Here’s an interesting voiceover question from a Magazine of Santa Clarita reader about voice quality:
Q: I’ve been recording voiceovers for about five years, but I wonder about my voice quality. The question I keep asking myself is, “Do listeners enjoy listening to my voice?” My voice is okay, but not as pure and clear and beautiful as I want. How can I improve my voice tone quality so that people love to hear my voice? Can I ever have a “beautiful” voice? Would it make sense to find a singing coach? What makes my voice less than beautiful? —Mike B., Los Angeles, CA
A: Mike, thanks for writing in. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who have the same questions. So let’s take them one at a time:
1. “Do listeners enjoy listening to my voice?” Some do and some don’t. The ones who like the sound of your voice will hire you, period.
2. “I just don’t like when I hear it. In my opinion, my voice is okay, but it’s not as pure and clear and beautiful as I want.” You can have the most beautiful voice in the world, but if you don’t know what to do with it, you’re not going to be a great voice actor.
3. “How can I best improve my voice tone quality so that people love to hear my voice?” Keep your voice clear and resonant. No smoking, no dairy, fatty, fried, sugary, spicy or greasy foods before a session, lots of water and enough sleep.
4. “Can I ever have a ‘beautiful’ voice?” We just have to do the best with what we’ve got.
5. “Would it make the most sense to find a singing voice coach here in my local area?” Yes. Some of my most successful students have been singers.
6. “What makes my voice less than beautiful?” When it sounds ugly. People can hear kindness, enthusiasm, interest, presence and passion in your voice. When you infuse those attributes into your performances, your voice will always sound beautiful.
Write to me with your voiceover questions and I’ll answer them in the coming months.
Cashman Commercials © 2009
Marc Cashman creates and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television. Winner of over 150 advertising awards and named by AudioFile Magazine as “Best Voice of the Year,” he instructs voice acting of all levels through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques in Los Angeles, CA, and does one-on-one coaching via phone and the Internet.
He can be contacted at cashcomm@earthlink.net or his website, www.cashmancommercials.com .