Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Her name might ring a bell to you as she has done a couple of corporate narrations and commercials, which she says are her specialties. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you, Rose Caiazzo!
Hi Rose! Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be a professional voice talent.
When I was 7 years old, I went to Disney World with my parents and if you’ve ever been to places like those, you’ll know that there’s a woman in a monorail that speaks and says, “Please step away from the door. Step away.” When I heard that, I wanted to be her!
I’ve always been really interested in people’s voices. So, I went to college for TV and radio. I had a voice fellowship there but someone had tried to kind of talk me out of it saying that it was a cutthroat business. So they brought me away from that and went to a completely different field which is public relations.
I was in the corporate world for over 10 years and after that point when I was living in the east of New York, I decided to move out west. After I moved here, I met another voice professional who’ve been in the business for over 30 years and he took me under his wing and the business changed greatly from when I was in college to now. Now, everything is mobile, everything is home studio-based. So, I started working for two radio stations here. I also have a home studio and I do lots of voiceover projects.
I would say that my greatest strength is that I listen to what the client wants. I’m good at fostering relationships and people usually love my low narrative voice. I’m pleased to have this natural voice talent.
Okay, that’s quite a history! As a professional voice talent, what are your specialties?
Yes. Well, it is that low narrative voice. With that being said, I specialize in everything corporate. So, narrations, videos, smartphone apps, and voicemail systems. But, I also do a handful of character voices.
You know I really think that having a profession lend their voice to certain items for your business is really important because your sound, as well as your visual for your business, is a tool to bring people in and learn more about what your business is. If you have the guy next door do it or your wife because she’s in the office, I promise you it’s going to sound like it. So, professionals lend their voice to make your business sound more professional and bring people in!
Great! But, whatever the specialty is, there is really a need to take care of one’s voice, right? So, can you share us some tips?
Oh yes, absolutely! The first thing that I’d say is water, water, WATER! The vocal cords only do well when you are hydrating yourself and keeping them lubricated. If you do have to speak at certain types of events, make sure that you’re drinking water to keep them lubricated. Also, foods containing large amounts of water for excellent hydration for snacks like apples, pears, watermelons, peaches, melons, grapes, plums and anything like that also help.
Now, if you have a big project to do, also know that you have to rest your voice ahead of time. So, if you’re going to be speaking for four hours, you want to make sure that you’re resting your voice. Try not to go out chatting with friends. It’s better to have that time spent doing a few little vocal exercises.
Everyone already knows that smoking irritates the vocal cords and everyone else knows that it’s bad for you so that’s a no. Some people also think that alcohol loosens you up but it actually tightens the vocal cords so that’s not a good idea either.
Avoid yelling and screaming. That’s important. Even coughing and whispering. A lot of people that whispering is okay but that’s not really a good idea. It can damage your voice box further. Also, do not clear your throat too often. When you clear your throat, it’s like slamming your vocal cords together. Doing it too much can injure them and can actually make you hoarse.
Another thing that I like to do is humidify my home because moist is good for the voice. Also, those warm-ups before the recording can help. You know, those lip or tongue exercises facilitate better use of air flow. Tongue twisters are also good helpers too.
Can you give a final message to voice actors like you, especially the ones that are just starting out in the business?
Okay. My one big thing for people who want to go into voice acting is that if you feel that it’s something you really want to do, absolutely, you should do it.
One of the biggest things you need to do if you really are committed to being a part of this business is to get yourself educated. Though I have been in the business for a while, I have been continually educating myself about voiceover because it’s my passion. A few great ways to start is in LinkedIn. A lot of people use that social network and there are specific groups in LinkedIn that are just for voiceover professionals and you can just be like a fly on the wall and listen to what they have to say. You can also take classes. A lot of those classes are online now. If you’re into social media, start following people who are in the business just to see what they are saying and see if it’s something that interests you. Try to visit those sites that can give you more information and see if it’s something you should be pursuing. And, that’s my advice!