Lately we've been getting calls at the office from aspiring voiceover artists asking us:

"Am I ready to get my voice demo produced?"

And though we know many of you very well and have been working with you in workshops and individual coaching for a while now, we cannot tell you when you are ready to take the big step of getting your first professional voice demo produced. Sorry.

What we do know is that you do need to feel ready. The confidence in yourself must be there. You'll know when you are ready. And you won't need someone to tell you.

Keep in mind that you must be ready to compete with other voiceover artists who have been doing this type of work for a long time. But, don't let that discourage you....fresh new, skilled talent is always in demand.

With that in mind, our new advanced skills workshop, "Tightening the Nuts and Bolts in Your Delivery I and II" prepares you to compete in the real working world of voiceovers and is an excellent way to fine tune your voiceover skills in:

energy

phrasing

pitch

dynamics

articulation

breath control

storytelling skills opposed to reading

your ability to understand and relate to various target audiences

developing your discernable ear and

your developing your critical technical ear!

Yes, a LOT goes into a GOOD VOICEOVER and the pros make it look EASY!

Our job is to teach you how to go from being someone with a good voice that can read well to being a great storyteller...no matter what the script may be. When you can do that you will be a voiceover artist.

 Nuts and Bolts I & II will be offered in the last half of April in April.

2009 is the year to go from being a good voiceover talent to a great voiceover artist!

Call our office at 916 446-2004 to reserve your seat today. $75.00, includes all materials. Bring a pencil with an ERASER! A couple seats are still available!

All workshops are held in the beautiful Sacramento Art Complex, of course!

2110 K Street, Suite 17 in Midtown.

Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy holiday schedules to stop by our studio last Saturday for our Holiday Open House. We had an impressive turnout of more than 80 people! We even had a couple people drive up from Oakland to join in the festivities. It was a fun group!

Jim and I were happy to take the time to spend a few hours of the holiday season with all the great people we've met and worked with this past year including students, clients and fellow voiceover artists.

We also gave away prizes including 3 workshops in a drawing and the lucky winners are:

Mike McDade

Monika Lopez

Sandy Klagge

Congratulations to our winners!

The food was a big hit and a big thank you goes out to
Dana B.'s Delectables of Livermore for providing a lavish spread of unbelievably delicious food. It was a huge hit! One of the favorites was a savory cheesecake that you cut in wedges and spread on crackers. Dana has graciously shared the recipe:

Artichoke Cheesecake________________________________________

Ingredients

2 ½ cups chopped bagels (about 2 bagels)

2 Tbls. olive oil

3 tsp. dried or fresh chives

2-8 oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1-15 oz tub ricotta cheese

1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup

2 eggs

1 Tbls. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. garlic salt

1-8.5 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1-15 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine bagels, oil and 1 tsp. chives in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix well. Spray 9 X 2 ½ inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press bagel mixture firmly into bottom of pan and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.

With an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, ricotta, soup, eggs, herbs, garlic salt and remaining 2 tsp. chives. Mix until well blended. Spread half of the cheese mixture over the bagel crust. Top with artichokes, ½ of the red peppers and ½ of the basil. Top with remaining cheese filling and smooth flat. Place remaining red peppers evenly over top layer. Bake for 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes; until completely set. Cool completely, then refrigerate 6 hours to overnight. Run knife around edge of torte and release from spring form pan. (It is easiest to serve with pan bottom in place.) Top torte with remaining half of fresh basil just prior to serving. Serve with crackers.

Enjoy and Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

The year was 1991 and I had just started dating a very nice guy about six weeks before Christmas. I knew that this relationship had real potential but neither one of us had articulated that fact OUTLOUD just yet.

I had been married for seven years prior and was a bit gun shy about getting into another relationship. Dating after my divorce wasn't much fun. One man who asked me out had been married six times. Another man admitted that he had a foot fetish and consequently requested that I wear open-toe sandles to dinner......in January.

It was easy to turn down these dates and I quickly decided that I was going to stay single forever. That lasted for 3 years and then I met Jeff. I knew from day one that he was "the one".

On our first Christmas Eve Jeff came over with two live lobsters, a bottle of champagne and a beautifully wrapped rake. Yes, a rake. A rake that rakes leaves.

I was even more suprised at my response......I LOVED it!

That rake told me so much about who Jeff really was. It said he was comfortable in his own skin and didn't feel that he had to impress me with lavish gifts. It told me that he listened to me when I'd complain about all my yard work. And, then he took my new rake and actually did all the work for me.

Shortly after what I like to call " The Rake Christmas" we broke down and confessed our feelings and like they say "the rest is history".

The rake lived for 12 years until one day the handle snapped in two. I wanted to put what remained in a shadow box and hang it in my office but Jeff thought that was a silly idea.

In the years since I have receieved lots of practical gifts from Jeff (last year I got a battery-operated lint remover) and also some very lavish ones (you should see my new diamond ring!) but the best gift ever will always be that rake.

Thank you, Jeff, for being who you are....the best husband ever.

With the holiday shopping season upon us I must admit that I am powerless over a sale. Send me a sales catalog and I'll find all kinds of things to buy that I didn't even know that I had to have....until I saw how low the prices were.

I was raised with practical, midwestern parents. They grew up during the depression and we were regularly reminded of that fact. Because they grew up during lean times we had criteria to follow before we purchased anything. The question we had to answer was: Do I need this?

Most of the time the answer to that question was no, I didn't need it, but I wanted it.

We quickly learned that our family did not buy wants. For goodness sake, do you think we were made out of money?, was regularly asked us by both my mom and dad. And, if we needed something we had to explain to these people who weren't made out of money why we needed whatever it was that we seemingly could not live without.

For example, a typical conversation would go like this. ...

Me: "Dad, I need a new pair of jeans because everyone is wearing this cool new style"

Dad: "That sounds like a want to me".

Me: "No, I really need new jeans because my old ones have a hole in the seat".

Dad: "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Go ahead and get those jeans. We don't need for everyone to see your rear end!"

Once I figured out how to work the system I got everything I needed....and wanted. Still, old habits die hard and even today around the first of December I get calls from my family asking: "what do I need for Christmas?" Heaven forbid we buy something that someone wants but doesn't need!

Which brings me to the long check-out line at Macy's in downtown Sacramento the other day. There I was, loaded down with my needs (sheets and 2 bed pillows) and one want: a panini press at 50% off.

I've never eaten a panini before but at 50% off, surely it is worth buying one, right? A grilled panini sandwich sounds exotic and really, how can I go wrong at 50% off?

The lady in line behind me asked me how much the panini press was. When I told her it was 50% off she confirmed that it was a good price. We struck up a conversation and I admitted that I didn't even really know what a panini was.

She told me that a panini is a grilled cheese sandwich.

Then it hit me. I was going to spend $45.00 on a gadget that made something that I already can make with a frying pan that I already own. And to add insult to injury I would have to find a place to store my new high-priced, new fangled grilled cheese maker. I didn't need it and I certainly didn't want it anymore. Heck, we rarely eat grilled cheese as it is.

I bought my sheets and pillows and left the panini in Macys, where it belongs.

My dad would be proud!

A year ago last July I went to Honolulu with my college friend Sheri. This was a special trip for us as we were celebrating the 30th anniversary of first meeting as college freshman at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

The years have really zoomed by since then and this was an opportunity for us to reminisce about the past and plan for our futures. Of course, any good trip involves shopping.

One day, as a lark, I said that we should go in the Louis Vuitton store. I see people carrying expensive Louis Vuitton purses all the time and I was just curious to see how expensive they were.

I was surprised at the prices. How on earth do people afford such expensive purses????

One thing led to another and before I knew what was happening I fell in love with a Louis Vuitton bag named Beverly. Quicker than I could say "let's get the heck out of here" the clerk was packing it up and handing me a chic Louis Vuitton shopping bag containing my newly purchased purse.

At first I felt a little giddy and excited. By day 3 I was sweating bullets. What on earth was I thinking? This new purse named Beverly cost more than our sofa in the family room!

When I returned home I showed it to my husband Jeff. He asked me how much it cost and I wisely told him "too much" . I think he knew better than to prod for more details.

I must admit it has been difficult to enjoy this purse as I've been plagued with guilt over spending so much money. That is, until I walked into the new Louis Vuitton store near our home. I was curious to see if they were still offering Beverly.

Sure enough....there she was in all her Louis Vuitton glory. And, it was priced $230.00 higher than what I paid just one year ago.

Wow, the guilt over owning the purse is now gone. This wasn't a frivilous purchase after all! My Louis Vuitton purse is a financial investment.

In one year's time my purse has appreciated 23%. That's an impressive return by anyone's standards and makes me think that instead of putting my money in the bank maybe, just possibly, I should be buying more purses.........

At our last voiceover workshop I brought a batch of these whoopie pies to share with the class and they were a huge hit. If you're looking for a spicy, ooey- gooey treat, these spicy pumpkin pies will make you say "whoopie" at first bite.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Makes two dozen

FOR THE CAKES:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking power

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups light brown sugar

1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING:

2 egg whites

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 pound confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

Make the cakes: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on high speed until ight and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well blended, scraping down the sides as needed. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

Place heaping tablespoons of the batter 2 inches apart on the sheet pans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the opts spring back when touched. Transfer to a cake rck to cool completely.

Make the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. On medium speed, add the milk, vanilla and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and beat until blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shortening and remaining 2 cups confectioners' shugar and continue beating until creamy and smooth.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling on the flat side of half the cakes and top with the remaining halves.

New for 2009......FREE voiceover labs! This is a great opportunity to increase your level of skill behind the mic. Check the schedule for dates. We are also offering NEW advanced workshops in 2009. There's something for everyone and every skill level.

INTRODUCTORY SKILL LEVEL WORKSHOPS:

1. Step Up To The Mic! Learn everything you need to know about the recording studio and studio etiquette, the various mics you'll use in voiceovers and the importance of proper breath control. You'll also get time behind the mic to try out the microphones and record a couple pieces of copy. And, you'll be able to download what you record during the workshop off the internet to listen to at home.

2. Acting in Voiceovers: Developing your acting skills is imperative to your success as a voiceover artist. Plus, it is a lot of FUN! You'll learn how to "get out of your box" and lose your inhibitions to be able to adapt your delivery to a variety of vocal styles. We'll team you up with other voiceover artists to "voice act" in 4 dialogue commercials. And later you'll be able to download your recordings off the internet to play for your family and friends!

3. The Business of Voicevers: This workshop is designed to give you a look into the real working world of a voiceover professional. What does it take to make it? How do you find the work? How much money can you make? These questions and more will be answered in this 3-hour workshop which also give you time to read copy behind the mic along with professional analysis of your growing skills

INTERMEDIATE SKILL LEVEL WORKSHOPS:

Discover Your Money Voice: In today's voiceover world there are so many different styles and types of voice work. Narrations. Long Form Technical Narrations. Radio and TV commercials. Radio and TV Image Liners and Promos. Movie Trailers. Audio Books. Video Games. Telephone IVR. The possibilites of voiceover jobs is endless! So, what are your vocal strengths? In this workshop you'll have the opportunity to record a variety of different scripts in order to analyze what your strengths are and to ultimately discover your money voice! $75.00

Develop Your Internal Time Clock: Time is money and that is especially true in voiceovers. Getting the timing correct while still adding personality and energy to your delivery is a skill that must be mastered. We'll bring out the stopwatch for this workshop as you develop your sense of time reading a variety of tags, donuts and commercials. $75.00

Nailing the Read: Taking direction is one of the most important skills a voiceover artist must develop and in this workshop you'll fine tune your voiceover skills by learning how to interpret what the director wants....and most importantly, learn how to deliver it!
$75.00

The IVR and MOH Phone Voice Industry: There are many voiceover artists that specialize just in phone recordings. Why? Because there is a LOT of work available in phone messaging including IVR (Interactive Voice Response), phone prompts, messages on-hold and recorded automated attendant are just a few of the ways in which your voice can be used on the phone. Learn the skills you need, practice recording some phone scripts and get the inside scoop on how to find the work in this lucrative voiceover niche. $75.00

How to Build Your Own Home Recording Studio including Basic Audio Editing: Today voiceover jobs can easily be found on the Internet and because of it it's feasible to develop a worldwide clientele without ever leaving the comfort of your own home! The professional recording studio of today is easy to put together and extremely affordable, too. Our audio engineer extraordinaire, Jim Naylor, will lead this informative workshop and show you how to build a quality home studio on a budget so you can start making money doing voiceovers from home. $75.00

Marketing Your Voiceover Career: It takes more than a great voice and a stellar voice demo to get work in this highly competitive business. Marketing is integral to your success as a voiceover artist and in this 3-hour workshop we'll show you how to write your marketing plan, give you tips on how to find the work and show you ways to stand out in the crowd. Be sure to take this workshop before you produce your voice demo! $75.00

ADVANCED SKILL LEVEL WORKSHOPS:

Preparing For Your First Voice Demo: When you feel you're ready to take the next step towards having your very own voice demo produced this workshop will help you prepare by pinpointing your strengths, highlighting areas to work on and pushing you to be your very best. $75.00

!!!**NEW**!!! Tightening the Nuts and Bolts in Your Vocal Delivery Part I : You'll learn the 12 Steps to Voiceover Success in this skills-intensive workshop. It's the subtle nuances in your voice that brings copy to life and makes your delivery unique. In this workshop we'll concentrate on phrasing, emphasis, energy levels, pitch, tempo and volume variances. You'll be impressed on how your vocal performance will dramatically improve when you incorporate these proven techniques into your delivery. $75.00

!!!**NEW**!! Tightening the Nuts and Bolts in Your Vocal Delivery II: Becoming a Versatile Voiceover Artist: The in-demand voiceover artists are the ones who are versatile and flexible in their vocal skills. They are the ones who can make minor changes to their delivery to please even the pickiest directors. The ones who can make boring copy sound fascinating. The ones who can read one sentence 5 different ways....and be able to do it RIGHT NOW. The ones who can read a piece of copy to appeal to a 30 year old and then read it totally different to appeal to a 50 year old. This workshop is for those of you who are ready to really challenge yourself and to be pushed out of your comfort zone. If you have at least 5 workshops under your belt.....this one is for you! $75.00

!!!**NEW**!!! The Wonderful World of Narrations: We've briefly touched on narrations in other workshops but since there is so much voiceover work in narrations we feel it's important to really dig deeper. In this workshop you'll read 2 and 3 minute narrations, whereas in other workshops we'd read 30 to 40 second narrations. We'll offer a variety of scripts for you to work with from easy-going documentaries to long-form technical narrations. Also, we limit the size of the class to 4 participants to make sure everyone has time to read at least 3 long-form pieces of work. $100.00

!!!**NEW**!!! Advanced Acting in Voiceovers: By popular demand, this advanced acting workshop focuses on in-depth character development to create believable voice acting scenarios. A great opportunity to work with other voice actors and grow your level of skill.

ALL SKILL LEVELS:

It was Jim's birthday on Saturday. Yes, we both had birthdays this past week. Two Scorpios in one office. Seems like that would be a recipe for disaster but it's worked out great!

Of course we needed to celebrate and so I baked cupcakes that we shared with our voiceover class. The only thing missing was a nice cold glass of milk!

Try these when you are craving something rich and chocolately. Topped with thick cream cheese frosting, it doesn't get any better!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa

1 cup low-fat milk, warmed to 110 degrees

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup corn oil

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, use mixer on low to beat cocoa and warm milk. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat 45 seconds.

Measure flour, baking soda and salt into sifter (I skip the sifting myself). Sift (or dump like I do) into chocolate mixture. Beat 1 minute on medium. Batter will be very thin. Pour into 24 cupcake liners and bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops pop back when pressed.

Cool and then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat an 8 ounce block of cream cheese (use cold, straight from fridge) with 5 tablespoons of softened butter (I softened the butter in the micro on defrost) and 2 teaspoons vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. (Again, I skip the sifting step...too much work for me). Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

Frost the cupcakes and be sure to use sprinkles on top. For Jim's party I used a variety but found that the brown, black and white cow sprinkles were the favorites. If you can't find cow sprinkles in your local market you can find them at Spun Sugar in Berkeley, California.

I ran into someone the other day that I hadn't seen in a few years and the first thing she said to me was: "You look great for someone your age". I realize that she meant that to be a compliment but what she told me was that she thought I was old. Thanks a lot!

Ready or not, this week I turn 50. But haven't you heard? 50 is the new 30! Just look at Sharon Stone. Madonna. Both of them have joined the Still Fabulous at 50 Club. And now they're giving me membership, too.

I have no complaints. Life is good; I'm healthy, happily married, my kids are grown and doing well and I'm enjoying the freedom of a freelance voiceover artist.

My husband Jeff is taking me to the Northern California coast for a couple days to celebrate this milestone. We'll spend a night in Sausalito, which is just across the Golden Gate Bridge. We'll be looking over the bay at the twinkling lights of San Francisco. We'll eat a seafood dinner at Scoma's. The next day we'll drive up the coast, stopping at Stinson Beach, funky hippy-town Bolinas and then up to Bodega Bay for a night of relaxation before we head back to reality on Thursday.

I've spent this whole year coming to terms with the fact that I'm now a half-century old. And this is what I've decided: I'm going to embrace 50. Heck, I'm admitting it on my Blog right now. I'm 50! I'm 50 and lovin' it! 50 is the best age ever! See? I've accepted it and I own it.

There is a lot of wonderful things that happen at this age: I no longer feel like I have to climb the corporate ladder, make a million dollars or impress anyone. I am more relaxed, carefree and I don't worry about the small stuff anymore. I rarely vacuum. Or dust anything. I am comfortable in my own dusty skin.

I spend more time reading. I look at my watch less and I rarely set my alarm clock. I even spend time doing nothing. I have gotten comfortable with lying in a lounge chair around the pool for days on end. I soak up the sun......and I don't feel guilty. You know why? Because I am 50 and I can do whatever I want. Gosh darn it!

Fifty is liberating.

And then Jeff and I willl click our champagne glasses in a toast and enjoy the sunset on Bodega Bay.

At our last voiceover workshop I brought a loaf of homemade pumpkin bread to share with the class. My son Rob has loved this fragrant pumpkin bread since he was a small boy and now at age 25 he still enjoys it......so much so that he can consume an entire loaf by himself in one day.

It's moist texture and delicate cinnamon flavor makes it highly addictive. I tell my friends I make it because it makes my house smell good....which is true, but I love eating it, too and really, isn't pumpkin a vegetable anyway? So don't feel guilty eating it!

The class had no problem eating every last slice (and any remaining crumbs on the platter) and since I received several requests for the recipe, I'm happy to share it.

Robbie's Pumpkin Bread

5 eggs

1-1/4 cups of canola oil

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 packages (3 ounces each) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix---NOT INSTANT!

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add oil and pumpkin; beat until smooth. Combine the remaining ingredients; gradually beat into pumpkin mixture. Pour batter into two greased ( I use PAM) large loaf pans. I use 8 inch by 4 inch by 2 inch loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 75 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Each loaf serves 6 to 8 normal people or 1 teenage boy.

Enjoy!

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