ONE VOICE
You’ve only got one voice. Imagine losing your voice……permanently. A terrible thought.
This beautiful and delicate instrument enables communication, expression and in the case of a Voiceover Artist it is the number one tool. It must be treated with care and respect at all times.
Have you been told that you have a ‘lovely voice’ or ‘you should do voiceovers’? Now at it’s simplest, voiceover is reading and talking. Two skills that most are pretty adept at, so not really that unique. There’s no Unique Selling Point there! As you begin your career as a Voiceover you come to learn that there is a lot more to it than that. The skills of the modern-day VO include running a business (and all that comes with it), mastering the technical side of recording and editing, interpreting copy, employing acting skills, cold-reading, creating and developing client relationships and so much more. But being skilled in any of these areas is all for nothing if you have problems with your voice.
Voiceover forums worldwide are full of those calling themselves ‘Voiceover Artists’ complaining of vocal issues that are preventing them from giving their best at the microphone. This is often because the key focus of understanding the mechanism of voice, has been overlooked. The new VO gets tied up in searching for work, auditioning, recording a massive audiobook, updating their website and spending perhaps far too much time on Social Media. Add to this the obsession with fiddling with the shiny new microphone or interface, it is easy to see why ‘the voice’ can be neglected.
VOICE FIRST
My advice would be to immerse yourself in understanding all you can about how the voice works. This should be the advice from any true voice professional, You should be training continually, gently stretching your voice, developing your vocal warmups and maintaining vocal excellence. For a sustainable voiceover career it really is a no-brainer: VOICE FIRST.
10-PART VOCAL CARE PROGRAMME
The Voice should be front and centre in any Voiceover Training programme. Vocal Care should be at the forefront of your mind every day as you train and develop your skills. The 10-part Vocal Care programme developed with Yvonne Morley is now online and available to all Voiceover Kickstart members*. Login today.
