practice

Demo Critiques: Quality Does Matter

December 17, 2018 By MaryMorgan 2 Comments

Above you can see two sets of macaron batches. These are my pictures from when I was practicing and then perfecting my technique. Can you tell which one is bad quality?

If I told someone that I make macarons despite not having sales or proof that I know what I’m doing, and they wanted to buy some from me, what do you think would happen if I took their money and gave them the poor batch?

There’s a reason quality matters. And in voice over, quality demos and quality recording DO matter!!

We all want critiques of demos, especially those of us starting out. The problem is, too many get demos made when they’re not ready. And what’s most heartbreaking is that the talent don’t realize how bad they sound until it’s too late. What do I mean by that? Well, there’s two ways.

Are you a Jack of All Trades?

December 3, 2018 By MaryMorgan Leave a Comment

Warning, long post today.

I sincerely apologize for having no posts in months. I’ve been terribly busy, dealing with uncomfortable controversies and false accusations and my wedding which was fantastic.

I’ll do my best to post at least every two weeks as best I can. If some posts are similar to past ones I ask that you please forgive me because it’s not easy going back over every post when there’s little time to do so. I’ll try my hardest to share new information as much as I can.

So, how do you define a “Jack of All Trades”? [Read more…] about Are you a Jack of All Trades?

Why do I have a Voice Over blog?

May 1, 2018 By MaryMorgan Leave a Comment

Two weeks ago I was part of a marketing group led by a well-known VO talent. When I was asked what I was doing to get my name out there I mentioned my demos, my website, my rapid growing list of connections on LinkedIn and my blog. The leader of the group stopped me and said that blogging was a huge waste of time and that I needed to abandon it and focus more time on marketing myself. “Blogging won’t help your career. No one cares what you have to say,” She said. That’s ok. Everyone is entitled to an opinion; however, it was the verbal approach that caught me off guard. Her tone was harsh and her criticism malicious. I wanted to explain why I blogged but she quickly moved on to someone else. Some time later I combed through the auditions I had to get done for the day and found myself thinking about my blog. Could this marketing expert be right? Was it worth continuing? [Read more…] about Why do I have a Voice Over blog?

VO Atlanta 2018

March 27, 2018 By MaryMorgan Leave a Comment

So this was my first time at VO Atlanta and much like my favorite VO blogger Paul Strikwerda whom I finally met in person, I freaking loved it!

Good heavens I seriously don’t even know where to start. The people I met, the sessions I attended, the knowledge I absorbed, and the inspiration shared by veterans of voice over is worth every single penny!!!

If you truly want to be part of this profession, then you should know there are serious investments involved. I’ve also met quite a few people who insult VO conventions because they want to get work from attending it. But it’s not about that, even though I met people who have been signed by agents and got work with visiting casting directors almost right after the convention. You attend to build relationships with working professionals and get to know your VO family and friends. They’re the ones who welcome anyone and everyone with open arms whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced talent. Egos are left behind as smiles and support flood the atmosphere. [Read more…] about VO Atlanta 2018

Workshop Review: Ned Lott’s Singing in Character Class

February 6, 2018 By MaryMorgan Leave a Comment

How many ladies have ever dreamed of being Disney princesses, or leading ladies in an animated musical? How about guys? Ever wanted to be a Disney prince or singing sidekick? Well, first, please understand that taking this workshop won’t guarantee you anything, but it will help educate you into what’s involved when singing as a character, any character, really! You don’t even have to sound like a famous pop star or opera singer or a Tony award-winning performer. However, you do need to be able to carry a tune which for some people is easier said than done. Reading music is a HUGE plus as well or having some familiarity with it. But in a couple of cases having a good ear is enough. [Read more…] about Workshop Review: Ned Lott’s Singing in Character Class

Reasons why Voice Over can be hard work

October 30, 2017 By MaryMorgan 2 Comments

Please forgive me for such a long delay. October is my busiest month, not just for voice over but for my other careers. I am a severe workaholic, but I’ll my best to keep up with posting every 1-2 weeks.

So for today’s post, as always, please read but keep an open mind. The information here is based on my own experiences and that of some of my colleagues and friends. I don’t speak for everyone. And don’t let what I have to say discourage you from your VO journey. My only goal here is to share knowledge.

“I’m a Voice Over and I feel like I haven’t worked a day in my life.” When I first started in VO, a teacher actually said those words at the beginning of the workshop. Looking back, I would have started laughing out loud if I knew then what I know now. [Read more…] about Reasons why Voice Over can be hard work

Voice Over Life: Building My StudioBricks Booth part 2

September 14, 2017 By MaryMorgan 10 Comments

Continuing from my last post with Part 2 of putting my StudioBricks booth together. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest doing so to keep up with what I’m sharing here.

I had put my studio together with the help of my brother, my boyfriend and my Dad. It looked amazing and was quite cozy inside. However, after all the unloading, and putting it together one section at a time (which took maybe 3 hours), there was a problem.

Embrace the Art of Learning Voice Over

August 17, 2017 By MaryMorgan Leave a Comment

Patience is a virtue often underrated due to a fast-paced society we live in. People want to be famous right now so that others will grovel at their feet and pay money to see them at a convention. They want to be rich so that they never have to get a 9 to 5 job or splurge on ridiculous luxuries. The list goes on of course.

However, if everything happened quickly, how would you handle the consequences of what comes after?

10 Reasons why you won’t make it as a voice over part 2

August 1, 2017 By MaryMorgan Leave a Comment

Continuing from last time on 10 Reasons why you won’t make it as a voice over. Please remember it’s not about saying you will never be a voice over, it’s what you’re not doing that’ll keep you from being a voice over. [Read more…] about 10 Reasons why you won’t make it as a voice over part 2

Part-Time Careers While Pursuing Voice Overs

July 10, 2017 By MaryMorgan Leave a Comment

I’ve been away a while. Apologies, apologies and more apologies. But I’ve been VERY busy, which is what I like. And I’ll be glad to share the progress in posts yet to come. Still with me? Bless you!

Believe it or not only a certain amount of people can have the luxury of making voice over a full-time business in a matter of a few short years or even decades. Because of this, I decided to write a blog post about part-time careers or jobs that my colleagues have had while working their way to full-time.

For those who have asked, I have quite a few part-time careers going on, not just to make money but to have back-up opportunities when VO work is slow, or when I need more training, more demos, studio upgrades, etc. Because, let’s face it, we need money to keep VO going in our lives.