Life sure has has strange twists. Recently I've hooked up with a voice-agent here in town. I've done commercials and voice acting for, gee, almost 30 years, though I'm not that old.
A new agent in a new town is a challenge. Now, especially for newbies like me, almost everything is done by audition. And you no longer are local. Everyone everywhere is local. The pool is full of really big fish. MP3s flash auditions from anyone anywhere, to anywhere else. You need an agent just to get to do the auditions, let alone the jobs.
So it was wonderful that I got my first Austin "gig" - though it was for a program that helps teach Asians to speak English, is produced by a group in Hawaii, and from there goes 'round the globe.' What would THEY know about a good performance? But work is work. And I wanted to impress.
Wouldn't you know it? (1)
I had a doctor's appointment to look at my voice box and she stuck a tube up my nose and down my throat. This shot my voice for days... which eventually included the session.
After a few days, as the session loomed, I called my agent to warn her I was croaking/squeaking like Alfalfa in the Our Gang black and white movies from before civilization. She said it was too late to rebook... just do the best you can.
Which was embarassing.
Wouldn't you know it? (2)
And in front of about 8 other VERY good voice actors working on the project.
The doc found that my stomach acid has been creeping up and frying my throat while I sleep. Refusing to have my head cut off, or a tap put in, I opted for meds, and we'll see what they do. I can't tell yet, because it's a slower heal, and I have to get over the laryngoscope invasion first. Should be fine though.
Well, I now understand what it's like to believe you'll never work again. It afflicts some very welll known actors, they say.
Afflicted, conflicted and restricted, that's me.
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