The Importance of Practice in Voice Acting
Voice acting is both an art and a science: blending creativity and emotion with technique and discipline. As a voice actor, you must constantly strive to enhance those skills. Practice is key, but how you practice matters.
While many aspiring voice actors obsess over mimicking famous characters, those jobs are already taken! It’s crucial to not just find your own voice, but understand the difference between practicing and experimenting in voiceover work. If you approach your craft like both an expressive artist and a scientist collecting & processing data, you’ll develop not just skill, but your unique voice as an artist.
How Drummers Approach Practice
I’ve always been fascinated by drumming. My brother, a seasoned drummer, was part of high school and college marching bands, and I often found myself amazed by his talent. One of my favorite YouTube channels, Drumeo, features drummers who listen to a song they’ve never heard before, create their own drum trackin a few takes, and compare it to the original. This is a great parallel to voice acting, as it shows that both musicians and voice actors need to approach their craft with an experimental mindset. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about discovering what works.
Drumeo’s guest drummer, Megadeth’s Dirk Verbeuren, for example, is a drumming virtuoso. His incredible interpretation of songs, even after hearing them only once, is not the result of strict practice but rather years of experimentation and trial and error. How was Dirk able to pull off such a great performance after hearing the song only once? It was through practice—not the type of practice that limits creativity, but practice that allows for freedom and adaptation.
How Voice Actors Approach Practice
For voice actors, it’s pretty much the same. The most successful voice actors are those who experiment with different voices & performances, allowing their natural voice to shine through. How is this different from traditional practice? It’s all about embracing creativity in voice acting rather than merely replicating existing characters.
The Secret to Successful Voice Acting: Experimentation
While “bad" practice can lead to reinforcing poor habits, good practice is more about understanding your voice’s limitations as well as developing your storytelling skills. Successful voice actors focus on experimenting with their own voice rather than replicating characters that are already well-known. By doing so, they create unique, engaging performances that can not only leave an impact, but develop a repeatable process.
When it comes to voiceover auditioning, experimentation is just as important as practicing techniques. Learning how to cold-read a script, adjust your performance based on casting requirements, and deliver an engaging, believable take requires years of experience. But it’s not just about getting it “right” every time (because there is no “right”), it’s about consistently trying new things and improving with each opportunity.
Why Practice Should Include Experimentation
Experimentation allows voice actors to refine their skills while adapting to the needs of different genres, characters, and styles. The more you experiment, the more you’ll learn about your abilities, enabling you to provide fresh and original performances.
Ready to take your voice acting to the next level?
Explore our recommended resources and start experimenting with your craft today! Check out 'Talent is Overrated' by Geoff Colvin to dive deeper into the concepts of deliberate practice and skill development.
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Through VO Strategist, Tom's provided voiceover business & marketing coaching since 2011. He's also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voice over you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, Tom produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.
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