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You will hear this a lot, “Voice Acting is Acting”, and that is completely true.  We are actors in a confined space using our voices to give our performances.  Such a simple concept right?  Then over time, the next question follows, “how did you get into it?”  Have you ever heard of the term, your passion finds you?  That’s pretty much what happened to me.

I went to school for film and television studies.  There was something awesome about watching a movie, analyzing it, and give your own perspective to someone who may like it too.  It was something I enjoyed doing.  I then had to take an audio production class as one of my main requirements to graduate with that type of degree.  I can remember it like it was yesterday.  A one minute radio imaging project that we must finish, using the Pro Tools Daw. Boy was that stuff advanced.  I didn’t really know what radio imaging was at the time, so I had to Youtube it for tons of examples.

Almost every one of them that I found, a host or DJ spoke over jingles or immediately after music.  They provided their own voice for the project to give it that “flare”.  I didn’t know at the time, but this was a form of voiceover, and that it was pretty interesting and unique. I can remember the words I recorded, “more songs, more hits, alllll in your ears”.  The teacher played all of our projects back for the whole class to hear. We all clapped and cheered, but since then, I was hooked.  I have found my calling, or perhaps, my calling found me.  The teacher came to me soon after, “you should go into professional voice over”.

My curiosity piqued, and the idea had my attention.  Doing extensive research, I took the gamble and had my first set of classes in New York City, from a coaching company called “Shut Up & Talk”.  Fast forward years later, here I am, being the best voice over artist that I can be.

Spanish voice over as a whole, comes in many different, shapes, color & of course, languages.  Being a bilingual voice over artist is no exception.  As you may know, this type of voiceover has its challenges.  You must be fluent in the language for the listener to believe your performance.  In other words, if you, a Spanish speaker, or any other ethnicity you may be, are not believable in giving a casual, conversational read, or even deliver a character read, then your audition is over before it has even begun.

In order to get better in your bilingual performance of speaking Spanish, there are many things that can be done.  First, watch Spanish television on Netflix, or the popular news channel of Telemundo.  Watch and listen intensively, for about an hour or more daily.  Second, touch up on your Spanish by speaking the language to your friends and/or family members.  If there’s a bodega near you, strike a conversation with the owner in Spanish, or anywhere else where Spanish speakers are everywhere.  You can also listen to a Spanish podcast, or even listen to tons of Hispanic music to get you into the groove.  Just as you train your body and your voice to be the best you can be, you can train your mind to exceed itself as well.

Overall, as a Dominican Descent, Spanish voice over will forever be a part of me as I am a child of my family’s culture and heritage.  I take that with great pride and dignity in my life.  So no matter what language you speak, harness it, use it as a tool in your arsenal, and give your clients what they want and need.  As my grandmother always say, “siempre conéctate con tus raíces” which means, “always connect to your roots.”