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Happy Independence Day

General

If you are in the United States, Happy 4th of July!

It’s the 4th of July everywhere else in the world, too; just not Independence Day. Have a great day where ever you are.

Weaknesses and strengths

Career Advice, General

There are lots of folks who think that voiceover work is all about the voice. Sure, there’s an element of truth in that idea. When we audition, many times the final choice the client makes is based on whose voice most closely matches what they’re looking for; but be careful how far you carry this idea.

To think that a specific kind of voice is the “perfect” voice for our work is just silly. People with all sorts of voices are doing well. Small voices. Big voices. Deep voices. High voices. Smooth voices. Squeaky voices. Voices that rasp. Voices that sparkle. When I meet someone new, someone who isn’t involved in voiceover work, he or she will often say “you have a perfect voice for that kind of work.” Which is really nice, but not really true. In fact, with the kinds of things I see on many auditions these days, mine is exactly the opposite of the kind of voice they’re looking for.

It happened just the other day when I went to the first audition I’d done outside my home studio in 9 years. The director at the audition session said “Nice voice, but you sound kind of announcer-ish. Can you be more conversational?” I did my best, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t exactly what they were looking for, especially since I didn’t book the job.

However, as with most things, there’s good news with the bad. Sure, lots of people aren’t looking for my voice, but some people are. Enough people are. (And really, I couldn’t do all the voiceover work in the entire world. I don’t know all the languages. And again even if I did, I’d never get any sleep.)

I love working with every one of my clients. I love telling their stories. Some are short. Some are long. Some pay lots of money. Some pay less. But every one is fulfilling and interesting and I can hardly believe I get to do this work for people. It’s so much better than working for a living. If you are one of my clients, please know that I’m not kidding when I say I love working for you. And I love hearing from you, including the times (as just happened the other day) when you have to tell me your clients went with someone else. That’s all right. We’ll work on something else, soon enough.

And if you’re a voiceover talent reading this, then know that even though you’re not right for every job, you will be right for some of them. Enough of them. If you need more training to be right for enough to make a living, then get more training. If you just need to practice more to get to that level, then practice more. Keep pushing forward, one little bit at a time, every day. You’ll get there.

And remember, it’s not about your voice, it’s about the story your client needs you to tell. Keep your focus on the story, on what your client needs. The rest will take care of itself.

Doors and windows and …

General, History

When I wrote the other day about Anxiety and progress, I had no idea it would resonate with so many people. I was just writing out of my own experience and about some of the things I can see now, looking back with the benefit of clarity that hindsight almost always brings.

The other thing I didn’t anticipate was my own reaction to that walk down memory lane. You see, I’m tempted to think back with regret about those missed doors of opportunity; but in fact the more I think about it, the more I realize that all of my life’s experiences have led me to the place I am today and that not one moment of that time has been wasted by God has he has shaped my life and guided my path.

So, I don’t feel regret as I look back. I feel grateful. So many friends, and even a few strangers, have been kind and gracious to me that I can’t begin to count them all. And each one of those moments of graciousness and generosity has helped me, shaped me, moved me forward.

There are even a few examples where someone thought they weren’t doing me any kindness, yet, that’s how it turned out. Being fired one Friday afternoon in December 1979 led indirectly to my start in voiceover. A summer lunch a couple of years later that I missed out on because I was on the air led directly to my start in voiceover. Being replaced as the host of a national Christian music countdown show in February of 1996 turned out to be one of the keys that led eventually to my working full-time exclusively in voiceover. Another step on that path took place when I was passed over for a promotion in 2003.

You see, kindness is sometimes not in the specific thing that was done or not done, it’s in what you make of the thing. I look at each of those moments I’ve just mentioned and I see how valuable that specific experience turned out to be. In each case, I didn’t feel good about the situation as it was happening, but at the same time I also never lost faith that I was making progress.

The explicit kindnesses far outnumber of hidden kindnesses, but intended or not, each one was important for its own reason. I imagine you can see the same kinds of things in your life. I’d love to hear about your journey. Comments are open.

One man’s answer …

General, People

Or, how my friend Rowell Gormon draws inspiration from silver screen legend Sydney Greenstreet. At least that’s how I would characterize Rowell’s latest blog post, an insightful trip through some of his own journey in the world of voiceover. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.