VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio #546 – What Irks Me
Voice coaches, radio, everything voiceover. Welcome to a brand new episode of voice coaches radio. My name is Marissa. I hope that this is finding you well. Oh, the summer is just, it's slowly just like sand through our fingers. It is just going away. And here's the thing, you know, what I don't mind so much is being able to sleep at night with the windows open and it's just like got that chill enough in the air where you could still be comfortable, but you can have some blankets on.
You don't have to have the AC blasting. You can hear like, in my case, I hear the frogs out back, which just means. When you hear them, by the way, they're mating. That's what that sound is. And now that I've learned that, I'm like, Eh, this is not as relaxing as I used to think it was. But, uh, it still, it still soothes me to sleep.
But, yeah, I mean, I like this part of summer, but I also know this means that it's going away. And to all those people who were like, I can't wait for pumpkin spice and sweaters! Still hate ya. Like, like a lot. Because I would so much rather have 100 degree temperatures all the dang time. I will say this, though, like the last time we did have 100 degree day a couple weeks ago, my parents, you know, I was teaching a class.
I was teaching a class from my home from 4 to 5 that afternoon, and I'm sure this student thought I was crazy because it did get like real bad here. Storm wise out of nowhere, and it wasn't even on the radar because I had looked, uh, and My dog's kind of going crazy and like I went and I shut the patio door and I'm like, I am so sorry.
I realize I'm slightly distracted, but, and it turns out I had every right to be distracted because only a minute down the road of my parents development, they had a microburst tornado come through. Now, I just want to remind you that we're in upstate New York, you know, and we're not like in like all sorts of corn, you know, field area.
We are in a very suburban residential, um, you know. Very heavily populated area that this is not the norm, uh, you know, and I just, I get a text message from my mother. It could not have been. More mom like. It was just a picture of gigantic trees down on their house. And I'm like, fine, I'll bite. Uh, I'll call.
Um, which I did. And I was like, what the heck happened? And then I realized my dad wasn't there. So I flew out of that driveway faster than I think I've ever, uh, you know, peeled out of it before. Listen, everything is okay. That's the beautiful part about it. Nobody is hurt. Like the neighborhood did have a Determined microburst tornado that went through there were nobody got injured houses had some damage My parents house ended up not having really any damage.
It was a matter of getting trees down and and taken away, but Yeah, very lucky situation when all is said and done. Um, so it has been a crazy couple of weeks and, uh, I guess those hundred degree days around here in New York, you just never know what the, what the weather is going to then, you know, spawn because of it.
So we always gotta be careful, but, uh, listen, I mean, I had had some, some different questions pop up this week, uh, when it comes from students and the one that I get here and there that just makes me kind of scratch my head is when I'm introducing myself to somebody. You know, brand new student, brand new face and, and I tell them what my background is.
And then the question pops up of like, well, how does, how does what you do incorporate in voice acting? And I'm just like, Oh dear, you are brand new and you don't understand because yes, my background is heavily in radio broadcast, but I'm just going to tell you right now. Um, do you think every day I, and I feel like I want to go and have a party on the air and sound like I am.
No, like a lot of times I've had to just fake through some stuff and that is called acting my friends Uh, you know on top of that the way that you are on the radio these days is how I am with you right now Which is what it is having a conversation right like in in this way. I just can't hear what you're saying back to me I can't hear what the listeners on the radio are saying back if they're saying anything They're telling me to shut up or not but um, you know like Realizing yes, there is no script But in some cases I am technically reading some stuff here and there I've got like bullet points or you know I I know promos for the radio station that I have to talk about or I Know that there's some prep in front of me of different pop culture related stuff Or maybe there's local news that I I wanted to talk about like These things, I am now making my own and making them conversational.
That is what voiceover is truly all about. Now, I mean, you want to sound like you. And that was the biggest challenge and is always the biggest challenge for any radio personality as they're beginning. Because... I mean, for myself, I mean, I think I've talked about this before. I was like 20. I didn't even know who I was yet.
How am I supposed to be me on the air if I don't really know what me is or whom he is? Uh, you know, so it did take some understanding and you know, what we end up kind of coaching our students through is the same. exact thing that I ended up doing for myself without having the education to do it. And you know, that's why I like, I always use myself as an example about halfway through the program because students end up getting to be a gigantic step ahead of where I was when I started because they are getting so much more education and I literally Was just going in day by day being like, all right, gotta hope somebody's gonna guide me You know, I'm gonna make this choice and hope it doesn't like, you know, make somebody want to fire me You know because I just I didn't have the education I learned a lot of technical know how when I went to a radio school and that was what they were really great for I got hands on learning.
I got to understand, you know the structure of commercials and how to write one. I got to learn how to use the editing equipment. I got to learn how to utilize the, the big boards that you see. You know, I, I, I know a lot of those very much in and out. People would always come to me and ask for like, you know, help because they couldn't figure out why something wasn't.
Working the way it was supposed to and I better go to Marissa even though she's in the middle of her job I'm gonna take her away from that. I'm gonna make her help me do mine But you know, I got real good at the technical side of things and then I had to go ahead and really train myself In how to be myself on the air and what it comes down to I'll tell you my secret And it's something so ridiculous and it's something so small.
Are you ready? Trust your gut. I'm not even kidding Your gut is how often is your gut wrong? Think about it. It's like, I don't know It's not just like a women's intuition here talking like this is most people you go when you trust your gut It is not gonna lead you in the wrong way. I've learned that as people we do Tend to make right choices Especially when it comes to voice, but what do we always do?
We always question ourselves. We are so hard on ourselves. Ah, we got to stop that. We got to stop being so hard on ourselves and we got to go ahead and we got to just give ourselves a little bit of luxury to trust ourself here because we make good choices. We make right choices. We question ourselves. We make another choice, and then we stick with the second choice, even though we're like, I don't know, that still sounds like, I don't know, I don't think that sounds right.
Uh, and you're right, it doesn't sound right, because what did sound right, you questioned. Uh, you know, so it's like, the moment you start to trust yourself just, just a smidge, things really all start to come together. And I... I noticed it, and I don't know if I noticed it right away, I think this is something that is like, kind of a realization that I've had over the course of time in my career.
When I started really kind of, when people have asked me like, well, how did you know to do that? I didn't really have an answer other than, I don't know, I just did it. My whole trajectory of the beginnings of my career and what I've truly done this entire time goes back to Oh, no, felt right. Oh, no, just seemed like that was the right thing to do.
Oh, no, it sounded good. Like, you know, and it came back to me just trying to to build on what I thought I sounded like which then led to What I truly sounded like and I'm not gonna tell you that it happened easy I'm not gonna tell you that it happened quickly. It took a while every time that you do Anything and you take Those steps and you keep trying you're taking steps in the right direction and next thing you know All of a sudden one day it just kind of clicks and that is kind of how it happened with me like all of a Sudden one day.
It just felt like you know, what just going in there and was having fun. I'm just being me I'm just popping the mic on and having a conversation with my buddy. That's that's the that's the whole gist that was in my head and and then the ratings started to reflect it and then the feedback from listeners started to reflect it and I mean, eventually the feedback from my bosses started to reflect it.
Just depends on which company I was working for. Um, but, you know, it's, it's one of the hardest things to do. And I, and I know that. And when I get that question of like, how does what you do in corporate, like it doesn't seem like it falls in line with voice acting. It's like, oh, please. Um, you know, you gotta look at it a little bit more in depth.
Um, you know, and understand exactly what I am doing in that radio studio. Uh, you know, there are days where I am half asleep. And have to try to pretend like I am, I don't know, uh, fully awake and caffeinated and it's 10 o'clock in the morning already. Uh, you know, there are days where I have to make it sound like I'm in Detroit, but I'm not in Detroit.
Uh, okay. I'm not in Syracuse. I'm not in Burlington, Vermont or Boston or Wilmington, North Carolina, all these places that I'm on the air and talking like I am local. I am not local. That is acting. I'm taking the news. And I, like, they're local news and I am making it seem like it is a part of my everyday in my local community.
I am talking about my own personal stuff, but you know what? I'm making it local there. You know, I'm tweaking things in my story a little bit because I didn't go to the Target here in Albany. I went to the Target that was in Wilmington or out of Destiny USA, the mall out in Syracuse. You know, I, I'm constantly doing a lot of things that require creativity and, and creative choices and the acting and making it my own and being conversational.
And that is all the elements that go right back to voice acting. So I, uh, I thought that that was a good question to, to kind of go ahead and tackle today because well, it, it kind of. It irked me a little bit because I was just like, well, what are you doing questioning me? Well, fine. I will answer your question.
Uh, and I will answer it kindly but inside I am a little irritated, uh, you know, because I work hard, uh, every single day in and day out and all I All I do is is all this kind of stuff. So, um, you know when you are listening to something like this where it is The podcast it's like the delivery of this is really You know how anything should kind of end up being at the end of the day because you want it to sound like you, you want it to sound like you're having a conversation and you want it to be as realistic and, and believable as you can make it.
So, um, you know, whether it's a podcast or radio, or you've got a script in front of you. All that stuff is done in a very much, very much the same way. So listen, if you've got a question you want me to tackle info at voice coaches. com, go ahead, send that question on in. Uh, my goal here in the upcoming weeks is to get some more of those listener questions on is to get some more student questions on, but of course I want to get some more students on the podcast who have.
been doing work, have been, you know, successful in their, in their ventures. And I have a couple students that I am reaching out to right now, uh, in hopes to, to have them tell their story because it is always so important to, to, to have you see how every, everybody's journey is a little different. You know, and everybody goes at it a little differently, um, and has different feelings and all those kinds of things as they're going through.
I don't know why I said feelings that way, but I did. Uh, and, uh, so hopefully I'll be able to get some of them on very, very soon. In the meantime, enjoy what is left of this beautiful summer. And I will be talking to you next week, right here with voice coaches radio. Stay safe and have fun.
You don't have to have the AC blasting. You can hear like, in my case, I hear the frogs out back, which just means. When you hear them, by the way, they're mating. That's what that sound is. And now that I've learned that, I'm like, Eh, this is not as relaxing as I used to think it was. But, uh, it still, it still soothes me to sleep.
But, yeah, I mean, I like this part of summer, but I also know this means that it's going away. And to all those people who were like, I can't wait for pumpkin spice and sweaters! Still hate ya. Like, like a lot. Because I would so much rather have 100 degree temperatures all the dang time. I will say this, though, like the last time we did have 100 degree day a couple weeks ago, my parents, you know, I was teaching a class.
I was teaching a class from my home from 4 to 5 that afternoon, and I'm sure this student thought I was crazy because it did get like real bad here. Storm wise out of nowhere, and it wasn't even on the radar because I had looked, uh, and My dog's kind of going crazy and like I went and I shut the patio door and I'm like, I am so sorry.
I realize I'm slightly distracted, but, and it turns out I had every right to be distracted because only a minute down the road of my parents development, they had a microburst tornado come through. Now, I just want to remind you that we're in upstate New York, you know, and we're not like in like all sorts of corn, you know, field area.
We are in a very suburban residential, um, you know. Very heavily populated area that this is not the norm, uh, you know, and I just, I get a text message from my mother. It could not have been. More mom like. It was just a picture of gigantic trees down on their house. And I'm like, fine, I'll bite. Uh, I'll call.
Um, which I did. And I was like, what the heck happened? And then I realized my dad wasn't there. So I flew out of that driveway faster than I think I've ever, uh, you know, peeled out of it before. Listen, everything is okay. That's the beautiful part about it. Nobody is hurt. Like the neighborhood did have a Determined microburst tornado that went through there were nobody got injured houses had some damage My parents house ended up not having really any damage.
It was a matter of getting trees down and and taken away, but Yeah, very lucky situation when all is said and done. Um, so it has been a crazy couple of weeks and, uh, I guess those hundred degree days around here in New York, you just never know what the, what the weather is going to then, you know, spawn because of it.
So we always gotta be careful, but, uh, listen, I mean, I had had some, some different questions pop up this week, uh, when it comes from students and the one that I get here and there that just makes me kind of scratch my head is when I'm introducing myself to somebody. You know, brand new student, brand new face and, and I tell them what my background is.
And then the question pops up of like, well, how does, how does what you do incorporate in voice acting? And I'm just like, Oh dear, you are brand new and you don't understand because yes, my background is heavily in radio broadcast, but I'm just going to tell you right now. Um, do you think every day I, and I feel like I want to go and have a party on the air and sound like I am.
No, like a lot of times I've had to just fake through some stuff and that is called acting my friends Uh, you know on top of that the way that you are on the radio these days is how I am with you right now Which is what it is having a conversation right like in in this way. I just can't hear what you're saying back to me I can't hear what the listeners on the radio are saying back if they're saying anything They're telling me to shut up or not but um, you know like Realizing yes, there is no script But in some cases I am technically reading some stuff here and there I've got like bullet points or you know I I know promos for the radio station that I have to talk about or I Know that there's some prep in front of me of different pop culture related stuff Or maybe there's local news that I I wanted to talk about like These things, I am now making my own and making them conversational.
That is what voiceover is truly all about. Now, I mean, you want to sound like you. And that was the biggest challenge and is always the biggest challenge for any radio personality as they're beginning. Because... I mean, for myself, I mean, I think I've talked about this before. I was like 20. I didn't even know who I was yet.
How am I supposed to be me on the air if I don't really know what me is or whom he is? Uh, you know, so it did take some understanding and you know, what we end up kind of coaching our students through is the same. exact thing that I ended up doing for myself without having the education to do it. And you know, that's why I like, I always use myself as an example about halfway through the program because students end up getting to be a gigantic step ahead of where I was when I started because they are getting so much more education and I literally Was just going in day by day being like, all right, gotta hope somebody's gonna guide me You know, I'm gonna make this choice and hope it doesn't like, you know, make somebody want to fire me You know because I just I didn't have the education I learned a lot of technical know how when I went to a radio school and that was what they were really great for I got hands on learning.
I got to understand, you know the structure of commercials and how to write one. I got to learn how to use the editing equipment. I got to learn how to utilize the, the big boards that you see. You know, I, I, I know a lot of those very much in and out. People would always come to me and ask for like, you know, help because they couldn't figure out why something wasn't.
Working the way it was supposed to and I better go to Marissa even though she's in the middle of her job I'm gonna take her away from that. I'm gonna make her help me do mine But you know, I got real good at the technical side of things and then I had to go ahead and really train myself In how to be myself on the air and what it comes down to I'll tell you my secret And it's something so ridiculous and it's something so small.
Are you ready? Trust your gut. I'm not even kidding Your gut is how often is your gut wrong? Think about it. It's like, I don't know It's not just like a women's intuition here talking like this is most people you go when you trust your gut It is not gonna lead you in the wrong way. I've learned that as people we do Tend to make right choices Especially when it comes to voice, but what do we always do?
We always question ourselves. We are so hard on ourselves. Ah, we got to stop that. We got to stop being so hard on ourselves and we got to go ahead and we got to just give ourselves a little bit of luxury to trust ourself here because we make good choices. We make right choices. We question ourselves. We make another choice, and then we stick with the second choice, even though we're like, I don't know, that still sounds like, I don't know, I don't think that sounds right.
Uh, and you're right, it doesn't sound right, because what did sound right, you questioned. Uh, you know, so it's like, the moment you start to trust yourself just, just a smidge, things really all start to come together. And I... I noticed it, and I don't know if I noticed it right away, I think this is something that is like, kind of a realization that I've had over the course of time in my career.
When I started really kind of, when people have asked me like, well, how did you know to do that? I didn't really have an answer other than, I don't know, I just did it. My whole trajectory of the beginnings of my career and what I've truly done this entire time goes back to Oh, no, felt right. Oh, no, just seemed like that was the right thing to do.
Oh, no, it sounded good. Like, you know, and it came back to me just trying to to build on what I thought I sounded like which then led to What I truly sounded like and I'm not gonna tell you that it happened easy I'm not gonna tell you that it happened quickly. It took a while every time that you do Anything and you take Those steps and you keep trying you're taking steps in the right direction and next thing you know All of a sudden one day it just kind of clicks and that is kind of how it happened with me like all of a Sudden one day.
It just felt like you know, what just going in there and was having fun. I'm just being me I'm just popping the mic on and having a conversation with my buddy. That's that's the that's the whole gist that was in my head and and then the ratings started to reflect it and then the feedback from listeners started to reflect it and I mean, eventually the feedback from my bosses started to reflect it.
Just depends on which company I was working for. Um, but, you know, it's, it's one of the hardest things to do. And I, and I know that. And when I get that question of like, how does what you do in corporate, like it doesn't seem like it falls in line with voice acting. It's like, oh, please. Um, you know, you gotta look at it a little bit more in depth.
Um, you know, and understand exactly what I am doing in that radio studio. Uh, you know, there are days where I am half asleep. And have to try to pretend like I am, I don't know, uh, fully awake and caffeinated and it's 10 o'clock in the morning already. Uh, you know, there are days where I have to make it sound like I'm in Detroit, but I'm not in Detroit.
Uh, okay. I'm not in Syracuse. I'm not in Burlington, Vermont or Boston or Wilmington, North Carolina, all these places that I'm on the air and talking like I am local. I am not local. That is acting. I'm taking the news. And I, like, they're local news and I am making it seem like it is a part of my everyday in my local community.
I am talking about my own personal stuff, but you know what? I'm making it local there. You know, I'm tweaking things in my story a little bit because I didn't go to the Target here in Albany. I went to the Target that was in Wilmington or out of Destiny USA, the mall out in Syracuse. You know, I, I'm constantly doing a lot of things that require creativity and, and creative choices and the acting and making it my own and being conversational.
And that is all the elements that go right back to voice acting. So I, uh, I thought that that was a good question to, to kind of go ahead and tackle today because well, it, it kind of. It irked me a little bit because I was just like, well, what are you doing questioning me? Well, fine. I will answer your question.
Uh, and I will answer it kindly but inside I am a little irritated, uh, you know, because I work hard, uh, every single day in and day out and all I All I do is is all this kind of stuff. So, um, you know when you are listening to something like this where it is The podcast it's like the delivery of this is really You know how anything should kind of end up being at the end of the day because you want it to sound like you, you want it to sound like you're having a conversation and you want it to be as realistic and, and believable as you can make it.
So, um, you know, whether it's a podcast or radio, or you've got a script in front of you. All that stuff is done in a very much, very much the same way. So listen, if you've got a question you want me to tackle info at voice coaches. com, go ahead, send that question on in. Uh, my goal here in the upcoming weeks is to get some more of those listener questions on is to get some more student questions on, but of course I want to get some more students on the podcast who have.
been doing work, have been, you know, successful in their, in their ventures. And I have a couple students that I am reaching out to right now, uh, in hopes to, to have them tell their story because it is always so important to, to, to have you see how every, everybody's journey is a little different. You know, and everybody goes at it a little differently, um, and has different feelings and all those kinds of things as they're going through.
I don't know why I said feelings that way, but I did. Uh, and, uh, so hopefully I'll be able to get some of them on very, very soon. In the meantime, enjoy what is left of this beautiful summer. And I will be talking to you next week, right here with voice coaches radio. Stay safe and have fun.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio, Marissa wanted to tackle a question that pops up every so often: “You’ve done a lot of radio, but what about voice over?” Wait till you see how similar they are.
