Last week I went to the opera. It was amazing.
Rusalka is basically “The Little Mermaid” minus the happy ending. I’ve never been to Lincoln Center and it’s a sight to see. The set for Rusalka was simple but gorgeous and the lighting was brilliantly utilized to indicate both location and mood. The orchestra was perfect and obviously the singers were top-notch. One thing that was really cool was the digital display on the back of the chair in front of you so you can understand what they’re saying (Rusalka is performed in Czech). It was a mind-blowing experience and I’m truly glad I went.
Here’s a fun little bit of dichotomy for you. The morning of the opera, I had a recording session for a major project I can’t talk about yet (stay tuned for more info). Anyway, in that session I had to do some “exertions”, among which were farting and puking sounds. I go from sounding like I’m throwing up to hearing some of the most elegant, melodious sounds I’ve ever heard come out of a human being. The irony was not lost on me!
TIP OF THE WEEK
From a voiceover perspective, what struck me was how everyone involved is so good at what they do. Everyone from the performers to the set designers to the lighting technicians to the costumers. These are the best of the best with many, many, many years of intensive training under their belt.
Why do some aspiring voice talents think they need little to no training? Because they have a nice voice? Because it looks easy? Does anyone watch a ballet and think, “Hey, I have feet! I can do that right now and get paid!” Probably not.
Opera singing requires technique and so does voice acting. You need to learn vocal control, volume control, breath control, microphone technique, copy reading technique for each genre, and much, much more. Consistent, quality training is critical to success as a voice talent. If you’re starting out and think you can get by on your natural talent, you will fail.
Save your pennies, do your research, and get the quality training you need to have a chance at success in the voiceover industry.
NEWS AND NOTES
Announcement! If you’ve never filed your taxes as a voice talent before or are looking for ways to save, I can help. With that in mind, it’s March Money Madness! All “Tax Time” sessions in March are 50% off!!! I’ll share with you some tricks and tips I’ve learned over the years to help get you get as much back as possible. Just email me to get the ball rolling.
Reminder! My next Edge Studio “Business And Money 201” webinar will be Thursday, March 23 @8PM EST. The subject: Tax Time. We’re going to talk about how to make your tax filing as painless as possible. FYI my one-on-one session is $50 with the March promotion but the Edge Studio class is only $37. You can save money that way! Click here to register.
I would also like to wish everyone who is going to VO Atlanta a fantastic time!
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Meatball Day and Genealogy Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not.
Tom Dheere is a 20-year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a coach at Edge Studio, voiceover business consultant known as the Voice Over Strategist, and is currently producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.