20. Finding Your Voice

“The least strained and most natural ways of the soul are the most beautiful; the best occupations are the least forced.” – Michel de Montaigne

As many of you know, I have been studying voiceover at Edge Studio in New York for a little over a year. The studio popped onto my radar via my very talented friend and voiceover mentor Kristin Price, who also teaches at the studio. 

I had very limited experience in voiceover, but was intrigued by the medium. It seemed like so much FUN, getting to use your voice and your imagination to create a character or jazz-up a tag-line! And the best part about voiceover is… it doesn’t matter what you look like. Your physical appearance is not a factor. As your tools, you have your voice, your heart and your mind to communicate your message.

I am an auditory learner. So hearing and listening and speaking are the ways that I primarily process the world. Therefore, naturally, voiceover is a medium I enjoy. It’s been a fun journey studying at Edge over the past year+ and has helped me to learn the following:

• The voice doesn’t lie. When I am not breathing, or tense or disconnected, you can hear it… IMMEDIATELY.
• If I don't believe me, the listener won't believe me.
• I can think outside the box and expand the scope of characters that I could imagine myself playing.
• Everyone’s voice and interpretation of copy is unique. There is no one “perfect read.” Embrace the uniqueness.
• Choose one person to speak to. It will always be more interesting (and specific) than talking to a crowd.
• There’s a place for everyone in some genre of voiceover… actors, non-actors… everyone has a voice.
• Achieving a natural/conversational sound seems easy, but is actually very difficult.
• Voiceover is challenging, but it can always be fun... if you allow yourself to play.
• Don’t be a talking head. Use your body. Move.
• Listen.
• Breathe.

Studying voiceover has helped me feel more confident in expressing myself as an artist. I have found Edge Studio to be an incredibly supportive environment for growth and learning. And when I launch out into the (very competitive) voiceover  market to start building my career professionally, I will definitely feel more confident having prepared myself and having been trained to represent myself as a professional. I am honored to have been mentored by some real pros! Some of my favorite Edge coaches include: Kristin Price, Linda Jones, Jay Snyder and Carol Monda... all amazingly talented, great communicators and good people. 

I will be recording my Narration Demo in October (with Jay). I got to choose all my own narration copy, so besides it being a professional studio-recorded demo (fancy!) it will also be a bit personal… because the words are all chosen by ME. Wha-ha-ha!!!! It’s like a little 90-second Virginia Wilcox PSA (Public Service Announcement). I'll have it available online before the year is out... just you wait. :-)

It’s been way fun and super empowering to embrace my own voice and realize that it’s perfectly imperfect… And I am looking forward to more learning and vocal-awareness in the future. I wanna continue training and get reeeeeallly, really good at voiceover recording… ‘cause I LOVE it.

Next stop… Animation Demo… then Commercial… then Audiobook... then who knows? A job maybe?  :-)

Thank you, Edge! Speaking my truth through voiceover copy has contributed greatly to my building-up the courage to be able to write my truth to you all here. It’s all connected.

And in preparing for my grad school auditions this year, I hope that I can retain the lessons that I’ve learned at Edge and translate them into my audition experience.

Breathe. Listen. Speak your truth.

Regards,

V

Discretion is the better part of valor. Spontaneity is the better part of brilliance. And imagination is the better part of making dreams come true. – Mike Dooley, Tut’s Universe