Recap of 2021, Bring on 2022!

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope 2022 is treating you well so far.

This is my first blog post, and I wanted to reflect on 2021 and share some highlights from my voiceover journey that were helpful and inspiring to me. Sort of a recap of 2021’s greatest VO hits.

Voiceover Practice: Workouts and Classes

Nothing beats working out with trusted workout buddies and friends, and I’m thankful to have many of these wonderful people in my life who help me practice and improve my craft.

One workout group/class that I’m happy to be a part of is led by Domingo Castillo. His VO Workshops are limited to small groups and it’s a very supportive environment. I’ve learned a lot and made some good friends!

Domingo offers an optional monthly project to anyone who has taken a workshop with him, and I have completed several of these challenges. I had never used Headliner to create a video before taking on the first monthly project assignment, and learning this new skill felt great.

These short projects offer a sample of my voice and style, and they are available on my YouTube channel – another new thing for me in 2021! (Don’t forget to like and subscribe 😊!)

Voiceover Conferences: Learning the biz

This past summer, I attended my first voiceover conference: eVOcation. This was a great opportunity to learn a lot about the business of VO. Some panels featured topics like how to market yourself, questions about rates and negotiation, and tax issues.

In the fall, I attended the That’s Voiceover Career Expo 2021, a conference full of VO greats who shared their advice and stories of success. Anime casting, audio description, diversity in casting, demo trends, and performance techniques of different VO genres were just some of the topics covered during this 3-day event. Some big moments were when Mahershala Ali presented the Backstage Vanguard Award to Denise Woods, as well as seeing a live competition of 6 finalists in the CBS Audition Spotlight. Watching the finalists perform and respond to the judges’ direction was such a valuable learning experience.

Voiceover Learning: Free Webinars/Conversations

This past year, I have found several resources that have been extremely helpful in my VO journey. These are not only wonderful opportunities to learn, they are free! The Society of Voice Arts and Sciences offers free biweekly webinars called The State of VO (which take place on Zoom). These Q&As feature a variety of industry heavy hitters interviewed by hosts Joan Baker and Marc Guss. Be sure to stay for the dance party at the end!

Over on Clubhouse, Marc Guss hosts interviews with VO industry leaders on his weekly Marc Guss Voiceover Club. Also happening on Clubhouse, CastVoices founder Liz Atherton shares interviews and audience Q&A.

I’ve written about a lot of these events on LinkedIn, and going forward I will also post them here on my blog.

Putting Myself Out There

2021 presented a few opportunities for me to put myself out there and participate in some events that were new to me. Speaking of the CBS Audition Spotlight that was featured in the That’s Voiceover conference, I was proud to be selected as one of the Top 40 Callbacks (out of 800+ submissions!) Although I didn’t move on to the third and final round, I had a blast performing for the judges and being a part of it! What a fantastic experience!

I also submitted auditions to the Get Mic’d Ultimate VO Survivor Take 2 contest, where creativity and out-of-the-box experimentation was encouraged. It was a lot of fun watching the finalists compete live in November.

And what 2021 wrap-up would be complete without a Squid Game reference? I participated in the Voiceover Squid Game hosted by Marc Guss on Clubhouse and survived several rounds of elimination!

Apart from VO, I wrote for both Psycom Pro and Practical Pain Management in 2021 as a freelancer. I didn’t end up pursuing psychology beyond my bachelor’s degree, so it’s nice to contribute to the conversation about mental health because it’s important to me.

On a personal note, I’ve been studying French this past year, trying to remember what I learned in high school and college. It’s so true that if you don’t use it, you lose it! I studied a little Japanese back in college too, which I am also trying to study again (definitely lost all that I previously learned!). I have really loved the language-learning rooms that I’ve discovered on Clubhouse – what an inspiration to keep going with it! (And shout-out to Chloe Dash Ines for being THE MOST encouraging/patient/fun French teacher!)

I had a lot of fun and enriching experiences in 2021, made a lot of connections, and learned so much about the art and science of voiceover. Here’s to keeping that momentum going in 2022!