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A Day In The VO Life, Part I

Rick Barr

Updated: Jun 28, 2020



Hey, voice over fans! I wanted to provide a quick update, as we head into 2018 with new goals, resolutions, and crazy ideas about the future. I’m done with my first calendar year of voice over, though it was a short one, since I really didn’t get started until February. I’ve leapt into a brand new career, discarding 23 years in IT. Being a musician is still the main source of income, as I perform every weekend and host an open MIC every Monday evening.


It’s been an interesting challenge to juggle two careers that are similar in a lot of ways, yet require completely different approaches. I’ve been constantly adjusting my voice over schedule to accommodate the music. It kind of has to be that way. Bars and wineries need you to perform in the evenings, and retirement homes need you in the afternoon. So, when do I get recording time?


Currently, I get up each day around 8am. Yes, that sounds cozy and terrific (and, hey, it does beat getting up at 5am and never being completely awake) ….but, I’m up until 2am each night. So, I get up, work out, shower, and immediately hit the booth. I’ve found that after a good workout, I’m stretched, feeling fresh, and my voice is usually in fine shape. So, if I’m working on an audio book, I can get a solid hour in before my stomach starts screaming for food.


So, I have breakfast, and at that point, every single day is different. After checking e-mail and various social media sites, I might get right back into the booth, or I’ll have to work on music, like learning new songs or creating set lists for upcoming gigs. However, at noon, I’m always in the booth, doing my weather forecasts. I cut it down from 9 to 5, so they only take about 10 minutes each weekday. When I’m done, I try to stay put and audition for jobs here and there, kind of level-set where I’m at and make sure I’m doing all I can each day.


After that is lunch and then, I may need to rush out to a retirement home. These shows are only an hour, so they’re not too intense but, depending on the day of the week, I may have my open MIC or somewhere else to go right afterwards, so I’m not doing anything voiceover related for the rest of the afternoon or evening.


I’ll get into my evening/nighttime schedule in the next post, and how the big music shows impact what I’m trying to do here. And, I’ve got to thank my wife Tamara for the idea of actually providing my voice for my blog! Pretty cool, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

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