My PHILOSOPHY
I’m a performing improvisational singer and actor. And to be a truly uncompromising artmaker, you must allow income to come and go, because you prioritize creativity over marketability. So I’ve taken different day jobs in the past to supplement, but they take a lot of time and energy away from making art. I feel very lucky to have found voiceover work. It’s a day job of sorts, but it uses and expands skills that feed right back into my original art, and it allows me to create every moment while I’m voicing.
Let me wax spiritual here: what I didn’t know when I started voicing is that it would help me discover who I am. Seriously! I sit in a dead-quiet booth every day, truly aligning with words and stories, so that I can communicate them to others. I have to own them. I have to, essentially, become the author. I might digest ten or twenty scripts a day, when you count auditions and paying work. And stepping so completely into all these perspectives, in rapid succession—some with which I even disagree—gives me a highly unique opportunity to grow in my understanding of others, as well as feel the harmony or dissonance of that particular story within my own person. It's an exploration of self.
Success in voiceover is a long game. I’ve been doing this for over 15 years, and I didn’t start making a full living at it for the first 5 or so. As I've grown in my abilities, I've become an increasingly powerful magnet for jobs I'm truly aligned with: a gorgeous animated piece for Greenpeace, a funny video for Google Trivia, a cinematic commercial for an organic baby food company that soothes all kinds of families undertaking the difficulties of breastfeeding, a narration for a labyrinthine art installation in The Netherlands, a killer audiodrama called The Hacker Chronicles, where I costar with Michael C. Hall.
I now have lots more time & freedom to pursue my original music, and my whole life feels in harmony with my core vibe.
If you’re a CLIENT, I can promise you I’ll always treat you and your script with care, communicate well, and work according to professional industry standards.
If you’re a FELLOW VOICE ACTOR, I can promise you I’ll adhere to professional industry rates and practices, because I know the deceptively complex skills involved in our work.
If you’re a STUDENT, here are some things to know:
I teach both beginning and advanced voice actors, and I focus on the skill of script ownership. My intention is to help you approach a script from the inside. Whether it's a used car commercial, a PSA about getting tested for STD's, an explainer for a bank app, or a narrative about the life of an acclaimed choreographer, we'll approach it as if it's your own story to tell. Becoming a great steward of a script requires a willingness to get to know yourself, emotionally, so get ready for the ride!
Note that I focus on the categories of voiceover that require actors to play themselves: commercials, explainer videos, narrations under about 30 minutes, on-hold messages, etc. Audiobook narration and character voicing for animation/gaming are related fields and require many of the same root skills (and, yes, my coaching is intended to lay a foundation that will be very helpful in those fields), BUT be aware that modes of acquiring character and audiobook work are different, not to mention that those jobs tend to be quite low-paying until one reaches celeb status.
Voiceover isn't for everybody, and even if it is for you, you must treat it as a long game. My coaching is intended to help beginners decide if working in this field is worth the inner work required of the actor, and to help established talent feel more confident in connecting with scripts and clients. The by-product, with persistence, can be higher income, more confidence, and killer skills with a studio mic and editing software.
To be a successful voice actor, you have to have easy access to a studio space, even if it's a closet or basement. You'll have to buy some equipment, pay for a demo, and buy an annual membership to an auditioning service, or work with an agency or production house (the latter two can be very hard to connect with right away). And your booth needs to sound really, really good. I can steer you toward some resources for tackling these things, but I suggest you start here and/or here.
My private coaching sessions cut right to the chase: script coaching! I think the best thing I can do for you is to help illuminate the areas in your approach that you must shake up or clear out in order to let the words come through believably. If I’m currently open for private students, this link will be live. If it’s not, feel free to sign up for my email list (above), and I’ll send out a blast when I have an opening.
Thanks for reading!