La Vida Te Da Sorpresas

Which means Life brings you surprises.

I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. I simply haven't been inspired to write anything about anything pertinent to my subject matter or of any use to people who like me are still pursuing the VO dream. I've been running my own personal gauntlet and it's taken it's toll on me.

But I'm still here.

My parents have been married for over 40 years. They've had their ups and downs and a couple of times they almost threw in the towel, but in the end they stuck it out. I figured my marriage would be the same. We'd have our ups and downs, but as long as we remained committed to sticking together, we'd eventually find our way through. We'd come out the other side, perhaps a bit bruised and battered, but in the end, together.

I was wrong.

So I've been a single man again for about two weeks and so far it's been a quite a jarring experience. I haven't thought seriously about another woman for almost twenty years. Oh sure, I've had my random fantasies and flirtations. Perhaps even a dalliance or two, but always from the perspective of the safely married man. From the perspective of a newly single, fat, middle-aged, graying, balding and in general falling swiftly into a state of advanced decrepitude man, it's completely different. Actually, it's friggin terrifying.

If suffering and life experience make one a better actor, I should be getting an Oscar shortly. I actually hope it's true so that once I get back in gear, I get to booking work like nobodies business.

I know it will get better. I just hope it gets better soon.

La vida te da sorpresas, sorpresas te da la vida, Ay Dios!

Do you know DB?

One of the coolest people you'll ever want to meet in the world of voiceover actors is Dierdre Williams a.k.a. DB Cooper.

Voiceover Extra just posted an article about DB and it's a great read. You should definitely check it out.


I've known (well . . . eKnown) DB through her voiceover bulletin board, The VO-BB. The community she founded and patiently nurtured into easily one of best communities of voice actors in the world and one of the best sources of free information on how to become a successful voice actor available.

Just sign-up and take about a week or three to go through the archives. You'll find a virtual treasure trove of information on such voiceover related topics as "What Microphone should I buy?", or "How much should I charge for that 300 page audiobook?" and just tons of other stuff as well.

Many of the people I've come to know on the The VO-BB I consider real friends who support one another in this elusive pursuit to voice actor greatness.

Congratulations DB, on this fantastic article and I wish you much luck and success in your planned move to the Left coast. You truly ROCK!

Audioconnell Unveils New International Talent Roster

I just saw the news that my friend Peter O'Connell has launched his new International Talent roster. Here is an excerpt from his Media Release:

It was announced today that professional voice talent company audio’connell Voice Over Talent has launched its international voice casting service via the web at www.internationalvoicetalents.com.

“We’ve been offering this service for years through a select group of international voice talents we’ve gathered based on client requests but we’d never sat down and organized it for the web until now,” said audio’connell Voice Over Talent president and voice talent Peter K. O’Connell. more . . .

I am very proud to be listed on Peter's roster in the Spanish Male category.

Peter, my heartfelt congratulations to you and all the talented folks on your roster. I wish you (and me) much success!!

A Peek behind the scenes

I love it when I come across a video like this. Here is a peek behind the scenes of a working voice actor doing his thing on YouTube.

Doing a voiceover session.

The Power of Commitment

I came across a fantastic quote and thought I'd share my thoughts about it here.

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decisions, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I got bitten by the acting bug when I was in the 4th grade. It was the annual Christmas pagent and I had 1 line. I still remember it. "Gee grandpa!" I was 8 or 9 years old. I've been half-heartedly pursuing the dream of becoming an actor ever since, but there was always something missing. Commitment.

In high school, I was in the choir, the band, the track team and the gymnastics team. Yep, at at 17 years of age and 250lbs, I was the fattest gymnast in the conference. In the track team, I threw shot put and I sucked at it. The only place I had any real talent was in the performing arts. In the band, I played trumpet and I was pretty darn good. In the choir I was a soloist and the music teachers pet. I had tons of potential, but I lacked one thing. Commitment.

When I was in my twenties, I tried my hand at stand-up comedy with some local "open-mic" success. I told jokes, sang songs and did impressions but I never figured out how to get paid for it. Audience members and other performers complimented me on my versatility and talent yet there was still something missing. Commitment

Now I'm 46 years old and I have been pursuing voiceover and acting for almost 3 years. It's the longest I've ever been committed to actually doing the things necessary to succeed, and I am seeing some positive results. Am I a superstar voice actor? Not by a long-shot. At least not yet, but I do have something now that I hadn't had before. Commitment.

When you think about what you are pursuing, be it voice acting or anything else, remember one thing. If you are ever going to achieve any degree of success in your chosen pursuit, there is something you'll need to make first.

A Commitment

How to get a job doing voiceovers

This is a question that most voice actors get on a pretty regular basis. When people find out what we do for a living, this inevitable question bubbles to the surface.

"People tell me I have a great voice, so how do I get a job doing voiceovers?".

The next time someone asks or emails you this question, send them to this link, provided by those fabby people at VOICES.COM

How to get a job doing voiceovers

101 Useful Resources for Online Entrepreneurs

I found this on a non-vo site for internet Entrepreneurs and in today's environment, isn't that what most of us are? Anyway, here is a great list of resources entitled: 101 Useful Resources for Online Entrepreneurs

Over a 180 Resources for Voice Actors

The good people at Voices.com have compiled an amazing list of Over 100 Resources that every voice actor should know about. There is a ton of great stuff here!

They also put together a fantastic list of over 80 Online Marketing resources for voice actors as well.

My thanks go out to Stephanie Ciccarelli and the people at Voices.com. You just gotta love people who share the wealth, huh!

Jimmy Hears a Who

OK, I have been a huge fan of Jim Carrey since his "In Living Color" days.

The man is one of the most amazing comic talents ever. His elastic face and voice have brought me many an hour of explosive laughter. One time, I laughed so hard at his antics that I literally burst a blood vessel in my eye.

Anyway, Jim is starring in the animated version of the Dr. Seuss classic "Horton Hears a Who", opening this weekend at a theatre near you (I've always wanted to say that!).

Here is a link to a Jim Carrey interview about the film on the Dark Horizons website.

When I saw on Oprah (my wife makes me watch it I tell you!) that Jim was co-starring with none other than the legendary Carol Burnett and another of my favorites, Steve Carrell I was thrilled!

Speaking of Steve Carrell, did you catch him as Hammy, the fastest Squirrel on earth in "Over the Hedge"? He was fabulous in that role! But I digress.

The movie opens this weekend which just so happens to be my Birthday weekend (I was born on the Ides of March for you Shakespeare fans) and although I am on the downhill side of my 40s, I am looking forward to this movie and what are sure to be some amazing voiceover performances from these three incredibly talented people.

In a missive from James Alburger and Penny Abshire, they share with us the following:

Meet the VOICE Headliners!

Susan Berkley - What a Great Voice!!

Friday Morning Keynote Speaker,Susan Berkley, is a top voice-over artist whose voice has sold millions of dollars worth of products and services on TV and radio commercials. She is the telephone voice of many Fortune 100 companies. Susan is CEO of Berkley Productions, Inc., a company that provides voice mastery training for aspiring voice artists, and well as performance coaching for business and sales professionals. She is the author of Speak to Influence - How to Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Voice. Visit The Great Voice Company to learn more about this dynamic lady! Susan is a master marketer and a darn good voice coach!!

Pat Fraley - Our Special Guest Star!

Keynote Speaker Monday Morning
Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Voicey Awards in 2008, Patrick Fraley has created voices for more than 4,000 characters, placing him among the top ten performers of all time to be cast in animation. Pat teaches 700+ students a year in events, workshops, and seminars on various aspects of voiceover. His unique character voice cirriculum is the only one accredited at the university level. He has taught voice for 35 years, is a member of the Voice and Speech Trainers of American and holds a Master's of Fine Arts degree in Professional Acting from Cornell University.

Pat Fraley is the "Voiceover King" of working outside the box! During his special guest appearance at VOICE 2008, he will reveal his "Secret Dialect System" created for voiceover. You'll be amazed at how Pat's dialect secrets will change the way you work with your characters! All that and even more. . . Pat is one of the nicest people we know!
Learn more at www.patfraleyteaches.com


Marc Cashman - Looking for a Muse!

Keynote Speaker on Sunday.
Marc Cashman is one of the few voice-acting instructors in the U.S. who is on "both sides of the glass"
as a Clio-winning Radio and TV commercial copywriter, producer, and casting director, and as a working voice actor. As a voice actor, he has been heard locally, regionally, nationally and internationally on radio, TV, film, documentaries, radio plays, video games and audio books. Marc has voiced thousands of commerials, dubbed foreign films, narrated dozens of audio books, and created the voices of many CD-Rom, online and video game characters. Oh, and did we mention. . . he's a really funny guy! Find out why at www.cashmancommercials.com



We're very excited about the caliber of all the speakers who will be presenting at VOICE 2008. In the coming weeks you'll learn more about:

Beverly Bremers Warm up that Voice!
Bob Bergen The official Warner Brothers Voice of Porky Pig
Nancy Wolfson Brain Tracks
Richard Horvitz Character Crazies!
Steve Hudson (UK) Creator of the PSR Method
Randy Thomas Voice of The Academy Awards
Dan Balestrero Voice Over Mastery
Karly Rothenberg Improv Maddness
Julie Williams Voiceover Chocolate
Deb Munro (Canada) Winner of Best Female Voice 2008 Voicey Awards
Chris Allport Mastering Self-Direction
Raleigh Pinksey Shameless Self-Promotion
Gabrielle Nistico (Voice Hunters)
Lee Marshall The Voice of Tony the Tiger
Marc Graue Fix in the Mix
Joe Klein The Podcast VO Guy
Stefan Kinell (Sweden) VO with an international flair
MJ Lallo Characters that move!
Joyce Castellanos Promo and Trailer Expert

And even more big names will be announced as they get closer to the event!!

O.T. - Am I working too hard??

This is way off-topic but I just had to share this.

I read an article recently about a woman by the name of Ailin Graef who created a character in an online game called Second Life. The character's name is Anshe Chung. Anshe / Ailin has become the world's first Virtual Millionaire while playing the game! Furthermore, it only took her 2 years to do it! Here is a link to the press release: Anshe Chung became the world's first Virtual World Millionaire.

I mean this is amazing! This is an early step toward "The Matrix" when we will all be living our lives in virtual worlds! It is also very exciting because the possibilities are endless.

Now I've been working my day job and trying to build my voiceover business over the last 2 years and I have yet to get anywhere near millionaire status, so now I'm wondering, should I stop working so hard . . . and start playing games?

Learning to Fish

I've been learning how to fish lately but so far, I haven't been able to land the big one.

I put the worm on the hook. There is some interest. I start getting a number of queries about voiceover work. Some interesting things are popping up for Spanish language voiceovers.

The fish start to nibble. I've responded to the queries and we start going back and forth. A couple of times, it looks like I'm going to book the job.

The fish are circling. I can see a dark shadow beneath the surface of the water. He looks HUGE! Man oh man I hope he bites!

There is a tremendous tug on the line! Oh baby I'm about to pull in a whopper! They ask if I can run into the New York City today! DRAT! I'm already booked for something else. Can I do it tomorrow?

Suddenly my line goes slack. The big one has gotten away. Man I hate that!

Truth be told, he wasn't that big, maybe just a Bluefish, but I wanted him, and I didn't get him.

But guess what. Tomorrow, I'll start all over again. I'll bait the hook, throw it in and see what bites. And if I get a great big tug on the line again, I'm going to finesse it gently, until I sink that hook in good and deep. I'm not going to let one get away that easily next time, that's for sure. And if he tries to get away, I'm going to fight him like a 300lb Marlin until I land that sucker and mount him on my wall.

Oh yes . . . it's just a matter of time.

V.O.I.C.E. 2008 Update

Well, James Alburger has confirmed that VOICE 2008 will in fact be happening this year in Los Angeles and has provided a short list of the speakers who have been confirmed to date. So far we have:

Here's a short list of some of our confirmed VOICE 2008 presenters:

Susan Berkley
Deb Munro (Canada)
Marc Cashman
Pat Fraley
Bob Bergen
Raleigh Pinsky (author of "101 Ways to Promote Yourself")
Marc Graue (Hollywood studio owner - Marc Graue Voice Over Recording Studios, Burbank. Los Angeles' Premiere Voice Over Studios with ISDN Voice Over Studios and More
Stefan Kinell (Sweden's top VO talent - international VO)
Randy Thomas (VO for Academy Awards for many years)
Chris Allport

So for those of you who were wondering, it's a go and it appears that it's gonna be a good'un!

For the latest updates and information, check out their site at http://www.voice-international.com/

Casting begins for this season's "America's Got Talent"

Casting Call: Casting for NBC's America's Got Talent begins immediately in 13 cities: Orlando, Nashville, Charlotte, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans, Brandon, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

Producers are looking for specialty acts such as dance groups, opera singers, acrobats, impersonators, kids groups and more.

All talent who would like to audition should visit the website to register: NBC.com - America's Got Talent - Casting.

V.O.I.C.E. 2008

I hadn't heard from the organizers of the Voice Over International Creative Experience in a while and there was even some speculation that after a spectactular debut last year, there would be no follow up to the V.O.I.C.E conference. Well, it appears that those speculators were wrong. The "Official Announcement" for this years event landed in my mailbox a couple of days ago and I share the information here with you all. Here is a quote from the email . . .

VOICE 2007 was such an incredible event, you may be wondering how we plan to top the first event of its kind. But we can promise you that the 2008

VoiceOver International Creative Experience

Will be even more amazing!

You're not going to believe what (and who)is coming to VOICE 2008!
Check out our brand new website at www.voice-international.com

The Entertainment Industry Expo

The Entertainment Industry Expo, billed as "the ultimate networking opportunity for anyone in or around the entertainment industry.", will take place Jan. 17 2008 at the Times Square Westin Hotel. It is FREE if you pre-register, or a $10 at the door.

Attendees will be given the chance to take part in casting calls, attend seminars and learn about new products or services that may advance their career.

Among the confirmed casting calls will be Telsey & Company, who handle casting for such notable Broadway shows as Wicked, Legally Blonde, Rent, Hairspray and The Color Purple, and MMG Model Management Group for all you model types.

In addition, many areas of the entertainment industry will be represented, including photographers, talent agencies, schools, casting directors, printing services, vocal coaches, casting websites, industry guilds and associations and many others.

Visit eienyc.com to pre-register.

Crappy Holidays

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season and I hope 2008 brings each of you the most incredible, unimaginable success ever!

As for my own Holiday season, well . . . let's just say, I'm glad it's over.

Here is something you may enjoy. These people have attained levels of success that I aspire to. I hope you find this inspirational.

A "Note from the Universe"

I subscribe to a free daily email titled Notes from the Universe. I really enjoy these daily bits of inspiration and perhaps you will too. Here is the one I received recently.

By the simple act of thinking, Joe, vortexes are created, invisible energies are applied, and circumstances begin creeping to make real what was previously just imagined. This supernatural pull of your thoughts continues long after you think them, whenever there follows intent, expectation and action; moving mountains, parting rivers, and doing the "impossible" until there is the inevitable manifestation.

This is how your "thoughts becoming things." How they physically become things in a dimension that already exists, with billions of players and massive momentum. Not by appearing out of thin air, but through a manipulation of such forces in the unseen that literally begin shifting, morphing, and arranging all of the elements in your life so as to deliver to you the nearest equivalent of what you've been thinking. In other words, the "law of attraction."

"Thoughts becoming things" explains the law of attraction. It's why there is a law of attraction. And unlike any other 3 words in all the vocabularies of all the languages in the world, "thoughts become things" tells you exactly where you fit into the picture, as the thinker, the decision maker over what you will think about, revealing your power as a supernatural, all powerful, unlimited, CREATOR.

But, of course, many prefer not to think of themselves as so phenomenally powerful.

The Universe

Airwave Talent

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am extremely proud to announce that I am now represented by (drumroll please . . .) Airwave Talent!



Airwave Talent is based in Cleveland Ohio and is a full service talent agency representing professional voice talents from all over the USA and beyond. We are also listed on VoiceBank.Net.

Airwave Talent is the brain child of Vic Harris, an experienced voice actor and producer. Vic is a no B.S. kind of guy and I can really appreciate that. I am confident that Vic will make Airwave Talent a major player in the industry and I am looking forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship.

My heartfelt congratulations go to Vic and everyone at Airwave Talent, including ME! Hoo HAAAAAA!!!

Some educational resources

I came across some great educational stuff on Youtube that I thought you might be interested in. Brought to us by the fine folks at Voice123, there are some very interesting and educational pieces here. I especially enjoyed the one on Branding by Nancy Wolfson of Break Into Voiceovers and the one on Auditions by Susan Berkeley of The Great Voice Company.

WARNING: They seemed to have quite a few technical glitches while recording the Nancy Wolfson one so you may have some trouble listening to that one but if you get through it, it's fantastic information. I hope you enjoy!