As a teen, I spent hours listening to the radio—hoping one day to be a major market disc jockey. Well, dreams sometimes give way to reality, and the reality was that radio would have to wait. And wait it did for more then twenty years. In the late 1980’s, the broadcasting bug bit once again. I was introduced to Sun Sounds Radio, a non-profit radio station dedicated to broadcasting versions of popular printed materials for the visually impaired. I was hooked and for several years provided the “voice” for the Phoenix Gazette and later USA Today as well as magazines, radio dramas, and even a Sunday Night live interview/call-in program. I was on the radio!
Professional Organizations
Sun Sounds provided a tremendous opportunity to develop my skills. Another organization that helped me gain confidence and experience was Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, who focus on recording text books. Either organization is truly worthwhile and worthy of your consideration as a volunteer.
These associations soon brought me my first professional voice over opportunity. Several hours each week I would record educational materials for Educational Management Group (EMG), a subsidiary of Simon-Schuster and later Viacom. Soon, other projects developed such as a Phoenix Fair Housing video, the Bible on CD, and more. I was on my way and in 1996, decided to pursue this career full time.