The Voice

I can do voices. You know, like talk in different accents and dialects. I always thought it was funny and weird that I could imitate different voices, and I actually like to do it. I'm the type of person who goes to visit New York City, and comes back to Cleveland saying, "Yo, what's good son?" I'll come home from Texas or Mississippi with a southern drawl. Yep, I'm weird like that. 

Strange and weird things can also be gifts and talents. I took acting the classes at the world famous Karamu House before moving to Los Angeles. My acting coach would always tell me that I was naturally talented, but I needed to let go of the fear of looking stupid. I would hold back during some readings or exercises because I didn't want to say silly words or move in goofy ways. Being reserved is not a good quality to have when you're on stage trying to become someone else.

I've held on to that advice for years, and at a recent audition I put myself out there with no shame. The audition was for voice narration on an audio book. An author was looking for two women to read the voices of the characters in his book Jackie's Miracle. The character I was auditioning my voice for is Mandi, a 30 something African-American probation officer with roots in Mississippi. 

The biggest challenge was perfecting a southern accent. Not just a "southern" accent, but a Mississippi dialect. Each region of every state has a specific dialect. Each state pronounces certain words differently. People from Louisiana speak much differently than people from the Carolinas. People from Georgia don't speak exactly the same as people from Texas. Therefore, as I sit in the room for the audition, I whipped out my cell phone, went to YouTube, and began to search.

I searched for "Speaking with a Mississippi Accent." A tutorial on WikiHow popped up and I clicked it. The audition was held at the Addison Branch Library and the library director was sitting right across from me. I was about to start rehearsing, when immediately I felt embarrassed and nervous. I didn't want the lady thinking I was nuts. So I kept quiet for a moment.

I took a deep breath, and reminded myself of the opportunity in front of me. I had never done anything like this before. This could open many more doors and lead to even more opportunities. I thought about my acting classes. I closed my eyes and said, "Miss, I'm about to do something weird, please don't think I'm crazy but I have to rehearse in a Mississippi accent." She looked at me and laughed, encouraging me to proceed.

I pressed play on my cell phone and started copying the instructor's accent out loud. At first, I felt strange, but after a few words I loosened up. Once I got the accent down, it was time to read for the author. As I read, I tried glancing at the author to try to also read his facial expressions and body language. I couldn't because he had his head down and his hands clasped. I read a few pages of dialogue with the narrator and things flowed smoothly. I may have made one or two errors, but I thought it was fine. Right after the last letter of the last word I read out of the book, the author looked me dead in the eyes and said, "You're hired." 

He said that my voice was perfect and it couldn't have been better. In an email he sent me after the audition, he said that I my performance was "bad ass" and that I was truly talented. 

The more I mature, the more I improve on every level. I never thought I had a talented voice, probably because I can't sing and I don't have a deep voice. Once my father told me that he could hear my voice changing as I experienced more things in life. Maybe there was some truth to that. 

I also do the announcements at work over the paging system. I kid you not, I get at least 3 compliments every shift about how professional and pleasant my voice sounds. A few people even suggested that I do radio because I have a great voice for it.

Anywho, by getting out of my comfort zone, following advice, doing research and being myself, I landed a paid speaking gig. I was granted this big opportunity for being weird. 

In conclusion, don't be afraid to be you. Your awkwardness may be more rewarding than you think!