Voiceover talent from around the world make their way to Anaheim, CA this week to take part in the world’s original and only truly International convention for voice actors. Since 2007, the VoiceOver International Creative Experience has been the “go to” event for Education, Technology and Community for anyone working in voiceover and acting. VO talent serious about performing their craft and the business of voice acting, attend this event in order to connect with the top professionals in voiceover.

To keep up with the activities at this year's convention, visit http://voiceconvention.com/

Step-by-Step Installation Guide for Installing Pro Tools Now Available!

Avid recently published instructions on how to activate Pro Tools. They have also provided videos for each step in the installation process, including how to activate the Pro Tools license on the iLok device.

Voices For All strongly recommends that students preparing to install Pro Tools review this tutorial prior to contacting us for technical support.  We have made this link permanently available on the Resources page but you can also review the installation procedure here:  http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/How_To/ActivationCard

Introduction to Pro Tools for the VFA Student

This course is designed specifically for VFA students wanting a refresher course on how to use Pro Tools for basic voiceover recording. This course provides a live demonstration using Pro Tools with the VFA Template. Students will get to watch key functions such as recording, editing, mixing and bouncing. Additionally, this webinar format allows students to ask questions.  Information provided will apply to any version of Pro Tools so long as the student has the VFA template for that version applied.

This course is only open to Voices For All Master Class students, past and present.

Webinar Dates

Sunday, March 23, 2014; 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Central
     5:00 PM  - 7:00 PM Eastern
     3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Mountain
     2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Pacific

Saturday, March 29, 2014; 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Central
     12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern
     10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Mountain
      9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific

How to Enroll in this Webinar
Login to your student page at voicesforall.com and you will see a link labled "Sign Up for Pro Tools Webinar".  Select which date you would like to attend and make your payment online.  

Webinar price $69.00

If you have questions regarding this webinar, please send an email to [email protected].

We are excited to be able to offer these courses in 2014 that your input helped to make possible.

• Audiobooks for the Advanced Voice Actor
• Creating Characters for Animation and Video Game
• Marketing for the Advanced Voice Actor

For Full Details Please Click Here

Thanks for your continued support and engagement with Voices For All.

Voices For All is seeking Regional Instructors in various markets across the United States.  If you or someone you know may be an ideal candidate, please read the following job posting for more details.

WHO WE ARE
Our raison d'être is to provide voiceover training.  We teach people to become professional voiceover actors.

Over the last decade Voices For All, has helped thousands of people take their voices to the next level. VFA is not just some recording studio trying to make extra profit from recording Voice Over Demos. VFA is strictly a VO education company. We pioneered the use of video chat technology in our One-On-One Introduction to Voiceovers class to acquaint interested students with the voiceover industry. This one-on-one approach also serves our Master Class students by providing personalized, focused voiceover training.

IDEAL CANDIDATE
You love to teach.
You are flexible and can teach at different area locations, including online.
You love to talk with people; answer questions and encourage potential voiceover actors into taking that next step and signing up for master class training with Voices For All.
You tell the truth; if you don’t know the answer, you don’t make something up
You know how to make people feel important and worthy
You want to succeed but aren’t so driven by the dollar sign that you’ll sacrifice your work-life balance just to make money.

JOB DESCRIPTION
We are in critical need of regional instructors for the following geographical areas:

    New York City
    New York, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachutsetts, Maine
    Maryland, Virginia, D.C.
    Central and Northern California
    Michigan
    Chicago / Northern llinois
    Eastern Missouri/Southern Illinois
    Western Missouri/Johnson County, Kansas

Where are You located?

QUALIFICATIONS

~    2+ years teaching experience preferred along with 2+ years as experienced voice actor-- OR --

~    5+ years as an experienced voice actor with a willingness to teach others

~    Willingness to teach in the regional area as well as online via video chat technology

~    Reliable availability to teach given several days advanced notice

~    Authentic and Awesome

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Interested candidates should submit resume and cover letter to [email protected].  All candidates will be contacted for interviews. 

Voices For All Graduate, Christopher Baum, Re-imagines and Directs Historic Radio Program

Imagine it's 1938 and in your home in Trenton, New Jersey, you and your family are gathered around the radio on a Sunday evening tuning into "Mercury Theatre on the Air" completely unaware that you are about to hear the most profound radio drama in the history of broadcasting. 

Today, America seems to take all its news with a grain of salt but this was not the case in 1938. Back then radio was a trusted and reliable source of information and news.  Hearing of an alien invasion presented in a news-like format was so significant that people too young to have heard the radio broadcast are still aware of it.  Its impact to the listening public had tremendous effect. The radio presentation of The War of the Worlds, proved beyond doubt the power of media.

Christopher Baum, a VFA graduate, has re-imagined, directed and produced a new version of the broadcast by collaborating with several voiceover artists from across the country.  In an interview with Voices For All, Christopher shares some insights on producing this voiceover drama.  As a new version, this presentation, War of the Worlds (the word 'The' was dropped), is more closely aligned with the novel, The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells in that it provides a single character point-of-view interspersed with recorded interviews with others.  In this new production, the main character is a NASA contractor recounting the events he witnessed as Martians invade New Jersey.  As a New Jersey native, Baum has a fondness for this story engendered by an aunt who remembers hearing first-hand the 1938 broadcast.

Baum's production has a cast of fifteen voiceover actors, including VFA's Leah Frederick.  He was able to cast the production using a variety of resources such as SpokenLayer; audition calls through Voices For All, and placing an ad in Craigslist.  Of the cast, Baum has only met two of the other cast members in person; Leah Frederick and Tyler Abbott, Baum's nephew.  The talent that came together to perform in this production, did so for free.  Baum credits the compelling message of this year being the 75th anniversary of the original broadcast as the key motivator in getting voiceover actors to audition and perform without pay. 

The collaborative process of producing War of the Worlds involved different actors recording in different studios at different times using different equipment. The hands-on learning experience has significantly enhanced Baum's production expertise.  This project also provides him and the cast with a unique and memorable entry to their voiceover resumes.  Baum describes himself as "still a newcomer to voice work" but has gained a wealth of experience working on this project.

Voices For All is proud to announce War of the Worlds will air on October 31, 2013 on Krypton Radio at 3PM Pacific / 6PM Eastern, and again at 7PM Pacific / 10PM Eastern and is part of an entire day of Halloween music and special programming.

VFA Summer Series Webinars - Updated August 13, 2013
For those of you who missed our first three webinars click on the following links to hear VFA's webinar presentations:

    Avoiding Bad Demos

    Audiobooks

    Social Media for the VO Actor

Our next and final Summer Series online webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20, starting at 5:30 PM Pacific / 8:30 PM Eastern.  The topic is Ask a Pro!  Where our staff of instructors answers questions from the webinar audience.  Even though this will be a recorded event, you won't want to miss out on the opportunity to ask a professional voiceover coach your most pressing voiceover questions, so please join us.  This is a FREE presentation, as are all of the VFA Summer Series Webinars.  We will post recorded webinars within a week of their presentation so if you're not able to attend, please check back here or on our Facebook or Twitter feeds to access the latest webinar.

The 2013 Summer Series Webinar Schedule:
July 9 - Avoiding Bad Demos; Mike Elmore
July 23 - Audiobooks; Leah Frederick
August 6 - Social Media for VO Actors; Martha Valenta
August 20 - Ask a Pro! Q & A Panel Discussion, VFA Coaching Staff
  Mike Elmore
  Leah Frederick
  Dan Hegstad
  Eric Hunt
  Matt Martin
  Bob Puthoff
  Kathleen Taylor

We hope you'll join us.
How to Join:
Go to the VFA Meeting Wall:  http://www.startmeeting.com/wall/950-748-315
Dial-in US Toll Number:  (530) 881-1212  /  Meeting ID:  950-748-315

Instructions:
At the scheduled date and time of the meeting, dial into the conference line. When prompted, enter the meeting ID, followed by the pound key.
To join the online meeting, click on the meeting link listed above, then press "Join". On the next screen, complete your name and email address, then press "Submit". The system will guide you through the process of downloading the meeting dashboard to participate in the online meeting.
To ensure easier access to the meeting at the scheduled time, we recommend downloading the StartMeeting software in advance. Click Download to launch a wizard to download the meeting dashboard.
If you have trouble connecting to the webinar either online or by phone, please contact StartMeeting Customer Service at (800) 644-9070.

VFA Summer Series Webinars - Updated July 30, 2013

For those of you who missed our first two webinars click to view and listen to VFA's webinar presentation, Avoiding Bad Demos and Audiobooks. 

Our next online webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, starting at 5:30 PM Pacific / 8:30 PM Eastern.  The topic is Social Media for Voice Over Actors, presented by Martha Valenta.

This is a FREE presentation, as are all of the VFA Summer Series Webinars.  We will post recorded webinars within a week of their presentation so if you're not able to attend, please check back here or on our Facebook or Twitter feeds to access the latest webinar.

The Summer Series Webinar Schedule:

July 9 - Avoiding Bad Demos; Mike Elmore

July 23 - Audiobooks; Leah Frederick

August 6 - Social Media for VO Actors; Martha Valenta

August 20 - Ask a Pro! Q & A Panel Discussion, VFA Coaching Staff

   Mike Elmore
   Leah Frederick
   Dan Hegstad
   Eric Hunt
   Matt Martin
   Bob Puthoff
   Theresa Seiders

We hope you'll join us.

How to Join:
Go to the VFA Meeting Wall:  http://www.startmeeting.com/wall/950-748-315

Dial-in US Toll Number:  (530) 881-1212  /  Meeting ID:  950-748-315

Instructions:
At the scheduled date and time of the meeting, dial into the conference line. When prompted, enter the meeting ID, followed by the pound key.

To join the online meeting, click on the meeting link listed above, then press "Join". On the next screen, complete your name and email address, then press "Submit". The system will guide you through the process of downloading the meeting dashboard to participate in the online meeting.

To ensure easier access to the meeting at the scheduled time, we recommend downloading the StartMeeting software in advance. Click Download to launch a wizard to download the meeting dashboard.

If you have trouble connecting to the webinar either online or by phone, please contact StartMeeting Customer Service at (800) 644-9070.

VFA Summer Series Webinars - Updated July 19, 2013

For those of you who missed our first webinar click to view and listen to VFA's webinar presentation, Avoiding Bad Demos.  

For those of you who attended the webinar but dropped off because of technical issues, we sincerely apologize.

Our next online webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23, starting at 5:30 PM Pacific / 8:30 PM Eastern.  The topic is Audiobooks, presented by Leah Frederick.

This is a FREE presentation, as are all of the VFA Summer Series Webinars.  We will post recorded webinars within a week of their presentation so if you're not able to attend, please check back here or on our Facebook or Twitter feeds to access the latest webinar.

The Summer Series Webinar Schedule:

July 9 - Avoiding Bad Demos; Mike Elmore

July 23 - Audiobooks; Leah Frederick

August 6 - Social Media for VO Actors; Martha Valenta

August 20 - Ask a Pro! Q & A Panel Discussion, VFA Coaching Staff

   Mike Elmore
   Leah Frederick
   Dan Hegstad
   Eric Hunt
   Matt Martin
   Bob Puthoff
   Theresa Seiders

We hope you'll join us.

How to Join:
Go to the VFA Meeting Wall:  http://www.startmeeting.com/wall/950-748-315

Dial-in US Toll Number:  (530) 881-1212  /  Meeting ID:  950-748-315

Instructions:
At the scheduled date and time of the meeting, dial into the conference line. When prompted, enter the meeting ID, followed by the pound key.

To join the online meeting, click on the meeting link listed above, then press "Join". On the next screen, complete your name and email address, then press "Submit". The system will guide you through the process of downloading the meeting dashboard to participate in the online meeting.

To ensure easier access to your meeting at the scheduled time, we recommend downloading the StartMeeting software in advance. Click Download to launch a wizard to download the meeting dashboard.

If you have trouble connecting to the webinar either online or by phone, please contact StartMeeting Customer Service at (800) 644-9070.

Celebrating 237 Years of Independence

In honor of our national holiday, Voices For All is offering a $400 discount to any of our Live Online Master Classes from now until July 9, 2013.

Bronze LOMC - 16 Sessions, normally priced $2,890 - NOW $2,490
Silver LOMC - 23 Sessions, normally priced $3,590 - NOW $3,150
Gold LOMC - 27 Sessions, normally priced $4,490 - NOW $4,090

Click Here for more information about our LOMC packages.

Interest-free payment plans available!

All classes include:

• Two professionally produced voiceover demos to use for auditioning.
• A VFA-hosted webpage to store your demos
• The LOMC workbook filled with voiceover techniques; scripts; marketing materials; home studio setup information and a How To use Pro Tools for Voiceover recording guide
• Lifetime Support

If you have been thinking about getting started in voiceover acting, now is the time to invest in your dream.  

Promotion ends Monday, July 9, 2013 at 11:59 PM.  

For more information, contact:

Sherril Stewart
(518) 261-1569
[email protected]
[email protected]

'In A World ...' with Lake Bell gets new trailer

by Amanda Taylor; reprinted from insidemovies.ew.com; June 12, 2013

Lake Bell (Black Rock, What Happens in Vegas) just wants to be a voiceover actor, and In A World … where she wrote, directed and starred in her own film there is a good chance her dreams might come true.
Bell’s character in the film, Carol, wants to follow in her father’s (Fred Melamed) footsteps, and become a the voice of a generation of movie trailers. Although he is encouraging of her voice work, he thinks movie trailers are the big leagues where only the boys can play. He even appears to be coaching her nemesis, who is played by Ken Marino with sexist bravado. The film also stars Rob Corddry, Nick Offerman, and Demetri Martin.
To quote Bell’s father in the film. “I love that. It’s just so random.”
Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting award, the film was lauded at the Sundance Film Festival for its loud humor and social commentary. It was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

Watch the trailer here.

At VFA we love nothing more than seeing or students become colleagues. It happens all the time and to be clear it is one of the most satisfying elements of

this industry.  

We are pleased to announce that one of our success stories has joined the lineup of working professional voice coaches here at Voices For All.

Matt Martin is a Washington State native that spent many years working in the financial industry.  With the growing number of Internet based, financial services websites he found himself thinking of a career change.  After signing up for and attending one of our Introduction to Voice Overs classes...Matt decided to take the ball and run with it.  

Matt continued his training with our very own, industry veteran, current, relevant voice actor and coach Mike Elmore. After working closely with Mike, learning the VFA way of marketing, submerging himself deeply into technique training and finally producing a Commercial and a Narration demo...Matt is on fire. 

Matt can be heard using his skills to pitch for Kobalt tools, The Outdoor Channel, NBC Sports....just to name a few. 

Matt will be conducting classes around the state of WA this year.  

Email [email protected] for more information.  Welcome aboard Matt!!

VFA's Mike Elmore makes wishes come true for children across the country.  We asked him to tell us a little more about this and how it sometimes involves the voice of SpongeBob….Tom Kenny. 

"Well I have been working with Make a Wish for a little over a decade now.  The work that I have done with them has largely stayed under the radar. I have just never felt a need to tell anyone around me that I do it.  My mother doesn't even know…lol.  My wife knows that I am a devoted volunteer but that's about it.  It's just something that I have always kind of liked keeping private for some reason…I don't really know why off the top of my head. 

The work I have done has mostly been as the middle man who reaches out to various celebrities in the music industry. I have always been well connected in that industry which largely comes from my years and years in radio…and partly from my years playing in a touring band.  If I don't know them I probably know someone that does…or that knows someone that knows someone type thing.  You can bet your last dollar that if I get a wish request from a child I won't stop until contact is made. 

With the overall popularity of Voice Overs in general, over the last several years…and more specifically SpongeBob Squarepants there have been many requests to meet him.  Of course this presents a new problem that I have never dealt with before with these wishes…..being that he is a drawing!! lol.  But believe me……the VOICE of SpongeBob saying their name, their family members names, their pets names and so on…has proven to be life changing….I've been told.  I was told by one parent that the kid listened to the personalized recording close to 500 times in the first 24 hours…each time with a smile on his face. These kids forget perhaps for a moment about the challenges they face. And let me tell you that is a priceless thing to be involved with!!!!

Of course none of this would be possible if it weren't for an absolute sweetheart of a guy, Tom Kenny.  He is a wildly successful voice actor and of course the voice of SB. I gather talking points/personal information on the kids, he books time in a studio, drives himself down there and records a personalized message for the child. He has gone the extra mile as well around the holidays and sent SB Christmas CD's to the kids as well as an autographed picture.  

I urge anyone that has any kind of special talent, skill or connections to see if MAW can utilize you in someway. It's an unforgettable feeling to make an impact and difference…and perhaps even provide a little relief in the lives of these children that are going thru things NO ONE should ever have to go through."

------We would like to thank Mike for pulling back the curtain and sharing this information with us. 

MANY VFA GRADUATES SMELL THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS 

What a great start to what is gong to be a great year in voice overs. We have always urged graduates to keep us in the loop with regard to their successes, trials, tribulations...etc.  We remind them constantly of the lifetime support we offer and encourage them to use it when they need advice, a pep talk...and/or just to let us know how they are doing.  

We are thrilled to see the fruits of ours and the students labor from the tail end of 2012....paying off. 

Join us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to follow student sucesses and set a goal to get YOUR NAME on the leader boards. 

www.facebook.com/VoicesForAllLLC

www.twitter.com/VoicesForAll

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=213190357&trk=tab_pro

Personal Branding for Voice Actors

By Personal Branding Blog,

Voice acting is such a specialized niche that a solid game plan is a necessity.  If you’re an aspiring voice actor, or you are looking to expand your reach and grow your career, there is a lot you can do. Here are four steps you can take to grow your reputation and promote your voice acting career.

1. Start Associating Your Web Presence With Voice Acting
That’s more than just creating a logo and putting up a website. It means writing a blog that talks extensively about voiceover work (triggers search engines), gives advice to other voice actors (shows you know your stuff), and discusses the benefits of working with voice actors compared to doing it in-house with a laptop and $100 microphone (reaches decision makers). Thanks to Google’s new AuthorRank algorithm and co-citation, any time you can have a piece of content that associates your name with “voice actor,” you’re letting Google do the work for you, and making it easier for decision makers to find you.

2. Consider Doing a Regular Freebie
Just make sure it doesn’t take away from paid opportunities. I’m a big fan of radio theater, especially the private eye shows, including one Harry Nile. Voice actor Jim French spent a lot of time and effort doing Harry Nile radio plays, selling CDs, and even getting them played on SiriusXM Radio. While he’s making money from Harry Nile (especially since the shows are 36 years old), it’s also a way for French to showcase the kind of voiceover work he and his product company are able to do.

As a voice actor, consider doing a very short podcast that a lot of people would be interested in — this day in history, this day in sports history, trivia minute, whatever. Put these out on a daily or weekly basis, keep them under 5 minutes, publish them on iTunes and Stitcher, and always include a small tag at the end — “This day in sports history is created by voice actor Rich Cunningham.”

3. Join a Marketing Executive Group on LinkedIn
Be the go-to guy for advice on not only voice work, but marketing videos, marketing podcasts, and anything that is going to require a script. Hell, join a script writing group while you’re at it, if for nothing else than you can learn a lot about script writing While you may not be a script writer, you need to know a lot about the art form. That’s so you can be a veritable font of useful information to people who buy scripts, hire scriptwriters, and ultimately hire voiceover people. Become a useful resource to them, and eventually you’ll earn their trust enough to get referrals and gigs.

4. Join a Business Networking Group
Whether it’s the American Marketing Association, American Advertising Federation, your local chamber, or any other group where marketing bigwigs meet on a regular basis, you need to regularly attend those meetings. Many of them will not be your clients, but they may end up referring you to the people who will be. So cultivate relationships within the groups. Have coffee and lunch with the marketers and the people who deal with marketers — script writers, radio producers, video marketers — and get to know them. Serve as a referral source for them and their projects, and they’ll do the same for you.

Branding yourself as a voice actor isn’t that hard. It’s just a matter of showing your clients and potential clients that you really know what you’re doing. Share information, provide a freebie to showcase your talent, and create written content that links your name to keywords like “voiceover” and “voice actor.”

Author:
Erik Deckers is the owner of Professional Blog Service, and the co-author of Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself 

The Emmy-nominated cartoon “Adventure Time” follows 14-year-old hero Finn and his pal Jake, a shape-shifting dog, as they face off against evildoers in the magical Land of Ooo. The show has become one of Cartoon Network‘s most popular programs, attracting both kids and adults to thewhimsical and darkly funny world created by animator Pendleton Ward. The show, which kicked off its fifth season last week, continues Monday. Hero Complex caught up with Jeremy Shada, the 15-year-old actor who voices Finn, to talk about “Adventure Time” and more.

(CBS News) The image of President Abraham Lincoln is usually that of a tall man with a booming voice.

According to a new report by IBISWorld USA, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) leads the list of the ten industries expected to see the highest growth rate between 2010-2016. Also on the Top 10 list are video games and Internet publishing.

After an 80 year attempt at joining forces, the two leading unions in the entertainment industry have finally merged. The members of both SAG and AFTRA are now united as one union.  SAG-AFTRA said it now represents more than 150,000 actors, announcers, broadcasters, DJs, singers, voice-over artists and other media professionals whose work can be seen and heard in theaters, on TV and radio, sound recordings, the Internet, games, mobile devices and home video.  It is hoped that the merger is a step in the right direction and will allow entertainers to be able to cross into other areas of the industry without having to belong to two separate unions. 

Source: Jonathan Handler. (March 30, 2012). www.hollywoodreporter.com.

You know...  I have to say that Paul and I have always been amazed at how many people we have spoken to who have dreamed of being a professional voice actors for years or even decades and each year when they think about making the jump they just don’t do it.  Human nature can be funny like that. I mean, how many of us want to be more physically fit or maybe we want to learn a new language? We know what we want, we know how to get it, but still for some reason we just don’t go after it.  Instead, so many of us just live our lives one year at a time wishing that we could just do the very thing that we are choosing not to do.  Doesn't that sound crazy? We are all guilty of it though.  

With the new year upon us, there could not have been a better time to get the most recent success update from one of our Master Class graduates. If you have ever considered making the jump into the fun and exciting world of voiceovers then please, do yourself a favor and read the story of 2011 Master Class graduate, Matt Martin.  This may just be the nudge you need to stop thinking about your dream, and start working towards that dream of becoming a voice actor. 

49 Year Old Matt Martin In His Own Words

Matt Martin worked in the business/banking world for more than two decades. Matt was a successful stock broker and had achieved many of his life's ambitions. After many years in the banking and financial industry Matt had this to say... 

I was becoming discontent with the direction the company I worked for was headed and the direction of Wall Street in general. I decided I needed to get out. I left that career behind me and opened a construction company. I could see the writing on the wall with the recession starting to take affect in America and I got out of that as well.

Like so many people I meet who want to get into this business, I remember that people always said that I had that voice. You know, the voice for movies and commercials. The voice of a professional voice actor. On the other hand, voice actors I met had commonly told me that the market is just too tough, and that I will never make it in voice acting. It turned out that they were wrong. I now know that they just did not know how to do it!

Then Came Voices For All

I remember I was shampooing the carpets in my house and I had just quit my last job in October of 2010. My wife brought in a mailer from Gig Harbor Community College, near our home. As I stood there cleaning the rugs she told me about VFA’s class called An Introduction To Voice Acting.  She told me I should go and so... I signed up and went.

That class was my first formal introduction to the real world of professional voiceovers and voice acting. I have to admit that the class was a bit nerve racking. I had done a little acting back in my younger days but nothing big. I had not read a script in years and here I was doing it in front of a group of other students taking the class with me. I have to say however that my teacher Mike Elmore was amazing, and at the end of the class I knew this was something that I wanted to do.

A couple days after the class, I spoke with Courtney Thayer and Sherril Stewart from Voices For All. To be honest when they told me about the Master Class I thought it was just too good to be true. The whole time I was thinking it was all smoke and mirrors and maybe not legit. I decided that I would speak to some people I knew who work in the entertainment industry and I found out that VFA was in fact legit and reputable, and known by many as “The Way“ to get into this business. I remember one friend said to me. “Matt, I have always trusted you, now you need to trust me on this. Voices For All is a great company and you need to go for it.”  I have to admit that my wife and I were both concerned because I was unemployed and we wondered if I would be able to really do this. I had no job, and money was going to run out sooner or later. Was this the right move?

Thankfully, I decided to make the jump and just two days later I was on a plane to Minneapolis to fill the one remaining spot in the Master Class that had just opened up due to a rescheduled student. I will never forget that time. There was a massive blizzard so bad that they shut down the whole city. In fact, the snow was so bad that It shut down the kitchen, elevators, and the swimming pool at the hotel. It was pretty crazy.

Then Came The Master Class

What else can I say except this class was way beyond what I had possibly imagined. I remember being totally impressed with so many things: like learning how to dissect a script, the marketing section was great, learning how to create your own identity, and the step by step process of being successful, also the studio and ProTools section. The whole thing was just amazing. At the end of the class I remember Mike Elmore saying, “you will have questions, do not hesitate to call me directly or VFA”  and I asked “are you sure because I can be a pain in the butt.”  He said, “ Yes, please call me or VFA when you need help, any help at all,” and believe me, I did.  

I also remember that making my demo was a kick. It was so fun and invigorating. Mike can get out of you what he wants, and what you need. He is a great producer, especially for new budding voice actors.  

When I got home from the class I had a concrete plan and I went right to it. I started to put my professional identity together. I received my demo soon after, signed up for the sites that I was referred to by VFA. It took me 3 months to get my first job, and then 2 more months for my next job. Then all of the sudden I started getting more and more work. That was when I decided to start marketing hard.  I started sending many more emails each day and I would follow up with them every four to eight weeks. I was receiving more and more positive responses. I even started getting phone calls from people I had never even contacted in the first place!

Then Came Success

One of my main goals was to double my income every month. It was tough some months but I have effectively done it. I have met my goal and that feels just great! When people ask me about my success I tell them this is such a great Job. Everyone in this business is so fun to work with.  It is the best job in the world. Even my local newspaper is calling me now to inquire about what I am doing and how I am doing it. One year ago I wanted to be a voice actor. Today I am a successful professional voice actor with a rapidly growing clientele. I owe so much of that to Voices For All. 

Some of the bigger companies I have worked for as a voice actor are:

• Cobalt Tools
• Lowes
• Ford
• Jack Rabbit Sports Gear
• TV show Dropped Project Alaska
• Iyogi Software
• National Geographic
• Various Music Videos
• Game Trailers
• Game Narration
• Guardian Glass 
• And many more...

You ask me about success.  I have to say I did not expect any less from myself. After the Master Class I figured that I should have been this successful due to the quality of my Voices For All education and support.  Really, I mean I received a great education and great support.  Why wouldn't I be successful? The Master Class gives you confidence and a plan. Then you just have to act on it and follow through.

What would I say to other people who have been thinking about getting into professional voice acting?

Trust Mike Elmore, trust VFA, and trust yourself. You know that somewhere inside of you this is right. Leaving your 9-5 like I did is not easy. (VFA does not recommend leaving your day job when you are first starting out) Trust yourself, trust these people, and you'll be successful if you put your mind to it.

Congratulations Matt... Keep up the great work! We are all so proud of you.

-Stan Denis 

Managing Partner - Voices For All

Winter will soon be upon us, wouldn't you like to feel the sand between your toes instead of the frost on your nose? For the first time Voices for All is offering a vacation destination Master Class located in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You will have the opportunity to participate in all our Master Class has to offer while being able to enjoy your downtime doing what vacationers do best... shop, sightsee and relax. We have had a huge demand for this class so don't miss out on your opportunity to be a part of it. The cost is $2990 and even better we offer payment plans to make it really affordable. In this economy who can turn down an affordable getaway? We have handled all the details now all you need to do is enroll and get yourself there! If this sounds as good to you as it does to all of us here in the Northeast check out the details HERE and contact us to get in on the fun!!! 

This is what you can do with a great voice and a VO education from VFA....

We are proud to announce one of our very own VFA students has landed a national advertisement for Ford. Take a listen you make think you are hearing Mike Rowe but don't be fooled it is out very own Matt Martin. Congratulations Matt!  Great job!

To view/hear the Ad for Ford  CLICK HERE

Do you have a character voice that you have perfected?  Why not blog about it, that is what our very own VFA coaches have done. Follow The Adventures of Bettie, featuring the voices for Leah Frederick and Bob Puthoff.

Click Here 

As you are all aware, when Apple intorduced it's newest Operating System (OSX) Lion, Pro Tools 9 MP was not compatible with the new OSX.  We are happy to announce that a Beta version has been released. Pro Tools 9.0.5 is now available for Lion.  Keep in mind this is a Beta version meaning that while Lion users can use Pro Tools now, Avid is still working out the kinks and a fully supported version should be right around the corner. Keep checking back for further information. 

To download the Free Update for MP users - CLICK HERE

It's time to reach out and make some friends. Social networking friends that is. In our Master class we discuss the importance of marketing yourself through social media sites and what a difference it can make in getting your name and skill set out to the public. What people don't often realize is that while you are online searching for companies to promote yourself to, they can also be searching for you. The most important thing to remember is keep your information up to date and make as many "friends" as possible. You never know where your next big break could come from.

I wish that I had Jessie's Girl.... I mean, Mike Elmore's voice!!! 

Mike Elmore, VFA Master Class instructor, will be providing his VO talents as the narrator for Rick Springfield- Behind the Music to be aired on VH-1! Production will begin in a few weeks.  We will be sure to update you as soon as we learn when the program will air. Mike Elmore is soaring high in his Voiceover career.  No Broken Wings on this guy... that's for sure!

Congrats Mike. 

We recently received an email here at VFA Headquarters from our colleague Mike Elmore, VFA Master Class Instructor/Coach/Producer, that we thought might be interesting to share with you:

Hey everyone.  I thought it would be appropriate to stop by the site and share some thoughts.  

As everyone at Voices For All knows, I have been doing voice overs for a long time.  I have won awards, voiced 1000's of commercials, books, promos, trailers, telephony applications, etc.   I have my days down to a science when it comes to voicing, answering email and MARKETING.  I emphasize marketing because it is one of my favorite necessities of this business.  I love seeing my efforts pay off in the form of a "gig".  I also love the fact that you can do it from home!!!  If I owned fuzzy, bunny slippers, I would wear them while I am working all day from my home recording studio.   

Anyway... despite my years of experience in the voice over business, I wanted to thank Voices For All for opening my eyes to some marketing ideas that I had never thought of.  You see, I teach some of the Voices For All Master Classes that are scheduled throughout the year and while I have contributed to the current curriculum of this class, a lot of the class was already in place when I started teaching. As I got a few of these classes under my belt I realized.....there was something during the MARKETING portion of the workshop that kept jumping out at me every time I would get to the portion of the day that mentioned it.  When we are giving an incredible marketing plan to the class there is a time when we go over some great places to submit voice over demos to.  Every time that came up, it kind of made me raise my mental eyebrow and "go hmmmm"!..... as I had never thought of contacting one of the specific types of organizations that we mention.  So.....I put together a template email that I could send to as many of these companies as I could STAND...(there are so many of them).  After about a month or so...I got 3 emails back saying they were interested in using me for upcoming projects.  So far I have voiced 4 projects between 2 organizations and have another one coming soon from the 3rd, directly as a result of this latest marketing concept.  And JUST when I thought I was a MASTER~ haha...  The truth of the matter is...I learn all the time...new ways to market, new voicing techniques.  So thanks to Voices For All for such a well crafted, all-inclusive class and also for opening my eyes to this marketing idea.  There are others that I am going to play with as well that I hope to get the same results from and look forward to sharing them with future Mater Class attendees.  Thanks again.

For grads who are using Pro Tools 8, Avid released their latest update... 8.0.5.  This new version has corrected the known issues that remained with 8.0.4.  The update is free for all Pro Tools 8 users.  To download PT 8.0.5 Click Here

As always if you have any Home Studio or Pro Tools questions, please email [email protected]

If you're not moving forward, you are simply standing still. At VFA we don't like to stand still.  We're always thinking "What next?" and "How can we improve?". One way we continuously improve is by evolving our Master Class content. Starting this month, the VFA Master Class instructors will be teaching a new and improved Master Class curriculum. Much of the class will remain the same, but we have refined some of the technique exercises and updated the marketing approach. The VO industry is ever changing and it is very important for our students to be "in the know" when these changes happen. So in addition to the New Master Class, we also have updated the VFA MC Workbook with all of this awesome information and have made it available to all VFA Master Class Graduates on the Resources page. Just go to the Graduate Login and choose "Resources". The new workbook is easy to identify by adding the word "current" next to the document name!  

We have made improvements to the Home Studio section of the workbook as well, and created a new PT Template for you to use. Check it out now! We think that you'll like the changes.    

To link to the Graduate Login now... Click Here

As many of you know, Digidesign (the maker of Pro Tools) recently became AVID.  Unfortunately, this change caused a halt in production of the MBox 2 for a period of time earlier this year. Now that production is back up and running, AVID has released the 3rd Generation MBoxes, officially known as the Pro Tools MBox Family. The new Pro Tools MBox will still have it's little sister, Mini as well as it's big brother,  Pro. The new hardware is lighter and works more seamlessly then ever before. As production of the MBox 2 Family has ended in preparation for the 3rd Generation, those who order their equipment in January 2011 will be ordering the new Mbox.  There is a slight increase in cost, but the improvements are well worth it. Given AVID's track record.... this new addition should not disappoint! 

To learn more about the Pro Tools MBox Family:  Click Here

We are!  VFA has it's own You Tube Channel. We will periodically add videos about VFA and the world of VO! This is our way of keeping up with the trends and keeping YOU informed. 

We would love for you to subscribe...  Click Here to check out our You Tube Channel!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!  Mike Elmore is listed as one of the "most prominent or iconic Voiceover Artists," according to Wikipedia.

Mike is often involved in projects that are newsworthy, but this time, he has certainly outdone himself. Mike is listed in the company of many iconic voice actors such as Mel Blanc, Nancy Cartwight and Robin Williams! This is a huge accomplishment and we are so proud of him! Next time you see him, ask for his autograph! 

From all of your friends at VFA... Congratulations Mike!

Want to check out the article which contains the list?  Click Here

Just when you thought Mike couldn't possibly get any busier, he goes and signs another national contract. For the next six months, Mike Elmore will be working on recording hundreds of :30 to :60 second advertisements for Yelp.com and Yellowpages.com clients. Starting very soon, when you search businesses using yelp or yellowpages.com and you click on the video commercial ad next to the company listing, you could be hearing the voice of VFA's very own Mike Elmore!  So proud of you Mike!  

Want to hear some samples??

Click Here    And Here    Here Too     Last One

Avid (formerly Digidesign) announced the release of PT 8.0.4 yesterday.  This is a FREE upgrade for registered users of the Pro Tools 8 software.  The new version is available for Mac OS as well as Windows OS.  The upgrade will bring lots of performance advancements and "fixes" and also now supported by Window 7.  This is BIG news for those of you who have purchased a new PC and have been using the Beta version of PT for some time now.  PT 8.0.4 also supports the Intel based Mac OS X 10.6.1 - 10.6.3 (Snow Leopard) as well as 10.5.8 (Leopard). For more information about the upgrade...  CLICK HERE

Grads... Please note that we have updated our Template and Manual. If you are using Pro Tools 8.0.4, you will want to download the newest VFA Template and accompanying Manual. As always, let us know if you have questions.

11/24/10 -  UPDATE for PC users!!! If you had Pro Tools 6 or 7 and you have recently upgraded to Windows 7, you will notice that your PT software is not compatible.  Well if you want to upgrade to PT so that you can use Pro Tools with Windows 7.... the upgrade charge is substantially less then purchasing the software as if it was new.  To find out more details contact Martin at Full Compass or Click Here

We have been busy here at VFA making some great changes that will impact our Graduates.  First of all, we have completed a new "Keywords" system for building your profile.  Now, you can supplement the words you have already chosen with a few words from our list too.  If you don't see a word from the list that you would like to use, no worries, you can add your own keywords to the list as well.  We encourage you all to check it out soon and update your keywords. Updating your keywords (as well as your entire profile) regularly is a great way to stay focused and fresh.  

Secondly, since we have many Grads that have now been working in the VO industry for a while, we thought it would be good to add some advanced resources for the veteran VO artist.  Now you will see a category of resources which will assist you in building your own personal website and advertising your small business, in addition to many other new resources that will help you amplify your current marketing and networking efforts. 

So, what are you waiting for?  Go and check out the new resources and update your profile.  

The following article, once again, serves as proof that Leah is the perfect candidate for teaching our Fantastic Advanced Audiobook Workshop!  She was recently signed to narrate not one but two children's audiobooks.  The first is called "Sharing Snowy" and the second it "The Undergardeners".  She has been working on a very large educational narration gig for one of the Gelncoe McGraw-Hill Science books.  She will be voicing the over 1000 definitions in the textbooks glossary!  This is not the first job she has performed for the textbook enterprise. These are some exciting jobs, Leah.  Congrats!

I addition to teaching Intro and Master Classes for VFA, Mike Elmore has been in production for a series of national radio/TV commercials for Capcom/Gamestop.  His voice is being used for the promo for the release of the latest version of a hugely popular video game series and its accompanying toy!  Kudos to you Mike for booking this fantastic opportunity.  Way to go! 

We are very proud to announce that one of our Graduates has been recognized by ForeWord Magazine. "Elijah's Coin" by Steve O'Brien, narrated by Bob Nielsen (VFA GRAD), is a finalist for ForeWord's 2009 Audio Book of the Year. ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards program was designed to discover distinctive books from independent publishers across a number of genres. The Awards program often serves to provide these worthy projects with a second wind of publicity. The finalists, representing 360 publishers, were selected from 1,400 entries in 60 categories. These books are examples of independent publishing at its best. The winners will be determined by a panel of librarians and booksellers selected from the Magazines' readership. Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, as well as Editor's Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced at a special program at BookExpo America in New York City on May 25. The winners of the two Editor's Choice Prizes will be awarded $1,500 each. The ceremony is open to all BEA attendees. We at VFA are cheering for Bob.  We will be sure to keep you posted when the winners are announced in May.  Congrats to you Bob for doing great work!  

For a full list of the finalists searchable by category, publisher, title, and author, Click Here.

UPDATE 4/21/10: We just received notice that Elijah's Coin, the audio book, has been named a Silver Medalist in the Nautilus Book Awards.

The Nautilus Awards recognize Books and Audio Books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living & positive social change,  while at the same time they stimulate the "imagination" and offer the reader "new possibilities" for a better life and a better world.

There are three rounds of judging.  Silver medalists are those that survive the first two rounds of independent judging. Silver medalists go onto a third set of judges to select the Gold Medal winner.  Nautilus will award the Gold Medal on May 26 at the BEA convention.

Previous Gold and Silver medal winners of the Nautilus Award are Deepak Chopra, Barbara Kingsolver, Eckhart Tolle, Katherine Neville, and .....wait for it....His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

We have some amazing news to share with you. Our teammate Leah Frederick came to us a while ago stating that her mother, Phyllis, was in need of a Kidney transplant.  After several potential donors were tested and found not to be a match for Phyllis, Leah's sister posted a plea for a donor of Facebook. Lo and behold, a donor came forward! Kirsten, an old family friend whose own brother's life was saved by a bone marrow donor, volunteered to be tested. Once it was determined she was a match, she offered a kidney to Phyllis. The surgery took place in January and we are very excited to announce that Phyllis, Kirsten and Gertrude (the donated kidney was named Gertude) are all doing fine! The community where Phyllis lives was so touched by this act of kindness that the local news and the newspaper did stories about it.  This is truly a miracle and we are glad that everyone is doing well. 

If you would like to view the news story please CLICK HERE

If you would like to read the news article please CLICK HERE

For more information about live organ donation or if you would like to make a donation to the Kidney Foundation please CLICK HERE or National Marrow Donor Program CLICK HERE.

Eric Hunt, one of VFA's fabulous Master Class and Advanced Workshops Instructors, has just signed a contract for his latest gig with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education.  This will be an ongoing contract for him to voice a series of online courses intended for teachers, staff, and administrators of the PA public schools system. Eric will be narrating this series which will consist of Powerpoint presentation style online courses that will address many areas "behind the scenes" of PA public school education including how to send a school lunch contract out for bidding as well as new current technologies in curriculum and instruction. As an education company and knowing how important education is, we at VFA are proud that Eric is part of this project.  So if you are a PA teacher or PA school staffer, you will be getting to know the Voice of Eric Hunt very soon!  Way to Go ERIC!  

It has come to our attention that Pro Tools 7.X.X is not compatible with Windows Internet Explorer 8.  If you have been affected by this issue, you can uninstall Windows IE 8 as a solution. Please follow these few simple steps in order to uninstall Internet Explorer 8.

Go to Start

Go to Control Panel

Go to View Recent Updates 

View list until you spot Windows Internet Explorer 8

click Uninstall

VFA is very proud to announce that two members of our team have committed to running marathons to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

On two different occasions the VFA family has been affected by Leukemia.

Michael Benedetti, brother of VFA Founder and Managing Partner, Paul Benedetti, was diagnosed with Leukemia 35 years ago when he was just 6 years old. There were eleven children who had T Cell Leukemia at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.  They knew nothing about this cancer or how to treat it at the time. After many years of struggling and fighting, an experimental surgery saved two of the eleven children, one was Michael. Remarkably, he is doing very well today. Paul's wife Marilu, VFA's Financial Administrator, will be running her very first marathon in honor of Michael. 

Samantha, a wonderful little 5 year old girl, is the niece of Casey Rose, VFA's Student Administrator. Sam was diagnosed with this dreadful disease only 6 months ago.  Recently she received a bone marrow transplant and is doing very well.  Sam's cell counts are rising everyday, which is incredible. She has had her fair share of battles with infections as a result of the transplant, however, the doctors seem very hopeful that within the next few weeks she will finally be able to leave the hospital. Casey is running her second marathon in honor of Samantha. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rose family as they fight this disease together. 

• Marilu will be running in The Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on June 6, 2010.  You can visit her fundraising page and donate by clicking HERE.

• Casey will be running in The Vermont City Marathon to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on May 30, 2010. You can visit her fundraising page and donate by clicking HERE.

As committed entrants of these marathons both Marilu and Casey are obligated to raise thousands of dollars each to participate.  The funds being raised will be allocated in the following way: 76% of the funds raised by the Team In Training program go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Research (25%), patient/community service (33%), public health education (15%) and professional education (3%). 

The VFA team has promised to do everything it can to help both Marilu and Casey to raise the money needed for this wonderful event.  Any size donation would be welcomed and appreciated.  If you would like to donate please click on the links above.

We thank you wholeheartedly for reading.

We're thrilled to announce VFA's latest endorsement!  Several months ago, we were introduced to Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones.  With several audiophiles on the team at VFA, they were sure to be put to the test!  VFA's toughest audio critic, Paul Benedetti, compared the Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones to the other headphones that we have been recommending to our Master Class grads and these headphones were up for the challenge!  In the categories of quality, cost, durability and comfort, the Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones received an A+ across the board.  We would like to welcome Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones into the VFA family and thank them for both their endorsement of VFA, as well as their support of our Master Class graduates.  

After completing the pilot video for Bing.com a few months back, Mike Elmore (one of VFA's talented Instructors) was hopeful for the chance to be able to voice more of the 100 travel videos Bing had planned.  Well, Mike just signed a one year contract to be the official narrator for Bing.com Travel.  Mike will be narrating through visually dazzling productions, highlighting attractions in over 500 vacation destinations worldwide.  Way to go Mike!  

To hear Mike on the pilot video for Las Vegas... click here.

For those of you who have the new Mac Snow Leopard OS (lucky you), Digidesign now has the fully supported PT8 available for you. While we had no issues with the pre-release version we did hear some concerns about using it, but now you should feel comfortable and confident about making the change. Digi/Avid have made many improvements with the newest version and have taken the wants and desires from users into consideration when creating these updates.  To read more click here! 

We knew this all along but now finally have some statistics to back it up.  Voiceovers can be a great source for additional income. As reported by Voices.com, the VO industry is set to grow 7.5% from 10.9 to 11.7 billion dollars in 2009. Meaning that there is plenty of room for aspiring voice actors to enter the industry. Also according to Voices.com voice talent earnings have increased by 82% in the last year due to higher paying jobs and longer contracts.  WOW! The flexibility of this industry is allowing people to work a full time job but also, from a home studio, to double as a voice actor on the side and bring in extra income.  Now, this is by no means a get rich now industry, it will take practice and an understanding of marketing. But there has never been a better time than NOW to get started!  Click here to view the Voices.com Report.

Ask any of our graduates and they can tell you that we've been long-time fans of Entertainer's Secret Throat Spray.  Well, we are happy to announce that VFA is now being endorsed by Entertainer's Secret!  We are thrilled about this recent endorsement and want to personally thank Entertainer's Secret for graciously gifting our future Master Class graduates with a sample bottle of their spray.  Our producers and students have seen some pretty amazing effects of Entertainer's Secret when used in the studio during demo production.  It's effective in reducing mouth noise, assisting with dry mouth and soothing a hoarse voice. Click for more information on Entertainer's Secret.

Leah Frederick, one of VFA's amazing "Introduction to Voiceovers" instructors and highly talented VO producer, has just completed her latest gig! Congratulations Leah on your Christmas CD project for Super Simple Learning. The CD will be be released nationally in the coming weeks. This is a repeat gig for Leah as Super Simple Learning used Leah's voice to create the Super Simple Halloween CD as well. One of the songs Leah recorded for the CD was turned into an animated video!  GREAT JOB, LEAH!

We are now on Facebook and Twitter! We would love for you to Become a Fan on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter. Tell your friends! Hope to see you there.

We are now officially supporting Pro Tools 8!  We typically wait a little while after new releases to make sure the kinks have been worked out.  Grads, be sure to log in to the Resources section to download the new VFA PT8 Template, and the MC Workbook has been updated with the necessary changes!  For those of you who are just getting the hang of PT7, don't worry.... we still support that too!

Still at just $999, the VFA recommended Macbook has been redesigned.  New features include a Unibody Enclosure (seamless) originally created for the Macbook Pro,  an LED-backlit 13.3-inch glossy widescreen display for an even more spectacular viewing experience and MacBook is designed to have less impact on the environment than most other computers. It’s energy efficient, free of many toxic materials, and made of recyclable materials.  This fine machine runs on a Intel Core Duo processor and up to 7 hours of Battery Power.  Installed software is Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (Pro Tools Prerelease available) and iLife '09!  For more details please visit:  Apple  

We just received word that Avid/Digigesign announced the immediate availability of a prerelease version of Pro Tools software that provides expanded Mac OS X 10.6.x Snow Leopard compatibility to Pro Tools 8 users. If you’re a Mac-based Pro Tools 8.x.x user, Pro Tools 8.0.3pr software is provided as a convenience should you wish to begin your transition to Snow Leopard before a fully tested and qualified version of Pro Tools becomes available. This is good news for our those of you who have recently made the switch to the beautiful new  Mac Book or Mac Book Pro.  To learn more please visit this link:

Pro Tools Prerelease Now Available for Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Voices For All turns four years old this month!  That's right, it was four years ago that VFA first started, bringing together an incredible group of voice acting industry professionals with the goal of providing the most needed, relevant, education and support possible.  We are so proud that in these four short years VFA has become such a well respected educator within the VO industry.

We are also very excited to announce that the new Voices For All website is finally here!  Many of you probably knew that as soon as you saw it.   We encourage you to explore what our new website has to offer.  Our brand new Education section has articles about the industry written by our staff, information about our newest classes, and even a comprehensive FAQ section.  There is a section dedicated to our brand new recording studio as well.  Please take some time to see what VFA is up to.  We hope you find this new site helpful and informative.  As always, don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may.

We are very happy to announce that Courtney Thayer has been promoted to the position of Assistant Director of Operations!  This is a very important position here at VFA, and we are sure that all of our staff and students will benefit from her efforts.  Courtney has been so very reliable and proactive since she first began her affiliation with us.   She is a natural fit for this position and we congratulate her on her success.

VFA is proud to introduce you to our newest teammates. Everyone please welcome, Carolyn, Marilu, Bob, Patrick, and Dustin. We continue to be so very fortunate to be able to attract talented and competent teammates. We encourage you to check out the Staff section of our site to learn more about our new family members.

We are proud to announce that the new VFA headquarters and recording studio have been completed.  We are delighted at how well it all came together.  From this point forward all Albany Master Classes will be held in our new headquarters, and all Post Production of our MC grads demos will be completed in our new studio.

The Studio at Voices For All is already off to a great start.  This studio was designed with high end corporate clients in mind.  The setting is very modern and professional.  Our goal was to create a place that would offer the comfort to encourage creative development, while at the same time creating ultra high quality productions.   To learn more about our new studio please visit the Studio section or our website.

The finishing touches are being put on the new VFA Headquarters and Recording Studio. VFA is set to host our first Master Class at our new location. We are very excited to be nearing the completion of this great space. Keep checking back and look for the soon to be coming photos.

As many of you know, Voices For All has been very fortunate to have had an amazing 3.5 years thus far, and as a result we have outgrown our current offices.  Paul and Stan have just finished the deal for the build out of our new headquarters in Saratoga County, NY.  Construction is underway and we are expecting to be moved in by April 1st of this year. Thank you to everyone for making this company such a pleasure to be a part of.

We are such huge fans of Apple computers that we thought out of respect for the company it was worth a mention on our site that the very first Mac came out 25 years ago today. Steve Jobs and Apple Computer changed the computing world in 1984, and we are so thankful they did.  Anyone who is a graduate of the VFA Master Class knows that we are big advocates of Apple computers.  Happy Birthday Mac!!

As always, VFA is committed to continuously evolving and improving the quality of education that we offer to our students.  2009 will be no different.  During the winter/holiday break, we have been hard at work researching and tweaking both our Master and Intro Classes. Looking forward to another great year ahead.

Voices For All does not take the selection of our instructors lightly.  We have grown into a very well respected education company largely due to the talent and knowledge of our instructors.  We are proud to introduce Leah Frederick as our newest Intro Class instructor.  Leah is a graduate of the VFA Master Class, and has found great success as a Voice Actor.  Leah also has a formal education in music, and is an extraordinary vocalist.  To learn more about Leah you can visit our staff page.

Our graduates have been begging and pleading for us to offer post production services for their continually evolving voiceover demos.  All of our graduates with studios know that having a studio at home is a great way to continually work on their skills, and to continually refine their demos.  Subsequently, they have always come to us with the question of where to get the post production work performed on their dry tracks.  We have been concerned with taking on too much of this kind of work, but at the same time we have not found another studio that we feel certain will take the kind of care that we would like to see given to our grads. So with that in mind, and with the endless requests by our grads, we are happy to say that we are now offering post production services to our Master Class graduates. You now officially have access to preferred pricing on the same post production services that were used for your original demos.  This means if you wish to provide us with dry unprocessed voice tracks, the VFA studio team will add appropriate music and effects, de-ess, take out breath noises, clicks and pops, process, and master your home studio demos, to make them the same professional quality as your Master Class demos. To learn more about this service you can visit our Studio contact page to inquire.

If you have contacted Voices For All recently, or if you have recently viewed the Staff Section of this website, then you know that the VFA team continues to grow.  We feel so incredibly proud of our team of talented, committed, and just downright great people that we are so lucky to work with.  As VFA's reputation continues to grow, we attract more and more high quality teammates.  In addition to all of the already well known VFA team, we would like to formally introduce Brian Mansell, Courtney Thayer, and Sherril Stewart, to rest of the extended VFA family.  We encourage you to visit the Staff Section and learn more about these valuable new teammates.

We are proud that VFA is now known as a premier Voice Acting Education Company in the U.S.  We are also very proud of the amazing team of instructors that we have attracted.  They spend countless hours meeting, researching, and developing their craft for the sake of our students.  Amazingly, our instructors do much more than just teach the most informative, relevant, and needed classes in the VO industry.  They are also highly skilled, and very successful, professional Voice Actors as well.  To highlight this, we asked VFA Voice Coach/Instructor/Producer Mike Elmore, to give us a quick run down of some of the work he has done in the last couple months.  The following is what he gave us...

• The John Tesh Radio Show (cruise promo)
• The 80's on 8 - XM Satellite Radio (bumpers and promos)
• Skinny Moose Radio (intro, bumpers, liners)
• iRadioNYC.com (intro, bumpers, liners)
• Nest Entertainment (animation)
• Furuno (Major, worldwide product launch / video promos)

Keep in mind that Mike lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and travels two weeks out of every month for VFA.  The majority of Mike's work is done from both hotel rooms with his portable studio, and from his home studio.  Mike is living proof of how properly trained Voice Actors can make a very good living from anywhere.  

One of the things that we at VFA pride ourselves on, is our continued commitment to improving education.  For that reason, we are continually evolving our Master Class. Almost every class we teach has some type of new content added since the previous class.  In May, VFA went live with the biggest changes to our Master Class since its inception with great success.  We have no doubt that this is the most comprehensive and up to date, Voice Acting education that can be had anywhere.  We would like to send a special thanks out to John Pruden and Andrea Langworthy, for their hard work and long hours spent to ensure that our students receive the very best information and tools in this industry.  As part of our ongoing efforts to support to our members, all of our past graduates can always log in to the Resources section of our website, to download the newest version of the Master Class workbook, as well as all of our other continually updated resources.

May 2007 will mark a very important first for VFA.  We will be holding our first Traveling Master Class, with many more in the schedule to come.  Due to the inability of some of our students to travel to Albany, NY, for the Voices For All Voice Acting Master Class, we have chosen to schedule a good number of classes around the country.  Within a week of announcing every Traveling MC, the schedule fills up rapidly, and we are confident that like the Albany MC, they will all sell out soon after they are announced.  If you are considering one of our traveling classes, don't wait to enroll.  We can only conduct so many of these classes every year, and they will be filled to capacity far in advance.

What a successful year already.  The whole VFA team was very excited and optimistic about the coming of 2007.  With our growing team, and continued refinement of our education curriculum and services, we knew that this year was going to be a good one.  What we did not know, was how many of our Master Level graduates would be contacting us with their success stories.  We are so proud of the success that so many of our graduates have achieved in their first year.  We have graduates that have done Animated Movies, Video Games, National Commercials, Audio Books, and so much more, all in their first year!  VFA is very happy to see our graduates making good use of their education.

Over the past year, VFA has experienced unbelievable growth. This growth is a direct result of our amazing team.  We have finally updated the Staff Section of the website to formally introduce the world to the entire VFA Family.  As you will see, the reputation and success of VFA has attracted a group of stars and industry professionals.  Even beyond their credentials, the VFA family is made up of people with rich, exuberant personalities.  Our team is here to ensure that every student of VFA has the best possible experience, and the tools and knowledge they need to find success in the Voice Acting world.  So, on behalf of the entire VFA family, we would like to say a big HELLO to everyone.  Here's to a sucessful 2007 for all!

As we near the end of 2006 we do so with pride and a feeling of achievement. VFA held its first Master Class on on May 19-22 of this year, and has since graduated many very talented new Voice Actors.  The response to our classes have been overwhelmingly positive, as can be seen in our Alumni Section. The success stories reported by our graduates affirm our methods of getting aspiring Voice Actors ready to enter this rewarding business.  We have continued to evolve both our Introductory and Master Classes, through feedback from our students, and our continued research in the Voice Acting Industry. We feel a great sense of achievement and success as a First Class Education and Support Company for aspiring Voice Actors.  We look forward to 2007.

Over the next 70 days our instructors will be teaching our Intro Class at over 50 schools across the USA.  From New York to California, and many places in between.  Look for our class at Educational Institutions everywhere, or visit our Contact Us section for information of when we might be in a city near you.

Andrea is in Georgia and Florida this week.  We look forward to finding some good potential Voice Actors from the South.  Then she heads west.  Texas here we come!. This will be our first time in Texas. We are very excited to see how the Texans can perform scripts.