July 9, 2021
It’s a beauteously cloudy Friday morning here in the Sunshine state. I earned a wealth of sleep and thought to myself, “Gee, that’s oddly good for a Thursday night.” Subsequently, I remembered a long series of emails from my apartment management indicating Miami P.D. might have gotten a teensy-bit involved with the restaurant *wheeze-cough-CLUB-wheeze* (those allergies, whew) across the street.
A little disheartened I didn’t have the sounds of revving engines and Travis Scott to keep me company in the wee hours, I ventured out this morning and inhaled the artsy, Wynwood air. Having been in a bit of a post-travel funk this week, I gunned for my local coffee watering hole, Pasiōn Del Cielo Coffee (https://www.pasiondelcielocoffee.com/ - if you’re in Miami, it’s a must!) and welcomed the inviting Sumatra fuel into my sleep-logged self.
Part of the post-travel funk involved a severe bout of existential crises, spiraling from my internal board of officials, debating over the choice of take-out or leftover spaghetti (yum), to questioning if 42 really is the answer to it all*. My racing thoughts took a fortunate directional turn from the inevitable tempting idea of a solid Netflix binge (thanks, Lupin) toward a feeling of absolute restlessness after a short but consuming week of work.
Naturally, I picked up a book, one that I decided to purchase before my long visit to P.A. a few weeks ago and painfully forgot to bring on the plane: Running a Successful Voiceover Business by Joshua Alexander (https://seattlevoiceactor.com). I knew I wanted a good read to balance all the brain chemicals and rocket-start the plunge back into the studio I’d been craving, but good Lord, and I mean that, I didn’t know how badly I needed to read this masterpiece. In fact, that’s why I’m sitting here, still armored with Sumatra (I know, I know, bad VOA! BAD!), typing out my first blog. Josh writes, “Do you blog? If not, can you start?” And to that, I responded with a firm “yessir” and hopped too.
Reading the first four chapters of Joshua’s book lead me to reflect on my journey thus far in voiceover - how it all started roughly eight years ago, in the lovingly worn second stage space of my high school. I went to one of those cool performing arts high schools where I invested every bit of my teenage self into the theatre program. Voice acting was part of the sophomore curriculum, and at the time, I was unaware that it eventually would become part of my life curriculum. The day we entered the V.O. unit of study, I stepped up to the mic and read an excerpt from the Velveteen Rabbit and afterward, a Disney Vacations commercial to spice things up a little, because, as we all know, Disney is definitely “spicy.” *Currently facepalming at 15-year-old Aria.*
What I wish I could write is from the moment of those reads, I pursued voiceover relentlessly starting that very evening, dropped out of high school, moved to L.A., worked on a dime to afford equipment and training, and then was miraculously discovered after singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside” in the employee showers of the department store where I worked. But that’s not what happened.
What really went down is, I came home from studying V.O. that day extremely excited about my newfound skill, not understanding the reality of the possibility of a career within the field.
I graduated high school, auditioned for seventeen different musical theatre programs, applied to twenty colleges and universities, didn’t get into the majority of them, and ultimately chose the Hartt School’s Musical Theatre program.
Then…surprise! An offer came in from the S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications at Syracuse University. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced as heavy and simultaneous dosages of gratitude, excitement, and terror.
I was faced with that decision. Do I explore new realms, new fields, the prospect of a new life path, and potentially new passions? Or do I stick with what I know, the career I had followed and dreamed of since age two?
And that story is for another blog! Join me on this new written adventure, where I can’t wait to tell you more about my road taken in voiceover and all the current happenings!
In the meantime, check out my website at ariasvoice.com, where you can find more about me, listen to my commercial demo, and contact me! If you don’t feel like browsing, which I get (it is Friday after all,) and want to get in touch, here’s my contact info:
Aria’s Voice
Aria Sivick
(484) - 353 - 9754
Cheers to a happy weekend!
*42: The answer to the “ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything” - The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Comments