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Recent Comments

Great Response!
Alicia D said: Hello All! I just wanted to say that it is clear that the people at this company are exceptionally p... [More]

Winding Down!!
Patty O'Toole said: Thanks, David! I had an amazing time at the Expo beginning with the 'meet and greet' right thru to t... [More]

Winding Down!!
Stephanie Ciccarelli said: David and Anna, Thank you so much for having us down to speak and for treating us to dinner. You g... [More]

Winding Down!!
David A. Winn Jr said: Hi David, et al. I wanted to concur that the entire expo was a great event, especially the expert p... [More]

Volunteering Your Voice
Larry Julien said: Hi, David. Yesterday at the Voice Coaches marketing seminar (a terrific event, by the way!), a q... [More]

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Training Advice (10) [RSS]

Great Response!

Posted At : May 8, 2008 5:28 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

Nearly a week after our second Advanced Self marketing Expo wrapped up, we are still receiving an enormous amount of feedback about the event. Below are some excerpts of emails and correspondence we have received.

Thanks, David. What a terrific event! I got what I came for  a renewed sense of excitement, enthusiasm and most of all, inspiration. Again, thanks for a great conference  you and your team did an awesome job! Best, Betsy

The conference exceeded all expectations (and they were high to begin with). It was well-organized, professional and packed with good, substantive information. The speakers/panel were great. I'm so glad I attended. Thank you again for your unbeatable commitment to your students and clients. Natalie

Hello David, Dan Goldman here. I just wanted to say thanks once again for a wonderful Marketing Expo II. In reference to the event the following adjectives come to mind: * Invigorating * Inspiring * Recharging * Communicative * Fun * Rewarding What a great event and what a thrill it was to meet Rodney Saulsberry in person, chat with him, shake his hand and to have his book I purchased while there, signed by him. It is a thrill to know how dedicated you and VoiceCoaches are to the craft of VoiceActing and that is how I like to think of it, as a craft. You and your team have pure undying dedication through your offered services, open communication and a genuine willingness to help; and I greatly understand and appreciate that. I want to greatly increase my business, help others in our craft and deliver to my clients and everyone a super-quality product. Once again, BRAVO on Marketing Expo II !!!

David and Anna, Thank you so much for having us down to speak and for treating us to dinner. You guys have it going on! Congratulations on another successful conference. We're proud to be part of what you are doing and look forward to the next time we get to see each other. I also want to note that the entire Voice Coaches team is fabulous. We felt right at home and part of the family. Can't wait to do it again :) Best wishes,

Stephanie and David Voices.com

If you want to learn more about our panelists, visit the Vox Daily Blog at Voices.com. Stephanie and David have done a great job outlining the important points covered by each presenter.

Until next time, Best Regards!

David at Voice Coaches

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Winding Down!!

Posted At : May 3, 2008 10:32 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

After several months of planning, we have just wrapped up our second Advanced Marketing Expo near our home base in Schenectady New York. The afternoon brought our attendees face to face with Voice Over Super Agent Billy Serow and famed Voice Actor Rodney Saulsberry. Our expert panel concluded the event featuring Q&A with Voice Pro Heather Frenz, Marketing Expert Jay Silverman, Television Host Evan Farmer, Graphic Design Expert Dan Dinsmore, our afternoon presenters Billy Serow and Rodney Saulsberry, and Voice Coaches President David Bourgeois. The energy level at this years event was over the top and I want to sincerely thank everyone who attended. The interaction with attendees was every bit as motivating as the speakers and special guests.

After the event we were fortunate to have dinner with our friends Stephanie and David Ciccarelli from Voices.com, Rodney Saulsberry, and John Gallogly, Robin Paulson, Jenny & Jeff Marcotte, Kristen Neary, and Michael Massa from the Voice Coaches Team.

It was wonderful to have an opportunity to speak with candidly with Rodney and tremendous to reconnect with Stephanie and David, who's services have helped so many Voice Actors realize their dreams.

On behalf of Anna and Myself, I want to thank everyone who helped make this event a major success!!

BTW...Next years event is being booked next week!

Best Regards!

David at Voice Coaches

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Lunch Break!

Posted At : May 3, 2008 1:11 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

After A Great Morning

More than 120 Voice Actors from across the US and Canada began this morning hearing from Voice Coaches Founder David Boourgeis, and the company's marketing expert Jay Silverman. Silverman shared the 13 RE's of Voice Acting...REsearch, REvive, REwrite, REcap, REview, REalize, REmind, REach Out, REevaluate, REpay, REexamine, REconnect, REcall. Next, Leading Video Game VO Producer Evan Skolnick took us on a wild ride through the world of Voice for video games, including some games that feature more than 70,000 lines of dialog! Voices.com founders Stephanie and David Ciccarelli impressed the crowd with their extensive knowledge of emerging media. And, Mark Magdich joined us from renowned equipment retailer Sweetwater to talk about Home Recording. Next Up, Super-Agent Billy Serow & famed Voice Actor Rodney Saulsberry.

I'll keep you posted!

David at Voice Coaches

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Here We Go!!

Posted At : May 2, 2008 1:07 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

Marketing Expo '08 Kicks Off Tonight!

After months of planning, our second annual Self Marketing Expo begins this evening with a VIP mixer in the gallery above where tomorrow's events will be held. In addition to early registrants, we expect celebrities including Voice Over legend Rodney Saulsberry, Television Star John James, Voices.com Founders David and Stephanie Ciccarelli, Television and VO Star Evan Farmer, Super Agent Billy Serow, and many others to attend this evenings kickoff party.

Look for regular updates about the event both here, and on our favorite Voice Over blog, Vox Daily at Voices.com.

With attendees coming in from across the US and Canada, we are looking forward to a tremendous time!

Wish you were all here with us!

Best Regards!

David at Voice Coaches

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Marketing Expo 2008

Posted At : April 11, 2008 12:36 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

Here We Go!

I am delighted to announce that Voice Coaches, in association with the GE Theater in Schenectady, will present our second annual "Advanced Self Marketing Expo" on Saturday, May 3rd.

This year's event will feature speakers and industry pros from coast to coast, including Voice Pro and Author Rodney Saulsberry, Super Agent Billy Serow, Voices.com Founders Stephanie and David Ciccarelli, Gaming VO Producer Evan Skolnick, Televsion Host and VO Pro Evan Farmer as well as guests including Film and Television actor John James and the entire Voice Coaches team.

For more info about this event check it our here: Marketing 2008

I look forward to meeting many of you at the event, and for those who cannot attend, I will post as much information as I can after the event concludes.

Best Regards!

David at Voice Coaches

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Volunteering Your Voice

Posted At : April 1, 2008 8:34 AM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

...When The Time Is Right

There is no question that volunteering to assist a cause or a individual in need, can be a worthwhile gesture that will repay itself in the benefit you provide and the pleasure you feel in doing it. There are, however, occasions when volunteering can be unrealistic and actually not beneficial to the recipient.

What I am referring to is the act of volunteering your voice.

When an individual volunteers a skill or an asset, it is generally assumed by the recipient that the volunteer will posses a skill and ability level consistent with that expected in the volunteers field. I know many professional voice actors and nearly all of them volunteer their voices for charitable organizations. But again, these are professionals. They are not volunteering something that will "need a lot of work" or that is "pretty good", they are volunteering a professional service.

The idea of volunteering in an effort to develop initial job skill and knowledge is flawed in that the volunteer is assuming that the recipient will be delighted with a sub-professional product. This might be similar to me volunteering to fly jets on charitable flights...with no pilots license. An extreme example, but you get the idea.

Recognize that while volunteering can be an active part of your career as a voice actor, and can also act as a great way to forge new professional work relationships, those you are volunteering for will expect you to be a professional.

Research the field, Educate Yourself. Build a Winning Demo, and then volunteer whenever you have an opportunity.

Best Regards!

David at Voice Coaches

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Undecided

Posted At : March 27, 2008 4:22 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

I had an opportunity to regain some perspective last week by getting to know around 1200 10th graders! I was invited to speak and interact with teens attending a day-long career exploration day at a local college. The event was great and the folks I met, all 10th graders from across New York's Capital Region, were even better. An interesting thing I heard throughout the event was the inability for these teens to conceive that someone would actually choose not to follow through and do the thing they want to do in life. I met young men and women who wanted to be musicians, actors, broadcasters, and even a couple who had aspirations in voice acting. The thing that struck me as interesting is that nearly all of them were determined to pursue and be successful doing what they WANTED to do. Not doing it never even crossed their minds. Now, conversely, I have spoken to groups across the country on Voice Acting and Ethics in Acting Training. In these groups the average age of my student is probably 50 something. Many of these folks want to and always wanted to do something like voice acting...the difference is... most of them never will! Certainly makes me wonder what things might be like if people actually did the things they wanted to do in life! Whether you want to pursue Voice Acting, fly a plane, learn pottery, or sail the world, on behalf of 1200 10th graders and myself... GO FOR IT!

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The Break In Mentality

Posted At : March 8, 2008 10:29 AM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

Respect our industry

Voice Acting is a business. It is a business in which professionals count on other professionals to provide a service that requires knowledge and skill. These days however, it seems as though there is a lot of banter in the training community about "Breaking In" to our field. The folks who ply such terminology are beginning to make the educational side of our field sound like a day at the used car lot. In this case,I want to make our opinion quite clear: Voice Acting is not something that you break into. Success in Voice Acting is not about luck or a magic formula. Voice Acting, like any other professional endeavor is something you educate yourself about, develop skill in, and pursue as a professional.

I feel that even those coaches out there who use terms like "break in" as a loose synonym for "get started" are acting irresponsibly and are using hype to lure individuals who know nothing about our field. This is unfortunate because in many cases, the aspiring voice actor's targeted quickly become disillusioned. Whether it's Voice Acting or any other creative endeavor, I strongly suggest that you recognize that there are professional skills required for long-term success. Learn about, develop skill in, persevere at, and thoroughly enjoy every aspect of the process!

Leave "Breaking In" as a possible solution to your keys being locked in your car.

Best Regards!

David at Voice Coaches

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Common Senses 101

Posted At : February 26, 2008 8:44 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

I can't bite my tongue on this one!

Here is a concept that I am wondering if any of you out there find the least bit strange. "Pay Us For Training And We Will Get You Work"! You see this all the time in a variety of industries, often related to the entertainment industry. The idea that any training entity can guarantee you work simply because you pay them for training isn't just odd, it is misleading and typically a lure used to ply those who are looking for a magical super-easy road to success. In our field, you don't pay to be cast in a role. That's not how it works. You are cast based on your voice and your ability to repeatedly put yourself in a position to be hired. Unfortunately Pay To Work scams seem to be on the increase in both Voice and On Camera acting disciplines. On the upside I had the opportunity to speak at an event in California with representatives of AFTRA. SAG, the BBB, and the California Attorney General's office, and it looks as though there may soon be legislation there against this practice. In the mean time be smart! Companies like Voice Coaches should remain dedicated to education. Leave casting to casting and talent agencies!

Any thoughts or experiences?... Please share 'em.

Best Regards!

David at Voice Coaches

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A New Resource

Posted At : December 19, 2007 11:15 PM | Posted By : Admin
Related Categories: Training Advice

After participating in many blogs and podcasts, and after continued encouragement from our clients, we have decided to create an ongoing blog as a regular component of voicecoaches.com. Our idea is to present relative information on training, effective marketing, and other issues that will benefit our friends and colleagues. Our blog will also be an open forum for individuals interested in commenting or adding information to any topic we cover. Because we directly employ a number of skilled professionals with broad experience range, we will feature topics from several members of our team as well as other industry pros. It is my sincere hope that this is another corner of the web that voice professionals can count on for consistent information and ideas.

Best Regards

David Bourgeois

President: Voice Coaches

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