Would you ever have thought in a million years we’d be in the situation we find ourselves today? It just goes to show that no matter how much planning, how much technology, how many advancements we’ve made in medicine, there are some things we just can’t control.

Up until March, we’ve enjoyed the best economy we’ve had in years. We could walk into any grocery store, any time of day, and buy any brand and quantity of toilet paper we desired. Hand sanitizer was something we used occasionally. Clorox wipes and Lysol were available in abundance. Within days, COVID-19 took all that away.

So…how are you doing?

I don’t know about you, but this pandemic has given me a lot of time for self-reflection and self-assessment. Some amazing things are happening. Those things I thought were so important? Turns out they’re really not important at all. I’m re-connecting with my wife and family. I’m an introvert, but I now realize the importance of human contact. I don’t take anything for granted. And the most interesting thing? I’m not worried. I’m not scared. I am filled with hope. I believe that hope is found in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m confident that no matter what happens, God is in control. He is not surprised by the coronavirus. And you can bet He’s doing great things during it.

Great article by Danielle Bernock at Christianity.com. My favorite quote…”God can use the coronavirus for good because God is good. Contrary to what some are saying, the coronavirus is not the judgment of God for the sin of the world. Because of God’s great love for us, Jesus bore not only the judgment of God for sin but also our sickness and disease.” I highly encourage you to read the full article here.

“Social Distancing” has become part of our vocabulary. While that’s important, let’s not forget “Distance Socializing.” Even though we can’t physically be there for those people in our lives, we certainly have the technology to do the next best thing. Zoom. Facebook. What’s App. And a multitude of others. It’s so important not to isolate ourselves. My little grandniece was born practically the day our governor issued the stay-at-home order. We planned on being at the hospital that day, but obviously that couldn’t happen. However, I can still see her through video chat. My family throughout Southern California is planning on doing some kind of Easter dinner video chat. Not sure what that’s gonna look like, but how cool is it that we can do that? Stay connected!

You can make a difference. The best way to stop thinking about your own troubles is to help someone else. It can be something as simple as giving a roll of toilet paper to your neighbor. Going to the store for an elderly friend. Using your talents and skills to bless someone who needs it.

On that note, I’m here to help. If your business is on a tight budget during this time, or if you need a voice over super fast, I’d like to help you out if I can. Seriously.  Whatever I can do to help. We’ll all get through this together!

2020 sounds so futuristic, doesn’t it?  And in many ways, the future is here.  Sure, we don’t have flying cars yet. Well, we kinda do, but not really. Technology has advanced exponentially in the last 20 years. And that includes the voice over world.

Once upon a time, we trained with a voice over coach. Had our demos professionally recorded and produced. Shopped around for an agent. And then audition.  And audition. And audition. While it’s still important to receive voice over training and a polished demo, the voice over world is a different landscape. It no longer costs thousands of dollars to build a home studio.  Heck, I think it cost me under $300. Auditions more often than not happen in the comfort of your own home, rather than traveling to a studio. And agents, while they still have a role to play, are not the only way to enjoy voiceover success. There are P2P sites like Voices.com and Voice123. There are freelance sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer. And here’s a novel idea…working directly with the client. Let’s face facts, it’s a gig economy. And the VO industry isn’t quite sure how to deal with it. It’s like the record industry not prepared for mp3’s. It’s like Blockbuster blind to video streaming.

It’s, quite simply, change. And we need to change with it.

Personally, as a voice talent, I’m all for it. I love the fresh opportunities that weren’t there 20 years ago. Because of freelance sites, I’m able to work with people all over the world. I’m able to use vocal styles I never had the opportunity to use before. I’m able meet clients where they’re at financially, working with them within their budget.

Hey, this is a win-win for voice over artists. Those screaming about “undercutting” the industry rates need a wake-up call.  Sure, maybe in some cases you have to lower your rates. But there are so many opportunities now for new clientele!  Opportunities that never would have been there back in the day.

So my advice?  Jump onto the Future Bus before you get left behind.

When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, Christmas was a special time of year.  Think the movie “A Christmas Story,” and you’ll get a picture of what my neighborhood was like. Snow as deep as your waist. Adults hated it, but for us kids this was a Winter Wonderland!

Every Christmas season I looked forward to the Santa Hotline. You’d called the number, and Santa would have a different daily message.  Every day he’d be in a different country.  “Ho Ho Ho, this is Santa!  And today, I’m in Belgium!” Then he’d go on to talk about Christmas traditions in each country and the different names they had for Santa Claus: Papa Noel, Father Christmas…you get the idea. Really cool stuff.  But the main thing that kept me calling every day?  His voice. I mean, this was the PERFECT Santa!  He sounded exactly how I thought he would sound, from the pitch and tone of his voice, right down to his belly laugh.

I’ve kept that Santa voice close to my heart, and now years later as a voiceover talent, that’s the exact Santa voice I’ve modeled mine after. I like to think of it as a tribute to the jolly old elf. But that’s what being a character voice actor is all about. Subconscious or conscious, our character voices come from someone in our past.  Could be a family member. Could be a friend. Could be an actor. We just take those unique voices and make them larger than life. A beautiful tribute.

If you’re a company developing a Christmas commercial, or you’re simply a parent who wants to give their kids a message from Santa, I’m here to help!  Just don’t make me squeeze down any chimneys.  Contact me anytime! Santa Claus voice overs are my joy, pleasure, and specialty.

I’m an audiobook narrator.  I try to pace myself so I don’t go out of my mind.  It’s definitely a long haul, and I want to make sure I give my best, and that I’m fresh for each session. Depending on the size of the book, it can take 3 weeks or 3 months. A lot can happen in that time.

Like losing my voice during an audiobook project. And the deadline was looming.

As a voice over talent, having a cold can be a blessing at times. Your voice sounds deeper and cooler. You can hit the low notes with the best of ‘em.  Even that Coors guy. But when you’re in the middle of a long project, like an audiobook, your voice needs to sound consistent with what you’ve already recorded. If I’m narrating an audiobook, I can’t sound like myself in one chapter and Professor Dumbledore in the next. “Dark times are ahead, Harry.”

So what do you do?

The WRONG WAY: Certainly, don’t do what I did and forge ahead. I didn’t want to let my client down. I barked out several chapters with my hoarse voice, and I thought it was passable. Until I compared it with the previous chapters. It was like the book was taken over by Gilbert Gottfried with a half-cut vocal cord.  It was that bad.

The RIGHT WAY: Have faith in your clients. When you work a 9 to 5 job, your boss doesn’t want you there if you’re sick. Usually. Same thing applies here. Be honest. Tell them what’s happened, and that the project may be delayed by a few days, or whenever your voice comes back. 9 times out of 10, they’ll be o.k. with it. My client was great. Even prayed for me. Bonus!

Sure, occasionally you’ll get that one client who is never satisfied.  What if they tell you to keep going? That’s when you record your Gottfried voice and send your difficult client the MP3. They certainly don’t want THAT voice anywhere near their book. That should change their mind. What if it doesn’t?  Well, it’s their book. Do it with the understanding that you will not record those chapters over if they decide later they don’t like it. Or at least you won’t record those chapters over for free. Money talks. If they continue to complain, and moan and groan, Maybe it’s best to reevaluate your relationship.

But chances are, they’ll understand. They might even make you some chicken soup. Probably not. But maybe.

I’ve been a voice over talent for over 20 years, and let me tell ya…it’s been a roller-coaster ride.

Ups. Downs. Loops. Slow. Fast.

Sometimes nausea is involved.

It’s a very competitive industry chock-full of very talented people. And it’s a community. You can tap into voice over groups on any social media platform. Which can be great!  A place to swap ideas, talk about the latest VO equipment, new voice actor workshops to check out. 

But here’s a word of advice:  Before you join any of these voice over groups, you need to have the right mindset. Because if you don’t, you may end up in a fetal position in the corner, hugging your microphone like a teddy bear and sobbing into your wind-screen. Why? Because of a group post like this:

“I just booked a huge gig with (BIG CORPORATION) making (RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF $$$$$$$)!”

CUE DRAMATIC SOUND EFFECT (dun-dun-DUUUNNNN!)

Sheesh!  What’s with the drama?  I can be happy for someone if they book a sweet voice over gig!

Oh yeah?

What happens when you’re in a voice over slump and haven’t booked a single job in weeks? And let’s say you actually AUDITIONED for said BIG CORPORATION gig?

How do you feel now?

If you don’t have the right mindset, this can tear you apart. And out comes the Green-Eyed Voice Over Monster. Thoughts creep in. “Why him?  Why is he so special? Why can’t I book a job like that? I’m more talented than him! How come they’re so lucky and I’m getting nothing?” Then comes the self-loathing. The depression. The loss of confidence.

I should know. It happened to me, and it nearly destroyed my love and passion for voice overs.

Ultimately, I ended up posting my feelings in the group. The outpouring of support and encouragement overwhelmed me. I found out I wasn’t alone. Not by a longshot. Very successful voice over folks telling stories about their own dry spells and their own self-doubt. I seriously almost cried. Almost. I don’t cry. Often.

That guy who booked that HUGE job? Before that, it had been 3 months since he’d booked anything. Puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

These people became more human to me by their vulnerability. I learned that we all have moments of self-doubt and disappointment. It’s human nature to want to talk about your successes rather than your failures.

It’s easy to celebrate someone else’s success when you yourself are doing great.  The big question is…whatcha gonna do when things AREN’T so great? The breakthrough comes when you can genuinely be happy for that person.

Besides, there are peaks and valleys in life.  If you don’t have the valleys, how are going to appreciate the peaks when they come?