IN THEIR OWN WORDS…
We wanted to get impressions from our unprecedented FIVE-PERSON POOL of Voicetrax Idol LA winners, but we had a little something extra up our sleeves this year: Sam’s “Secret Weapon” Seminar was an ADDITIONAL competition for auditioning with an LA agent! And now that the dust has settled on that one, the winners have been kind enough to let us all in on what the whole competition experience was like…
Lara Asmundson (Voicetrax Idol LA):
“In a few words it was terrifying, exciting, challenging and awesome!
The terrifying part was truthfully mostly dealing with my own sense of inner confidence, because I really could not have been better prepared… partly from the years I have spent training with all of you amazing instructors, partly from now being a working voice actor and experiencing what a session is all about, and then the multiple preparation rounds prior to the competition…
The exciting and challenging parts kind of go together. The competition definitely felt like a challenge and I tried to be excited about that rather than nervous. The journey of becoming a voice actor has been a challenge but it has been the most amazing ride I have ever been on! I tried to channel that feeling into the competition and just have fun.
And of course it was awesome because I felt confident and in control AND nervous and managed to come out with some excellent performances, enough to be offered the opportunity to audition for DPN. Can I just say freakin WOW. It was really amazing to listen to Jeff Danis practically gush about ALL of the actors in the competition, it made me feel proud of everyone and all the hard work we have put in to becoming talented voice actors. There are so many of my fellow students and VT friends who have supported and encouraged me on this journey, and I would not be where I am as an actor or a person without them!”
Louisa Mackintosh (Voicetrax Idol LA):
“The coolest thing about my last Idol experience was comparing it to the first, SF Idol last April. Although I had fun at SF and felt I had done my best, the way I experienced my nerves was completely different. At SF I could get the nerves under control enough to hide them from my voice. But they left me sort of not present. I couldn't take in direction really well nor did I have a sense of how a read 'felt'. At LA Idol, I couldn't get my legs to stop shaking but apparently I'd put all the nerves there because I was able to be very present - to hear direction, execute the adjustments and then walk out with a clear sense of how it went/felt. That change over just a few months was very satisfying!
I am also very thankful that both times in my preparation, nerves and all, my goal was to have fun and feel that I'd done my best.” Brenda McNabb (Voicetrax Idol LA): “The VT Idol competition has been truly cathartic for me. It has given me the opportunity to build the confidence necessary to push myself to the next level. Not just in terms of skills development (Idol practice sessions offer so much booth time, excellent direction, and the opportunity to share ideas and receive support from fellow VO artists), but also in regards to better controlling my nerves, seeing myself as a serious voice artist, and competing by focusing on the one thing we truly have control of – being who we are and embracing it.”
Jim McKenzie (Secret Weapon “Flash Idol” LA): “The Idol competition which I (and Leslie Mendenhall) "won" was the "flash" Idol competition that came disguised as the ‘Sam's Secret Weapon’ class. As such, I didn't have much time to think about it...which was probably a good thing, in the end. All of the things that I imagine most Idol contestants experience prior to the event - the anticipation, nerves, butterflies, etc. - were still there; they just had to run their course in 12 hours, rather than over weeks or months. At all three of the Idols in which I've competed, I've felt very honored just to be included among the incredible pool of talent present. I've never expected to "win" at any of them, but it's hard to not get caught up in that mindset at least a little bit. It took considerable effort for me to truly strip away any sense of ‘expectations,’ and once I did, I ended up surprising myself.”
Lesley Mendenhall (Voicetrax Idol LA AND Secret Weapon “Flash Idol” LA!): “Well wow... for LA Idol the main reason I signed up was to redeem myself from last year's finals – truly! My nerves got to me really bad last year, so this year all I wanted to do if I made finals was to be calm and pulled together, and to walk in with confidence and walk out knowing that I put out a competitive audition… and it seems I accomplished what I set out to do! The preps with Jules helped BIG time as did the pre-final session with Pinto; their words of wisdom were in my mind as I walked in for my first read that morning. After the rush of LA Idol I was ready for a nice relaxing weekend class...with SAM! How fun! And naturally flights were delayed and traffic in to Marin from SFO sucked and as I toddled in to class, she was explaining what was REALLY going to happen... I wanted to be calm; I mean, I'd made it all the way thru LA Idol, why be nervous? But I was. I'd taken a class with Vanessa Gilbert and I really really liked her, and naturally, I still wanted to be really really good – and the competition was really really stiff! But Sam's calming matter-of-fact observations found their way into my brain, and it kicked in, just like it's supposed to. The big thrill was finding out that it was the audition from home that clinched it – what a confidence boost! I, however, was NOT prepared when my name was announced... to say I am overwhelmed by what has transpired over the past couple of weeks would easily be the understatement of the millennia. Would not, could not, be here without EVERYone else who has supported and participated along the way – heartfelt love and thanks to all… :)” 10/24/12
