VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio #642 – How to Educate Yourself
Voice Coaches radio, everything voiceover. This episode of Voice Coaches Radio is brought to you by nobody. Uh, honestly, I'm, I'm just here. I'm sitting in a studio. I have a fan on across the room that hopefully you can't hear, but it is sweltering hot as we have now entered. The month of July, uh, mid-July at that.
Uh, but you know, since the last time I sat down to record some episodes, uh, you know, I'll tell you, the Celtics have won banner 18. So you know that I was a very happy human, um, to go along with that. It was like just a few days before my birthday. So what a way to celebrate. Um, I went to Florida. To celebrate my best friend from high school's wedding at Disney, and then got to go to Bucky's, which if you live by a Bucky's, I'm jealous.
Those, it's not even a truck stop because I don't think trucks are really allowed to go. It's just like it is the best rest area ever. Um, it, it's like Walmart meets home goods and they've got everything you could possibly want. They make fresh food right on site and uh, the bathrooms are like amazing. Um, so clearly.
I fell in love with a rest stop since the last time I really talked to you. So it's been, uh, it's been an interesting time. But no, I got to lay on the beach in Daytona, get a little crispy. And, uh, so far summer is, uh, so good. So hopefully you feel the same way right about now and, uh, you're ready to have some fun.
Uh, maybe, maybe the summer is being spent in a way of alright. Time to start something. For me, it's time to do something new. It's time to stop putting this off and just, and just do it. Uh, right. Like kinda rip the bandaid, if you will. I mean, so many times we. Wanna tackle something, we wanna learn an instrument, we wanna learn a language, we want to get out of the career path we've been because we can't stand it.
And we wanna go ahead and find something that we love. But gosh, we're so just comfortable with comfortability. Uh, you know, we, we don't like change as people and we can be our own worst enemy. And, and here we are with an amazing opportunity right in front of us. To go ahead and, and then dive on into the wonderful world that is voiceover.
And, you know, if I hadn't taken that step outside the comfort zone way back when, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now, I, I'd be, ah, God, I don't wanna say still working at Burger King, but you just never know. I feel like I've always been, uh, a little bit too, too motivated to stay in fast food. But, uh.
I, I don't know. That job wasn't all that awful to me, so maybe I would still be playing with the grease. Who knows? But, uh, you know, in the meantime, here we are and, uh, we are just, you know, getting ready to talk all about voiceover. And I think what's really interesting to me as somebody who has been in it for so long, I, I forget about some of the basics that people.
I guess as you're starting the questions that you, you can have or that the worries that you might have or, or anything like that. So as an example, I had a student recently, first time meeting, first session, and like hasn't been a student in a really, really long time. Right. It's been good like 25, 30 years at a school and it's like I haven't picked up anything new to learn.
In that many years, and I've been in the job that I've been in and. Now I, I wanna do this, but I'm a little concerned because I don't know if my brain is, you know, functioning in that kind of way anymore. And, and I'm just not quite sure it's gonna stick. And, and you know, as we get older and as we slow down the learning process on, on, you know, just life in general, uh, yeah, it gets to be a little bit more challenging as you pick up something new.
But then, you know, the question is, well. Then if I am very serious about this, how do I educate myself? How much time should I be investing into educating myself? Can I do it too, too much? Can I, can I overeducate? And that is really what this student was throwing my way and honestly, um. I think the only way to to get yourself started is to just begin, you know, I mean, it can be in this very moment right now, listening to this podcast, it's like, all right, now is the time.
If you needed a sign, hi, here it is. I'm waving it right now. You just can't see me. Uh, but um, you know, what should you do to start educating yourself? This could be your first step. This right here, you know, and all the episodes that you can go back and listen to. It could be a matter of picking up a book and, and reading about voiceover.
It could be. Diving into all of the plethora of videos on YouTube of different tutorials or different behind the scenes. Um, so you can, you can see what it's like as a voice actor in the studio. Of course, in a lot of ways it's gonna be in, in the major platform of it, but you're gonna have some, you know, people that are doing it on the smaller scale that are just kind of showing you what they do and how they operate and just trying to get their names out there.
Um. Maybe it's a matter of signing up for the program with voice coaches, you know, and, and just kinda like, you know, biting the bullet and like, just going for it. You know, you gotta, what you're doing, like there is a concern, right, because you're worried, well, like, what if I don't do anything with it? Well, here's the thing, anybody can do anything with it, but you have to put the, the effort in, like you have to put.
The work in to grow this skill. This is not just, this isn't just something that happens. I mean, some, you know, maybe she's born with it, maybe it's maybely, uh, like yes, some people come in with a natural talent, natural skillset. Some people develop it. You know, those people that are born with it, they still have to.
Fine tune it. And they don't know what they even are working with to start, you know, they, they don't know certain things that they should be doing and maybe they're doing certain things that they shouldn't be, uh, but they have no idea. That's why you need to educate. That's why you need to, to learn and practice.
So how much time do you invest in all this? Is, is it possible to, to invest too much time? At first, I don't think so. The, the very first thing that we would ever tell anybody to do, literally pick up anything and read it out loud. And you might be like, Marissa, really anything, and I'm gonna look right back at you and I'm gonna go, yeah.
Anything, you know, because as I, I joke with students all the time. It's like, if I didn't do that. Where in the world would I be right now? I am slightly dyslexic. I mean, it's not like a doctor has pointed it out and be like, Hey, your, your brain and your eyes work funny. Um, it's the fact that I am just well aware.
I mean, sometimes the words come outta my mouth from my brain flipped all on their own, so clearly. Yeah, dyslexia. Um, so if I hadn't picked up just anything or whatever was in front of me and just started reading it out loud. I don't know what I'd be doing right now. Probably again, playing with some grease at Burger King, who knows?
Uh, but it's adjusting the eye to mouth coordination that is so. Necessary because all of us, you don't have to be dyslexic to flip words at first. Especially, you know, because our eyes are always going a million miles ahead of us. They scan ahead and they make their own choices without us even realizing it.
And next thing you know, we've blipped all over the place. Um, you know, and a paragraph can turn into a variety of things that it actually isn't. But the more that you do all of the reading out loud, the better you're gonna get at it. The more accurate you're gonna be, you know, and, and that is just one giant step in the right direction to get yourself started.
Can you over practice that? I don't think so. You know, you can't read too much. It's just going to get you better at it overall. Now here's what I'll tell you. Eventually you get hired for a project. You get that script ahead of time 'cause you're a lucky duck. Can you over practice that script a hundred percent.
But that's different. That's one piece. And if you overdo it, you can get stuck in how you're performing it. And then that's a oopsie, you know, that's a, that's a bad moment that you don't wanna have to be in. Uh, you know, because you wanna be directable still. And sometimes if we over practice one piece, then we get stuck, but we don't hear it, that we're stuck.
Our ears are thinking things are changing. In reality, they're not. You know, so in the moment when you're starting and you're picking up just anything and everything and you're just getting your, your brain and your mouth going and working together and, and you're just practicing reading out loud. Read as much as you want.
Practice all the time if you want. Uh, but when it comes to one specific piece, that is where you wanna be switching things up and not overdo it. Um, but yeah, I mean, just getting yourself up off the ground. Read, read, read, read, read, keep reading some more, um, you know, and, and just make sure that you understand.
How you sound. So that might mean, you know, even if it's just your voice memo app on your smartphone to, to kind of listen back and be like, all right, cool. I, I've been reading out loud. Are the blips getting smoothed out? You know, you're gonna hear those differences over the course of time, and it might not be immediately, but it all depends on how much you are working with stuff to, to take those steps forward.
Now, on top of that, life can get in the way, let's face it. I mean, life is busy. Uh, people get sick. You get sick, all of a sudden you got a deadline at work, you know, and obviously your, your primary income has to come first. Uh, maybe, you know, you got some kids and it's football season and oh God, you're getting pulled all over the place.
I mean, you know, it's, it's all about prioritizing your time. And, and I always suggest, especially at first when it, it just comes to this practice that you wanna put into it. And just the reading out loud itself, uh, you gotta build things into your routine. You know, don't, don't let life get completely in the way.
Sometimes it's inevitable. But sometimes, like it's on you. Sometimes you really just gotta make sure that you're focused and you, you, you make sure that it gets done. Um, and, and it's for you, you sometimes you gotta put you first, you know, it's like they say on the plane, you gotta put your mask on first before you're helping somebody else.
Uh, you know, you gotta, again, allocate that time. Uh, but this is just the starts. So like, again, you're here, you're in the summer. It's a brand new season. Could be a brand new start in so many ways for you. This is how you kind of get yourself focused and up and off, off the ground. It's very, it's a very simple start, but we all have to start somewhere and, uh, I mean make, make this moment be yours.
Like if you've been contemplating again, here is your sign. I'm waving it. And, uh, now we just gotta get you started. So if you have any questions, uh, when it comes to stuff you want discussed on the podcast or just questions in general, uh, you can send me an email, [email protected], [email protected].
If you are looking to take one of our workshops, then just go ahead, check out the link that is right in the blog post of this. Podcast episode, uh, we're always getting discounts out there and having special, like, you know, sessions and stuff. So we'd love to have you. Uh, but a brand new episode is gonna be coming next week for Voice Coaches Radio.
Stay safe, everybody. Visit voice coaches.com for more voiceover news and information.
Uh, but you know, since the last time I sat down to record some episodes, uh, you know, I'll tell you, the Celtics have won banner 18. So you know that I was a very happy human, um, to go along with that. It was like just a few days before my birthday. So what a way to celebrate. Um, I went to Florida. To celebrate my best friend from high school's wedding at Disney, and then got to go to Bucky's, which if you live by a Bucky's, I'm jealous.
Those, it's not even a truck stop because I don't think trucks are really allowed to go. It's just like it is the best rest area ever. Um, it, it's like Walmart meets home goods and they've got everything you could possibly want. They make fresh food right on site and uh, the bathrooms are like amazing. Um, so clearly.
I fell in love with a rest stop since the last time I really talked to you. So it's been, uh, it's been an interesting time. But no, I got to lay on the beach in Daytona, get a little crispy. And, uh, so far summer is, uh, so good. So hopefully you feel the same way right about now and, uh, you're ready to have some fun.
Uh, maybe, maybe the summer is being spent in a way of alright. Time to start something. For me, it's time to do something new. It's time to stop putting this off and just, and just do it. Uh, right. Like kinda rip the bandaid, if you will. I mean, so many times we. Wanna tackle something, we wanna learn an instrument, we wanna learn a language, we want to get out of the career path we've been because we can't stand it.
And we wanna go ahead and find something that we love. But gosh, we're so just comfortable with comfortability. Uh, you know, we, we don't like change as people and we can be our own worst enemy. And, and here we are with an amazing opportunity right in front of us. To go ahead and, and then dive on into the wonderful world that is voiceover.
And, you know, if I hadn't taken that step outside the comfort zone way back when, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now, I, I'd be, ah, God, I don't wanna say still working at Burger King, but you just never know. I feel like I've always been, uh, a little bit too, too motivated to stay in fast food. But, uh.
I, I don't know. That job wasn't all that awful to me, so maybe I would still be playing with the grease. Who knows? But, uh, you know, in the meantime, here we are and, uh, we are just, you know, getting ready to talk all about voiceover. And I think what's really interesting to me as somebody who has been in it for so long, I, I forget about some of the basics that people.
I guess as you're starting the questions that you, you can have or that the worries that you might have or, or anything like that. So as an example, I had a student recently, first time meeting, first session, and like hasn't been a student in a really, really long time. Right. It's been good like 25, 30 years at a school and it's like I haven't picked up anything new to learn.
In that many years, and I've been in the job that I've been in and. Now I, I wanna do this, but I'm a little concerned because I don't know if my brain is, you know, functioning in that kind of way anymore. And, and I'm just not quite sure it's gonna stick. And, and you know, as we get older and as we slow down the learning process on, on, you know, just life in general, uh, yeah, it gets to be a little bit more challenging as you pick up something new.
But then, you know, the question is, well. Then if I am very serious about this, how do I educate myself? How much time should I be investing into educating myself? Can I do it too, too much? Can I, can I overeducate? And that is really what this student was throwing my way and honestly, um. I think the only way to to get yourself started is to just begin, you know, I mean, it can be in this very moment right now, listening to this podcast, it's like, all right, now is the time.
If you needed a sign, hi, here it is. I'm waving it right now. You just can't see me. Uh, but um, you know, what should you do to start educating yourself? This could be your first step. This right here, you know, and all the episodes that you can go back and listen to. It could be a matter of picking up a book and, and reading about voiceover.
It could be. Diving into all of the plethora of videos on YouTube of different tutorials or different behind the scenes. Um, so you can, you can see what it's like as a voice actor in the studio. Of course, in a lot of ways it's gonna be in, in the major platform of it, but you're gonna have some, you know, people that are doing it on the smaller scale that are just kind of showing you what they do and how they operate and just trying to get their names out there.
Um. Maybe it's a matter of signing up for the program with voice coaches, you know, and, and just kinda like, you know, biting the bullet and like, just going for it. You know, you gotta, what you're doing, like there is a concern, right, because you're worried, well, like, what if I don't do anything with it? Well, here's the thing, anybody can do anything with it, but you have to put the, the effort in, like you have to put.
The work in to grow this skill. This is not just, this isn't just something that happens. I mean, some, you know, maybe she's born with it, maybe it's maybely, uh, like yes, some people come in with a natural talent, natural skillset. Some people develop it. You know, those people that are born with it, they still have to.
Fine tune it. And they don't know what they even are working with to start, you know, they, they don't know certain things that they should be doing and maybe they're doing certain things that they shouldn't be, uh, but they have no idea. That's why you need to educate. That's why you need to, to learn and practice.
So how much time do you invest in all this? Is, is it possible to, to invest too much time? At first, I don't think so. The, the very first thing that we would ever tell anybody to do, literally pick up anything and read it out loud. And you might be like, Marissa, really anything, and I'm gonna look right back at you and I'm gonna go, yeah.
Anything, you know, because as I, I joke with students all the time. It's like, if I didn't do that. Where in the world would I be right now? I am slightly dyslexic. I mean, it's not like a doctor has pointed it out and be like, Hey, your, your brain and your eyes work funny. Um, it's the fact that I am just well aware.
I mean, sometimes the words come outta my mouth from my brain flipped all on their own, so clearly. Yeah, dyslexia. Um, so if I hadn't picked up just anything or whatever was in front of me and just started reading it out loud. I don't know what I'd be doing right now. Probably again, playing with some grease at Burger King, who knows?
Uh, but it's adjusting the eye to mouth coordination that is so. Necessary because all of us, you don't have to be dyslexic to flip words at first. Especially, you know, because our eyes are always going a million miles ahead of us. They scan ahead and they make their own choices without us even realizing it.
And next thing you know, we've blipped all over the place. Um, you know, and a paragraph can turn into a variety of things that it actually isn't. But the more that you do all of the reading out loud, the better you're gonna get at it. The more accurate you're gonna be, you know, and, and that is just one giant step in the right direction to get yourself started.
Can you over practice that? I don't think so. You know, you can't read too much. It's just going to get you better at it overall. Now here's what I'll tell you. Eventually you get hired for a project. You get that script ahead of time 'cause you're a lucky duck. Can you over practice that script a hundred percent.
But that's different. That's one piece. And if you overdo it, you can get stuck in how you're performing it. And then that's a oopsie, you know, that's a, that's a bad moment that you don't wanna have to be in. Uh, you know, because you wanna be directable still. And sometimes if we over practice one piece, then we get stuck, but we don't hear it, that we're stuck.
Our ears are thinking things are changing. In reality, they're not. You know, so in the moment when you're starting and you're picking up just anything and everything and you're just getting your, your brain and your mouth going and working together and, and you're just practicing reading out loud. Read as much as you want.
Practice all the time if you want. Uh, but when it comes to one specific piece, that is where you wanna be switching things up and not overdo it. Um, but yeah, I mean, just getting yourself up off the ground. Read, read, read, read, read, keep reading some more, um, you know, and, and just make sure that you understand.
How you sound. So that might mean, you know, even if it's just your voice memo app on your smartphone to, to kind of listen back and be like, all right, cool. I, I've been reading out loud. Are the blips getting smoothed out? You know, you're gonna hear those differences over the course of time, and it might not be immediately, but it all depends on how much you are working with stuff to, to take those steps forward.
Now, on top of that, life can get in the way, let's face it. I mean, life is busy. Uh, people get sick. You get sick, all of a sudden you got a deadline at work, you know, and obviously your, your primary income has to come first. Uh, maybe, you know, you got some kids and it's football season and oh God, you're getting pulled all over the place.
I mean, you know, it's, it's all about prioritizing your time. And, and I always suggest, especially at first when it, it just comes to this practice that you wanna put into it. And just the reading out loud itself, uh, you gotta build things into your routine. You know, don't, don't let life get completely in the way.
Sometimes it's inevitable. But sometimes, like it's on you. Sometimes you really just gotta make sure that you're focused and you, you, you make sure that it gets done. Um, and, and it's for you, you sometimes you gotta put you first, you know, it's like they say on the plane, you gotta put your mask on first before you're helping somebody else.
Uh, you know, you gotta, again, allocate that time. Uh, but this is just the starts. So like, again, you're here, you're in the summer. It's a brand new season. Could be a brand new start in so many ways for you. This is how you kind of get yourself focused and up and off, off the ground. It's very, it's a very simple start, but we all have to start somewhere and, uh, I mean make, make this moment be yours.
Like if you've been contemplating again, here is your sign. I'm waving it. And, uh, now we just gotta get you started. So if you have any questions, uh, when it comes to stuff you want discussed on the podcast or just questions in general, uh, you can send me an email, [email protected], [email protected].
If you are looking to take one of our workshops, then just go ahead, check out the link that is right in the blog post of this. Podcast episode, uh, we're always getting discounts out there and having special, like, you know, sessions and stuff. So we'd love to have you. Uh, but a brand new episode is gonna be coming next week for Voice Coaches Radio.
Stay safe, everybody. Visit voice coaches.com for more voiceover news and information.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio, Marissa goes over something that was brought up recently: “Can I over educate myself? Can I over practice?” Well…can you?
