Pat Fraley\’s “Everything They Expect You To Know But Nobody Teaches” event in Buffalo, NY 2009

Well it was more like just a Saturday but the hardest working teacher in voice over was in the Nickel City this weekend as Pat Fraley presented his at Crosswater Digital Media.

It was hosted by my primary voice acting teacher, my agent and, best of all, my friend Toni Silveri who has run The Voice Actor Workshop of Western New York for many years (in addition to All Coast Talent). Toni and Pat worked together on voice over projects often when she lived in L.A.

It should be noted that one of the first things Pat spoke about Saturday was how incredibly fortunate we are here to have Toni as a teacher as “she is on par with the best voice acting teachers anywhere in the country.” I know that to be true.

The class was sold out and I wasn’t going to attend having been to a number of Pat’s courses, all of which I enjoyed immensely (as I have often noted here). Toni, however, needed some “day of” help which I was glad to provide cause these events do require some leg work (and I have fantastic legs…they are both short AND stumpy).

Voice Teacher Pat Fraley and Crosswater Audio Engineer Dan Innes

Quite unexpectedly and very graciously, Pat included in me in the class when I wasn’t tending to my primary support duties. As usual, there was a ton of good stuff with some great voice talents (and wonderful people) from across New York, Ohio and Canada. The day’s basic theme (specifically regarding the “tricks” section) was how to stand out and be different in auditions and performances. It’s not a new concept to most but then again most of established voice talents aren’t executing these tricks enough on a regular basis and the new folks are still figuring out where to stand so this is valuable insights for everybody.

My favorite takeaway from the day (and there were many) was the Series of Three Techniques in which Pat discuss the smartest (my term but it fits) way to give a variation on your performance, often request by directors as “series of three”.

Male Voice Talents Dan Nachtrab and Peter K. O\’Connell

One of my other favorite parts of the day was getting to meet up with male voice talent Dan Nachtrab who drove up from Dayton, OH to be a part of the class. Dan and I have known each other for many years via the VO-BB.com so it was a real treat to visit with him not only about voice over but about Dayton, home of the University of Dayton Flyers, the college of my youth that didn’t say “no!”

Tags: commentary, community, university of dayton, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Hi Folks!

It’s been a while at least since I put out a call to make sure I have your blog listed on my blog roll here at voxmarketising. And I seem to be in tidy up mode today (office/studio looking spiffy and all cleaned up).

Well, here’s your invite.

Please let me know your voice over blog’s web address (if I don’t have it already in the column on the right) and we’ll get ‘er posted.

You also may have changed your web address and not let me know (now would be the time to double-check).

You also may know of a blog that has bit the dust on my blog roll recently that I hadn’t heard about…ping me on that tidbit if you have it.

If you would like to link back to here or to audio’connell Voice Over Talent, well we’d see that as a great kindness but not a requirement.

That’s all, thanks.

Tags: blogroll, blogs, commentary, community, voiceover, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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In Remembrance of 9.11_Chagrin Falls Intermediate School by Danielle

You know where you were.

You know how you heard about it.

It defined your generation and it changed everything.

And then you died and the memory faded into another generation and some of the lessons were lost.

September 11, 2001

November 22, 1963

December 7, 1941

April 14, 1865

April 12, 1861

April 18, 1775

History is not about the constant recitation of dates. They are the prompts to a bigger picture, the larger story. The tale of how you were given the gifts of your country, your family, you.

Immerse yourself in your history, learn from your history, mourn for your history and celebrate your history.

Not just the dates, not just the places but the stories and the people who lived, fought and died for their beliefs.

You would, quite literally, be nothing without them. But today you are an American because of them.

God bless the United States of America and her citizens, past and present, on this day and everyday. Amen.

Tags: commentary, community by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Founders of the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts Joe DiPasquale and his wife, Tanya Zabinski. Photo Credit: Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News

Today, daughter and I took our second trip in as many years to the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts or as we call it, the Elmwood Arts Festival.

It’s in its 10th year and I remember its early years…it has grown significantly and impressively since 1999. Joe DiPasquale and his wife, Tanya Zabinski began the festival with a team of equally dedicated volunteers.

I went to high school with Joe. He was a perfectly nice guy in school but I had no idea he had this kind of gumption within him. This show, with its artisans, music, kids area and food within its seven block reach (a bit over a half mile I would estimate), is family friendly, neighbor friendly and image friendly. It is different in many ways than any other festival the City of Buffalo offers and the City is damn lucky to have it.

Aside from a booth to sell their wares, Joe, his wife and anybody else working on the show make nothing…if they break even, it’s cause for celebration.

Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts

Call it volunteerism, giving back, paying it forward.

I call it laudable, applaudable and awe-inspiring.

To do an event like this once is swell, to do it for TEN YEARS is incredible and not something Western New York should ever take for granted.

Joe, Tanya and everybody else involved: thanks very much! We deserve none of your selfless generosity but will gladly immerse ourselves in this great spectacle. It runs through Sunday and is usually the last weekend in August every year. Come enjoy it if you can. If you can, you should.

Tags: buffalo, commentary, community by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Mike Gill, CPT

When I knew Mike Gill, he was this scrawny little guy in search of a job in golf. Being the head of regional sales for Arnold Palmer Golf Management at the time (what, you think all I ever did was voice over? How boring would that be?!) I took pity on the little fellow and hired him. But I made him promise me that if I hired him, that he would follow a workout routine that I personally created for him to bulk him up, make him stronger and attractive to the ladies. In other words, I was going to create a younger me.

Today, he is not only an award winning strong man but he is a Certified Professional Trainer. Here is a write-up about Mike’s work and one of his talented students in Monday’s Buffalo News (it was a full page spread in the print edition).*

I couldn’t be more proud…of me!

*Of course, most of that is all crap, you see.

But what ever you do, don’t let him park your car.

Tags: commentary, community, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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We’ll be doing some very minor redecorating of this blog (we’re going to widen it a little bit) but this will require that we change the size of the title banner.

So it occurred to me that maybe I should take this time to freshen the look for the title banner which was designed by me though I’ve never really been happy with all of it (some of it I like).

So I asked Ann Hackett of aHa Designs to craft some alternate versions of a new banner. This is where YOU come in.

Please, in the comment section, pick your favorite choice (numbered 1-4).

If you prefer, you may vote that you do not like ANY of them or that you like the current banner just fine.

I really value your opinion and no feelings will be hurt in the honest assessment of these designs!

If you’re willing, please also RETWEET this poll (see the little green button on the top right of this post above the options picture?) so that I can get as many opinions as possible.

Thank you.

Tags: blogs, commentary, community, logo design, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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