Q: People say I have a really great voice, but do I really have what it takes?

A: Having someone tell you that you have an interesting voice is usually the first step in the decision to pursue voiceover.

Having an unusual or especially rich-sounding voice can be an asset, but, listen to all the normal-sounding people on TV commercials. On TV, the focus is on acting, or rather, sounding natural without "putting on" a voice. That's hard for a lot of people to do. I teach acting techniques to get you out of your own way when you're reading copy.

Radio can be different. If you're going for a "broadcast voice," or even a very proper classic Orson Welles narrator's approach, you're listening for something else. Diction and tone are important.

Then again, radio is full of natural-sounding, performances. It's good to recognize the difference. It's a lot like singing; Opera and Pop don't sound the same and it takes different techniques to perform each authentically. (Have you ever heard an opera singer sing a pop or jazz song?)

Q: Do you recommend coaching?
A: There are definite skills involved in doing voiceover. You need to be able to see in your mind what you'd like to come out of your mouth. Often, what you think you're doing isn't actually what your audience hears. It's important to know that.

On top of that, you need to know that most voiceover artists spend more time auditioning than they do actually recording. When you're in the casting director's studio, you only have a couple of chances to hit a home run. And since the actual time you spend auditioning can be less than 5 minutes - factoring in the time you spent driving to and from the session, parking, arriving early so you can practice the copy, etc. - you really ought to know what you're doing before you get there.

Q: How much does coaching cost?
A: For private coaching sessions, I charge $100 per hour or $300 for a half-day session.

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