deVOtion

God Loves Charlie Sheen

2011-03-08T12:15:00.001-08:00

Today I'm feeling like I must have missed the world-wide announcement that all of the rules have changed, up is down, and we are no longer required or expected to make good choices... in fact, we're encouraged to be completely nuts.

There has been a plethora of news stories today about people who are demonstrating this. One headline from the Daily Mail Online read, "Teen Lied To Qualify For Foot Operation Just To Squeeze Into Jimmy Choos". The story said, "she was simply frustrated that her ‘wide and ugly’ feet prevented her from wearing the latest fashions. Surgeons broke her foot in four places, cut her tendons and ligaments and stapled two-inch screws to her bones – all so she could be comfortable in designer heels."

Another headline from NBC read, "Millionaire Dentist Busted in Pizza Fraud". The story went on to tell about how someone had lost their credit card in a parking lot... this dentist found it and decided to fraudulently use the credit card to pay for $40 in pizza. The dentist had $250 in his wallet at the time and is worth between 3 and 4 million dollars.

And what day of crazy news would be complete without a mention of Charlie Sheen? Hmmm... how to select just ONE story? How about the one from Big Pond that says, "Charlie Sheen Signs Live Nation Deal". Charlie has been dishing out some shocking statements lately, many of which have turned into catch phrases that have likely made hash tag history. Live Nation is cashing in on the crazy with mugs and t-shirts emblazoned with some of Sheen's phrases. The quote from the article that had me dumbfounded said, "Charlie - who was pictured on the roof of the Live Nation offices waving a machete - impressed bosses with his ideas for the future." Really?!

Why blog about this? Just to rant? No. To process the information and gain some perspective. A passage that has really been on my heart and mind in recent days comes from John 1:5. "The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." Now, from one angle that verse can stir up sympathy in our hearts. Jesus (the Light) came then (and is present now) but some are so wrapped up in the darkness that they just don't accept Him. And by all means, we NEED to pray for people when we read things like this. We NEED to be praying for Charlie Sheen.

From the other angle, if you take the end of that verse to mean, "the darkness cannot extinguish the light", then it should fill us with hope in a seemingly hopeless world. People are confused and lost.. and our battle is not against flesh and blood, right? The enemy is aggressively trying to put out the light of Christ, but it will not be extinguished.

Either way, I'm so thankful for a Lord who is a firm foundation, clarity in the chaos, and peace in the storm. He is not shaking His head or surpised. He loves the lost. God loves Charlie Sheen... and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for Charlie's sins... and yours... and mine.

The funny thing is that to some... that statement sounds crazy.

A Little Birdie Told Me

2010-12-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

It was the weekend after Thanksgiving and we were enjoying the time-honored tradition of decorating for Christmas. All the bins were pulled out of the garage, the fake tree was assembled, and we were hanging stockings, setting up the nativity, and (my favorite part) putting the ornaments on the tree. Each year, we collect 1 or 2 ornaments that represent something special that happened that year. There are ornaments that commemorate special trips, baby’s first Christmas, and there’s even a custom-made ornament that looks like a little body cast for the year that my daughter broke her femur.

While we were doing this, something caught my eye out on the back patio… a little birdie was hopping along out there in the rain. Now, I’m no ornithologist… in fact, I had to Google the word just now to make sure I was spelling it correctly. I can usually identify a bluejay, a seagull, a parakeet, and I have been known to be able to tell the difference between a dove and a pigeon with 47% accuracy… but this little bird looked to be of the finch variety… and it looked like something might be wrong. I stepped outside and it didn’t flit away. It continued hopping along but wasn’t desperately scrambling to escape my slowly approaching mass. At this point I’m thinking that this is either someone’s pet with clipped wings that has broken out of it’s cage or an injured wild animal that was simply waiting to introduce my family and I to untold millions of diseases that injured wild animals carry. So naturally, I gently scooped it into my hands, petted it’s cute little head and brought it inside to show the family.

I gave the little birdie temporary residence in one of the empty Christmas bins from the garage with the thought bubbles already forming over my head. “I wonder how much a cage would cost?” “Isn’t it cute?!” “We could nurse it back to health!” “It could hang out on my shoulder!” “I could name it Atticus... you know... Atticus Finch! That would be awesome!”

For some weird reason we actually had a bag of finch food out in the garage, so I set a handful of it in there by the bird and it proceeded to peck away at the food. I made a makeshift little water dish and even created a small nest by running a page or two from the newspaper through the paper shredder and curling it up.

Just a few minutes later, the little bird mustered enough strength to hop up onto the side of the bin and then down onto the floor. From it’s many failed attempts to fly though our closed sliding glass door , I assumed that the bird was ready to go back outside now. I opened to door and carefully directed the bird back out onto the patio and, after a brief pause, it jumped into air and flew across the yard and out of sight.

Bye, Atticus.

The bird was gone… but the questions remained. Was it someone’s pet? Was it injured? Maybe it just needed a little food and some love. I’ll never know… but the short and sweet experience served as a subtle reminder to me. Just like this little bird, there are people that I come across everyday who are having a hard time and just aren’t able to “fly” right now. Maybe their wings are clipped by being emotionally beaten down. Maybe they’ve got all kinds of issues that aren’t solved easily and would threaten to “disease” me or my family. They’re just hopping along out there in the rain. Do I take notice? Life is good for me… I’m surrounded by love and my family and we’re busy getting ready for Christmas. Am I too busy to care? I can stop everything for a cute little bird. How much more so should I stop and take the time to show the love of Jesus to another person?

Matthew 10:29-31 says:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Lord, help me to see the value of the lives of those around me and give me the sensitivity to see when they are hurting and just need a little love and care… and please give me the courage to take the time to SHOW them that love and kindness.

AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!!

2010-11-29T22:06:00.000-08:00

I’m really not a huge sports fan. I’ll watch an occasional game on TV… cheered on my kids as they’ve played over the years and have even coached 2nd Grade Basketball. But I was really intrigued by the story that was all over the news today about Steve Johnson, receiver for the Buffalo Bills.

Johnson dropped a perfectly thrown and potentially game winning 40-yard pass in an eventual 19-16 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was devastated. After leaving Ralph Wilson Stadium, he publicly expressed his grief on Twitter, creating quite a stir.

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS (IS) HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."

Now I don’t know Steve Johnson or what his beliefs are regarding God… whether he’s a Christian or, if so, what denomination. But I do know that my initial reaction was something along the lines of, “Is this guy serious?! God didn’t make him drop the ball! How could he even say that?!” Basically… I judged him. But then a few moments later, I took a look at myself and realized that I’ve done the same thing. I may not have tweeted my thoughts for the world to see (or at least the small handful of people who follow me on Twitter), but I’ve definitely thought it at times when things in life haven’t gone my way. I could try and justify my instances by saying that they were things of much more significance than dropping a football… things like the health of my children or family… but it’s also happened over trivial things as well… like not landing a gig I felt I was perfect for.

And then I thought of some Biblical examples. Take Job for instance. If anyone had the right to say to God, “AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!!”, it was Job, right? He lost just about everything including all is children. But what did Job say? “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him”.

I know… right?! Very humbling.

Now, there were some instances in the Bible where God’s followers questioned Him. Remember John the Baptist? The relative of Jesus who announced Him by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. A little later on when he was in jail and things weren’t going like he thought they would, he sent guys to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?”

Yet Jesus didn’t respond harshly to John’s question… He reassured Him. He understands our fears and frailty… and isn’t afraid of our questions.

I suppose that the most important thing that I was reminded of is the fact that God isn’t really interested in whether we win or lose… or even if we’re happy. I’ve seen PLENTY of people make terrible decisions while saying, “God wants me to be happy.” The truth is, God is using the circumstances to transform us into the image of Jesus. Sometimes that is done more effectively through dropping the game-winning catch.

How does this apply to you? I’m not a football pro and you probably aren’t either. What’s the equivalent of a game-winning catch for you? We all have dreams of success. What’s yours? I'm a male voice actor. I’d love to be a lead voice in a Pixar film. That would be like winning the Superbowl for me. Will it ever happen? I don’t know. Is it important compared to me being like my Savior or someone being drawn to Jesus because they saw Him at work in me? How does having my name in the credits of an animated film compare with one person being saved? No contest, right?

I was happy to see that Steve Johnson had some follow up tweets… including this one:

"I learned A lot Within 24hrs. Saw Both Sides.(Ups&Dwns) I AM HAPPY & THANKFUL 4 YESTERDAY! w/out Sunday iWldnt have grew closer w/The Lord!!"

Steve, God used your frustration to cause me to take a closer look at myself and God’s goals instead of my own. It drew me closer to Him and I’m glad it did the same for you.

Oh... Grow Up!

2010-10-13T22:15:00.001-07:00

My parents are in their late 70’s and, as a result of my father having had a stroke and heart attack in 2009, they now reside in a very nice assisted living facility. They’re actually some of the younger residents there.

It’s been interesting to hear about some of the “drama” that occurs between some of the residents… usually the ladies (no offense to you ladies… that’s just the way it is at this place).

Tonight, my mom was telling me about this new resident, an 88-year woman who’s husband passed away 6 years ago, and how she’s being treated poorly by some of the other ladies. These women have been at the facility for a while… are set in their ways and routines… and apparently this newcomer’s learning curve is proving to be an inconvenience to them. To hear my mother tell it, this bright 88-year old lady is a bit lonely, but outgoing and trying to make friends. Her attempts are being met with rudeness… so much so that my mom has actually stood up for this woman amidst a bingo session (insert a huge collective GASP) and called people out for their unkind behavior. This is VERY uncharacteristic for my mother... believe me… but I’m proud of her for standing up against this injustice.

As my mom finished the story, my first words were, “You’d think that by the time people reached their 80’s, they’d drop all these immature antics and learn how to be kind and caring to each other.” I mean, this sounds like the plot of every movie about High School cliques I’ve ever seen. The cool kids make fun of the new kid… someone takes the time to get to know the back story of the new kid and befriends them… confrontation… revelation… food fight… acceptance… big musical dance number... aaaand the credits roll.

But then, I remembered on of my favorite (and most convicting) quotes:

“We will never BE at 80 what we’re not BECOMING now.”

Right now, I’m 40 years old… and at the risk of losing all of my friends, I must confess that there are still moments now and again that I feel like that insecure Middle School kid just trying to fit in. And even worse, there are still those moments where, in an effort to fit in with some people, I’m less than kind to others… almost as if I occasionally “rate” people (subconsciously) according to what they can do for me and how they can help me advance in the ranks of being cool… professionally, personally, spiritually… this childishness seems to know no bounds. It’s as if I carry around a virtual pricing gun and assign value to everyone as if I have any right to do so.

So, how do I get from this selfish mud pit that I periodically trudge through to that beautiful field of genuine love and appreciation for ALL people? That kind of love that I hope for and even “expect” from everyone else?
How do I put away the “pricing gun”? Well, maybe I don’t have to… What if I simply set the value of the pricing gun stickers to the highest possible value, and applied that to everyone?

It reminds me of a quote from C.S. Lewis:

“…the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. … There are no ‘ordinary’ people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”

The key is to see people the way God does… with eternal and loving eyes. To “consider others better than yourself.” To “not look at the outward appearance, but to look upon the heart”.

To scream out in desperation, “God, help me to be like You and love like You do!”

And maybe 1 Corinthians 13 will ring true in my life… at the age of 80… and hopefully sooner.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The Prize vs. The Gift

2010-10-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

So there I was, enjoying the waning hours of the FAFFCON Unconference in Portland. In addition to the many golden nuggets of wisdom that the weekend offered, there were also some prizes up for grabs at the end… one of which I was particularly interested in… okay.. I REALLY wanted it.

I like winning stuff… and I know I’m not alone in that. There’s that rush of hope… the surprise and elation when you win… and the joy of watching others win. Yes, there is also the occasional uprising of jealously that must be dealt with, but there’s personal growth and maturity to be gained from that… perhaps more valuable than any prize. Sometimes you can win based on knowledge or skill… but this was just a random drawing. Someone walked around to hand out raffle tickets and the numbers were drawn at the end.

I was sitting in the second of two rows of chairs that formed a sort of semi circle, and the ticket guy was making his way around, tearing off the tickets from his spool and handing them out in numerical sequence. Just as he was handing me my ticket, someone took the vacant seat just to my left, so the ticket guy then backtracked and handed a ticket to gentleman now sitting next to me… then proceeded to hand out the remaining tickets.

After several prizes were given away, they finally came to the prize I was waiting for. (Cue the dramatic music build up) The hand went into the bucket. (The tension mounts) The ticket was drawn. (Close up of me wringing my hands) The numbers are read as if in slow motion. (SFX of heart beating) The first number is a match. (SFX heart beating faster) The second number is a match. (Extreme close up of me biting my lip) The third number is a match. (Close up of my grip tightening on my ticket) The fourth number is a match. (The music builds to a crescendo and then a single high note on the violin plays while the final number is read) “Oh please be 4… please be 4”, I prayed inwardly. And the final number was… 5.

It was the guy next to me who won… the guy who sat down at the last moment. If he had sat down a few seconds earlier, he would have had the #4 ticket and I would have had the #5 ticket. Inside, I felt a bit like Charlie Brown at the “unfairness” of it all. I hadn’t earned the prize nor was I more deserving of it that anyone else in the room… and I can’t even say with certainty that I wanted it more than anyone else… but, well… I just wanted it… that’s all. But I clapped for him none-the-less and stomped down my childish jealously enough to be happy for his win. He walked up to the front and claimed my… um, I mean HIS prize… had his picture taken and then made his way back to his seat while I tried my best not to look covetous.

I offered a congratulations to him… to which he replied, “Thanks. Now I have 2.” But then, just before my inner Charlie Brown turned into my inner Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes) and screamed to the heavens with curled fingers at the incredible injustice, the guy said, “Do you want it?”

What? Do I want it?

I suddenly felt the entire dynamic change as I sat dumbfounded. I was humbled. And I really wasn’t sure what to do with this kind offer. I mean, this guy wasn’t a best friend or anything… we’ve had limited interaction… yet he was completely willing to hand this prize over to me. I asked if I could pay him for it, but that was declined… and he simply gave it to me.

How could I repay him? Maybe if I won one of the remaining prizes I could give it to him. But I didn’t win. Maybe I could offer to produce a demo for him? His demos sound great… he doesn’t need me for that right now.

So I guess I just accept the gift with a thankful heart and let it be.

I’ve never had the difference between a prize and a gift so vividly displayed before. They are both very similar. A prize was given by someone, but the gift is more… personal. It’s not random. It’s someone deciding to give something specific to another person. The difference is that when you receive a gift, you seem to feel obliged to want to pay for it somehow. Even when you get a birthday gift, you may not feel like you need to give something back that day, but you’re inclined to remember to give that person a gift on their birthday, right?

What about God’s amazing gift? The gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus. There’s nothing we can do to earn it… no way to deserve it… no way we could ever pay it back. But do you still feel like you need to try and pay it back? Do you serve Him in an effort to pay it back? I catch myself in that mindset sometimes.

Note to self… and to others… God’s gift cannot be earned nor can you pay it back. Just accept the gift with a thankful heart and let it be. Let your service to Him pour out of that thankful heart.

The Benefit of My Big Blunder

2010-09-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

What I’m about to admit may cost me respect, clients and money….but it may benefit you and help you feel a little bit less like a Twinkie by comparison… so it’s worth it. Here goes…

I, Dave DeAndrea, have allowed someone to speak into the wrong part of the microphone before. Now, by that I don’t mean that I let them talk into the part where the XLR cable goes in. I’m not THAT dumb. I’m talking about the fact that different mics have different pickup patterns. There are some that need to be pointing right at you… others that you approach from one side. (A brief overview can be found here)

My story? It was many years ago and I had just gotten a new mic and had a guy in the studio to record for a project. Things just weren’t sounding quite right…. It was a little muddy sounding. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what the problem was until I took off the windscreen. A few quick adjustments and everything was right with the world again. But I can’t even begin to tell you how embarrassed I was. After all, I’m supposed to be a world-renowned producer who knows what he’s doing. But this thing caught me off guard.

Now, however, it is something I am keenly aware of. It’s kind of like when you get a speeding ticket on a certain street. Every time after that, you’re almost certain to drive the speed limit on that street… maybe even a little slower, right?

The benefit of my big blunder? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been producing something for someone and they send me an audio track that sounds a bit off. What do I do? I ask them what kind of mic they’re using. I have them send me a picture or video of them talking into the microphone… and sure enough, they’re making the same mistake I did… talking into the wrong part of the mic. I’m able to quickly redirect them and we’re back in business. Would I have been able to do that had I not made the mistake myself? Would my ears be so attuned to the subtle dynamics? Maybe… but probably not. So now, I get to be a part of the solution for someone… and that’s a great feeling.

I’m guessing that there are things you’ve gone through… much bigger technical things… that you’ve learned from. Things that have caused you to grow. It may be professional things… personal things… spiritual things.

I’ve gone through some health issues with some of my kids over the years… things that I wish they nor I would have ever had to go through. Yet, I know that afterwards I was able to bring some experience and comfort to other parents who were going through similar situations.

2 Corinthians 1:4 says:

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

What have you gone through? Something goofy like talking into the wrong side of the mic? Or something much more difficult? Has the Lord brought you comfort in that? Can you in turn offer that same comfort to someone else?

Mr. Girt

2010-09-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, 5th or 6th Grade, I was pretty self-conscience about my weight. Some things never change. As a result, I was often seen wearing a jacket, thinking this would cover up things a little bit better. This method proved to be acceptable for most scenarios… classroom, cafeteria, playground. But then there was PE. While I was perfectly willing to sweat it out while running around the gym, my PE teacher, Mr. Girt, had other ideas.

Mr. Girt died last week… September 1st… and I found myself thinking about him today and remembering this one encounter I had with him there in the gym at Milner Crest Elementary School. As part of the class, he had us doing laps around the inside of the gym. Now, if I didn’t want people to see my belly while I was sitting at my desk, I surely didn’t want them watching it jiggle around in all it’s glory while I ran around. At first, Mr. Girt made a casual suggestion as I passed him by… “Why don’t you take your jacket off.” I kept on running and he went on to tend to other students. A little while later, the suggestion turned into more of an instruction… “Take your jacket off.” I kept on running. Eventually, he noticed that I wasn’t following his direction, so it became a command… “David… take your jacket off.” I kept on running.

As I reflected on this today, I could imagine that he thought, at first, that I was just being rebellious… that perhaps I was just trying to be cool. I imagine how I might have dealt with the situation if the roles were reversed. How would I have reacted? What would I have said to the dumb kid wearing a jacket in PE class who wasn’t obeying my instruction? Would I have taken it as a challenge to my authority? Would I have pressed the issue even harder? Would I have called the kid out in front of all the other kids? Would I have yelled or sent the kid to the principle?

Or would I have had the insight that Mr. Girt had?

After he noticed that his command fell on deaf ears, he quietly pulled me aside and whispered, “Are you embarrassed about something?”
I nodded a yes… and then he gave a quick, understanding, “Okay.”
Then he allowed me and my jacket to continue on as if nothing had happened.

He could have crushed that little boy… without even realizing it. But instead, he took a moment to ask himself the question, “Why?” He had the wherewithal and wisdom to wonder what the back-story was. It was a blink of a moment, and probably long forgotten by him… but a lasting memory etched into my mind… and one that I am grateful for.

I pray that I will have the wisdom to act as Mr. Girt did when I interact with people. That I will be able to build people up… or at least give them a break. That I’ll be able to see past their “jacket” to the heart of the person… and somehow give them some understanding.

Dedicated to Fred Girt. July 15, 1951 - Sept. 1, 2010

3 Little Words

2010-09-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

If you’re anything like me, modern conveniences have made you a very impatient person. I’ve grown used to instant answers and instant results… in fact, I expect them… and with little effort. Any info I want is only a click or two away on the web. I order my food via a little speaker by a menu, and by the time I drive ten feet to the pickup window, boom… there it is. If I want a song, show or movie… I download it and there I am enjoying it moments later.

However, when it comes to VO work, we don’t always get instant answers or instant results. Every once in a while things fall into perfect alignment… you audition, you land it, you voice it, they pay you… all within a couple of hours. But often times, you audition… and… nothin’. Did they hear it? Did they like it? Don’t know. It can feel a bit futile at times. You may find yourself beginning to have doubts about your ability… wondering if VO was the best choice for you… wondering if you’re really any good. You’re not alone in feeling that way. But let me offer you 3 little words of comfort:

“Ya never know.”

I had some interesting experiences this past week that had me saying those very words. The first involved Applebee’s.

You see, we (my wife and I) had done some research and made the decision to step out and invest in a service called Source Connect. (With it, I can connect with clients who either had Source Connect or ISDN via a bridging service. For many agents and clients, having a connection with ISDN is a “have to”. I didn’t want something like not having that be a reason for losing a gig. In fact, it was another step toward a goal/mindset that I’ve developed. That being, I don’t want a technical thing like audio quality, mic, etc., to be the reason that I don’t land a VO job. I want the only possible reason to be that my voice simply wasn’t what they were looking for. But I digress.) I get it installed and set up... and the following Monday, I booked a gig for Applebee’s that required that I have Source Connect/ISDN. I didn’t even audition for Applebee’s! The client had held on to an audition I had done for something else (and didn’t book) months ago and decided I was right for these Applebee's spots.

Ya never know.

The second thing was due to a search I did on Craigslist. While I’m very happy with my studio and equipment (and really love my Harlan Hogan VO:1A), one of the items on my wish list is a Sennheiser MKH416 P48 mic. It’s another one of those steps toward the goal/mindset I mentioned earlier. An industry standard… good for travel/portable studios… but not cheap. So I see a 416 for sale on Craigslist and contact the seller to ask a few questions about it. Turns out, it’s not the type of 416 I’m looking for…BUT… the guy noticed my web site link in my email signature (BTW…you should do that if you haven’t already), took the time to visit my site and listen to my demos. His comment: “Listened to your demo--good stuff!” He then went on to give me some contact info for some agents he’s worked with.

Ya never know.

Then, the final…and most important thing happened via email. I received a note from a fellow VO guy who I’ve known for a couple of years. He expressed that he was having a tough time lately and knew me to be a man of faith. He wanted to set up a time that we could talk on the phone about work and faith.

That’s a relationship that has slowly developed over time with this non-Christian friend and I was humbled that he would feel comfortable talking about things like that with me. As Christians, we all hope that our friends will come to discover the hope we have in Jesus… and the sooner the better. But when it comes to the time it takes for those seeds we plant to grow… well…

Ya never know.

So, whether it’s your work or your faith, let me encourage you to press on, keep moving forward, just keep swimming, don’t stop believin’, (insert your favorite motivational phrase here)… because ya never know.

p.s. If you happen to have an extra Sennheiser MKH416 P48 mic that you no longer want…

(hey… ya never know)

Pass... Set... Hit.

2010-08-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

So far, two of my daughters have taken after their mother in having a love of volleyball. Back in her days at George Fox, Kristen (my hot and holy bride), and her team took nationals in their division. I know…right!? She’s awesome!

In recent weeks, my oldest daughter has had 2 volleyball camps (which were more like a boot camp for the Marines from the sound of things) and a try-outs week this week… all in the hopes of making one of the high school teams. Today was the day that she was to find out whether she made the cut or not. Would it be the Varsity, JV, Freshman Team… or nothin’.

As I pulled up to the school, I noticed one of her volleyball friends coming out of the gym… and she was looking like she was crying… and they weren’t tears of joy. Uh oh. Then another friend came out… looking a little upset. What was my daughter going through up there on that volleyball court? Was she going to want to hide her face and make a quick getaway? Did she need to cry on Daddy’s shoulder? Maybe she was jumping for joy? Oh…the anticipation! The torture! You know how in movies where someone is standing in a hallway and the hallway suddenly seems to stretch way out beyond them. This was worse! (Okay, maybe I’m catastophizing a bit… but still…)

I walked into the gym and tried to get some idea of what to expect. I looked expectantly into the faces of some of the other parents, hoping they would somehow give me an indication one way or another about my daughter. “Did she make it?” I thought. “C’mon, throw me a bone over here!” But oddly enough, they were focused on their own kids. (Some people…ya know?). Then, suddenly… there was my daughter over on the bleachers… and she looked… okay. Not a care in the world. A little happy even.

“Well? How’d it go, Kiddo?”

“I made the FreshmanTeam.”

“Really?! That’s great! I saw a couple of your friends outside…they looked kind of sad and upset. Are they okay? I guess they didn’t make it, huh?”, I said.

“No…they made it, too.”

“They did? Then why were they crying?” I asked, as if suddenly I might understand women and why they do things.

“I think they really wanted to make the JV or Varsity Team,” she replied.

“Didn’t you want to?” I asked.

“Well… yeah,” she said, “But I’m just happy to be playing. In fact, there are less girls on the Freshman Team… so I’ll probably get more playing time.”

I can’t tell you how proud I was of her at that moment. Because she made the team, yes… but more so because of her great attitude. And I know that she hopes (as a Christian) to be able to have a positive influence in the lives of her friends… the very friends who weren’t thrilled with the day’s outcome.

It’s the type of attitude I want and need to have. Would it be great to land one of those dream VO gigs? A lead in a Pixar film? A national spot? A major movie trailer? Sure… and maybe it will happen someday? Maybe it won’t. But can I be “happy just to be playing”? Can I look at the eternal perspective and see that, to God, I may have more impact in someone else’s life on the “Freshman Team” right now? That's way more important, right?

It comes back around to the key point and purpose of this blog: Prioritize the things that are eternal… God, His Word, and People.

Many Roads

2010-08-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you that I’m a huge fan of Andrew Peterson?

He was here in concert a couple of years ago and I was so impressed with his transparency, musicality and clever turn of a phrase that I went out and scooped up every CD in his catalogue that I could find…and his fiction books. Yeah…he’s that good.

Andrew’s latest release, “Counting Stars”, has many thought-provoking tunes, and the one that has really struck a chord with me lately is the opening song, “Many Roads”. In it, he highlights the importance of giving our best and the glad responsibility we have to truly invest ourselves into our work for the Lord… because we never know when our path may intersect with one of God’s divine appointments.

He sings:

Could it be that the many roads
You took to get here
Were just for me to tell this story
And for you to hear this song
And your many hopes
And your many fears
Were meant to bring you here all along

So if you’ll trust me with your time I’ll spend it wisely
I will sing to you with all I have to give
If you traveled all this way, then I will do my best to play
My biggest hits (that don’t exist)

And if you’ll lend to me your ear I’ll sing ‘em pretty
I will never, ever sing ‘em out of tune
And I will not forget the words,
Of any chorus, bridge, or verse
I promise you.

For Andrew Peterson, his deliberate ministry is singing and performing (although I imagine he finds himself ministering in a variety of unexpected, unplanned ways as well). What is it for you?

As we prioritize the eternal things today (God, His Word and People), let’s pray for awareness of opportunities and prepare to the best of our abilities.

One More Night With The Frogs

2010-08-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

One of the most dumbfounding replies to a question in the entire Bible has got to be from Pharaoh in Exodus, chapter 8. Maybe you’re familiar with the story.

Moses had approached Pharaoh several times with the same message... ”Let my people go”. And each time, when Pharaoh said, “No”, a plague came upon the land, then Pharaoh would say (in essence), “Get rid of this plague and I’ll let you guys go”. But then once the plague was gone, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he said (in essence), “On second thought…no, you can’t go.”

In Exodus 8 we see the plague of frogs… nasty. Frogs everywhere! In their beds! In their ovens! And Pharaoh’s magicians didn’t help… they just wanted to prove that they could do anything Moses could do... so they brought even more frogs! But I digress...

In verses 8 through 10 it says:

Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."
Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile."
"Tomorrow," Pharaoh said.

What?! Tomorrow?! Why not, “Tonight”? Why not, “Right now”? Why not, “Let’s hop in the time-travelling DeLorean and go back to before the frogs were ever here!” Hello McFly!

I wonder why someone who was given the option to be rid of something that plagued them at any time would say, “Give me one more night with the frogs.”

And then… I look at my own life… and the things that plague me. It’s not frogs in my bed… but it might be ice cream in the freezer... or complacency in my career... or bitterness in my heart.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve said, “Tomorrow I’m going to buckle down and start eating healthy and getting in shape.” Or, “After that conference I’m going to get serious about my career.” Or, “I know I should forgive that person but right now I don’t want to…maybe tomorrow.”Basically... “Give me one more night with the frogs.”

So what’s plaguing you? It may be something simple or perhaps more serious. Maybe it’s a relationship that you know the Lord isn’t pleased with. Maybe it’s an addiction. I don’t know… but I know God does. And He says, “You could be free right now. I love you and want to help you right now.”

So what’s it’s gonna be? Freedom right now or... ribbit.

Soap

2010-08-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

Harry went to see his old buddy in Chicago who still ran the little corner grocery store that his father started a half century ago.
Stepping into the store, Harry shook hands with his friend and they brought each other up to date. But Harry seemed distracted. The shelves of the store were filled with soap And as his friend showed Harry around the place, he couldn't help but notice that the storeroom was filled with soap; the basement was filled with soap; the living quarters over the store were filled with soap and out back, there was a 50 foot storage trailer filled with soap.
"Hey, pal," said Harry, shaking his head. "You sure do sell a lot of soap here!"
"Nah, not really," replied his friend. "But the guy who sold it to me -- brother, could he sell soap!"

The funny little twist at the end of this story made me laugh… I could picture all these bars of soap stacked up to the ceiling and could almost see the friend’s face as he delivered that last line. But then, it got me thinking. I’m kind of like Harry’s friend sometimes. I can be very susceptible to a good sales pitch. (No, this is not an invitation for you sales guys to call me) Especially when it comes to things that will either make my life easier or better. Wait…I guess that kind of includes everything, doesn't it? Otherwise, why would anybody buy it, right? Like I said, I’m very susceptible…

When it comes to voice-overs, there is no shortage of tools, tips and tricks for sale to help you advance your career. Books… seminars… workshops… organizers… software… better mics… better music libraries… better soundproofing… on and on and on. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things… and they could prove to be very helpful... but you know what would be great? If I actually used the resources I already have to their fullest. It seems like I just get one thing, then I’m suddenly convinced that it’s some other thing that’s going to be the key to success.

Even more unfortunate… tragic really… is that I do the same thing when it comes to things of the Lord. I catch myself believing that if I get this certain book or that worship CD or attend this conference or that retreat…then I’ll really be close to the Lord. I’ll be Super Christian! I’ll have to pull my hoodie down over my head for fear that the Shekinah glory radiating from my face will blind people!

If someone were to look at my library of Christian books or music collection or even my activities, they might be inclined to say, "Wow! You're really spiritual." Not unlike Harry's assumption of his friend regarding the soap. But often times, those things are just the result of me buying into the idea that I could grow more spiritual or closer to the Lord if I had them.

Do you ever feel like that? Like you’re missing something in the faith department… and some thing or some person or some experience is what you need for you to feel more spiritual and closer to the Lord. Again, there’s nothing wrong with any of these things, and they may in fact be very helpful to you or me. But I feel like the still, small voice of the Lord gently and lovingly whispers to me… “What about all the stuff you already have? What have you done with what I showed you through that last event? That last book? That last quiet time you spent with Me?”

And even beyond that, His precious Word says in 2 Peter 1:3…

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

I already have everything I will ever need.

Before I buy any more “bars of soap”, professionally or spiritually, no matter how good the sales pitch might be, I think I’m going to just unwrap the “bar of soap” I already have and use it.

What's Your Gooch?

2010-08-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

When I was a young kid, maybe 8 or 9, riding bikes was the favorite pastime of all the boys in our small Medford, Oregon, neighborhood. And if that bike riding just happened to include perilous jumps out of the sight of our parents…even better!

Such was the case one summer afternoon when we discovered a dried out ditch that had the perfect approach angle down into the ditch with a sweet upward slope on the other side which proved ideal for catching some serious air… for those brave enough to build up speed. There were some of the guys who were born without fear… or maybe without brains. Either way, they had no qualms with going first, going fast, and going what appeared to us to be hundreds of feet in the air (remember...we were only 8 or 9). We would all shout “Whoa!!” as they flew through air. It was awesome!

I, on the other hand, was a bit slower to risk life and limb… oh, all right, I was chicken! It was high, man! Sure-footed landing was uncertain! I’d seen Evel Knievel bite it a few times! Death was on the line!! So I peddled along half-hearted and caught a little air. I’m sure there were a few bugs in the dirt nearby whose jaws dropped in amazement… but my friends were not impressed.

But then, as I was about to start another approach for a jump that was sure to draw the collective yawn of my buddies, someone looked down the street behind me and shouted, “Look! The Gooch is coming!!!” (I can’t remember the kid’s actual name…and we didn’t call him the Gooch…but for some reason, Arnold’s nemesis on “Diff’rent Strokes” seems to be sticking in my head…hence, “The Gooch”). It was the neighborhood big bully who’s mere name caused many a kid to have to return their “Days Without An Accident” chart back to zero (if you know what I mean)…and he was fast approaching on his bike.

Suddenly, my fear of flying on my bike was replaced by my greater fear of getting pounded by The Gooch. I peddled as if my very life depended on it…zoomed down into ditch (quite possibly breaking the sound barrier…it was long time ago…details are fuzzy) and flew up and out the other side…the highest jump of the day…and I’m pretty sure I landed 2 counties over from where I started. Since I’m typing this right now, I can only assume I survived the jump AND managed to escape The Gooch. I’d call that a good day.

It’s strange, but my fear of pain, crashing and looking stupid suddenly disappeared as something bigger than my little circumstance gave me a new perspective and caused me to really go for it and excel.

Let me ask you a couple of questions:

What are you afraid of? Looking foolish? Failing?

What are you doing half-hearted? Your career? Your marriage? Your parenting? Your relationship with the Lord?

What’s the thing that’s going to motivate you to fly higher than you ever have before in that area that you’re floundering in? What’s your Gooch? It doesn’t have to be a greater fear that motivates you (although it seems to work wonders for little kids on bikes). Maybe you just need a little bigger perspective on things.

I’m saying this to myself as much as I’m saying it as an encouragement to you. Press into the Lord and His Word and catch a glimpse of the bigger picture.

Meeting Morgan Freeman - Part 2

2010-08-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

If you missed the last blog post, let me encourage you to go back and read “Meeting Morgan Freeman – Part 1” before you dive into this post.

If that’s just more clicking than you want to deal with right now (and believe me…the last thing I want for you is carpal tunnel as a result of reading my thoughts) then let me summarize by saying that I recently entered into a Facebook dialogue with someone I believed to be Morgan Freeman, had my doubts as to whether this person was actually Morgan Freeman, and sent them a message to ask if they were really Morgan Freeman, which looked like this:

Morgan,

Forgive the question, but would you please spare me some potential embarrassment with the VOICE event organizers? If you are in fact NOT the real Morgan Freeman, that's fine. We can both have a laugh at my gullibility...no harm done.

But please tell me truthfully so that I won't let these friends of mine get excited about the potential of you being a guest for no reason.

Are you THE REAL Morgan Freeman? Can you confirm it? Can you call me if I provide a phone number for you?

Now, before I get to his response, I’ve got to confess something to you. I am susceptible to being star-struck. I realize that I am not alone in this, hence the overabundance of gossip magazines and celebrity stalking shows. However, the fact that most people can easily blur the line between fan and fanatic is not a good enough reason for me to put people up on a pedestal.

James 2:1 – 4 says: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

It doesn’t have to someone with gold rings and fine clothes…it can be someone in torn jeans and a T-shirt who just happens to have a hit single on the charts, or a preacher with an exceptional ability to interpret God’s Word, or a Voice Actor who has done some “big” gigs. The issue is preferential treatment.

My wife has somehow managed to avoid this trap… to her, people are really all the same. Me… well… I’m still working on it.

Okay, back to the story… and Morgan Freeman’s answer to my question, “Are you THE REAL Morgan Freeman?”

In a nutshell…his response was:

I am not.

Now, while I did appreciate the fact that he didn’t keep stringing me along, I couldn’t help but ask:

Who are you then and why are you pretending to be Morgan Freeman?

His reply:

The reason I tell you and only you, is because I don't want you to be embarrassed. I'm portraying Morgan mostly, because it gives people a chance to actually believe they are meeting someone who is very famous, to give them a sense of importance… all people deserve something in life.

The person went on to say that they were affiliated in some way with Mr. Freeman, which may or may not be true. After I called Penny and apologized for my mistake (she was gracious… as always) I spent a little time thinking about everything that transpired. There was a wide range of emotions I walked through.

Angry…

“Who does this person think they are?! (I mean besides Morgan Freeman) Lying to people in the name of ‘giving them a sense of importance’. Facebook should have one of those “Official” thing-a-ma-bobs like Twitter so you know when you’re dealing with the actual person and not some whack-job! Why-I-oughta!”

Foolish…

“Any idiot can see that this isn’t really him. Why didn’t I take a little more time and look this over before I jumped in?”

Pity… for all of this person’s other friends who still think it’s really Morgan Freeman…and for myself for blindly joining their throngs.

“Poor people…maybe I should post something on this guy’s wall to expose the truth.”

And finally, Resignation…

“No big deal…learn from it…laugh a little. Maybe this person is affiliated with Morgan Freeman and they have his blessing. Who knows?”

I received some really great messages and responses on the last post…I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one…now that you know the truth (and way more about my inner conversations than you ever wanted to know). Do you get star-struck? Has something like this ever happened to you? How would you feel if it happened to you?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. If you enjoy the blog, let me encourage you to subscribe.

God bless you, my friend.

Meeting Morgan Freeman - Part 1

2010-08-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

Over time, I’ve made many friends on Facebook and, as a result of being in the VO industry, the degree of separation between me and people with names that someone like my mother might actually recognize has grown closer. This pattern reached a high point when I recently issued a friend request to none other than Morgan Freeman. He’s not only an exceptional actor, but he’s become quite an icon on the VO industry for his narration work (“March of the Penguins”), commercial voiceovers (Visa), etc. To my great surprise, he not only accepted my request, but he did so rather quickly. Seizing the possibility that he might still be near his computer, I wrote a quick message of appreciation… and even went so far as to ask him if he’d ever consider being a guest speaker at an event for voice actors. Again, to my pleasant surprise, he responded quickly and with interest.

It was at this point that I actually called my friend, Penny Abshire (one of the organizers of the VOICE events) with the potentially good news and she shared my excitement at the possibility.

It was also at this point that I began to look a little closer at Morgan Freeman’s Facebook page… and the doubts began to seep in. For a famous actor, this guy seemed to spend an awful lot of time on Facebook…but hey, if Bill Cosby can be on Twitter, Morgan Freeman can be on Facebook, right? His interactions with people seemed kind, considerate and…well.. I guess how you might expect or hope Morgan Freeman would be. He even seemed patient with people who wrote on his wall with doubts as to whether he was really Morgan Freeman or not. Then I wondered, “Would the real Morgan Freeman spend all this time on Facebook?” Most of his time seemed to be spent trying to convince people that he really was who he said he was.

You know those old cartoons where a character who’s been duped is momentarily replaced by the image of a giant all-day sucker? I was beginning to relate. So I wrote him the following message:

Morgan,

Forgive the question, but would you please spare me some potential embarrassment with the VOICE event organizers? If you are in fact NOT the real Morgan Freeman, that's fine. We can both have a laugh at my gullibility...no harm done.

But please tell me truthfully so that I won't let these friends of mine get excited about the potential of you being a guest for no reason.

Are you THE REAL Morgan Freeman? Can you confirm it? Can you call me if I provide a phone number for you?

And his response…

(to be continued)

A Better Way

2010-08-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

My family and I went to a “National Night Out” event at a local park the other night. We go every year and it’s always fun…big inflatable slides and castles for the kids to bounce around on, games (hard to beat a good ol’ fashioned cake walk), live music, we get to see lots of our friends from around town…and there’s free food!

We were just about to head over to the long line for the hot dogs where my buddy, Dennis, was grillin’ ‘em up to perfection, when Christie (Dennis’ wife) brought something wonderful to our attention. She said, "Be sure and go over to the other side of the gazebo…there’s actually supposed to be 2 lines but no one is going over there." We thanked her profusely and proceeded to walk past all of the people lined up on the right side of the gazebo…they all had that sad “line look” on their face… and we stepped up to the left side where, sure enough, there was absolutely no one waiting in line. We got our hot dogs and started slathering them with condiments. When we were finished and walked back to the play area we made a point of telling some of the “long line” people that there was a faster and easier way. Some were delighted and walked on over… others were skeptical and decided to stay right where they were.

They had all gotten in that line (as we surely would have without Christie’s help) because a few people started off in that line and everyone else assumed that waiting in that line must be the right way…and the only way…to get a hot dog.

In your VO career, maybe there’s an easier way to do things? There are certainly some things that will only come through time and practice… but there may be things that might make the journey a little smoother for you. Are you willing to be humble and ask for help? Or would you rather just “wait in line” because that’s what everyone else is doing?

This is where social networking is going to be a great resource for you. Get on some of the VO forums and groups…you’ll be glad you did…I promise!

Maybe you’ve been doing VO work for a long time and have discovered faster and easier ways to do certain things… like better software, microphone positioning, better ways to cold call, etc. Are you willing to be one who would help others? You don’t have to be a pro coach. Just be willing to offer some friendly advice when you see someone who could use it. (Honestly, it’s not really necessary for me to say that to most Voice Actors. The pros in the VO community are a very helpful and encouraging group of people.)

And as our faith weaves in and through our work, we see that community (the Body of Christ) is a key element of our lives. Just as you can gain insight by pros in the VO industry, you can gain great perspective and encouragement from VO brothers and sisters in the Lord. We can follow the example of Christ in serving one another in love and pouring out our own lives for the benefit of others.

Philippians 2:3,4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

And Proverbs reminds us:

Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 15:22

For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but many advisers make victory sure.
Proverbs 11:14

And in the BIGGEST possible application, beyond advancing our careers or even encouraging one another…we can point people who are on the wide road that the multitudes are on to the narrow road… the Savior, Jesus… and the peace and joy that are found only by following Him.

Renewed Passion and Purpose

2010-08-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have been reading a devotional book together called "The One Year Book of Devotions for Couples" by David and Teresa Ferguson, and we've really been enjoying it. As you can imagine, the thoughts and scriptures that are shared are primarily intended for application within the marriage relationship, but there are certain days where the challenges issued can be all-encompassing. Case in point was an entry titled, Keeping The Main Things The Main Things. In it, David Ferguson wrote that, when it comes to keeping a proper perspective on things, a helpful question for us to ask ourselves is, "How much priority will I give today to eternal things like God, His Word, and the people around me?" Mr. Ferguson went on to say that this question reminds us that God, His Word, and the people we love all have eternal significance. In other words, they are the main things.

When I read that, something clicked in my head. The concept of making God first and foremost in our lives wasn't new to me, but I've got to confess that up until that point, when the topic of "eternal things" came up, my mind always traveled to thoughts about Heaven and future events after I'm dead. I'd forgotten that eternity starts right now and the incredible magnitude of the truth that not only are God and His Word eternal, but so am I...and so is everyone else. The weight and importance of this perspective that God so gently reminded me of through this book has stirred a renewed passion and purpose in me. And as is relates to VO work... or anything for that matter... the relationships make while doing the work can be of far more significance than the work itself.

There's more at play than just getting the gig or going to the conference...much more.

So, it's with this in mind that I've redesigned my blog to serve as a source of eternal perspective and encouragement to my friends in the VO community (and whoever else wants to ride along). I pray that it will not only serve to help you grow in your business as a Voice Actor, but help you grow closer to the Lord and the bigger purposes that He has for you.

I invite you to subscribe to the deVOtion blog using the "subscribe" options up on the right. I also welcome your comments and thoughts.

Overwhelmed By Love

2010-06-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

While flipping through channels last night I came across the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I must confess... I didn't know there was more than 1 Emmy Awards show...nor did I know that this has apparently been the case for almost as long as I've been alive.

Amidst the Soap Stars and Talk Show Hosts, there was a special tribute to Dick Clark which featured performances from bands gone by, video comments from everyone from Simon Cowell to Cher, and some words of genuine thanks from Ryan Seacrest (the heir apparent to New Year's Eve celebrations). Ever the epitome of class, Dick Clark was humorous and deflected the attention to the artists and kids who had appeared on "Amercian Bandstand" over the almost 40 years that it was on the air. He held his composure and gave a salute of thanks... but in the final moments, as the crowd gave him a heartfelt standing ovation and his wife slid in close to him and embraced him... he broke down and wept, head in his hands, overcome by the love and appreciation being poured over him.

It was incredibly moving...and reminded me of some of my favorite moments from films; the end of "It's A Wonderful Life" or the end of "Mr. Holland's Opus", where the main character is overwhelmed and even surprised by the fact that their life has in fact made a difference in the lives of others...that it wasn't the goals that they had set for themselves, it wasn't the fulfillment of all their personal hopes and dreams... it wasn't their professional accomplishments...it was the people they encountered, the relationships they made along the way that really mattered in the end.

I know that voice work can feel a bit isolated at times. For that matter, so can life if we let it. But let's remember what really matters...look beyond the sterile titles of "colleague" or "client", and allow ourselves to experience the joy found in the relationships we make through what we do...the blessing we can be to someone else if we're paying attention...the difference our lives can make for the lives of others as we strive to build them up...and in a far greater sense...the difference we can make in the eternal lives of others as the Lord leads.

The Greatest

2010-06-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat. "I'm the greatest hitter in the world," he announced.
Then, he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed.
"Strike One!" he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!"
He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed. "Strike Two!" he cried.
The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!"
Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. "Strike Three!"
"Wow!" he exclaimed. "I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!"

A cute story...but also a great bit of inspiration. How's your perspective? How's your ability to adapt? Some (like myself) might tend to get frustrated with the fact that they can't do something very well...like hitting the ball in this story. But we'd do well to look at our situation from another angle.

Voice 2010 - The Last Day

2010-06-05T23:27:00.001-07:00

First, allow me to apologize for any typos or grammatical errors in this blog or any of my blog posts from Voice 2010. I have 2 excuses: I've typed these very late after long days...and I'm typing these on my iPhone. Thanks for your understanding. It may be time for my to invest in a laptop, huh? :)

Today was great! Personal highlights for include Beau Weaver's panel which included (among others) Howard Hoffman. I used to love listening to airchecks of Howard back in the day so it was a fun surprise. Beau and his guests really had a lot of very useful information to share.

Another highlight was this evenings banquet and special guests which included the voices behind the character Pinky and The Brain...and amazing 92 year old June Foray... the voice behind Rocky the Squirrel, Natasha (Boris & Natasha), Witch Hazel, Granny ( from Tweety cartoons) and many more. What a sweet lady and so many great memories.

I must congratulate my friend, Diane Havens for the recognition she received for her work on "Hear The Bill", and John Florian on the special recognition he received. And my condolences to my friend, Dan Roberts, who won the (must be present to win) Grand Prize drawing...but wasn't present to win! Auugghh!

All in all I'd say it's been a wonderful few days filled with lots of great info and the opportunity to get reaquainted with old friends as well as meet some new ones. The VO community is a great family. Thanks James and Penny (and the countless others) who put this event together this year! It was a truly valuable and enjoyable experience.

Voice 2010 - Day 3

2010-06-05T01:10:00.000-07:00

This morning began with a very entertaining and informative presentation about social networking from Courvo and Terry Daniels...I think that the most notes I've taken for the whole conference...good stuff. Also gleaned some valuable info from Robert (the Voiceover Lawyer) who's last name I vow to someday be able to both spell and pronounce. I also enjoyed this evenings panel discussion...which featured a fun blast from my wasted past sitting in front of the TV...Robbie Rist. He played Cousin Oliver on The Brady Bunch! Got a chance to chat with him a bit...he produces demos for people (as I do) in addition to doing VO work.

Personally, I think the highlight of my day (in addition to meeting many wonderful new people) was the small gathering of Christians that got together for a a few hours tonight. We prayed together, shared our stories and struggles, laughed, read Scriptures, sang praises to the Lord...and just had a wonderful time of fellowship. It was really nice to be able to just catch our breathe and not have to be "on". We didn't have to schmooze or be experts or presenters...just brothers and sisters in Christ with a common bond and understanding. Loved it! It was really a great encouragement to me!

Looking forward to tomorrow and the banquet in the evening.

Voice 2010 - Day 2

2010-06-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

The morning began with Pat Fraley and a special surprise guest: Brad Garrett (Robert, the BIG brother on "Everybody Loves Raymond"). Yeah...I'll confess I was geeking out about it a but, I'm a big fan of his work, including his great voice work in animated features. It was really fun to watch Pat and Brad interact with the Voice Actors as well as each other.

After that....too many choices! There were a lot of great sessions and several of them running at the same time! So I found myself travelling from one to another gleaning great tech insight, coaching, and networking/business ideas. Every presenter did an excellent job!

Lots of interesting booths in the exhibit hall with some really great tools for growing a VO career. I promised my wife I wouldn't buy anything... but I may need to appeal. :)

A couple of great panel sessions today...the final one being one about VO Diversity with some of the top African American and Latino VO talents in the country. Very insightful!

Then I had a great time just chatting with a wonderful group of fellow Christian talent. We hadn't planned a get together...I just sort of happened. I really enjoyed the fellowship.

All in all, a wonderful day. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Voice 2010 - Day 1

2010-06-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

My body is still getting used to the ever so slight hike in the temperature (in comparison with the clouds and rain I left behind this morning in Oregon). Despite flight cancellations and delays, I managed to find myself in Los Angeles this afternoon with enough time to get "freshened up" and ready for the Red Carpet Event. While there was no actual red carpet that I noticed, there was a room full of incredibly talented Voice Actors from around the world. Some were people I've had the pleasure of meeting once or twice before in person...others were familiar faces, names and voices that I've "met" on Facebook or the VO forums, but had never been face to face until this evening. The evening concluded with a group of us going to a Mexican restaurant nearby for a late dinner. I tried not to take any of the yawning personally as many of these fine folks are still on east coast time and it's past their bedtime. So, with my roomie, Bob Souer, busily working away on some last minute vo work for the day over in the corner, and with me being unable to upload pics to the blog via iPhone...I'll encourage you to check out my Facebook page fir pictures and bid you a good evening from Voice 2010.

BTW...bonus highlight from today...getting a picture emailed to me of my son who just lost one of his front teeth. :)

'Twas The Night Before Voice 2010

2010-06-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

I'm really looking forward to Voice 2010 in LA...which starts tomorrow night. I'll do my best to update you on events throughout the big conference..including some pics. :) However...right now I need to pack!

My Talented Talia

2010-05-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd take a moment to brag about my daughter, Talia, and tell you about her new book. While she has many areas of interest and many talents, she really comes alive when writing...and she's been working very hard for months and months on a unique devotional geared toward girls aged 8-12. Well..it's now available and I'm incredibly proud of her!

It's called "Girlz of God".

You can purchase it in book form or download. I've got a preview and link to lulu for you to check it out below. :)

"I'm Perfect For This!"

2010-04-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought that you'd be perfect for a job but didn't end up getting the gig? Or, have you ever been offered a job and for one reason or another declined...but now you wish you hadn't?

Well, you're in good company:

Molly Ringwald turned down the Julia Roberts role in the movie “Pretty Woman”

While we’re talking about Julia Roberts movies, Sandra Bullock lost out to Julia Roberts for "Runaway Bride."

We know the new version of Willy Wonka played by Johnny Depp – but Robert DeNiro was being considered for the role, as was Jim Carey and John Cleese.

Meanwhile, Johnny Depp lost the role of Johnny Blaze in "Ghost Rider" to Nicolas Cage, the role of “Mr. Smith” to Brad Pitt, and the role of Jack in "Titanic."

Along with auditioning for Willy Wonka, Robert DeNiro was also considered for the role of Sal in "Do the Right Thing," and the role of Hannibal Lechter in "Silence of the Lambs."

Jim Carey didn’t get the part of Willy Wonka, nor did he get the part of Howard Hughes in "The Aviator" – which went to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Another Willy Wonka wannabee? Brad Pitt. And though the part of Jason Bourne went to Matt Damon for "The Bourne Identity" it was actually written with Brad Pitt in mind.

Jessica Alba auditioned for the part of Elektra in "Dare Devil, a role which ended up going to Jennifer Garner.

Alec Baldwin turned down several roles including Batman in two of the Batman movies (which went to Michael Keaton) and Sam in "Ghost.”

Harrison Ford was also considered for the role of Sam in "Ghost."

This would’ve been interesting... Ashton Kutcher turned down for the role of Batman in "Batman Begins," and the role of Superman in "Superman Returns."

While we’re talking super heroes, Paul Newman tested for the role of Superman (which of course went to Christopher Reeve). He was also, considered for the role of James Bond in "Live and Let Die," and lost the role of "Dirty" Harry Callahan to Clint Eastwood. .

Clint Eastwood was considered to play the part of Rambo in "First Blood."

Keanu Reeves as Wolverine? Almost – but he was turned down. He was also turned down for the role of Charlie Babbit in "Rain Man," and Aragorn in "Lord of the Rings."
Nicolas Cage turned down for the role of John Bender (the tough guy Judd Nelson part) in "The Breakfast Club"

Courtney Cox auditioned for the role of Princess Buttercup in "The Princess Bride".

Mel Gibson auditioned to play Mozart in "Amadeus" and lost the part to Tom Hulce. He also lost out to Robin Williams in "The Dead Poet's Society".

Hugh Jackman lost the role of Robert Langdon in "The DaVinci Code" to Tom Hanks.

Courtney Love didn't get the parts of Dorothy in "Jerry Maguire" or the lead role in "Moulin Rouge."

Jack Nicholson lost the role of Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate" to Dustin Hoffman.

Gwyneth Paltrow - One of the contenders for Samantha in "Bewitched" and lost the role of Roxie in "Chicago."

Meryl Streep lost the part of Evita to Madonna. (What?!??! How do you give a role to Madonna rather than Meryl Streep?!??!)

John Travolta was turned down for a part in "Apollo 13."

Mark Wahlberg - Considered for the lead in "Cinderella Man."

Ally Sheedy was turned down for a lead in "A League of their Own" and "Sixteen Candles.”

It's No Piece of Cake

2010-04-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

The new Axe Cop animated features were released today...along with a little bonus. These are questions 1, 2 and 3 from the "Ask Axe Cop" section of the Axe Cop site. Kudos to the crew who put all the visuals together. It's no quick or easy process.

Bob Souer and Aaron Thomas (some very talented VO friends of mine) made vocal contributions to this effort. I, once again, had the pleasure of being the voice of Axe Cop.

Voicing this was not without it's challenges; namely, trying not to laugh because some parts struck me as hilarious! Particularly the line about "eating only cake". Take a listen to my outtakes.

I'm looking forward to the next round...but it's getting late and I need to put on my cat suit and go take care of some bad guys!

Hey...I'm a method voice actor. ;)

New Podcast

2010-04-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

I'm very proud to share some ideas on the new episode of Voiceover Experts:

Products, Packaging and Promotion!

Attention to Detail

2010-03-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since the last blog post. I must confess that the task seems a bit more daunting now that I'm used to keeping my comments to 140 letters or less on some of the Social Networking Sites. But I do have another excuse...we took a family trip to Disneyland! 6 day hopper pass for Disneyland and California Adventure and while it was a blast...I've come to the conclusion that 4 Disney days is plenty. :)

One of the things that I'm always reminded of when I go to Disneyland is their attention to detail...the way that everything in each land and/or ride follows along with the theme to make the most of the experience for their clients. The pathways...the scenery in the lines on the way to the ride...even the fences, garbage cans and bathrooms. Case in point, the bathroom in Bug's Land looks as if bugs made it...it's a giant upside down Kleenex box....love it!

Attention to detail really can make all the difference, can't it? Think about one of your favorite restaurants. Yes, the food being good is key, but atmosphere plays a big part, right? Music, paintings, decorations, lighting... it all works together to make it more than just a meal...it's an experience. Kristen and I have a favorite restaurant here in town, and it's their attention to detail that really makes it special...and worth the price.

Well, I say all that to say this: Let's pay attention to detail. Let's acknowledge when other take the time to make something extra special...your spouse, your parents, places of business, etc. And let's put in the extra effort ourselves with our family, our friends and clients to make each interaction a positive and memorable experience for them.

And A Child Shall Lead Them

2010-02-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Bible reference, "And A Child Shall Lead Them, is Isaiah 11:6...

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.

...that's not what I'm talking about here.

The child in question here is Malachi Nicolle, the 5 year brainchild behind the online comic, AxeCop. He's the little brother of Ethan, the incredibly talented artist who not only illustrates the AxeCop comic...he's a friend and the guy who drew my caricature.

You can see how they work together here:

The combination of Malachi's imagination and Ethan's artistry have proven to be very successful as of late as the AxeCop phenomenon has really taken off.

I'm happy to be a part of it as the voice of AxeCop for the series of viral videos based on the comics that are coming out soon. Here's a sneak peek:

Additional voice credit goes to my friends, Bob Souer (The Narrator) and Lee Gordon (Flute Cop).

Stay tune for details...or I'll chop your head off!

A Long Awaited Promise Fulfilled

2010-01-28T18:03:00.001-08:00

It was March 25, 2009, when I received the email from Stephanie Ciccarelli...

Dear Dave,

Congratulations! I am pleased to share that you are the winner of the Best Male Voice award as selected by Randy Thomas for the 3rd Annual Voicey Awards!

My reaction... shock and awe. How humbling and exciting that others would think enough of my work to recognize it in this way! And I was promised that the award was being prepared.

Since that day, I have worked in the reality of that. "2009 Voicey Award Winner For Best Male Voice" is (in some form) on my website, email signature, business cards...everything. And I've done this with no real tangible "award" to speak of... nothing I could physically see or touch... until today.

I came home today to a package containing the beautiful optical crystal fulfillment of that promise...my actual, physical Voicey Award!

While it is wonderful to finally have it...it served as a reminder to me of another far greater promise and soon coming fulfillment.

The promise:

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3)

My reaction... shock and awe. How humbling and exciting that the True and Living God would lavish such love on me and want to be with me for eternity! He's preparing a place for me!

Since the day I heard this and put my faith and trust in Jesus, I've been living and walking in the promise of His love. It is etched on my heart and mind.

And what incredible, overwhelming, unspeakable joy will fill my being on that day when I finally cross over and see the fulfillment of that promise...when I am finally able to be with Him....when my faith becomes sight.

From Haiti

2010-01-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

Please take a few moments to read this blog from my friend in Haiti regarding the quake and relief efforts. Thank you.

http://apparentproject.blogspot.com/

Memories from 2009

2009-12-31T19:30:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve...thought I'd take a few moments to reflect on the year. It's been quite a roller coaster ride!

Travels took me to some incredible places:

Ethiopia in May to pick up our newly adopted daughter, Fasika...biggest highlight of the year! What a joy it was to spend some time in the country and with the wonderful people from Holt International. See our adoption story at DeAndrea Adoption.

Along the way my wife and I had the blessing of being able to spend a few days in Venice, Italy...the Motherland. :) From the frustration of dragging our 4 huge suitcases (50 lbs each) through the streets and over many bridges trying to find our hotel to the food, the gondola ride and fun, what a great adventure!

Voice Overs took me to Portland in August for a great weekend workshop with Bob Bergen and to New York in December to finally meet so many of the talented VO people I've chatted with over the phone or the forums the past few years...and make some new friends as well. Looking forward to seeing everyone again at Voice 2010 in L.A.

On the topic of VO, I've had a wild ride this year with a variety of voice work...from video games to imaging, commercials to presentations, on-hold to iPhone apps. Variety is one of the things I love most about this job. :) I also took a major step towards helping others in their VO careers with the launch of KILLERVOICEDEMOS.COM. I love working with other talents and helping them find and showcase their strengths.

A couple of funny VO moments:

There was a gig posted on Voice123 where they specifically said, "We're looking for a Dave DeAndrea sound". I auditioned...didn't get the gig. :)

And (please excuse the moment of astonished pride) there was the one gig that I landed where they were looking for a "movie trailer" voice. I don't land too many of those. In an unusual move...the client actually sent out a list of those talents who auditioned for the job, thinking we might all be interested. I didn't recognize most of the names...but one sure jumped out...DON MORROW! Are you kidding me?! Mr. Movie Trailer Guy! How did I beat him?! (He must have wanted more money..and he probably didn't beg the way I did). Listen to the guy!

Life at Lighthouse Radio Group has been great this year although Rick and his wife suffered some unexpected health issues along the way.

Speaking of health issues, family health issues kept screaming their way into 2009. My father suffered a stroke and heart attack in May while Kristen and I were on the other side of the world in Ethiopia. He's had several other issues that have had him in and out of the hospital. This resulted in eventually moving my folks into an Assisted Living facility...a big life change for both of them, but they seem to be doing well. And as I mentioned in a previous post, my wife's Grandpa Don just passed away this morning.

But overall, and even in the difficult times, God has been tremendously good to us in '09...as He always is.

Big thanks to everyone who has been interwoven in my life's fabric this year. May God bless you richly in 2010!

On A Personal Note...

2009-12-31T18:33:00.000-08:00

As our family says goodbye to 2009, we also say goodbye to the last Grandparent for my wife or I. My wife's Grandpa Don passed away this morning at the age of 82. In loving memory...

This Is My Dad's!

2009-12-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were taking a brisk walk this morning around the neighborhood when we encountered a boy who was about 8. He was out in his front yard playing with a rather large remote control tank. As we walked by, his first proud words were. "This is my dad's". Not, "Hello" or "Good Morning"...he seemed so happy that his dad had let him play with this toy that it consumed his thoughts and his interactions with others.

I asked if his dad got it for Christmas and he told us that his father has had it for a long time...and as we kept walking by and beyond him, he kept telling us about the toy.

"It's a tank!"

"It even has tools inside!"

And when we were about a half a block away we heard a final, faint, "Merry Christmas!"

I was so struck by this kid's charming attitude...and reminded that I should possess that same mind and heart when I think about all that my Heavenly Father has allowed me to share in...because, after all...it's all His, right? It's all "my Dad's".

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

I should be giddy about what the Lord has let me play with....not just the "toys" and material things, but the lives I've had the blessing of being a part of.

"Hey, look at these kids the Lord has blessed me with! I get to look over them while they're here on earth! And they even have tools in them...unique to them! The ability to sing and write and dance...they fill me with joy!"

"Look at this wonderful wife God has blessed me with and all the tools he has put inside of her! She's caring and wonderfully organized...a great mother and friend...and she's smokin' hot!"

"Hey, look at these incredibly talented Voice people I get to work with and share experiences with! Each one with their own unique, God-given tools inside!"

Thanks, Dad!

The Lyon, The Game Show VO and The Oregonian

2009-12-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to meet up with an old friend, Kevin Curry, at my High School Reunion a couple summers ago. We were actually in a school play together in Jr. High; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. He was Peter...I was Fenris Ulf. Big fight scene where he killed me. Well, it turns out he's with Lyon Films in Portland now. They do great work. It was great to re-connect with him...and to work with him recently on this series of tv spots for The Oregonian Newspaper.

NYC Mixer 2009... The Home Game!

2009-12-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

"You don't look like you sound." It's a phrase most radio or Voice Over talents hear at least once in their lives. This can mean that "you sound great and look terrible", "sound terrible and look great"...or in most cases, "the way you look isn't how I imagined you would look based on the way you sound". Given those choices, I guess I'd prefer to hear option "C". :)

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet some other Voice Actors this weekend at the 2nd Annual NYC Mixer. It was nice to finally meet some of the people that I've become friends with over the past few years...and meet some folks for the first time.

Let's play a little game. I'll post a few pics and links to audio samples...see if you can figure out which voice goes with which face. Ready?

Here's the first one. Now...the guy will be easy since there's only one in the picture...but what about the ladies?

Here's are the links:

Erik Sheppard
LindZ Reiss
Diane Havens
Linda Ristig

Here's #2..who's the guy that I'm with?

Your choices are:

Bob Souer
Lee Gordon
Peter K. O'Connell

Having fun? Which lady goes with which voice?

Here are the links:

Mandy Nelson
September Day Leach

And finally...the bonus question! Out of all the women already pictured above, which one was given this engagement ring that night?

Scroll down for the answers while you also enjoy some of these other pics from the evening:

ANSWERS

1. From left to right: Erik Sheppard, Diane Havens, Linda Ristig, LindZ Reiss

2. Bob Souer

3. From left to right: September Day Leach, Mandy Nelson

BONUS: LindZ Reiss received the ring from Erik Sheppard.

"We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat!"

2009-11-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

A few years ago when I was focusing on expanding my own VO career, a new Voice Actor friend of mine (Jodi Krangle) asked me if I'd be interested in producing a demo for her. She recognized that I had been a producer for years and was not only a Voice Talent...I was also a Voice Seeker who regularly looked for new talent for commercials, imaging, characters, etc. I was used to producing my own demos, and I was used to making other talent sound great in commercials and other projects, but this was a first. I agreed to try it out and she agreed to be my guinea pig.

It was a great experience (it helps when you have a great talent like Jodi to work with)and I really found a lot of joy in highlighting the best in someone else. I love it!

Since then, I've had the pleasure of working with many other incredible talents doing a variety of different demos... and I enjoy it so much, it's become another extension of what I do in the Voice Biz. In fact...so much so that I realized I needed "a bigger boat" to quote JAWS. Hence, the launch of KILLER VOICE DEMOS; a business that offers professional demos for Voice Actors at an affordable price. It's full service with scripts, coaching, technical advice and full production.

So, when you're ready to have your demo made, check out the site, get a hold of me and we can attack it together!

The Importance of Support

2009-10-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

My brother, Mark, returned home from in July after serving a year in Iraq. That's just one of the MANY reasons that I'm very proud to be a part of this new public service announcement for November. It's about families standing behind their loved ones in the armed forces.

Voice Over Experts

2009-10-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be the featured Voice Actor on Voice Over Experts this week! Take a listen at this link!

VOICE OVER EXPERTS

Spread The Wealth

2009-10-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

The term "Spread The Wealth" has picked up some negative connotations in recent political history, but I'm using it in reflection of some recent opportunities I've had to offer leads and work to other Voice Actors.

I really like how my friend and fellow VO guy, David Washington, tags all his stuff..."there is enough for everyone". The Voice biz (like any business) can be cut throat and dog-eat-dog at times...but I really believe that there's a lot of work out there and I'm glad when others succeed..and only occasionally jealous...if I'm being honest. :) And I especially love being able to direct work to my friends.

I have a great repeat client who was putting together a presentation recently and needed a few extra voices for it. I've built up a relationship with the client over the years and it was nice that they valued my opinion and trusted me to find what they needed. End result, I was able to have a handful of folks audition for it and a couple of them land the jobs.

I've been on the receiving end of that kind of blessing before. It's one of the many reasons I think that social networking sites are worth the time investment. I've met so many great actors through the forums.

In fact, I've written an article on the necessity of social networking that is scheduled to appear in Vox Daily next week.. and the audio version of it will be featured next week on Voiceover experts. Looking forward to your feedback!

Extreme Makeover - Demo Edition

2009-09-16T17:24:00.001-07:00

Blogger, forgive me for I have sinned... it's been too long since my last post! But I've been crazy busy! In additon to the regualr gigs (like doing a children's audio book iPhone app with the fam, imaging, presentations, commercials, etc.) I've been doing a major overhaul of my existing demos and creating some new ones as well. It's all part of the growing and learning process. And I also had my incredible web guy, Justin Macduff of macduffdesign.com, update my website. He just wrapped up today.. and it looks great! Check it out, as well as the new demos, at davedeandrea.com. And by the way... there's a small sneak preview of things to come and a NEW service for Voice Actors on the site too! Scroll down and look on the bottom right.

In addition to my own site, it's been an exciting week of growth and web presence in other places! VoiceTalentProductions launched their new site and I'm really humbled to be among such great talent represented there. Shout out to Erik Sheppard and LindZ!

And just today I've signed with 2 new agents, including a rep in New York...finally! :)

I'll be shipped to thousands of radio stations across the country on Voice Hunter's next Radio Imaging collection in the days to come.

Sorry... I didn't intend to turn into a "ME-MONSTER" on this post... just a lot going on... God is so good and gracious. (Of course, that would still be true even if things were going lousy) How about if I turn the attention to some other amazing Voice Actors? I finally got around to uploading some videos from the recent Bob Bergen weekend workshop in Portland...so allow me to introduce you to some new friends:

Gollum Goes To Hell

2009-08-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to hear this news and see the video promo, I wanted to share it with you!

Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, which received a Peabody Award and multiple Audie awards for excellence in broadcasting and production, was granted the rights to dramatize "The Screwtape Letters" (by C.S. Lewis) as a feature length audio drama. Production began in 2008 and a fall 2009 release has been announced. Andy Serkis, known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, will be the voice of Screwtape. It's amazing to watch him voice this role.

Check out the video clip on this link: http://www.tyndale.com/authors/videoclips.asp?id=412&vid=105

Custom Jingle

2009-08-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

I had a FANTASTIC time at Bob Bergen's workshop this past weekend and met many other fantastic Voice Actors from here in the Northwest. It was A LOT of great info.. like drinking from a fire hose. If you're a Voice Actor and want to take in a great and challenging workshop (especially in the area of animation, catch one of Bob's!

I hope to be able to post some video and pics soon. In the meantime, this is the video set to a custom jingle I composed and performed for cheaphotels.com.au. Enjoy!

Going To See A Man About A Pig

2009-08-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited to have the opportunity to take in one of Bob Bergen's workshop's this weekend in Portland! I hope to have pics and videos to share afterwards... but in the meantime, enjoy this interview I did with Bob on the anniversary of Mel Blanc's death.

Alignment

2009-08-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

We recently took the van into Les Schwab to have the tires and alignment checked... both were in need of service and/or replacement. We probably could have put it off for a while but with a big road trip coming up this month, it was best to have it taken care of.

How long had the alignment been off? Who knows? But it was causing the tires to wear in an irregular way... hence the need to replace the tires. Was a pending blowout in our future? Maybe. But I bet those tires would have lasted a little longer if we had had the alignment checked earlier. There's wisdom in checking our own alignment regularly... in every area. In business, in goals, in personal relationships... with the Lord. It's too easy just to plug along and not realize that you're a little bit off track... until you get WAY off track and need to do some major work. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way.

So.. how are you doing? In your work are you in alignment with the goals you've set? Are you on track? How about your marriage? This is not one you can self check...ask your spouse. I periodically ask Kristen, "On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best), where would you like our relationship to be?" Then I follow up with, "Where is it now?" And then, "What can we/I do to get it up to where we'd both like it?" It's simple.. nothing to base a book on.. but it gets the conversation going and we check our alignment and straighten things out.

How about you and the Lord? Personally... if I'm out of alignment with Him... everything else is out of alignment too. Sarah Groves has a great song called "How Is It Between Us?" (I tried to find it on Youtube.. no luck) The lyrics go:

Woke up on the wrong side of the bed,
the wrong side of the room,
the wrong side of the world.
Can't put my finger on the mood.
It's not melancholy, anger or the blues.
I love my husband, my house, my job.
Couldn't be any better,
and really what else is there?
Then I realize I'm forgetting God,
and that's the root of all my misery.
Lord, first of all, how is it between you and me?
. Chorus: How is it between us?
How is it between us?
When did I talk to you last,
and what has happened since?
How is it between us? How is it between us?
When did I talk to you last, and what has happened?
. When I wake up I am on my way,
reinventing the wheel and saving the day.
I have learned this lesson a thousand times,
I am the branch, and you are the vine.
Apart from you we are mice and men,
with our fancy dreams of grandeur and no way to get there.
Oh I can think about you now and then,
or I can make a mark on eternity.
Lord first of all, how is it, between you and me?
. Chorus .
So let the wicked prosper, let the oceans roar,
let the mountains crumble, and fall into the sea.
There's something more important weighing on my mind.
Lord first of all, how is it between you and me?
. Chorus.

Love that!

So.. if nothing else... let me encourage you to check your alignment today. Save yourself some frustration in the future.

Processing

2009-06-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

When I’m recording/editing/producing… processing speed is important. I’ll confess that I don’t know much about computers, but I do know that I like it when my computer does what it’s supposed to do… and even more when it does it FAST. That’s the point.. isn’t it? That’s why they keep making all these upgrades that make your computer obsolete the moment you take it out of the box… so that we can do things better and faster. Good for Voice work. But is processing things quickly good for the human soul?

In the flurry of recent celebrity deaths (Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Billy Mays, etc) I’ve taken notice of something on Facebook and other places. We, for the most part, don’t want to take the time to allow things to process in our hearts and minds.

I was a little late to find out about Michael Jackson’s death… just happened to be checking Facebook and saw some posts. Within an hour of the surprising announcement, people were posting messages like, “I’m already sick of hearing about this.. can we get back to talking about sports?” Some people had already had t-shirts made to capitalize on the event.

Granted, a celebrity death is going to have varying degrees of interest and emotion for each person. It’s not like (or even to be compared to ) 911, which gripped every heart. But being a teenager in the 80’s, MJ’s music was a big influence.. and even though he went on to lead a troubling, strange, controversial life… I was bit saddened when I heard the news. There were some fun memories of moonwalking and red jackets with zippers and the Thriller video that he brought to my life… I was okay with reflecting on that for a little longer than an hour.

This is not meant to be a criticism of anyone. It’s simply caused me to look inside… and… I guess I just don’t want to place the same expectations that I’ve put on my computer on my heart and mind. I don’t want to force myself to race through the process of contemplating our mortality or the impact a person’s death might have on those who are truly close to them (not to mention all the fans that feel close to them). I think that there are times when we need to travel slowly through a circumstance.

How Hard Could It Be?

2009-05-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at how some people respond when I tell them I do voicework. Apparently, it's the type of work that folks assume must be easy and that anyone could just jump right into a full time career doing it. Does this happen with other professions? Do people tell doctors, "Oh yeah... I was thinking about getting into that. Where can I get one o' them stethoscopes?"

While VO is by no means rocket science, making a real go of it is a bit more complex than just buying a microphone at Radio Shack and talking. Very few trained monkeys earn enough to support their entire family. :)

The truth is, it's just like any other job... to succeed, you have to love it and work at it. Granted, that's simplifying things a bit... but I really feel that those elements are at the root of it. Can anyone do it? Given those 2 components (love and effort).. and some time... yeah, I think most could. But it's not just something one can jump into on a whim and expect to succeed. You have to know how to use your voice as an actor... to own your voice... and to market your voice. I truly believe that there's no such thing as a bad voice.... but you have to know how to use it.

And of course there's one thing that overrules all these other factors... God's hand of providence. Is it something that God wants you to do or does he have something else in mind for you? The most satisfaction in work is found when you're doing what you were made to do.

Surprising Greatness

2009-04-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

By now we've all seen the video of Susan Boyle's inspiring and surprising performance on Britain's Got Talent. It's the most watched video in YouTube history. It's stirs our emotions... fills us with joy... makes us think about the way we judge others too quickly.

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
by dwarthy

As a Voice Actor, it's caused me to strive to have the same impact in my work, whether it's an audition or a gig, being on the air or encouraging a fellow voicer... to surprise people with greatness. Professionalism... effort... integrity... greatness.

Balance... how do ya know?

2009-03-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite pictures. It makes me laugh and it also serves as a strange reminder to me about the importance of being balanced.

Kara Edwards, a fellow voice actor/blogger and friend of mine, recently blogged about the balance of life's ups and downs as it relates to the world of voice work.... and life in general.

I'd like to use that as a springboard for this post as the recent weeks have certainly had their share of ups and down... at times, almost simultaneously. Although, it's not always so easy to determine if a "bad" thing is really bad or if a "good" thing is really good.

I received an email recently saying that I was selected as the image voice for a TV station in Florida. The audition asked that the talent include some key point and comment on a few pictures that they had. So, I called they guy and we began to discuss the details when he told me that he had just left a meeting with the big wigs at the station and they not only liked my voice but thought my comments were great... and then he mentioned one of the comments... and it wasn't one of the comments that I had said in my audition. I had to stop him and say, "I may be talking myself out of a job here, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't say that comment... you may have contacted the wrong guy by mistake." He quickly reviewed his info and apologized profusely when he said that I was right and he had made a mistake... "but we'll keep your stuff on file." Yeah.. I was bummed. It wouldn't have been so bad were it not for the fact that I thought I had it... then had it ripped out from under me. But I really felt like being up front and honest at the onset was going to save him (and me) alot of trouble in the future.

Good or bad? Seems bad.. but how do ya know? They may have wanted me to promote shows that I would be uncomfortable promoting... so maybe it's good! Maybe the guy who they had actually selected REALLY needed that gig... so it's good, right?!

I love having a Jeep... always wanted one. I also love having a radio/CD player in my vehicle. This combination doesn't always work well together and the Jeep is far from waterproof and I live on the often rainy southern Oregon coast. So, the CD player I purchased not all that long ago (but long enough for it to no longer be covered by the warranty) died due to water damage. Bummer. But good or bad? How do ya know?

On Wednesday I was incredibly humbled and blessed to receive an email from Stephanie Ciccarelli with the subject line: Dave, you won a Voicey Award! I won in the Best Male Voice category... unbelievable! My family and friends were very excited for me... one couple even brought me an ice cream cake with "Congratulations Mr. Big Voice" written on the top... to my work! I actually turned red.

So I was feeling pretty good as I was leaving work and heading to my Jeep... only to discover that things inside my Jeep were askew... someone had broken in and rummaged around to see if there was something worth stealing. The frame on the CD player was ripped off as if they tried to pull the whole deck out and failed. Other compartments were opened and things tossed about. Since it's a soft top Jeep, I usually don't keep anything of value inside because it's so easily accessible... and by the hand of providence, because my CD player stopped working a couple of weeks ago because of water damage (as I mentioned), I had already taken out any Cd's I like. (So, the fact that CD player broke down was good after all, right?!) Had the criminal been able to pull the deck out, they would have discovered an audio Bible stuck inside... and maybe that would have been a good thing. :)

Anyway, it didn't appear that anything had been stolen.. until I got home and couldn't open my garage. They had taken my garage door opener! (Note to self and other Jeep owners: Don't leave your garage door clicker in your Jeep) So this suddenly went from an annoyance to a potentially bigger threat within a few seconds... because I also had info in my Jeep that contained my address (Addition to previous note to self: Don't keep personal info in your Jeep)

Today, the downside would be that I'm coming down with something.. a cold/flu type thing. But on the upside, I was able to voice something for Randy Thomas, to whom is due much admiration in the VO world. But the most amazing high today is that we (my family and I) were finally assigned a court date for our adoption of our baby from Ethiopia... which trumps all other good news by a long shot!

The point of the post? Only that I continue to strive to praise and glorify God in the good and the bad...and to be patient and ride it out...because after all, how do ya know?

The Finals!

2009-03-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was incredibly surprised to discover that I am one of 5 finalists in the "Best Male Voice" category of this years Voicey Awards! How crazy is that?! It's very humbling to even be considered.

Here's a link with more info:

Voicey Awards

Inspiration

2009-03-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Okay... this doesn't have anything to do with VO work, but I was encouraged by it. We (my family and I) are fans of Mandisa. I guess that would make us Fandisas?

Anyway, I had a chance to meet her awhile back when she came through for a concert... we share a love for the Lord, a love of Randy Alcorn novels... and a love for food. But she's been on a journey recently to be free from her food addiction. I was encouraged by it and I thought that you (or anyone who struggles in this area) might be as well.

Check out her video:

iPhone Application

2009-03-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

Wow! Two within just a few days!

Another project that the family and I worked on together awhile ago was an iPhone application created by Autofuss. It's called ABC Oddity and it just came out. Looks pretty cool... makes me wish I had an iPhone. :) Check it out:

Counting Coins

2009-02-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

We were so excited to finally get the DVD from Kid2020 that we had all voiced parts of... what a blast! It's designed for younger children to learn about counting coins and my 5 year old, Elias, loves it.. so... mission accomplished. Of course it probably helps that his voice is in it. :)

If you've got little ones in your house, check out the website at http://kid2020.com/

Lessons from "Lost"

2009-02-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make... I enjoy watching the television show, "Lost". This is not an endorsement... just a confession.

I'll take it a step further and say that I kind of geek out trying to figure out what's going on and I have come to learn at least one thing...

Everything matters.

Every little thing in the conversations, in the background, in the actions, in the interactions... what's spoken and what isn't spoken. You have to pay attention and you can't ever think things like, "maybe that water bottle is just a water bottle"... you'll miss something! Every episode reveals how each of the lives are interwoven (whether the characters like it or not) for a reason yet to be revealed.

I really enjoy what I do and I'm thankful. I'm thankful for getting signed with an agency in Texas this month as well as another company here in Oregon that specializes in on-hold messages... for the repeat clients who have me doing everything from webinars to alien voices... for the other Voice Actors who, for some reason, think enough of me to have me put their demos together... for the work I do at Lighthouse Radio Group...and for the friendships I've made along the way.

As great as all that is... there's a bigger picture yet to be revealed. There's a reason for the interactions that is bigger than just a 30 second spot and a paycheck or adding someone as a friend on Facebook. If we look for them I believe we'll see God's fingerprints on the timing of it all... gigs gotten and opportunities lost.... everything. The experiences are a blessing in and of themselves... but there's more to the story.

I'm looking forward to the final season and final episodes of "Lost" when all these story lines will make sense (hopefully) and everything will come together... but I'm infinitely more eager to see how my life and the lives of those I know have been laid out with a purpose. I know it is all for God's glory and pleasure... I'm looking forward to the details.

It's a shame the the phrase "the devil is in the details" has overshadowed the original proverb attributed to Gustave Flaubert (1821-80) which says, "God is in the details" - Whatever one does should be done thoroughly; details are important.

Shoulder Dystocia, 25 Bulb Horns and Adoption

2009-01-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty fun week with a wide variety of work. That's one of the things I love about the VO work I do... it never gets boring because there are so many different types of jobs.

There was some repeat business... including the return of my role as Dr. DePalma in another very helpful presentation about shoulder dystocia and ways to manage the problem for a successful delivery of the child... very interesting.

In the character/animation department I'm about to begin a video game project where I am the voice of a teenage alien (no this one is not Vasudan... it speaks English). I'm really looking forward to starting that. By the way, that job was the result of a reference by another Voice Actor... networking is good thing. Thanks to Nikkita Bradette (an amazing talent in her own right)!

I was able to help some VO friends (Erik Sheppard and September Day Leach) out by doing some imaging bits for their new podcast due out soon. I'm really looking forward to hearing the first one... Joan Baker is their guest!

I even had the opportunity to throw on my best "movie trailer" voice for an intro for Dave the Horn Guy. "One man... one orange suit... one freshly shaved head... combined with 25 bulb horns." You may have seen him on TV... America's Got Talent, etc.

He's a great guy and a fellow Christian and former Worship Leader, so we enjoyed a good time of fellowship as well. In fact, we talked about something else we share in common... adopted children. 2 of his 4 kids are adopted and my wife and I are in the process of adopting a beautiful little girl from Ethiopia. We have 3 kids already and this is our first adoption. We just received our referral for her this past Wednesday and a picture of her. Up until then we didn't know if we were getting a girl or a boy. We had been waiting and waiting for "the call" from the adoption agency... and it was such a HUGE blessing to finally get it! The BEST news I received all week!

You can follow our adoption journey at: http://www.deandreaadoption.blogspot.com/

2008-12-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

It's been a while.. okay, QUITE a while since my last post. The combination of the holidays and work has kept things pretty busy. I'm looking forward to coasting on into 2009 at this point.

I just completed a few upgrades to the studio with a few more on the near horizon in the ongoing effort to be bionic... better, stronger, faster. It was time for some updates as you can see from this "before" picture of my studio... (that's my IT guy on the left)...

As the end of '08 approaches and I reflect back... it's really been a great year... I've been able to work with some great clients doing some fun jobs and I've made a few friends along the way in the world of VO. What a rich blessing it is to be able to do this and get paid for it!

I'm looking forward to what 2009 has in store as I take the things I've learned and build on them while continually offering it up to the Lord to do with as he sees fit. As He spoke to Moses in Exodus 4:11 - "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Thanks for stopping by and wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Meet The Family

2008-11-06T13:26:00.001-08:00

Ethan Nicolle, the very talented artist who did my drawings, just finished doing drawings of my family. He did a fantastic job (as was expected). Here's my lovely wife, Kristen...

My oldest daughter, Haley... the songbird...Talia, my younger daughter...And my son, Elias...

Will Voice 4 Legos

2008-10-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's been nice to have things slow down to a more manageable pace after a few BIG projects recently. I wrapped up work on the Kids DVD project and we're all really looking forward to seeing the finished product when it becomes available. It was such fun to be able to do that with my family... and more work like that seems to be coming down the pike.

Elias, my 5 year old, is proving to be a real chip off the ol' block. He landed a job for Arnold Bread this past week and he and I have a recording session scheduled for an Apple iPhone application. He's already got the Lego sets he wants to buy picked out!

God continues to provide work and opportunities in unexpected ways. Through an unusual series of events I was able to connect with a Talent Agent in Baltimore. I had responded to a post on one of the VO forums... apparently it was a listing copied from Craigslist and was intended to be for talent in the Baltimore area... didn't know that. But they liked my demo enough to present it to the client anyway. I don't know if that job will pan out, but either way, the agent said they really liked my stuff and wanted to sign me on with the agency.

I had done a spot for an association that was specific to one state, but just found out that the agency has been able to take it national, which translates into several national TV and Radio spots using the same concept. What a blessing!

I'm Not A Doctor... But I Play One On PowerPoint

2008-10-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Well... this is a fun first. I'm the voice of a Doctor for a PowerPoint presentation about medical emergencies during labor. Fortunately the difficult medical terms were few and far between and I actually learned a few interesting things... although I think I'll leave the actual doing of those techniques to the trained professionals.

This past week or so has been filled with some pleasant surprises... things that leave you saying, "Ya never know!"

I enjoy auditioning for VO roles but it's fun when a client call you out of the blue wanting you for a job. I had auditioned for a client via one of the casting sites quite a while back and didn't land the job, but the seeker kept my demo on file for when the right spot came along.. and that was this week. It was a promotional spot for a live concert DVD.

In another "Ya Never Know" moment, I had a buddy of mine (who's a manager of a radio cluster)listen to my demos. Apparently, while he was listening, his sales manager happen to catch a segment for a Dairy Queen ad in my Commercial demo... loved the concept and they want to use it and me to do the same spot for their Dairy Queen... AND commission me to do more in the future.

Did NOT see that one comin'!

I guess I'm learning that there are so many different ways that things can happen and fall together (or fall apart) that it's best to do what I can and trust God to do what he wants to do with it.

The Foundation Is Starting To Set

2008-10-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a fun week... just about wrapped up with the Kid2020 project and I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with the visuals!

That project has also inspired me to begin marketing my family's talents a bit more. I'm even having drawings of them done by the same incredibly talented guy that did my drawings... Ethan Nicolle. http://www.myspace.com/eef (His is a name that I'm sure you're going to being seeing more in more in the animation/cartoon realm... you might want to write it down). I've put demos together of the kids and will put one together soon for my wife. Haley's features her amazing singing talents while the demos for Talia and Elias highlight their fun, youthful voice acting. The demos can be heard on my website under the Female and Children Voice Actors tab.

Speaking of my website, I just had some updates done and it's much more user friendly with faster playing demos. I finally got an FTP site as well which will be a huge blessing! Gotta give a shout out to my web guy, Justin Macduff! Lead on! http://www.macduffdesign.com/index.shtml

I followed up with a client from earlier this year who had me do the voice of Fiji (pictured here) for a PC Game... he sent me a preliminary demo of the game and it looks great! It's designed for young kids... my 5 year old thought it was cool. They have some more projects in the works so I hope to do more for them soon.

Repeat clients have become more and more of a factor in my VO work. I really only started to do this (outside of my everyday radio gig) about a year ago, so it's been a lot of getting established and just getting out there... setting up the frame work for a foundation. Now it seems as though the cement is beginning to solidify. I still audition for new gigs, but not nearly as much because I'm busy working.

Something else that was fun to put together this week were imaging liners promoting our stations steaming audio. VO friends from around the world contributed their voices to these promos and they turned out great!

In His Time

2008-09-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things about this business is the people I get to "meet". I've had the pleasure of a few enjoyable conversations with the Bob Bergen (the voice of Porky Pig and countless other characters).

Bob was kind enough to take a few moments to grant my daughter, Haley, her very first interview. It was an assignment for her journalism class. I sat in on the interview to record it so she could transcribe it later... and gleaned some insights while listening in. For example, Bob really stressed the fact that while everyone has a great voice, not everyone is a great actor... a great point. And I didn't know that he took 9 years of acting classes and workshops before being able to do VO full time. Kinda puts things in perspective in a world where we (myself included) want everything to happen overnight.

This is something that the Lord has been very faithful to teach me... His timing is perfect.

My family and I are in the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia... a $22,000 venture. We felt lead to do it and stepped out in faith back in February with a $200 initial investment. We decided that we were not going to go into debt to do this, so we prayed, "Lord, you own the cattle on a thousand hills... we believe that adopting is something you want us to do but we can't afford it... so we're gonna need you to sell a few of those cattle to cover the cost."

Did He drop a bag full of money out of the sky? Nope... and had he done it that way it might have been nice, but we wouldn't have learned all the faith lessons that we've learned by trusting Him through the process.... and others wouldn't have been able to be a part of the blessing. The Lord has been faithful to meet each financial increment every step of the way... through a variety of ways. An unexpected VO gig here and there, the kindness of friends and family, etc. And believe it or not, as of this writing we are very close to having all of financial aspect covered!

In voicework and in life I'm trying to learn to be patient and wait for His timing... things always work out so much better when we do... and can get kinda messy when we don't. There are countless Biblical illustrations that prove this out. Does the name Ishmael ring any bells?

Father Guido Sarducci and Connie Kendall

2008-09-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

This DVD project has been a blast to work on! The kids are enjoying doing it and we've even pulled in some of their friends for a few parts. Tonight we recorded a song where the family had a part... it has a bit of a James Brown feel to it. At this point I'm ahead of schedule. Can't wait to see how all the visual aspects turn out when the DVD is finished.

It's been a crazy busy week... I've been so blessed to landed a variety of jobs! One of them (a Narrator for a kids story) was the result of an audition I worked on during a teleconference workshop with Deb Munro... kudos to her for forcing me out of my comfort zone.

One of the highlights from this week was doing the voice for an animatronic character named Pete Za (left). The initial invitation to audition said they wanted it to sound like a black man with a hint of Italian so I really played down the Italian accent. But after receiving some feedback, I re-auditioned and went way over the top with a Father Guido Sarducci kida thing and they loved it! The funny thing is I have no idea where this thing is... so I may encounter Pete Za someday in the future when I've long since forgotten doing this role and say, "Hmmm... that sounds familiar. Is that Father Guido Sarducci?"

Another interesting project was a Crisis Management video for The Walt Disney Company... now if I could just land a job in one of their animated features! :) Actually, it's good to know that their people are well prepared in case of an emergency! I can't imagine how hectic things could potentially be at Disneyland if there were an earthquake or something.

It's been exciting to see how many people have joined the Christian Voice Actors group that I started on VO Universe. This week (among other great people) Katie Leigh joined the group. She's the voice of Connie Kendall on Adventures In Odyssey... which my family and I have enjoyed for years. It was nice to meet the woman behind the voice.

Each day is truly a gift from God and filled with wonder! As the saying goes: I don't know what the future holds... but I know Who holds the future.

It's a Family Thing

2008-09-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

One of the few downsides to my work is that I'm frequently locked away in the studio away from my family. But I was really blessed this week to have landed a project that my whole family will be able to be a part of. It's an educational DVD with stories and songs... so my wife and kids will be able to display their wonderful talents.

Until now, they've been able to help out a little here and there, but nothing of this magnitude.

One notable thing that we were able to do together a few months ago (just for fun) was a little "movie". It was one of my first times using this "Movie Maker" program, so it's pretty elementary... but we sure had fun putting it together. We wrote the script, then did the audio. Then we had our photo shoots and put it all together. We even uploaded it to Youtube and it's got a 5 star rating. :)

The King of Voice Overs... and the King of Kings.

2008-09-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking more about Don LaFontaine and have drawn an interesting parallel.

While we in the Voice Over industry feel the loss this week in his passing, many outside of this industry don’t even recognize his name. Yet for most people, Don was a regular part of their everyday lives. With 5,000 movie trailers and 350,000 commercials to his credit, Don LaFontaine has probably been heard by most of us every single day for many years; a faceless voice that told us stories and took us on a journey. When he spoke those words, "In a world…", it stirred a sense of anticipation and wonder.

Even though this King of Voice Overs was a regular part of our lives, most people did not have the opportunity or inclination to get to know him personally. It seems to me that we can be the same way with the King of Kings.

Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

God’s voice calls to us through His creation and through His people all the time in the hope that we would seek after him and get to know Him… to walk with Him… to enter into a personal relationship with Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. He provides us with countless opportunities… I pray that the inclination of our hearts would be to draw near to Him, the Creator of this "world" which Don so famously spoke of.

And I pray that my voice would glorify the One who gave it to me.

Don LaFontaine 1940-2008

2008-09-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

I never met the man... or even spoke to him, yet I feel as though I've lost someone close. I imagine that many in this industry are feeling the same way. He was so loved an admired by the Voice Acting community... and will always be remembered as one of the great ones. I pray for his wife, children, family and friends... and say "Goodbye" to a gentleman that I never had the pleasure of saying "Hello" to.

August Highlights

2008-08-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

This past week has been pretty busy... actually, this past month has been pretty busy. A few of the August highlights: I was hired to voice a national TV commercial for a toy Nascar race track. They wanted a sort of "monster truck rally" delivery and the phone-directed session took about 20 minutes leaving me with just about no voice at all. It was a Friday and that evening I was slated to lead worship and give the first of three devotional sermons over the weekend. Through much prayer and a little Cepacol everything turned out great. In fact, the message I gave was actually based on a story that Scott Pollak had posted on one of the forums. He kindly sent me a copy of the script, and the more I read over it, the more spiritual parallels jumped out at me. It was the story of a guy who caught a home run ball hit by Babe Ruth at the very first All Star game. Here's a link to the thread: http://www.voice-overs.com/forum/leads-reads/1351-story-earl-brown.html This past week I've been producing a month's worth of shows for "The Way, The Life and The Truth" with Pastor Matt Fox.... part of my monthly routine. The show airs on CSN International and here locally on 98-7 K-LIGHT. It's such a blessing to be a part of the Bandon Christian Fellowship ministry in that way. Wednesday night I enjoyed a teleconference workshop with Deb Munro. I'm so glad that she is able to do those over the phone... it's kind of hard to get to the major city workshops. It was just me and one other guy so we had lots of one-on-one time with Deb. I gleaned quite a bit as she directed me through a few animation auditions I was working on... learned some key elements and fresh perspective... well worth the money. I'm prayerfully considering the cruise/workshop that she and Bob Bergen have planned for September '09. Sounds like it would be fantastic! As the weekend drew closer I had the pleasure of working with one of my favorites... Kara Edwards! She had a script that required a few more male character voices than she felt comfortable doing and I was incredibly humbled that she thought of me. She really is one of the best. Looking forward to seeing what the month of September holds in store!

To Blog Or Not To Blog...

2008-08-31T20:47:00.001-07:00

...that is the question I posed on a few of the voice over forums and I was presented with a variety of insights and warnings about diving into an online "diary". This lead to more questions. "Do I have anything to say?" "Would anyone even care?" "Will this be taking valuable time away from other things?" After much thought I came up with a resounding... "I don't know". As a Christian, I've often been encouraged to keep a journal so that I would have something to look back on occasionally and remind myself of how good and faithful God really is... a good idea... and especially handy when one is in a season of doubt and dismay. So I suppose this will be a form of that although , for the most part, it will be concentrated on Voice Acting... and everyone's invited to come along for the ride. My hope and prayer is that you'll come across something here that will lead you to see God's goodness and faithfulness to you as well. Ready? Let's go!