hey, I’m walking here!”

When I actually booked the job, one of the takes was even “too New York,” so we scaled it back a little. It was a fun session! We went 1.5 hours instead of 1 hour, which is always nice because you get paid more!

Years ago, I had a very similar audition as a talking hot pocket. The same idea with Michael and Jonah Hill. That time I booked Michael.

Nate: That makes me wonder, how do you reconcile differences between your personal identity and the character you’re auditioning for?

Steve: There is a little bit of picking the scripts that resonate best with you. But there’s also the mindset from Michael Cane:

 “Throw yourself into it. Challenge yourself to be the best you can be.”

Put your own spin on it, and let the casting director make the call, whether they like it or not. Still audition for anything and everything you can but do it in YOUR way.

For example, you can’t picture anyone but James Earl Jones doing Darth Vader. There are YouTube clips from BTS of the first Star Wars movie (A New Hope) where actor David Prowse - who is in the Darth Vader suit - is saying the lines, and it’s very interesting, weird, and strange all at the same time because David Prowse has a Scottish accent. James Earl Jones made the part his, and now he IS the voice of Darth Vader.

Just like the Simpsons, those actors made those voices. In fact, in many cartoons, the voice starts out different, and then the actor grows into the role as the seasons roll on.

You become the character, and the character becomes you.

Introducing The Voice Shop’s Newest Addition, Podcast instructor, Mr. David DesRoches

By Keith Brunson

It is early morning in the continent of Africa. David Desroches is beginning his day. It’s already becoming hot outside. And the day has already started to produce its’ challenges. That’s because David’s story begins in Ethiopia, where he started a community news outlet. He was only 28 years old but wanted to practice journalism where information is not so readily available.

David Desroches in Ethiopia at the start of his journalism career.

And living in Africa is no walk in the park, “but the coffee is really good, “says David. “Every day was different, but most days were like waking up in America.” https://daviddesroches.com

“There were times when I woke up in a tent or a barn with 50 strangers,” says David. “But I wouldn’t want to overdramatize it.” Sharing your food, your dwelling, or asking if someone would share their barn or tent with you for a night is culturally commonplace. “But all and all, I lived in the top 5-10 percent, but quite different than western standards.” And that’s where our story of The Voice Shop’s David Desrochees begins. It begins in Africa, where his thirst for knowledge and discovery shaped his life forever. I think it still does.

David pauses to enjoy the natural beauty of Africa.

Fast forward, and David works at the NPR radio affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut. There, he spent over five years in an ultra-organized relaxing atmosphere. The goal is journalistic excellence coupled with colleagues who pride themselves on accuracy and emphasize the non-chaotic atmosphere that network television news is known for. “It’s thoughtful audio production,” says David. And true to form, David is perceived as a thoughtful producer. Our conversation telegraphed a teacher who had been around. “And being versatile makes for a good teacher, leader, and mentor,” said my very own professor Dr. John Carr at the University of Tennessee, where I got my degree in journalism.

These days, David is an adjunct professor as the Director of Community Programming at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. https://www.qu.edu/faculty-and-staff/david-desroches  Tuition is $41,000 a year, and Quinnipiac graduates 72% of its bibliomaniacs. This means that you don’t go to Quinnipiac to party. You’ll experience college life. Of course. But the goal is an education surrounded by high-value individuals. For the uninitiated, it’s a small quaint college for the upper class. It can be considered the crème de la crème for the student who wants only the very best in a small, interpersonal collegiate experience. David has been teaching journalism there for about seven years. “I think back to Africa, and my perspective on communications and journalism is well adjusted.” David teaches with a life experience developed in real-world journalism to bring to the classroom. He IS the real deal. https://hqnn.org/2021/10/09/quinnipiac-podcast-studio-gives-a-voice-to-the-community/

David’s extensive journalist background is utilized in his curriculum as
the podcast instructor for The Voice Shop.

David joins The Voice Shop as our first podcaster instructor. And he’ll teach you from concept to completion. By your first show, you will know how to create, engineer, and produce storytelling content for the world to see. And it’s not like he’s just a bookworm. Oh no, David’s got his own podcast at Quinnipiac. https://quinnipiacpodcasts.com/baffled-with-david-desroches And, he’s got a solid and active background in storytelling. He’s worked internationally. He’s also worked domestically at America’s most prestigious terrestrial radio outlet. So, David can take you into the podcast world and enable you to have a vehicle to communicate any subject you choose.

At The Voice Shop, Mr. DesRoches will train you in all avenues of how a podcast is created and hosted. That includes the technical aspects of podcasting, not just the spoken part. David will teach you how to set up your podcast rig in your own home, and you’ll learn how to be both an engineer of podcasting and a storyteller. The subject matter is up to you. It’ll be your show. But, once enrolled in his tutelage, the actual coaching will continue as you grow and improve. You’ll never be left without his instruction or advice on becoming a professional communicator.

The experts all agree the new television is the internet. Information will disseminate via podcasts using computer technology. Television as we know it will eventually cease to exist. “And I’m right here for the person that wants to learn everything about how to communicate in this new technological world,” says David. “Because the future of journalism will develop via the internet, and I’m looking right now for those that want to become educated on just how powerful the web is,” he says, “and that is the student that’ll succeed.”

So, if you’re sitting there right now and you’ve been looking for someone to teach you podcasting, David DesRoches can be found at www.voiceshopcoaching.com. You won’t have to know anything. All you’ll need is the drive and ambition to become “a voice” in the world of communications. You can learn with Mr. DesRoches at home at your own pace. Cost is nominal compared to college. And unlike university life, you’ll be taught everything that is podcast-related. No math. No physics. No time studying Mesopotamia. Just classes and mentorship about the artform of the podcast. And unlike David, you won’t have to leave the country on a sojourn that cultivates your inner soul. Under David’s instruction, you’ll be on-mic quick. You’ll be taught how to think creatively in a podcast way. However, African coffee is NOT part of the deal. “For that,” says David, “You will have to go to Africa.” And we suggest you bypass that continental adventure.