A Nice Long Drive

Several weeks ago I signed up for the Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino telesiminar Acting For Advertising Part 2 (after learning so much from Part 1). I was especially looking forward to it since I had a private session with Nancy earlier that day and knew our lesson would continue through the night. Of course, life can be unpredictable and I ended up missing the telesiminar. A friend of ours gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby and that took precedent. Fortunately, I received the mp3 in my inbox a few days later.

Again, life is unpredictable and I have been so busy, I hadn't had time to listen to the mp3. It was starting to bother me, as I knew I had a wealth of information at my fingertips and no spare time to reach over and grab it! I downloaded the mp3 along with the Voice Over Experts podcast at Voices.com into my iPod, just waiting for a few free hours to listen (I have been anxious to listen to the podcast, but hadn't had the chance yet).

Yesterday I had an infomercial shoot in Florence, SC. It was a 2 hour drive both ways, and you better believe I had my iPod in hand! After several weeks, I was finally able to listen to the telesiminar, and I wasn't disappointed! If you have the time, and want to learn valuable information about voice over, I highly recommend both Acting for Advertising 1 and 2. You can purchase the mp3's at Breakintovoiceover.com.

At the beginning of part 2, Nancy talks about a private session she had taught earlier in the day. As you can figure out, that was the session I had with Nancy (another great lesson I was able to implement immediately into my work).

Also, be sure to subscribe to the Voice Over Experts podcast. There is a ton of information from successful and professional voice talent that would normally cost you a fortune to learn...and it is all free!

On another note, I want to thank everyone who voted in the Simpson's Sound-a-Like contest. I was very pleased to learn I won in the 'Lisa Simpson' category! Now I just have to figure out what to spend my Amazon gift certificate on!

Finally, in regards to a previous blog post about working with a cold, I wanted to point out the importance of having a good allergist on hand this time of year. If you are like me, allergies can be a killer! This year has been especially bad in the Carolinas because of the severe drought we are experiencing. I'm on 2 different allergy medications and just made an appointment with my allergist for a follow up. It is vitally important that you take care of yourself, as coughing and throat clearing can damage your vocal chords. Plus, what director wants to listen to you blowing your nose during a session? This is just a follow-up reminder that your health can make or break your business when you are a voice actor.

I'm off to download some more great podcasts for my trip to Wilmington this weekend for a top secret audition...fingers crossed!

It's A Matter of Health

Possibly one of the most important aspects of being a voice actor is maintaining a consistent sound. Your clients need to know they can depend on you to deliver the moment they need you. Obviously, the way to remain reliable is to stay as healthy as possible.

I'm a bit of a health nut. No, I do not work out at the gym nearly as much as I should, but I do take care of myself. I get regular check-ups, plenty of rest, and maintain a healthy diet.

Occasionally, however, a bug can sneak up and bite you when you least expect it. I spent the last week with the mother of all colds. The minute I felt it coming on, I went to the doctor. She prescribed some antibiotics and lots of rest. Unfortunately, it didn't help. This is one I've just had to wait out.

First, I completely lost my voice (it hasn't happened in years, and the timing was horrific). Once the voice came back, the coughing started and there was no way I was going to get any work done. I couldn't hear, couldn't talk, couldn't sleep...I was completely plugged up and miserable.

The first day my voice returned was Wednesday. The timing was nice considering I had a morning session with Nancy Wolfson and 3 commercials to record for DR Horton. I barely made it through both (a special thank you to Nancy for rearranging our lesson to something that was vocally 'quiet').

Thursday, the cold came back with a vengeance, and today is the first day I've begun to feel almost human again.

I'm not writing this blog looking for sympathy (although I've earned it after this week!). I write because we are headed straight for cold and flu season and it is likely each of you will deal with this at some point.

Since this is my first major cold in quite a while, I wasn't sure how to handle my business. It turns out people can be incredibly patient if you are upfront and honest. For each job that came in, I was open about my inability to record. I asked if it was possible to wait until my cold had passed. In each case, it was just fine. I didn't lose any work throughout the week (phew!). I did miss out on some killer auditions, but I just have to let that go. What is meant to be will be, right?

Remember as the cold months approach that you need to take care of yourself. Wash your hands several times throughout the day, get plenty of sleep, and take your vitamins! If a cold hits, don't panic- your clients will understand.

One More Week...

A couple of weeks ago Voices.com posted details about a new contest. They were asking for impressions of our favorite Simpson's characters. Never one to shy away from a chance to do my 'Lisa', I entered the contest.

I was pleasantly surprised to find I made it to the finals! You can listen to all the Simpson entries and vote for your favorites here. You do not have to be a member of the site to vote.

The deadline for voting is September 11th...one more week!

Wanna Get Into VO?

My friends Bobbin Beam, DB Cooper, and I were recently discussing what the best advice was that we could give to VO hopefulls. We each get several e-mails a week asking how to break into the business, and it turns out all 3 of us have a pre-written letter we like to send to those wanting to learn more. Bobbin was kind enough to print these letters on her blog.

Part I can be found here.

Part II can be read here.

And finally...Part III.