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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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 Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 04:43 (GMT) Post subject: Voice 10 Years In Storage |
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After 25 years in radio and voice overs, I took a 10 year hiatus. I am really rusty and so much has changed. Plus, I am no longer associated with a radio or TV station, nor am I anywhere near where most of my work was done. So I have no network anymore either - though I am still in touch with several old cronies around the country.
I've listened to a few webinars and read The Art of Voice Acting and Step Up To The Mic. It was very interesting, I enjoyed it. Some of it was so familiar and great to see all the tools and methods written down.
I am a voice coach and I have done every sort of voice work, even reading sponsored tags while flying an airplane. But 10 years is a long time to be out. I'd love to hear a few tips to get current.
In the 8 weeks I've been on Voice123 I've had 2 private leads got a call from a V123 client (calling from India!) who, after speaking with me on the phone, decided I sounded too young. (Too young? YIKES.) So at least things are moving along somewhat!
Thanking you in advance for your help.
Phyllis |
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Joe J Thomas
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Posts: 1521
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| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 16:36 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Hello Phyllis - pleased to meet you!
This is the part where I insert the cliche'd "get back on that horse" bit... But you are coming to the party with a wealth of prior experience. It may feel rusty at the moment, but I've found that just auditioning on a regular basis helps to scrape off some of that patina.
Your demos (and voice) sound very marketable. It's no wonder you got 2 private leads in the first 8 weeks (a good sign IMHO).
As for tips, a brush-up class or book, in combo with plenty of audition practice should help. Although books are good (currently reading "Word of Mouth" by Susan Blu), you can't beat the feedback from a good class.
Well, there's my 1/50th of a dollar - hope it helps a bit,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com |
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 20:40 (GMT) Post subject: Voice 10 Years In Storage becomes...??? |
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| Joe J Thomas wrote: | Hello Phyllis - pleased to meet you!
Your demos (and voice) sound very marketable. It's no wonder you got 2 private leads in the first 8 weeks (a good sign IMHO). |
Thanks, Joe, and I am pleased to meet you too! I listened to your demos and you must forgive me, my voice coach hat fell on my head while in my closet studio.
When you do your British voices, which are spectacular I might add, your throat is relaxed and open - more relaxed and open then when you do your straight reads. My unasked for advice is that you try to figure out what your are doing differently when you switch from your "real" voice to the character voices. I think that your already smooth and polished delivery will go up a few notches when you find that out and do it.
Unlike most normal people (I am so not normal), I have the ability to have a "visual" if you will, of what I hear. It allows me to go beyond what most voice coaches do and pinpoint a speech issue from a totally different perspective. With you, I see some kind of restriction in that area near where the neck joins the chest and/or just below the ears, above the jaw.
For example: A voice talent doesn’t enunciate well enough. A coach would suggest talking slower, repeating the word, and so on. What I “see” is a fuzzy edge to the sound, indicating that the person isn’t using all of his or her lips when they speak. When they use all the skin on their lips, their clarity and enunciation increases dramatically.
Gosh, I'm way off topic!!  What was the topic?!
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Phyllis K. |
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Joe J Thomas
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Posts: 1521
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| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 22:00 (GMT) Post subject: Re: Voice 10 Years In Storage becomes...??? |
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| Phyllis K Day wrote: | Thanks, Joe, and I am pleased to meet you too! I listened to your demos and you must forgive me, my voice coach hat fell on my head while in my closet studio.
When you do your British voices, which are spectacular I might add, your throat is relaxed and open - more relaxed and open then when you do your straight reads. My unasked for advice is that you try to figure out what your are doing differently when you switch from your "real" voice to the character voices. I think that your already smooth and polished delivery will go up a few notches when you find that out and do it.
Unlike most normal people (I am so not normal), I have the ability to have a "visual" if you will, of what I hear. It allows me to go beyond what most voice coaches do and pinpoint a speech issue from a totally different perspective. With you, I see some kind of restriction in that area near where the neck joins the chest and/or just below the ears, above the jaw. |
Thanks for the use of your well-trained ears, Phyllis 
Glad you liked the British voices. I had a singing coach a few years back that helped me "open up". He was able to get an extra 4 half-steps added to the top-end of my range...
Guess I'll re-listen to some of his exercises. Always a good idea to be relaxed for a session...
Toodles,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com |
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 22:29 (GMT) Post subject: Re: Voice 10 Years In Storage becomes...??? |
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| Joe J Thomas wrote: |
Glad you liked the British voices. I had a singing coach a few years back that helped me "open up". He was able to get an extra 4 half-steps added to the top-end of my range...
Guess I'll re-listen to some of his exercises. Always a good idea to be relaxed for a session...
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That singing coach was good! Did what I said make sense, that is, can you hear and feel the difference in your voice between the two deliveries? My mail goal is to help, I hope that I did. Your straight voice is so good that no one would say anything negative - there is nothing negative to say. My excuse for saying anything is that when I get a visual it's hard to keep to myself.
There is nothing magical or spiritistic about this ability, it's part of normal psychology called synesthesia, explained in the book "The man who Tasted Shapes." A ENT doctor told me that I have my hearing and seeing senses joined in some places. About one in every 10 thousand people have joined senses in some way. It's very distracting at times!
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Phyllis K.
Last edited by Phyllis K. Day on Sun Dec 31, 2006, 21:20 (GMT); edited 1 time in total |
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Joe J Thomas
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Posts: 1521
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| Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006, 22:52 (GMT) Post subject: Re: Voice 10 Years In Storage becomes...??? |
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| Phyllis K Day wrote: | | There is nothing magical or spiritistic about this ability, it's part of normal psychology called synthesisia, explained in the book "The man who Tasted Shapes." A ENT doctor told me that I have my hearing and seeing senses joined in some places. About one in every 10 thousand people have joined senses in some way. It's very distracting at times! |
I can definitely see how that would be distracting. I myself have a mild form of hypermnesia - I perceive absolutely everything around me. Very hard to keep up with all the conversations in a crowded restaurant, not to mention the smells and sights - sheesh!
Maybe that's why I like a nice quiet booth  |
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006, 04:35 (GMT) Post subject: Re: Voice 10 Years In Storage becomes...??? |
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| Joe J Thomas wrote: |
I myself have a mild form of hypermnesia - I perceive absolutely everything around me. Very hard to keep up with all the conversations in a crowded restaurant, not to mention the smells and sights - sheesh! Maybe that's why I like a nice quiet booth |
Yikes, hypermnesia? What is that?
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Phyllis K. |
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Freddie Molina
Voice123 Team Member
Site Admin
Joined: 12 Oct 2006
Posts: 1227
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Joe J Thomas
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Posts: 1521
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006, 16:09 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Yeppers - it's a real boon on stage. I can keep track of the other actors, gauge audience response, monitor lighting and sound, etc.
The problem is I can't easily shut things out in real life. I have way too much information on other people every time I go to a crowded place!
Gotta love evolution - an advantage and disadvantage all-in-one.
I've also heard it referred to as "hypervigilant" or "Highly Sensitive" (more info and a book at: The Highly Sensitive Person for those interested)
Happy New Year, Every One,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com |
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Lynne Alston
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 20 Oct 2006
Posts: 743
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006, 17:12 (GMT) Post subject: off subject |
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Joe
What you refer to is also know as "Sensory Integration dysfunction" Have worked with many preschoolers who suffer with this. Have you tried sitting on a washing machine on fast cycle, it re-fires the nervous system, and helps you focus on one thing at a time----like sleep! |
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Joe J Thomas
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Posts: 1521
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006, 17:49 (GMT) Post subject: Re: off subject |
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| Lynne Alston wrote: | Joe
What you refer to is also know as "Sensory Integration dysfunction" Have worked with many preschoolers who suffer with this. Have you tried sitting on a washing machine on fast cycle, it re-fires the nervous system, and helps you focus on one thing at a time----like sleep! |
I have tried sitting on the washing machine on fast cycle - but that was for a very different mental problem!
I was pretty quiet as a child. Dunno if there's an "adult-onset" version of this...
Thanks - knowledge is power,
Joe |
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006, 21:11 (GMT) Post subject: Voice in Storage becomes Special or Unusual Abilities |
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| Joe J Thomas wrote: | Yeppers - it's a real boon on stage. I can keep track of the other actors, gauge audience response, monitor lighting and sound, etc.
The problem is I can't easily shut things out in real life. I have way too much information on other people every time I go to a crowded place!
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Here is a link to info on synesthesia, and books on synesthesia. I would imagine that there are some synesthetes at V123 that aren't aware of why they do what they do:
http://cytowic.net/Synesthesia/synesthesia.html
V123 probably has a higher percentage of synesthetes than the average population.
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