As always, I ended up writing a longer response than intended and now…here is another blog. This is, of course, in response to Taji’s last posting. Since my registration on this site, I have not seen any backbiting, ultra-competitive, “dog eat dog” mentality among ANY of the members here.

As I stated in a previous posting, there is truly a place in this business for all of us! On my way to work today, Axl Rose was on the radio and I thought, “Who would have thought this voice would be famous?” Judging from the popularity of Guns ‘n’ Roses, Axl’s voice found a place. The same can be said of Ozzy Osbourne, the gravely Rod Stewart, and even Mic Jagger. Who would have imagined that Louis Armstrong’s voice would be famous, especially when paired with a song liked, “What A Wonderful World”? And yet, somehow it worked. What was Steve Miller thinking when he sang, “Abra Abracadabra, I wanna reach out and grab ya”? Somebody liked it!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTJ1hRaEl...

I watch TV and hear the Norm’s Restaurant commercial where the VO states at the tagline, “Norm’s Restaurant – where life happens.” It sounds like she walked into the studio after smoking her 6th pack of cigarettes that day. Evidently, Norm’s Restaurant wanted a down-to-earth, honest to goodness, blue collar type voice to appeal to its target audience.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMzMZWffI...

How many of us were told by our parents, “How can you listen to that caccophony?” It didn’t matter if it was Led Zeppelin, Scorpions, or Sammy Hagar belting out his signature, “I Can’t Drive 55.” Sammy always did have a voice that could melt steel, and it always appealed to me and many others as well. Even Mark Slaughter, with his strong engaging vocals, has extended his career into VO, performing cartoon voices as well as straight narration.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JJXy2pKy...

There are the guys with the “monster truck type” voices, the women who can sound like teenage boys, voiceovers who can perform multiple regional accents, dubbing actors, books on tape, dramatic roles, and the list goes on and on. The possibilities are endless! Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simspon, was perfect for this voice role.

There are so many facets to the VO business that we can all find our specific niche. Simply find what you do best, work hard at your craft, and continue promoting yourself. Some of us have voices perfect for audiobooks, while others shine in more dramatic roles. There is a place for the “announcer” type voice, as well as the girl next door. No one person is a perfect match for every job, but everyone is a perfect match for some jobs.

Despite what the folks at Voices.com think, I am not a good match for a male voice. Yet, when I hear of these jobs, I post them on this site to give the guys a chance to try out for them. We work together as a community to inform, entertain, and promote dialogue.

And when I see postings that are great matches for myself, I do the best possible audition I can and hope for the best. Some I get right at the first take; others take a little longer to perfect. I do not take it personally if I don’t get it, because the client may be looking for something specific I don’t know about, or perhaps chose someone higher up in the audition line. Either way, I keep trying and pitching until I get it.

Also in a previous posting, I stated that the greatest competition I have is myself. I am in constant competition with Julia Lombardo. She demands more of me than anyone else. It is simply a waste of my time and effort to worry about what Jack S. is doing. I am spending all of my time competing against myself to be the best possible me that I can be. And that’s a full-time job in and of itself!

Every once in awhile, someone will approach me in the gym, saying the greatest distance they have ever run is 13 miles. “I wonder if I could ever double that to marathon distance.” I encourage them to train properly and go for it. This sport is a brotherhood, not a vicious competition, and I view these moments as my chance to encourage them – just as someone encouraged me nearly 10 years ago.

Like everyone else, I have my stronger areas and weaker areas. When I see a job in which I know I excel, I apply immediately. If it is a dramatic role, I do my best to act the part. Some projects are very easy for me. Others take more effort. And ironically enough, my final point directly links to this weekend’s church sermon. The message was simply this: we are all here on this earth for a reason, for a specific purpose. Find out what your purpose is and then go for it with all your might!

In every area of my life, I will continue to strive higher and higher toward my purpose, while at the same time, encouraging others to do the same.