(Click here for part 1)

“A gift is a curse until it is understood” says Voice Whisperer Marice Tobias. These clearly are words to live by for this expert voice coach. And it was apparent in last Tuesday’s interactive workshop, “The Voice As Mirror Of The Mind.” That evening, Marice Tobias worked with the voice actors’ “gift” and how the “curse” of emotional blocks can stymie a performance. Through her process, she leads the actor to a better understanding and ultimately a breakthrough.

As each voice actor got up to the mic, she had them read copy once through. Watching Tobias work is a performance in itself. She closes her eyes, listening keenly for nuances and what’s hiding out behind their words. She’s not listening to the overall performance, she’s listening for those subtle hints, the tension behind those words revealing possible blocks for the actor.

The first at the mic, a throaty voiced actor, reads a travel spot. “Who’s shaking their finger at you?” Marice asked. “My mother.” They went on to discuss the relationship the actor had with her mother. Her need to please her mom was seeping into her performance. “Have you ever had an ‘at-a-girl’ moment where you felt on top of the world as a child?” “Yes! When I was tap dancing” the actor was brimming with pride. Then, Marice had her read the copy right after the exchange. The tension seemed to disappear for the actor, resulting in a stronger performance.

Marice worked with several other actors taking them through this process of dealing with their emotional hurdles and freeing themselves to give more powerful reads.

During the Q&A portion of the evening, Marice delved into the business side of the voice over industry, giving us plentiful tips, strategies and trends. “It’s an entirely different landscape now with the rapid growth of technology. Voiceover has been most affected by this.” She went on to give this sage advice, “The challenge now is to stand out. Ultimately there’s only one you.” Advice that seems to be the consensus in the industry.

Perhaps the best way to “stand out” with the tremendous competition and the enormous change in voiceover, is to remember the power of our voices and the power of our minds. Together, they can be a path to great success or one peppered with obstacles that we create within us.

-Tracy Pattin

Check out more of these wonderful upcoming events in the series produced by Michael D. Cohen and AFTRA.