It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I had a wonderful time at the VO Mixer last week and connected with some people I'd only ever known via the VO-BB and email correspondence. It's great to actually meet these people in person and experience how warm and wonderful so many of them truly are.

I just wanted to share the talents of some of these wonderful people by inviting you to give a listen to the VO-BB rendition of the beautiful Christmas Poem, "Twas The Night Before Christmas" over at the blog of my friend Bob Souer. I think you'll really enjoy it.

Then you can take a look at a newer video version of the same poem below.

Looking Forward to the 2010 VO Mixer this weekend!

I've missed this event the last 2 times it happened but I'm not missing it this time!

Over the years, I've connected with a number of wonderful, generous people online on the vo-bb and other places.

Well, I finally get to meet some of those people in person and I am really looking forward to it!

If you are one of those people, see you Saturday!

Laughter on the 23rd Floor

I am playing the role of Val in the current production of Laughter on the 23rd Floor at the Sayreville Main Street Theater.

The showdates are as follows:

Fridays - October 22. 23, 29, 30 at 8:00PM

Saturdays - November 5 & 6 at 8:00PM

Sundays - October 24, 31 at 2:00 PM

Synopsis: The Show takes Place in the writer's room of the "Max Prince Show" in NYC in 1953. It is loosely based on the "Your Show of Shows", "Sid Caesar Show", whose writers were Larry Gelbart, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and many, many other recognized comedy writers. Considered to be one of Neil Simon's funniest plays this production is sure to keeping you laughing.

I hope some of you can come on down.

It should be a laugh riot!

If I'd made it to the finals . . .

I was in a karaoke contest recently and made the semi-finals.

Had I made it to the finals, I would have sang the following . . .



So, whaddaya think?

Recent gig for Dialogic

This gig came purely from networking and is a perfect example of the benefit that you can receive when working with a Bilingual Voice Actor.

First we did the piece in English, then the same piece again, but this time in Spanish.

Here is the Dialogic IVVR piece, first, in English:




And here we have it again, but this time in Spanish:



Thanks so much to my friends at Dialogic for selecting me to work with them on this project.

Personally, I think it turned out pretty well.

What do you think?

Joe Rodriguez on Telemundo for UB.net

Here's a nice little spot I did for UB.Net which is currently airing on Telemundo, late Saturday nights during the Bellator Championships programming.

20 Years of the Simpsons

FOX Television started broadcasting in 1986.

In 1989, they launched a controversial television show which looked like a kids cartoon show but was aimed at adults.

Who woulda thunk that The Simpsons would still be on the air 20 years later!

According to ABC News, The Simpsons is now the longest-running scripted nighttime series on TV!

The Simpsons and thei charaters from the show have become household names all over the world.

The voice over actors who star as the main characters on the show, Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns), and Hank Azaria (Chief Wiggum), are probably the luckiest people in the history of voice acting!

Actually, this is probably one of the most talented and versatile group of voice actors ever assembled. Most of the cast do the voices for multiple characters on the show. Dan Castellaneta alone has done over 100 Simpsons character voices!

Being part of an animated tv show has been a dream of mine since I began exploring voice acting. My very first VO class was an animation class.

I've had the opportunity to do the occasional cartoon voice here and there, but to be on a show like the Simpsons is the ultimte dream for any voice over talent.

I mean, these guys make around 400k each, per episode! Is that a dream gig or what?!!

Envy aside, I give my congratulations to the cast of The Simpsons. You've awed and inspired me for 20 years now and I wish you 20 more years of success!

By the way, if you guys ever need a replacement or somebody to speak a little Spanish in an episode or two, give me a call will ya!

Time for New Years Resolutions

I've been reading on other blogs about the kinds of resolutions people are making for 2010.

The thing about resolutions is that they have gotten a bad rap. We all know that most people make resolutions, then forget them about as quickly as they made them. It's a bad cliche at this point.

This year, I resolve to make NO RESOLUTIONS! Instead, I am going to make some GOALS for my year.

My goals are designed to make 2010 my BEST YEAR EVER.

I expect there will be modifications to those goals throughout the year and that there will be obstacles to achieving those goals throughout the year but that is all to be expected and will be dealt with as the year progresses.

One of the first things I learned about goals is that you have to keep track of them. If you don't track them, you won't achieve them. You don't need an advanced degree in astrophysics to know that's the truth.

So how does one track goals?

I found some neat tips on the Lifehacker website for some tools that may be helpful in tracking goals. You might find some of them useful. Check out the Five Best Goal-Tracking Tools on their site for some ideas.

Besides tracking goals, I also plan to use whatever tricks I can find or develop, to help make my goals a reality. I found another nice article on Lifehacker titled "Top 10 Mind Hacks for Making Your Resolutions Stick".

Some of these ideas are great. I plan to use at least some of them.

As for the rest of my goals for this year, I'll keep the specifics to myself for now but I'm sure mine are similar to yours since we pretty much all want the same things in the areas of prosperity, health and happiness.

So good luck with your resolu . . . goals for this year, and let me know how you progress along your path.

Oh, one of my other goals is to blog more regularly. Not daily, but definitely, more regularly. I think this post is a good start.

Don't you?

P.S. Just came across this great list of 10 things to do instead of making New Years resolutions.

It's gonna be a great show!

If you happen to be in NJ and want to see a really great show, come down to Playhouse 22 in East Brunswick and checkout "Guys and Dolls"



Did you see that guy on the right? Handsome dude, huh! Anyway, the show runs October 30th through November 22nd

Playhouse 22 in the East Brunswick Cultural Arts Center
715 Cranbury Road
East Brunswick, NJ 08816

Friday and Saturday Performances @ 8:00 PM - Sunday Performances @ 3:00 PM

For tickets call: (732) 254-3939 or visit www.playhouse22.org
Regular Prices: $22
Seniors & Students: $20
Group Sales available

Talkin Funny for Money

Every year my teacher and friend Pamela Lewis, holds her "Talking Funny For Money" class in NYC at Full House Studios, 123 W. 18th St, 7th floor.

This may be kinda short notice but this years class is on October 10th thru 13th. If you are interested, you can call Carole over at Full House at 917 363 9877 ASAP.

There are only 10 actors accepted for this intensive workshop. I took it a couple of years ago and I recommend it.

Sessions will be October 10-13. Sat, Sun, Mon, & Tues evenings, 7pm to 10pm.

This workshop is a lot of fun and you'll learn a bunch as well. The cost is just $299.00.

If you decide to take the class, tell Pamela that Joe Rodriguez sent ya!

I volunteered to narrate for Hearthebill.org

I am proud to announce that I've volunteered as a reader at HearTheBill.org which was founded to provide an audio version of the healthcare bill currently being heatedly debated in Washington DC.

All the narrators are volunteers and together, we are providing America with the ability to better understand what it is our politicians are trying to achieve with this bill.

I hope through our efforts, we can get people to a place where they can actually support this important legislation.

Hear the Bill

A bunch of my online VO friends participated in this amazing project where they recorded the entire President Obama Health Care Bill for your listening pleasure.

Now there is no excuse for not getting informed on this extremely important topic.

To hear the bill, go to http://hearthebill.org/.

A Fascinating Article about the Audiobook Biz

Heidi Schooler wrote a fascinating article over at Backstage.com where she interviews the amazing Mr. Pat Fraley and Marc Cashman about the Audiobook Biz.

It's called (Audio) Book Smart. It's an interesting read and I highly recommend you pop over and give it the once over.

A Whopper of a Voiceover Resource Directory

I came across this list from one of my subscriptions, can't remember which but in any case, here is a WHOPPER of a voiceover resource directory which includes over 200 sites that list voiceover casting opportunities. OVER 200!!

You can check out Taji's Voice Over Directory by clicking here.

It is ALIVE!!!

Scott Brick and the Audio Publishers Association contest is officially live! They are looking for the next great audiobook narrator. Could it be YOU??

For more info, visit Scott's site.

Good luck!

To Shave . . . or not to shave. THAT is the question!

I've had a goatee for about 15 - 20 years but recently, due to various theatrical productions I've been in, I've changed my facial hair styles from goatee to full beard and then to clean-shaven. Now that I'm between shows, I am wondering which style to keep? So what do you think? Should I go with A, B or C?

Winners of the 2009 Audie Awards Announced

Without further ado, the winners of the 2009 Audies:

Audiobook of the Year was won by Neil Gaiman, writer and narrator of "The Graveyard Book"; HarperChildren's Audio.

Distinguished Achievement in Production was won by Live & Listen Audio for "Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady" by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren.

Solo Narration - Male was won by narrator John Lee for his work on "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas; Blackstone Audio.

Solo Narration - Female was won by narrator Katherine Kellgren for her work on "Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady", a novel by L.A. Meyer; Listen and Live Audio.

Narration by the Author was won by David Sedaris for "When You Are Engulfed in Flames"; Hachette Audio.

Multi-Voiced Performance was won by "Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan, read by Kate Forbes, Joey Collins, Peter Jay Fernandez, Ezra Knight, Brenda Pressley, and Tom Stechschulte; Recorded Books.

Special Achievement Awards were won by Michael Snodgrass and Eileen Hutton of Brilliance Audio.

Judges Award - Politics was won by "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman, read by Oliver Wyman; Macmillan Audio.

Humor was won by "The Learners" by Chip Kidd, read by actor Bronson Pinchot; Blackstone Audio.

Spanish Language was won by "Por in Dia Mas/For One More Day" by Mitch Albom; read by Jose Manuel Vieira; FonoLibro, Inc.

Teens was won by "Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady" by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren; Listen & Live Audio.

Children's Titles Ages 8 to 12 was won by "The Graveyard Book", written and narrated by Neil Gaiman; HarperChildren's Audio.

Children's Titles Ages up to 8 was won by "James Herriot's Treasury for Children"; James Herriot, read by Jim Dale; Macmillan Audio.

Original Work was won by "Louis Vuitton Soundwalk: Beijing" by Stephan Crasneanscki, narrated by Gong Li; Louis Vuitton.

Audio Drama was won by "The Odyssey" by Homer, narrated by Tim McInnerny, Amanda Redman and a full cast; BBC Audiobooks America.

Audiobook Adaptation was won by "English Majors: A Comedy Collection For The Highly Literate" written/read by Garrison Keillor and cast, with special guests Billy Collins, Roy Blount Jr., Robert Bly, Donald Hall, Allen Ginsberg, and Calvin Trillin; HighBridge.

Package Design was won by "Founding Fathers", written by Arthur M. Schlesinger, read by Ira Claffey and Richard Rohan with package design by Margo Goody; Macmillan Audio.

Classic was won by "Great Expectations", written by Charles Dickens, read by British narrator Simon Vance; Tantor Audio.

Romance was won by "The Dark Highlander", written by Karen Marie Moning, narrated by Phil Gigante; Brilliance Audio.

Thriller / Suspense was won by "Child 44", written by Tom Rob Smith, read by narrator Dennis Boutsikaris; Hachette Audio.

Science Fiction / Fantasy was won by "Calculating God", a book by Robert J. Sawyer, read by Jonathan Davis; Audible, Inc.

Mystery was won by "Voice of The Violin", authored by Andrea Camilleri, read by narrator Grover Gardner; Blackstone Audio.

Short Stories / Collections was won by "Armageddon in Retrospect" by Kurt Vonnegut; intro read by Mark Vonnegut; read by Rip Torn; Penguin Audio.

Literary Fiction was won by "Elmer Gantry", a novel by Sinclair Lewis, read by narrator Anthony Heald; Blackstone Audio.

Inspirational / Faith-based Fiction was won by "Prague Counterpoint", written by Bodie and Brock Thoene; read by Sean Barrett; FamilyAudioLibrary.com.

Fiction Audie was a tie! This award was won by "The Duma Key", written by Stephen King, read by John Slatter; Simon and Schuster Audio. This award was also won by "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, read by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills; Books on Tape.

Personal Development was won by "You Staying Young" by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz, read by Johnny Heller, Recorded Books.

Inspirational / Faith-based Non-Fiction was won by "The Word of Promise: Next Generation New Testament" read by Sean Astin and cast; Thomas Nelson Inc.

Business / Educational was won by "The Little Red Book of Selling" written and narrated by Jeffrey Gitomer; Simon & Schuster Audio.

History was won by "Gandhi and Churchill" by Arthur Herman, narrated by John Curless; Recorded Books.

Biography / Memoir was won by "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow, narrated by Erik Singer; Hyperion Audiobooks.

Non-Fiction was won by "Hot, Flat, and Crowded", by Thomas Friedman, narrated by Oliver Wyman; Macmillan Audio.

The Next Great Audiobook Narrator Contest!

Scott Brick and the Audio Publishers Association have teamed up to find the next great audiobook narrator in their "Share The Experience" contest! The winner will get their first professional audiobook narrating gig!

Interested? Thought so. Read all about it here:
http://www.scottbrickpresents.com/wordpress/blog/

and check out the contest page right here:
http://www.scottbrickpresents.com/wordpress/contest-share-the-experience-finding-the-audiobook-industrys-newest-narrator/

Please help support Relay For Life®

This year, hundreds of thousands of people will hear the words "You have cancer", and there's a good chance that some of them will be people we know and love. That's why I have chosen to fight back against cancer by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life®. I want to invite you to join me in the fight against cancer by making a donation in support of my efforts.

Please click here to visit the Relay For Life® web page for the Mandela Mavericks, where you can make an online contribution. Every amount, no matter how small, makes a difference and provides hope. You can also sign up to join my team and learn more about Relay and how it's changing lives.

Relay For Life® brings more than 3.5 million people from across the country together each year to Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, Remember loved ones lost, and Fight Back against a disease that takes too much. This fun-filled, overnight event empowers everyone to help fight cancer by raising money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission.

Thank you in advance for your support!

I'm on iTunes!

I am proud to be the narrator of "It's Just Begun: The Epic Journey of Dj Disco Wiz, Hip Hop's First Latino DJ!" by by Ivan Sanchez (Author), Luis (DJ Disco Wiz) Cedeño (Author), available via iTunes and also available in hardcover on Amazon.com!

Pretty cool huh!