Sunday, December 19, 2010

Think About Who You Know Who Needs You!



Who do you know who needs you? Christmas can be a particularly lonely season for those without family where they live, for those who are unmarried or widowed or need a friend. Invite someone for a holiday lunch, shopping, coffee, dinner. Take them a gift, food perhaps. And remember your special services people such as postman, pharmacist, mailing suite person, hairdresser, manicurist, veterinarian, dentist, doctors, neighbors, teachers, church workers, clergy, office staff or temps who have been particularly loyal or helpful. It's a perfect season to give. Give back. Get and ye shall receive tenfold. Oh yes. Make a list. And the week between Christmas and New Years is always a great time to spread new cheer. I call it "the blank week." That's when people have a let-down after the holiday hubbub and need picking up. Make the holiday a season of giving.

All best to you all
With holiday cheer
Bettye Zoller
http://www.voicesvoices.com

Christmases Past: So Many Memories!




Christmases past...so many of them...from childhood, beloved family, grandma cooking big dinners, thirty or more around the huge dining room mahogany table she set so carefully complete with salt sellers. You don't know what those are? They are little cut glass round salt holders set at each person's place at the table. Good for dipping celery stick, carrot tips, etc. Out of fashion today but so nice to have. Giant bowls of delicious foods. Pies and cakes. She was so amazing. Born 1864 die 1962 when I was in high school. I loved her so much. We all did. She was the matriarch of our family, Sarah Elizabeth Willis Cline. A true American pioneer! You see, my mother was born when she was 45 years old and I was born when my mother was 40. Thus, it's like I skipped a generation. She should have been my great grandmother...but wasn't it lovely. Because my mother was born so much later than her seven brothers and sisters, my aunts and uncles soon passed away too. By the time I was out of college, that huge family was gone except for three or four people. They passed away shortly after. My parents always seemed like my grandparents. They were always the oldest in my class. And I only got to enjoy them until I was in my mid-thirties because they were, by that time, pushing 80. Think about that if you are having children in your 40s.

Moving ahead to later Christmases: I have spent Christmas in New Orleans, Switzerland, Vienna, Germany, the Grand Caymens, Florida, California, Missouri, Kansas, Charleston SC, Texas, Tucson AZ, Sante Fe NM, on a river cruise down the Danube in Europe, on a cruise to Panama, Costa Rica, Mexican ports, Ecuador, Denver CO, Chicago IL, DesMoines IA, Minneapolis MN, Joplin MO (and many other places). My favorite place is at home in Dallas. We're home this year for the first time in five years at Christmas. Had a lovely supper buffet for friends last week. Delightful. With visit from my dear cousin in Nashville, Donna Jones Torsney. Blessings all
It's time to go Christmas shopping for friends' presents. I'm late doing it!

All Joy
Bettye Zoller
www.voicesvoices.com

Start Your Year with My Webinar/Online Course


January 4 is our webinar "Seven Steps to Branding Your Voice Over Business" sponsored by VOICEOVERXTRA. See this for more info and to enroll at the special sale price (start the year off right) of only $34.95) http://conta.cc/BrandingWeb

And January 18 is the first night of our online voice over course for beginners sponsored by Voiceoverxtra. Visit http://conta.cc/VoiceOverBeginners-Earlybird for information and to enroll. It is six nights, mostly one per week. See schedule on this URL site. The course covers all the most important basic areas. If you cannot attend a night, John Florian and VOXTRA email you the podcast of each night afterward anyway so you have not lost out. You will also receive a handout with each class, plus you get to ask questions!

Voice overs are complex and varied and your educating yourself in all the many facets of this profession is a vital task you must do in order to have even a modicum of success! I have always believed that succeeding in voice overs is more a matter of business acumen than it is voice acting prowess. The finest actors in the world are waiting tables. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the point is, why do some actors become millionaires, billionaires, while others can't afford a closet-sized tenement apartment? Business savvy and hard work at building one's career is at the forefront of success in all fields of endeavor!

Hope you'll join us Jan 4 and then for the online course starting Jan 18.
Happy New Year!
Bettye Zoller
"A goal without a deadline is only a dream."
VOICESVOICES LLC

If You Think It--Write It!


Just consider all of the thoughts you have in a single day! In those myriads of thoughts are some gems that you should share by writing about them. Those are perfect subjects for your blog. If you're like me, you sometimes have days when you would like to write a new blog entry but can't think of a topic. Turn to your thoughts. What were they earlier today? Here are some of mind today:
Oh-- thought I'd show you this photo from Luzerne Switzerland and I was standing in front of a building dating from the Bubonic Plague time...placque on wall showed how many died there. Eerie...And that little white dog in the photo-- I didn't crop it out on purpose. Bet that dog's bigger now...or maybe not...hope it's happy.
Going on with my thoughts:
How people are often unthinking, unmannered, thoughtless towards others in daily life. Examples everywhere!
How people often think of voice overs as 'fun' or 'interesting' but don't realize that to succeed as a voice talent takes hard work and usually many years.
Voice training and acting training is a MUST for voice actors. It isn't just 'talking!'
The performing singer...I train singers too and recently have not had the time to do this. I miss it. I believe I should present a singer's workshop in 2011
I'm going in the recording studio to create a new CD singing with my husband's group Jazz Magic. I must schedule rehearsals for us to get ready to record.
What do I want as MY GOALS for 2011--I know most of them internally. Write it down!
My husband and I have a vacation planned for 2011 to somewhere we've not been before and I must research this place more before we go.
Why I love reality TV (my favs!)
Planning my January 16 Dallas workshop for voice over newcomers. Better get started girl!
Why am I nostalgic for the past? I romanticize it. I was not in love with all of it when living it!

So there you have it, dear readers.
Hey--Happy Holidays everybody.
And all blessings in the new year. Thanks for following my blog.
Bettye Zoller
VOICESVOICES LLC