We just formed a new group, Voiceovers International, on Facebook for voiceover professionals, audio producers and ad agencies and marketing groups.

The business of voiceovers is growing and changing rapidly and our hope is that our new group will be a forum to connect, share ideas and build relationships.  

 We'll also post upcoming events, workshops and mixers that we hold at our midtown Sacramento studios.  

Everyone is welcome to join...the more the merrier! 

We'll be talking to you on Facebook.  

Yep, I've been writing this Blog for one year now. I originally started it out of curiosity. I wanted to know: What exactly IS a blog? Why does everyone have one? If everyone else has one....I've got to have one, too!

From what I had been reading on the web, a Blog is a good way of having a platform to voice one's own opinion. A Blog would be my own personal soapbox, so to speak. Who doesn't want that?

Over the last year I've used this soapbox/Blog to talk about things I love: doing voiceovers, my kids and grandkids, my husband Jeff, our cat Wilma, my hobbies. I've used it to complain and brag, share funny stories and then later in the year, I started sharing some of my favorite recipes. Ironically, the recipes get the most hits of everything I've posted! Food is indeed the common denominator.

The interest in recipes did surprise me. And, it almost makes me rethink my business model. Maybe I should open a voiceover bakery. Can't you see it....."I'd like to order 2 -60 second radio spots, light on the energy and could you throw in a dozen of your pumpkin whoopie pies, too?"

If you haven't tried my whoopie pies, I highly recommend whipping up a batch on a dreary winter day. Works better than pharmaceutical anti-depressants! Click "Recipes" under the tags to find these ooey gooey treats.

I will be posting more recipes in the weeks to come. At our voiceover workshops we always have a "treat of the month" and then I post the recipe. And, if you have a recipe that you'd like to share, by all means, let me know. The more recipes, the merrier, I say!

The Blog has also been a great forum for voiceover artists and aspiring voiceover artists everywhere. In the past year Jim and I have taught dozens of workshops with over 300 people in attendance. All thanks to the Blog!

In addition, in 2008 there were 4105 hits on this Blog, coming from all corners of the world including every state in the union and as far away as Ethiopia.

It's been quite a journey, to say the least. And I thank YOU for being a part of it. It's the people that make any journey a great one and this has been amazing!

Here's to a fabulous 2009!

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!

This is it! Welcome to my Blog. As a child of the 70's all of this "blog-stuff" is somewhat overwhelming to me. Heck, even the word "blog" is strange. But, from exploring others blogs I discovered they are a good way to share info and experiences and my goal is to write about the wonderful world of voiceovers.

That's the plan, anyway.......to talk about voiceovers. And goodness knows after 25 years behind 100's of microphones I do have a thing or two to say about the business. Everything you always wanted to know about voiceovers but were afraid to ask. Or didn't know who to ask. The good, the bad and the ugly. And let me just say that most of it is good. Anytime you can bring home a paycheck and stay on top of the bills without feeling like you're actually working is a good thing. Which I've had the good fortune of doing for a long time now.

Will be voicing a narration for California Dental Association tomorrow. And, producing more voicework for Verizon Wireless over the weekend.

It's a good life!

By the way, be sure to check the Workshops Blog for upcoming voiceover classes to be held in my downtown Sacramento offices.