If you think that you are not talented enough with your voice to be a professional announcer, you could be wrong. But at one time, it was true. Only the selected few measured up to become a professional voice talent. In men, the deep resonate voice, and in women, only the voice with the most “butter” or sensuality was considered for casting. You had to sound just like everyone else sounded, and originality was never an option. But times have changed, and now the door is open for all types of style and vocal timbers. Even yours.
Voice coaching students at The Voice Shop.
But before we tell you how you can get into voicework, allow us a step back in time and educate you on the history of professional voices and how it all began.
In 1920, radio station KDKA in Pittsburg signed on, and the industry of broadcasting was born. In 1927, the first talking motion picture was produced. They were called “talkies,” and everyone in them were all stage actors from New York who had migrated to Los Angeles to seek their dream of being “in pictures.”
The way they sounded is referred to as the mid-Atlantic dialect. Everyone sounded alike. You can hear it even today in any of the old movies or radio broadcasts from the era. And because there was no history on how to perform the voice, everybody who did use their voice for a living sounded like everybody else.
Creativity in voice had not begun, so both genders emulated the other more influential actors to them, and that, as Louis B Mayer of MGM said, “is why the kid stays in the picture.” That same phrase later became Hollywood producer Robert Evans hit film bearing the title of “The Kid Stays In The Picture.”
The natural voices we hear today are an evolution from a time gone by that led us to where we are. The audience now listens to your voice more than ever before. But during the golden age of cinema, traits of the mid-Atlantic dialect were demanded. It had traits as a dialect of a high pitch, staccato in tone, and missing vowels and consonants on purpose. This would translate to you dropping the R In the word CAR to sound like you’re saying CAH. And in yesteryear, the vocal delivery had to be spoken louder because the microphones of the day could not pick up all the beautiful delicacies of the amazing human voice.
In 1956, Earl Nightingale was the star of the day. Earl was the highest-paid announcer in America. He sounded beautiful. He recorded “The Strangest Secret in the World” and sold one million copies making Earl the wealthiest announcer in America. But winning the vocal genetic lottery does not happen to everyone. And so, a very distinct and formatted “voice-wealthy” person was the target of every producer in radio, TV, and motion pictures. People with “pipes” (slang in broadcasting for a great voice) got all the work, and very few people could break-in.
Isn’t it nice how things have changed? Today, you can have a normal voice with emotive connotation and do very well. And this demand has opened doors for people who sound like people we know. Voices are no longer only deep or sensual. Today, voices sound like someone you know.
But none of this occurred until broadcast pioneers hired Nancy Dickerson as an anchor in 1960. Audience shares doubled with Nancy’s presence because the audience in television then and now was overwhelmingly women who were housewives. They watched their Soap Operas, such as “The Secret Storm,” then turned the channel on the television at home, and the family followed along. Innovation began. Advertising exploded with results upon her debut.
The founders of broadcasting discovered it just made sense to use a woman to become a news anchor on TV since women have the buying power for products and services in the family. And so, the revolution continued. This revolution increased the success of ad campaigns, films, and television because voice diversity had arrived. Advertising became more sophisticated. Movies became more relatable. Television news introduced more women, and audiences grew. And this happened all because of voices. Here’s the logic. If you are a housewife and a woman speaking to you in a commercial, you’ll be more likely to respond to her voice because she sounds like you.
The Mid-Atlantic dialect was the result of what media historians call “elitism.” Only the upper crust was a part of the industry. Because at that time, no one knew how to increase the audience. But they did, and they did it with voices. And with history being made every day in film, TV, and radio, research proved that the original elite voice of the past should stay in the past.
Today’s natural voices that evolved onto the screen and radio became solidified sometime in the late 80s to early 90s. It didn’t happen overnight. But the trend evolved out of the need for Americans to forge their own identity in mass media. And consumers found themselves paying attention to the new voices that were now the new normal.
It was once believed that the world-famous announcer Wolfman Jack was a voice talent that would always be “THE VOICE OF CHOICE.” But to find that proven impossible. And other famous announcers like Larry Lujack and Jay Thomas (WAYS radio-Charlotte) were interrupted when Rick Dees came on national radio with “The Weekly Top 40.” Dees is thought of as one of the first announcers to become famous for sounding so unlike the people he grew up listening to. Dees has a mid-range voice with vernacular that drew the audience in. And simply put, if an announcer sounds unlike an aristocrat, the audience will respond more favorably.
Baby boomers own a majority of the wealth nowadays, so it was pure programming intelligence to use a voice talent that appealed to that buyer’s market. And now, with today’s new talent who come from Gen X, the person with the best voice is the one that can draw you in and capture your attention with a natural delivery. And that means that you can learn how to become your own voice talent entity because of what we teach. You can learn that with us at Creative Media Design and sister company The Voice Shop. At the Voice Shop, we help you develop the skills to become successful voice talent, while at CMD, we expose voice talent to ad agencies and producers worldwide.
Still think you don’t have the voice? Enter National Public Radio. NPR is the gold standard of a relatable voice. “The NPR sound” is notable because the tone is soft, there are long pauses between signature statements, and there is a strong emphasis on certain words. This pregnant pause creates credibility for the listener. If you listen to NPR, you’ll hear no over-the-top voices, but you will hear an intelligent approach to all the information given. David Ogilvy, the Father of advertising, is said to have once summarized his ad philosophy with, “the audience is not stupid. Let’s not insult them.” Translation? Give the listener and the viewer a communication message they can really relate to.
The first language ever spoken is Sumerian, which first began in 3,100 BC. It was the dawn of a new age for mankind. Fast forward 5,000 years, and more people are communicating in more languages than ever in history. And it all comes down to the basics which have been learned and are set in stone about the voice. If it sounds like you, wherever you are, successful, effective communication took place.
Now that you’ve read this, if you feel inspired to develop your pipes, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact us:
Creative Media Design – info@cmdnyc.com
The Voice Shop - info@voiceshopcoaching.com
