New Vox Daily Blog, Ready for You!

Greetings,

We have some exciting news to share with you!

As of today, our blog is now hosted on Voices.com!!!!

This is the last post I'll be making on our Blogger blog.

Let me tell you, we've started some great relationships here and will continue to build our community at Voices.com.

The new blog is in many ways bigger and better.

For instance, you'll be able to read articles organized in categories and have a keyword search tool available to you to find topics that are of the utmost interest to you :)

It is also easier to comment on the new blog, so if you ever hesitated on this blog to share your opinion because of technical issues, you'll be able to post your thoughts as freely as they flow.

To continue reading and participating, click here.

You are going to love it!

Cheers,

Stephanie, David, Carol and Laurynda

P.S. All of the posts from this blog have been moved to Vox Daily, along with the comments for each respective post. It's easier to leave comments at Vox Daily too!

Audio Book Narration, Voice Actor Interview with Janis Panizza

Greetings,

Yesterday, I interviewed Janis Panizza, who recently launched her new website and recorded an audio book entitled The Dark Twin, written by Marion Campbell.

Campbell's novel, a Celtic tale set in 500 B.C., is comparable to a primitive version of Tristan and Isolde, a breathtaking story of love, irony, and tragedy which is regarded (thanks in part to the recent film starring James Franco, Sophia Myles, and Rufus Sewell) as a precursor to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

When corresponding with Janis, I asked her a few questions about why she decided to record this particular book, her experiences while recording, and if there were any challenges along the way. I'm pleased to present her experiences to you in her own words.

Janis Panizza: The book by Marion Campbell is amazing, to begin with. I first heard of it in college through a friend who had been in the Edinbugh Arts Festival, had stayed in the Campbell's castle while there, and brought the book back with him.

I contracted the rights to record it and potentially her other titles. The Campbell clan has lived in their castle for over 200 years where the book was written. She claims to have 'caught' the story, as it flew by her, so fitting with the mystic atmosphere of the story, with references back to Celtic times.

This was my first audiobook. I recorded it in Mexico. I was coached by the street musicians and studios to bring out the full depth of feeling in the story. They helped bring out the qualities in my voice, expressive and ethereal, that express the story. I recorded many times 'til I got what I wanted.

The result is something that I believe is a new classic that will stand the test of time. I am told that the audio book has surpassed the original, bringing it to a new level.

When I finished, I returned to the states, where I registered Aire Craft Audio as a business with the intent to record more audiobooks and present online. I'm looking for retail distributors right now for a CD/DVD version.

There's a huge curiosity about this subject now. People need something besides 'stuff' in their lives, and are drawn to spiritual themes. This one is interwoven with historic adventure and romance.

To read the authors personal notes about the book, click here.

Best,

Stephanie

Cover Art courtesy of Janis Panizza

Trade Links with Voices.com!

Greetings,

We are inviting you to trade links with us!

Why should you trade links with Voices.com?

1. Your website will rank higher (link popularity)
   
2. You'll be linked from the most trafficked voice industry website
3. You'll save the voice industry, one link at a time

Why do we say "You'll save the voice industry"? Well, the answer is two-fold and chock full of benefits.

Firstly, linking to us will recognize Voices.com as the undisputed authority in the voice industry, enabling us to educate more clients for you, leading to more job opportunities as a direct result!

The second half to this equation is: the more links there are to Voices.com, the higher our website will rank in the search engine results, bringing more clients to post jobs and contact you directly for work. These clients will also be educated and eager to work with you on professional terms.

Increased visibility and relevancy is key to educating clients, and with your help, there will be no question about where they will go to get their voice work recorded.

To exchange links with Voices.com, click here.

With your support, the possibilities for the voice industry are endless.

To mutual success!

Stephanie and the Voices.com Team

Still Nice Folks in Voiceovers

Greetings,

This morning, we received an email from Dave Christi directing us to a great post he made on his blog.

To quote him, “Hey! Voiceover people are NICE PEOPLE”.

What he says is true. Working with you is a joy and a privilege.

Take care,

Stephanie, David, Carol and Laurynda

Unlimited Auditions - Period.

Greetings,

I've been hearing some interesting things through the grapevine, and I thought I'd share some good news with those of you concerned about 'limited auditions' with other services:

We (Voices.com) DO NOT limit your ability to audition.

That concept is counterproductive, not to mention undemocratic. It would rob you of the opportunities that you deserve as a member of our service. It would also rob clients of the opportunity to hear you, potentially the perfect voice for their project, which could in essence, rob them of their signature company voice (that being you).

As you have experienced with us, our company provides more than just job leads. Our customer service is #1 in the industry and we believe in people, not numbers.

Your membership fee at our site (no hidden fees!) includes prompt, cheerful and helpful customer service, additional opportunities to be featured, community involvement, superior tools to market your voice and to be clear, the ability to apply for jobs that match your preferences (and also meet your moral and financial standards - a no compromise, win-win!)

Something that we take great comfort in is the fact that InteractiveVoices (soon to be Voices.com) has always been transparent in our business operations. We place more emphasis on our relationships with our customers than on sealing the deal. Trust is a key ingredient to help develop healthy and mutually successful business relationships.

We're a member of the Better Business Bureau and the TechAlliance, along with a number of other reputable organizations. We run our company based upon Christian morals and are not afraid to stand up for what we believe in.

We are not about numbers or 'audition credits' - those things will pass away.

What we're excited about is investing in people and giving you opportunities to grow, participate, and succeed.

All of us are a team, a community, and stand united upon the rock. We are Voices.com.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Words of Wisdom: Choosing a Business Partner

Greetings,

When it comes to choosing a business partner, it's very similar to getting married.

This week, we were interviewed by Sean Wise, the Managing Director of Wise Mentor Capital, a national venture capital consultancy focusing on bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and capital, and a columnist for the Globe and Mail in Toronto.

Sean asked us if we could share our thoughts with him about choosing a business co-founder and how it relates to marriage (David Ciccarelli and I are married to each other).

We shared the following:

"A co-founder needs to be a good communicator, a person with whom you have synergy, and a friend. A healthy business partnership is comparable to a marriage, built on a solid foundation of trust, respect, and understanding. When two complementary business people come together to form a company, guided by the same vision and values, they are at the very heart of their corporate family, and nurture the business as parents would their children."

Here's a link to a fabulous article that may help you in your quest, complete with pearls of wisdom from Sean Wise.

Marriages between voice actors and audio engineers are quite frequent, and it's not uncommon to hear of voice actors marrying other voice actors!

If you are among that number and are business partners with your spouse, please leave a comment.

Cheers,

Stephanie Ciccarelli

No Hidden Fees at InteractiveVoices!!!

Greetings,

It's the middle of June... It's hotter outside, the days are getting longer, and voice-over jobs are abundantly flowing at InteractiveVoices!

Need something to Spice Up your Summer?

We'd like to extend this special offer to you - it's good until the end of June (that's Friday June 30th, 2006).

Here's the offer:

Upgrade as a Premium or Preferred member by June 30, 2006 and receive:

• A three (3) month extension on your membership
• Two (2) additional Featured Talent Categories
• The recently updated 150 page “Definitive Guide to Voice-Over Success”
  

How does that sound to you?

If you have any questions or prefer to speak in person, you can give us a call toll-free at 1-888-359-3472.

If it's easier for you, login to your account and upgrade your InteractiveVoices membership online.

To be absolutely clear... There are NO HIDDEN FEES!

There's no better time to join the winning team of professional voice actors at InteractiveVoices!

We're looking forward to serving you.

Best wishes,

Stephanie, David, Carol and Laurynda :)

P.S. If you upgrade TODAY (June 16th), we'll include a copy of the Voice Over Script Collection with your package, free of charge!

The Important Role of Orators

Greetings,

If you've ever been to an awards ceremony, a convocation, or a symposium, you've likely heard orators, that is, live announcers at events.

Yesterday, I had one such privilege participating in the 286th Convocation at the University of Western Ontario, graduating with a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree from the Don Wright Faculty of Music. The faculties of Engineering and Graduate Studies were also present.

The keynote speaker was Don Smith, founder of EllisDon, one of the most successful building firms in the world. He was awarded an honourary Doctor of Laws for contributions made to his community of London and also to the world, giving us wonderful gathering places including the Skydome in Toronto, now the Rogers Centre, to name one.

One orator who stands out is Theodore (Ted) Baerg, a baritone and voice instructor at the Don Wright Faculty of Music. It was actually Ted Baerg who was on my audition jury with Dr. Alvin Reimer several years ago.

Needless to say, having someone of Theodore Baerg's calibre announcing your name in front of thousands of people is a real treat. Professor Richard Semmens (Music History) and Professor Baerg (Performance) both confirmed the pronunciation of Ciccarelli (in Canada, the "C"s are pronounced like the letter "S" - same pronunciation as former NHL hockey player Dino Ciccarelli's name) and also ensured that every graduates name from the Faculty of Music, no matter how difficult to pronounce, was given its proper due with elegant diction.

I was surprised with a handshake from the President of UWO, Dr. Paul Davenport, enroute to the conferring of my degree by Dr. John Doerksen, which was indeed something special and memorable.

I wanted to be sure to get a blog post out to you yesterday before I graduated, and thought that this (today's post) would be a good opportunity to talk about orators and also share a bit more about who I am with you.

Many voice actors start in the field of music and musical theatre. It is in the performing arts that the passion for what you do is realized and developed.

If you can relate to that statement, leave a comment and mention the schools you attended.

Cheers,

Stephanie Ciccarelli, Bachelor of Musical Arts


Photograph courtesy of David Ciccarelli, portrait of Stephanie with her mother, Brenda.

Voice Acting: Physical Disabilities are No Obstacle

Greetings,

Yesterday I read an inspirational article at onMilwaukee.com about an actor named Robert David Hall.

Currently, Robert is best known for his work as the coroner, Dr. Albert Robbins, on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", but in the past, it was his voice we all knew best as a voice actor on the cartoon series, "GI Joe" along with a host of radio commercials and cartoon voice-over work.

In 1978, he was involved in an automobile accident, suffering the weight of an 18-wheel truck, crushing his car and resulting in the loss of both his legs. He now has two prosthetic legs.

Robert David Hall did not let his physical disability ruin his dreams.

“Just because I’m a person with a disability, that shouldn’t limit me,” he says.

To read the full article, click here.

Have you overcome physical disabilities as a voice actor?

Leave a comment on the blog!

Stephanie