Certified Voice Artist Program WEEK 1: The Journey to Being a Voicemaster


There’s always a good story behind every obtained dream. For someone like Pocholo De Leon Gonzales, it was a quick line from a small role in a radio drama that went, "Lisanin na natin ang dagat na ito!" Although spoken faster than the speed of light, it jumpstarted his career as a voice artist. That very line played a big role in his journey to becoming the person we now know. The Voicemaster of the Philippines, one who's long made a name for himself in the voice entertainment industry.
 
Unlike what people always assume, success stories like Pocholo’s don’t come easy. The prestige, brought about by his achievements, only came in years after overcoming a string of rejections.
 
That and his humble beginnings he personally detailed on the very first day of the Certified Voice Artist Program-Batch 1.
 
Everybody starts somewhere
 
Whether it’s a support role or a one-liner, an opportunity is an opportunity. There’s no denying that when Pocholo was only starting out, he grabbed every project he could - even those with the smallest roles. Always going to auditions and volunteering, he didn’t mind not getting anything when he started. What mattered to him was his growth - which meant taking the good, leaving the bad, and always striving to become better than his last performance.
 
In the workshop, the Voicemaster emphasized the need for us to actually take the first step. This statement could not have been any clearer. No matter how scary it looks to put ourselves out there, we have to make the first move.
 
As a voice coach and director, Pocholo knows the inner demons of those aspiring voice artists he mentored. Most of them are overcome by fear, insecurity, and doubt. But it's refreshing to realize that the only way to overcome the challenges is to first overcome ourselves.
 
Where hard work can take you
 
The Voicemaster also reminded us that talent is not everything. One may have a great voice with perfect pronunciation and enunciation but without hard work? It's nothing. Voice acting is not just about reading out loud. It requires practice, persistence, and consistency.
 
Moreover, no one is required to fit a specific mold to be a successful voice artist. The stereotypical description we know doesn't have the same value as it used to. Talent may be one big key that will take us closer to the kind of voice artists we see ourselves to be, but the industry is more than that.
 
At the end of the day, we are reminded that it all boils down to how much hard work we put into our craft.
 
The power of building each other up
 
In the workshop, Pocholo also highlighted that the voice industry is very competitive. Yet, for him, there's only room for all of us to help each other.
 
As he narrated, the Voicemaster had a fair share of moments where he felt he didn't have enough support when he was still starting out. This is why he specifically designed the Certified Voice Artist Program to allow its participants to get to know as many people. Without the physical interactions, the workshop would have felt a little inadequate, a little too limiting. But, through the Breakout Room sessions, the Voicemaster, together with his core team, made sure to give its participants ample time to make new connections.
 
By learning to connect with other people first, Pocholo is confident the industry will be a much happier place to be in.

 
The Certified Voice Artist Program or CVAP is a 4-day comprehensive online workshop on voiceover and voice acting. It’s like VoiceWorx and Voice Act Now combined, and is held for 4 consecutive Saturdays starting June 20, 2020. It’s one of Pocholo De Leon Gonzales’ ways of planting seeds for the future of CreatiVoices Productions and the whole of the voice entertainment industry.

3 Comments

  1. When would be the opening for the next batch of Certified Voice Acting Program, Sir Pocholo?

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  2. Hello, we already started accepting new students a few days ago :) Kindly follow Creativoices Productions FB Group. There's a special offer for the first 20 participants! Good luck!

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