We Don’t Need a Special Day or a Turkey to Give Thanks

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Some days, you wake up and you just know there’s a particular something that needs to be done before you do anything else. So, today’s the day I take the time to thank a whole bunch of amazing voice-over people (some of whom I’ve never even had the pleasure of meeting yet) and wonderful friends who’ve been very helpful to me, amazingly generous with their time, and wildly supportive in too many ways to count. Click their names to visit their websites.

Sincere thanks to one and all. I am seriously in your debt. Your contributions and inspiration are very much appreciated.

Value-Added Services: Consider This

Do we robotically provide a service without considering its real value?

Going above and beyond… doing something extra for our clients is what good service is all about. It is not simply performing the one basic task we’re being paid for. But in providing those little extras, do we consider before performing them whether they are truly helpful and will be appreciated?

A number of years ago, after being broadsided by another car, my car’s driver’s door needed to be replaced. I might’ve needed something more than observation, myself, if it hadn’t been a low-speed collision. The car was towed to a body shop approved by the local Saturn dealership.

When work on the car was finished and I arrived to pick it up, the shop manager stood beaming next to my car, proud of the work his people had done. I was a bit surprised I had to point out that the new door handle was chrome, whereas the original (and the one on the passenger door) was matte black, but they were able to change it immediately. There’s a lesson in being detail-oriented.

I got in the car and was pleased that all pieces of broken glass were removed and the floor vacuumed. And I forget, now, why I had cause to open the glove compartment but, when I did, I found a rather large sticker inside bearing the logo and name of the body shop and their contact information. Thankfully, that obnoxiously blatant piece of advertising was easily removed, because…

They had sprayed the dashboard, console, and glove compartment interior with Armor All® protectant. It made everything ‘look nice.’ I’m sure, in their minds, they were doing a good thing.

But when I put my hands on the steering wheel and shifter knob, I realized they had been sprayed, too. Armor All® protects because it contains oils. It doesn’t take a scientist to know that a steering wheel and shifter knob that are coated with an oily substance will not enable a firm grip. Bewildered by the lack of thinking, I asked the manager to get in the car and grasp the steering wheel as if he were going to move the car. My point was made. They removed the Armor All® from the wheel and shifter knob.

Fast-forward to a few years ago. The day after I picked up my new Saturn (I liked the company’s thinking in design) was cold and rainy, requiring the use of the windshield defogger. But when I turned it on, the windshield quickly revealed heavy, smearing streaks… so much that I could not see clearly. It couldn’t have been more obvious that the inside surfaces of the windows had been ‘cleaned.’

I brought the car back to the dealership and – understanding that cars are ‘prepped’ when sold – I asked why they thought it necessary to clean the inside surfaces of the windows of a brand new car. Windshields are put in place at the factories by robotic arms; they are otherwise untouched. And, while the outside surfaces of a car are exposed to the elements as it is transported to the dealership, the inside surfaces should still be as they were when installed.

So, I had them clean the inside of the windshield to my satisfaction. The service rep looked at me as if I was crazy, but I reminded him that it wasn’t I who spent time cleaning something that was already spotless. I also recommended that if they really wanted to do their customers a service (and not inconvenience them) – and also save valuable time – they should remove interior window cleaning from the list of things done when prepping a new car.

The point of these two stories is this: if we’re going to provide a ‘bonus’ service, we must first be sure that there is either a need for it or that it really does serve a useful purpose; and second, that providing the service does not create an unwanted issue. If we have to ‘undo’ something or fix what wasn’t broken in the first place, it inconveniences – and could annoy – the customer.

Take the time to think things through. Check your work. Delivering on- or ahead-of-schedule is terrific… but pointless if the work is lacking in some way or has other issues. Good work is appreciated. Not-so-good work is truly remembered.

Tips to Avoid Catching Colds

No Lie:

It’s been over two years since my last cold. But because I’ve just come down with one, I thought it would be a good time to share the research I did a couple of years ago.

This is not guesswork or speculation. My information was compiled from the websites of the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and of various universities, hospitals, health practitioners and respective product manufacturers. These are preventive measures; no guarantee is implied, individual results may vary.


What happens if you’ve been booked for a voice-over job and then come down with a cold before the session? “Don’t get sick” is what many of us have heard in response to that question. Well, we mere mortals simply don’t have control over such things. But there are at least two lines of defense we can employ to avoid or delay catching a cold. The first is to teach ourselves not to touch or rub our eyes, nose or mouth with our bare fingers… until we can put into play the second defense: a thorough hand washing.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (part of the National Institutes of Health), cold viruses can infect us when we: (1) Touch our skin or environmental surfaces that have cold germs on them and then touch our eyes, nose or mouth; and (2) Inhale microscopic droplets of mucus full of cold germs from the air.

Contact!

Because it’s practically impossible to avoid breathing in germs without walking around wearing a surgical mask, this article will deal with the issue of contact. We don’t realize we’re doing it, but we all wind up touching or rubbing our eyes, nose and/or mouth at some point during the day. But consider all the OTHER things that we touch and handle… things that have already been touched and handled by others – even young children who wipe their runny noses with their hands:

Telephones; stair rails; pull-and-push handles on the doors of the various places we regularly visit; shopping carts and hand baskets of supermarkets and other stores; countertops; money (bills and coins); push-buttons on ATMs and other devices; products on store shelves; books and other items at a library; equipment at a gym. And so many more, it’s hard to keep track.

Especially think about money… and how many hands any given bill or coin must have passed through before getting to ours. And then there are the germs the kids bring home from school each day from the things THEY have touched and handled.

Here’s an extremely typical scenario: we’re at a networking event where we expect to meet a lot of people. The odds are pretty good that any number of these folks may have within the past couple of hours covered their mouth with their hand as they coughed or sneezed. And, upon meeting them, we’ll undoubtedly shake their hand. But because we can’t run to the restroom to wash our hands after every hand-shaking is why it’s important to teach ourselves to stay away from our eyes, nose and mouth until we can.

There are several brands of sanitizing lotion and wipes we can use between washings. A note, though: the manufacturers recommend against keeping these in the car because, during warmer months, vehicle interiors can get so hot that it reduces the efficacy of those products.

The best ways to prevent spreading germs when coughing or sneezing is to do so into a tissue or napkin, and then throw it (and the germs) away. Or, if no tissue or napkin is available, we can bring our arm to our face so that the inside of the elbow covers the mouth, and then sneeze or cough into the sleeve. The germs will eventually die there.

Proper Hand Washing

A good soapy lather is required to wash the hands thoroughly. Then, for at least 20 seconds (roughly two verses of ‘Happy Birthday’), rub your hands all over, and also each finger, especially the fingertips. 20 seconds goes by quickly enough, but be thorough or the time spent is wasted. Then, make sure to rinse your hands until the water runs clear.

Those who simply run some water and quickly rinse their hands without using any soap may as well not even bother, because that does nothing more than spread the germs a little further over their hands.

We Have Met the Enemy and it is the Public Restroom

Fact: the object with the highest concentration of germs is the inside door handle of a public or office restroom. The restroom fixtures run a close second. This is because so many people do not wash their hands correctly or at all.

When using a public restroom, first check before washing your hands whether you can get a paper towel without having to touch anything, such as a crank or lever, etc. If this isn’t possible, get your towel(s) first and stick them in your pocket. Then, wash your hands. But don’t turn off the water until after you’ve dried your hands. Then, turn off the water with the towel in your hand. Use the same method again to open the door on your way out. If you can hold the door open with your elbow or foot while you toss the towel to a nearby wastebasket, do so. Otherwise throw the towel away after you’ve left the restroom.

Disinfecting — Not as Quickly Done as is Shown on TV

For those who use Lysol® or other such spray to disinfect surfaces around the house, you should know that true disinfecting is not as quickly accomplished it appears to be in TV spots. According to the instructions on the label, to properly disinfect a surface, it must sprayed until it is thoroughly wet. And it must remain wet for at least ten minutes and allowed to air-dry on its own (no fair fanning or blowing) before it can be considered disinfected. Don’t be fooled: it is not just a quick shot of spray and you’re good to go. Another misconception: disinfectant sprays are not meant to clean the air. While they may make things smell nice for a few minutes, the mist of spray disinfectants is too heavy to mingle with the air and will fall immediately to the floor, thereby wasting the product.

I’ve Caught a Cold. Now What?

I prefer attempting to avoid a cold rather than to treat it because too many medications have side effects I could do without. For example, decongestants may work very well, but they can also cause dryness of the mouth, throat, and vocal cords; the very things we as voice talent need to keep hydrated. ALWAYS read the information panels on medication packaging to determine if there might be harmful side-effects or interactions with other meds you may be taking.

Beware The Risks of Vitamin C Supplements

Many folks treat their colds by taking ‘mega-doses’ of vitamin C supplements. Here’s what you should know: our bodies do not produce vitamin C; we need to obtain it from foods. And there is nothing wrong with consuming higher than ‘normal’ amounts of naturally-occurring vitamin C (that which is found in foods) because that type of the vitamin possesses antioxidant properties – a good thing. At a certain point, however, excessive amounts of the vitamin are flushed from the body.

But taking large doses (more than 500 milligrams) of vitamin C supplements (the tasty chewable or other tablet or pill form) can have pro-oxidant effects. This, according to the findings of a professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, “mobilizes harmless ferric iron stored in the body and converts it to harmful ferrous iron, which induces damage to the heart and other organs.” This was recently corroborated by British researchers.

Other folks prefer to treat their colds using the various zinc-based formulations (such as Cold-Eze®). I haven’t had good luck with them.

In Summary: Second Nature Doesn’t Mean Obsession

Whether or not your livelihood relies on your not catching a cold, keeping your fingers away from your eyes, nose and mouth, and washing your hands correctly can easily become second nature if you really want them to. Just like remembering to bring your cell phone. It is especially important for voice talent who wish to avoid colds simply because there are so many others who do not exercise this care. And you WILL notice a difference after some months go by. A typical disclaimer holds true, however: results may vary. Of course, trying to eat right, being adequately hydrated. and getting enough rest is important, too. Many of our computers have firewalls. By instituting a firewall strategy to prevent germs from entering our bodies, we can stay well longer and medicate less.

A Much-Needed Attitude Adjustment

Close enough, yet far enough away, I grew up during the 1960s and 70s about 30 to 40 minutes west of New York City. I was a Baby Boomer in media market #1. Our house began as one of many unheated vacation log cabins. By the time we moved in, it had grown to include two additional rooms and a garage, plus a solarium had been later added to the rear of this first addition.

The house sat on two lots, and so we had quite a large yard, front and back. And our back yard would have been (and might still be) the back yard to die for. There was a flagstone patio, a sandbox, a huge rock that actually may be considered a boulder, another rock that was mostly underground, except for a portion that stuck up from the ground in a wedge-shape. Around the perimeter of the back yard were the hedges bordering the left, a line of trees separating the rear of our property from that of another family we did not know, and the fence owned by our neighbor to our right.

There were two gardens, and there was just the right number of old oak trees from which to suspend several forms of children’s entertainment. A single conventional swing, another swing called a Monkey Rope, consisting of a single rope with a big knot at the end on which was a small round steel seat. Tied several feet out on a hefty branch at the perfect height, we could swing in any direction, even in circles.

Also attached to this same tree, while also being simultaneously attached to a second tree about 20 feet away, was our ‘Monorail.’ A good, sturdy wire suspended fairly tightly between the two trees carried the ‘gondola,’ a pair of narrow steel cable wheels, one in front of the other, in a compact sturdy steel frame. Attached to either side of the gondola and suspended below was the sturdy steel T-handle, which carried us along the cable from one tree to the other.

For a number of years, we also had a respectable sized above-ground swimming pool. In addition to an occasional dog bark from a block or two away, a small light plane might fly overhead, a car might drive by with its windows down and the radio playing. The typical background to this would be our chorus of birds, comprised of robins, sparrows, blue jays, crows and the haunting mourning dove. In the early morning and late evening hours, that would segue to and from a relaxing soundscape of crickets.

And, yes, while there was very often the aroma of charcoal wafting in the air, it was the newer housing developments that featured the “rows of houses that are all the same, and no one seems to care” in The Monkees’ ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday.’ But this was pretty much life as I knew it. Written by and © Carole King and Gerry Goffin, I don’t have their permission to publish, but I don’t think they’d mind.

The local rock group down the street
Is trying hard to learn their song
They serenade the weekend squire
Who just came out to mow his lawn

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Charcoal burning everywhere
Rows of houses that are all the same
And no one seems to care

See Mrs. Gray, she’s proud today
Because her roses are in bloom
And Mr. Green he’s so serene
He’s got a TV in every room

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Here in status symbol land
Mothers complain about how hard life is
And the kids just don’t understand

Creature comfort goals
They only numb my soul
And make it hard for me to see
My thoughts all seem to stray
To places far away
I need a change of scenery

Ta ta ta ta….

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Charcoal burning everywhere
Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Here in status symbol land

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
{Repeat to fade}

What was the point of all this? To remember that it’s very easy to forget little wonderful details of our childhood. Living life takes so much of our time, we aren’t able to see that everything is constantly changing. So tell your children: take more pictures. Especially of the things they might take for granted.

It Ain’t Just Talking

Some factual insight into pursuing a voice-over career.

(originally published in 2008)

What may make a career in voice-over so appealing to some is that they may feel it has a lot of glamour attached to it. Very much like a career in film acting. The growing popularity of entertainment publications, movies, and television shows reflect the public’s fascination with people who make six-figure (and higher) salaries for what appears to be easy work. After all, those who speak and act for a living make it seem so effortless.

Anyone with aspirations for success in any field must realize that we don’t often get from point A to point G without first having gone through points B, C, D, E and F. Nothing in life that is worth achieving comes easily or for free. Success is relative: you get out it only what you put into it.

For as long as Hollywood has been making motion pictures, there have been countless stories of everyday folks with stars in their eyes who have gone there seeking fame and fortune. Trouble is, there are only so many roles to play and there are many more actors already there, waiting to play those roles. Most of them wind up waiting tables or doing some other work to pay the bills until their big break comes along. Just like film acting, voice-over is hugely competitive.

This doesn’t mean you should give up. What it does mean, though, is that you’ll have to work very hard. Voice-over is much more than having a “nice” or even “great” voice. Many times, in fact, producers look for an everyday, or even a quirky voice. But… do you read well? Aloud? Can you act? Meaning, are you able to properly interpret what you’re reading so that you can sound as though you’re not reading… and be convincing? Can you read well, act well, and take direction? How about read well, act well, take direction well, and finish within the allotted time? And then do it all again but make it sound different? Are you able to do all that and still retain your composure and professional demeanor, even when the director asks you for take after take?

So, while it may seem that voice-over work is easy, rest assured, it ain’t just talking. An honest coach will tell you if you truly have potential. And, if that potential is there and you’re ready to get started you will, however, want to keep your full-time job. Never jump into unknown waters without a life preserver.

You may, early on, have a ‘quickie’ demo produced; one that might get you some work doing local cable TV spots. That’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want more, be prepared to roll up your sleeves. First, it’s very important you take the time to listen to demos of established voice talent. Voicebank.net is an excellent place to start, as are some other voice-over casting sites, plus the sites of some voice talent themselves can be easily found in web searches. Then, spend some good money on proper training with qualified coaches (know their background and experience), take the time to read as many books on voice-over as you can, and practice, practice, practice.

And, while buying recording equipment may help you to practice, consider instead whether your money would be best spent on more of that all-important training… one area where more is always better.

You want – you NEED – to be able to put your absolute best foot forward. Your demo will land on agents’ desks along with those of others who have every bit the talent, experience, and drive that you have… and perhaps more. The agents and producers you send your demo to will know immediately whether you are a contender or not, and the last thing you want to do is leave busy agents with a less-than favorable first impression. But, quite often, even with a great demo, an agent may not take you on as a client simply because your ‘sound’ is represented by other talent already on their roster.

So this is where the challenge begins; where the going gets tough. Because after the demo comes the marketing and the 80/20 rule: even established talent spend roughly 80% of their time marketing themselves, with the remaining 20% actually performing voice-over jobs. Included in that 80% is auditioning. You’ll do lots of auditions but will land only a few jobs. And you’re never told why you don’t get the part. In fact, you’ll never hear anything unless you do get the gig. So, while you may feel some rejection, this is the real world… where the tough get (or, keep) going.

To sum up, you’ll need to spend lots of time working hard, and you’ll need to spend some money. But you will also need thick skin to weather the negative feedback and rejection you will definitely receive along the way… and the tenacity to keep moving forward. This helps us learn and become better. But, patience, patience, patience: we have to eat our vegetables before we get any dessert.

My good friend and fellow voice-over pro Paul Strikwerda has similar advice and his own wonderful take on this very subject. Please read it here.

Werdz Is Our Biznis

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Remember how our teachers always stressed the importance of spelling, especially when composing our résumés? What company would want to hire an individual who either couldn’t spell everyday words or words commonly used in the industry in which he or she was seeking employment?

Why would anyone risk their credibility by globally publishing not only their unfamiliarity with trade terms but their apparent decision to not even check their work before sharing it… or, even worse, attempting to pass themselves off as a knowledgeable authority on any given subject?

Not so recently I found on a web page offering voice-over advice two words very often used in our trade glaringly misspelled (and these are not typographical errors). Referring to an actor playing a part or a function assumed by someone in a particular situation, the correct word is role, not roll. What would a ‘roll model’ be; someone dressed as a croissant? The other unfortunate mistake was ‘annunciation.’ This is a real word, but it cannot be used in place of ‘enunciation.’

Another common word very often misspelled by voice-over folk is (vocal) ‘chord.’ A chord is typically three or more musical notes sounded together to create a pleasing, harmonic sound. One self-proclaimed voice-over coach, while discussing the various types of microphones, introduces students to the ‘electric’ condenser mic when, in fact, the term is ‘electret.’

This is voice-over. Words are our business. Do we send letters or email containing gross misspellings to prospective (not perspective) clients hoping to win their business? We can’t take the risk that the person reading our message won’t know or won’t care. The idea of my letter of introduction, résumé, or marketing message being tossed into the trash because of poor spelling – and not based on the merits of my work – is unthinkable to me.

I’d like to offer some advice. To those seeking to become voice talent, choose a coach who spells the words of our trade properly (let this not, however, be the sole basis for your selecting them). It shows they at the very least took the time to make sure that that much of their teaching was correct. To those who call themselves coaches, and even to those who just share bits of their knowledge of the industry: imagine someone interested in becoming a voice talent reading your work. They come across a word they’re not familiar with and look it up, only to find the word has no relation to voice-over. Isn’t your goal to be taken seriously?

Credibility.

There is only one thing worse than not having the means to make a good impression:
having the means (a dictionary) and not using it.

I’ll Share What I Know, But I’m No Know-it-all

It’s great that the web allows us to share information so freely, isn’t it? In professional circles, where we all can learn from one another, information sharing has the potential to make us all better at what we do. But like so many things that are free, there actually is a cost involved. And in the case of knowledge, the cost is having to distinguish between knowledge that is true and that which is – shall we say – less than true.

In this case, I refer to the myriad tips and tricks, the ‘how to do this’ and ‘how to do that’ pieces that can be found on countless voiceover-related websites.

As the title of this piece comes right out and says, I’ll happily share knowledge that I know to be factual and true. But I will always be the first to utter the phrase a lot of people have a hard time saying: “I don’t know.” Offering factual knowledge is help at its best. Dispensing information that is not true is like throwing a coil of rope to someone who’s drowning without holding onto one end of the rope. It’s useless.

I am not a stuck-up know-it-all type. My school grades were only average, and I flunked my share of tests. However, when I first developed an interest in recording and editing audio at age 9, I read all I could get my hands on. I visited radio stations, kept my mouth shut and watched and listened. Carefully. What I learned, I put into practice and became very, very good at. So if someone asks how to edit, or why we edit one way and not another, I can answer with complete confidence. I’ve been working professionally with audio since 1973.

One very good reason for being sure of ourselves is so that we don’t wind up looking foolish. Although not related to voiceover, an example of this was the day I turned on the TV back in 1998 and found a weather forecaster gesturing at his map, warning of the occasional rain headed our way. In huge, bold lettering sprawled across his map were the words “SPURATIC SHOWERS.” He may have known he wasn’t the best speller, but now he’d just shared that fact with anyone who was watching. And, while you might say “it’s only a spelling error,” when we share our knowledge with others – especially in professional circles – even spelling becomes an issue of credibility.

Not long after, a news story on another network told of a passenger aircraft from Rome that was diverted from its original destination of New York to Bangor, Maine. A map came up, illustrating the plane’s route. But instead of showing the ultimate destination as Bangor, Maine, it had the plane landing in Bangor, Michigan; a small town off of Lake Michigan that probably doesn’t even have an airport. This was on CNN Headline News.

Credibility. It matters if you want to be seen as a professional and taken seriously.

A couple of years ago, a voiceover person wrote a piece about care of the voice and throat. Absolutely well-intentioned. But the article explained that when we swallow solid food or liquid, “the vocal chords are pulled out of the way.” This is completely wrong. On two counts.

First, the vocal cords (also referred to as the vocal folds, larynx, voice box) are not “pulled out of the way.” They reside in the trachea (windpipe); not in the esophagus, which carries food to the stomach. A little flap called the epiglottis covers the trachea when we swallow so that food and liquid don’t go “down the wrong pipe” (as we’ve heard) and cause us to cough. Second, ‘chord’ is the spelling that describes usually three or more musical notes sounded together to create a pleasing sound (as in guitar chord). ‘Cord’ is the spelling for (among other things) anatomical structures such as spinal cord, umbilical cord, and vocal cord (cord, as in electrical cord).

When a person claiming to be a professional offers this kind of ‘knowledge,’ it’s evident they don’t care quite enough about their field to make sure they know what they’re talking about and get their facts and spelling right.

Another piece I found on one of the VO-related sites dealt with editing breaths from voice tracks. Those who know me know I feel very strongly that breaths are a natural part of speech which require special attention ONLY if they are too loud or otherwise bothersome (due to either the overuse of dynamic compression, or a respiratory problem). Are we bothered when people we’re conversing with breathe? I’m not. Are you? Spending time to monkey with breaths in a recording is silly, unless they are abnormally loud, or unless the piece has been ‘over-written’ (too much copy) making it necessary to reclaim every possible millisecond. Completely breathless voice recordings sound overly sterile… unnatural.

This article on removing breaths suggested that audio can be successfully edited simply by looking at the waveform. If you consider yourself a professional and care about the quality of work you send to other professional studios, you will NOT edit audio by only looking at a graphical display. Experiencing sound requires hearing. Working with the details of sound demands listening.

If you’ve just finished a recording and want to do a rough edit to remove large chunks of dead space or things you know for certain are extraneous noises, sure, you can indeed rely only on the waveform to remove them. But when it comes down to editing words and what comes between them, you need to do it the right way: by relying on your ears. I can’t say how many recordings I’ve fixed for others because the beginnings and endings of words that weren’t seen on the waveform display were accidentally removed.

The typical waveform display measures amplitude (loudness). We’ll call the horizontal line in the center of the waveform display ‘0’ (zero). The louder a sound is, the taller (or further from 0) the peaks of the waveform will be at that moment. Thus, saying “Hey!” in an enthusiastic tone will generally produce a waveform that is easily seen. On the other side of the coin, however, inhaling before speaking could produce a waveform only barely visible, if at all. And the same is true for words that begin or end with soft sounds, such as those produced by the letters ‘f,’ ‘h,’ ‘s,’ ‘th,’ and maybe a few others.

So, if you edit based on sight alone, chances are good you could easily ruin your recording. And, if you send recordings like these to clients and they’ve had to fix them (if it was even possible), there’s a very good chance they won’t be calling you anymore. Don’t give clients a reason not to call.

Some audio software allows you to increase the waveform’s vertical zoom; a magnification. By making the waveform taller in this manner, you will begin to see things you didn’t see before… such as breaths and those softer sounds. Be absolutely certain, however, that you only increase the magnification of the visual waveform, and that you do NOT change the audio level. Simply increasing the vertical zoom will not alter your recording; it is only a tool for editing. Once you’ve zoomed to the point at which you can see ‘everything,’ you can make much better edits.

Hopefully, your software allows you to ‘scrub’ the audio. This is the ability to place the cursor on the waveform and – perhaps with the use of a modifier key (ALT, OPTION, etc.) – move the cursor back and forth so you can move very slowly through the audio to pick out mouth clicks which, in my opinion, can be far more annoying in a voice track than breaths.

I rely on my ears. And I highly recommend it. Listening for and clearly hearing the nuances of your speech will only make you a better editor. If you’re lucky to live in an environment where you can crank up your loudspeakers without damaging them or causing the neighbors to call the police, great. Otherwise, invest in a pair of quality headphones. Learn to know what you are hearing.

It’s great that so many folks want to be helpful. But don’t immediately put all your trust in everything you read on the web. If you remember when cell phones first became available, people would make calls from all sorts of places simply because they were able to. From a 1995 radio commercial: “Hey, honey! Guess where I’m calling from… the pickle aisle!!!” There is a tendency to do things simply because we can. Sharing information is one of those things, and the intention is to be applauded. But unless what you’re reading is verifiably accurate, it’s a waste of time.

Again, I am by no means a know-it-all, but if you’ve got an audio- or voiceover-related question, ask me. I’m happy to help… if I can. But more importantly, if I don’t know, I’ll help you by saying “I don’t know.” You won’t get any BS from me. And that’s the best kind of help.