SOUTH BRUNSWICK: Finding your voice during tough times

by Davy James, Staff Writer
   With the economic woes gripping the country, many people are looking at new ways to generate an income.
   One of the upcoming course offerings from the South Brunswick Adult Community School will teach about one such avenue.
   The class, Getting Paid to Talk, will teach students what it takes to become a professional voice actor doing work for commercials, audio books, training videos, educational materials, video games and more.
   ”This is an introductory class for people who are curious about the voiceover field or people who’ve been told they have a good voice,” said John Gallogly, class instructor and creative director for Voice Coaches, a voiceover training company based out of Schenectady, N.Y. “A lot of people come in thinking about commercials, and that’s one part of the field, but that only makes up about 10 percent. The majority of narrative voiceover opportunities lie in audio books, training material, video gaming, amusement park announcers, stuff like that.”
   Mr. Gallogly said the class would cover the types of voices typically hired, pointing out how the field has changed to hiring voices that are believable and sincere. He said it also would teach students how to find work in the field.
   ”Like any small business, you need to know what rocks to look under,” Mr. Gallogly said. “Technology has really changed the scope of the field, allowing people to do work from home with clients all over the world.”
   Mr. Gallogly said the class would focus on introducing students to the field rather than working on voice exercises.
   ”We’ll talk people into or out of the field depending on their individual perspective,” he said. “It’s not for people looking at it as a way to get rich overnight. But people who come into this thinking of it as a small business will be delighted. Because of the economic downturn, people are looking at ways to control their own income, and for those with the wherewithal to see this through as a small business, the class its lots of fun, and the field is very lucrative.”
   Advance registration is required, and enrollment is limited to 20 people. The cost of the class is $24.
   For more information, call 732-297-7800, ext. 3148. For more information on Voice Coaches, visit www.voicecoaches.com.