Christmas Time

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Oh my what a wonderful and terribly busy time!  So many important things want to happen in December, and we do our best to enjoy them and savour the significance in the midst of the flurry.  The weather has been pretty darn exciting too -- almost as thick as the request for educational apps with child voices!

Ha.  Overall we are so grateful to help create imaginative, playful recordings for many clients and the boys have been good sports to manage the time for pickups and live sessions along with planning for Christmas gifting and concerts and auditions.

We get to home to Oregon for Christmas week and look forward to connecting with family there.  We have new hopes for 2014 for both David and Jeany to pursue more voice work and creating updated demo reels for all.  But in the meantime, we are keeping our head above the snow to finish several projects recorded by Donovan and Weston.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Voice Empowerment!

David here. I got a big shot of voice over confidence from taking a 2-day voice acting workshop in Calgary on May 13 and 14 at 6 Degrees Studios.

And, as often has been the case, my path to their door was paved by none other than Jeany! While attending the Emerge auditions in Calgary, a "coming out " party for recent graduates of professional actor training programs, Jeany found herself sitting next to Juan Delgado, the casting director for 6 Degrees, during lunch. They had a good chat, and Jeany got to tell Juan about our family having four voice talents.

A week later, Jeany gets an email saying there is a last spot open for this workshop usually reserved for ACTRA members and more advanced voice actors.  I responded, applied, and got in!   

In the meantime I also learned that a dear actor friend, Judith Buchan, who I played opposite in Anne of Green Gables last summer, would also be attending. And when I walked in the door of the studio, I saw another actor colleague from our days at Chemainus Theatre Festival on Vancouver Island, Maureen Thomas.

The workshop was taught by Juan and Christian Goutsis, a super-great voice director and actor. They were both so generous and clear in their work with us. I was amazed at how quickly I found freedom in the recording booth under their guidance, and by the charge of inspiration from the strong acting of the other participants. The encouragement and challenge I got sparked a fire of empowerment inside me that I haven't felt in a while--learning a new version of the actor's craft.

I came home and started auditioning, and since the workshop I have booked four gigs.

Last but not least, today I got an email from Juan inviting me and the boys to audition for a spot for 6 Degrees. We'll see how it goes!

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Summertime

Popping our heads up after a long winter's nap.​

Popping our heads up after a long winter's nap.​

Yes, we know it's officially only spring, but in Alberta it can feel like winter to summer in a matter of days.​

We're grateful for the new sprung green everywhere: spilling onto the hills, bursting from the trees, and reaching up from the ground.​  We planted out many little seeds and seedlings into our newly tilled garden, (thanks to our neighbor Paul for tilling it), and now expectantly await for new life.

Dave and Jeany are done teaching for a time and able to put in a bit more time with auditioning which is fun.​

Donovan and Weston continue to book regular work, but not so much that it interferes with their hours of outdoor fun in the dirt, on the bike, at the trampoline, or nerf gun battles.​

We had an eventful week attending the Fellowship of the Ring with the Calgary Orchestra and a theatre improvisation workshop with Panic Squad here in Rosebud.​

Spring is in the air

We're just beginning to get the taste of spring up here in Alberta and can hardly wait for the leaves to burst forth from the trees.​

We have some seedlings in our window sill and wonder if the tiny watermelon sprout will ever survive and thrive into what we hope to be a juicy ripe watermelon.​

​It's a bit like our family business.  It starts with a small seed, then with time and gentle diligence, it is encouraged to grow.

Thanks to many clients who have appreciated our work and returned with more opportunities; what a blessing to have steady, fun, projects without lots of auditioning.​

A little burst of sun, a little fall of rain, and things can grow with a little care and tending.​

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Frosty White

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Today we woke up to a hoar frost settling in our valley and installing art on every formerly invisible twig.  Now mid morning, the sun has come out and the the bits of snow are falling softly to the earth.  Thankfully we still have a thick blanket of snow around here, which makes for awesome recording conditions from our corner studio.

The blue sky makes the white everywhere so stunning.​

We are grateful for the beauty outdoors and the warmth within our cozy home.  And for ongoing voice work during this holy week.