For the past 15 years, the VoiceWorx workshop has remained the top voice acting course in the country, producing more than 2,000 graduates in the process. In fact, some of the voices behind the famous commercials of the most popular brands today are VoiceWorx graduates. Moreover, several graduates have also gone on to become popular radio DJs, such as Rico Panyero (Richard Sarmiento) of YES FM 101.1 and DJ Lala Banderas (Marian Laurice Mempin) of Love Radio.
It is heartwarming to look back and see that all of this started with a mere dream. Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales had a rough time when he was starting out in the voice acting industry. He could not find any mentor that was willing to help him get started. No one wanted to help out newbies like him and he soon found out that this industry was a dog-eat-dog world. Because of this, Pocholo dreamt of establishing his own voice acting school, so that aspiring voice artists could find a home where they could be nurtured and receive the guidance that they need to break into the voice acting industry.
And so Pocholo, established the Philippine Center for Voice Acting (PCVA), along with CreatiVoices Productions in 2005. The PCVA is the first and only voice acting school in the country. While Pocholo went on to become a much sought-after voice director and motivational speaker for more than 20 years, he remained steadfast in his commitment to helping out newcomers get a headstart in the voice acting industry. This is why he and his team have successfully conducted VoiceWorx, an intensive workshop covering voice acting, voice-over, and dubbing for 15 years. The school had 50 batches and is proud to have seen several of its graduates make their respective marks in the industry.
Pocholo is now focusing more of his time to mentoring newcomers and letting his students maximize their potential. He established the Voice Acting Academy Philippines early this year and launched Voice Act Now, the enhanced version of the VoiceWorx workshops. The Academy has now shifted to an online platform as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it has already conducted and launched more than 10 online radio programs and webinars since April 2020. Of course, there is no better mentor to guide both aspiring and experienced voice artists in the industry than The VoiceMaster himself, Pocholo de Leon Gonzales.
Voice acting has become synonymous with the name Pocholo de Leon Gonzales. You only need to Google his name to see that he is a titan in the voice acting industry. He has been a much sought-after voice director, trainer, and motivational speaker for more than 20 years now. However, his qualifications as a mentor go beyond these accomplishments, and that’s what sets him apart from the rest in the industry.
Pocholo is also the author of the bestselling book, “Gusto Kong Maging Voice Talent”, which provides a roadmap for aspiring voice artists to guide them in establishing a successful career in the voice acting industry. This book was awarded as the “Best Book on Professions” during the 36th National Book Awards, and organized by the National Book Development Board and Manila Critics Circle. This is the first book written about voice acting in the Philippines.
“Gusto Kong Maging Voice Talent” is Pocholo’s second book. His first is “Voice Care for Teachers”, which is the written form of his popular workshop for teachers. Both the book and the workshop aim to provide teachers with tools and techniques that will help them use their voices more effectively and efficiently in their classes. Moreover, it provides modern-day teaching strategies that will help them have better engagement with their students, as well as practical tips and routines on how to care for and maintain their voice. Pocholo also contributed a chapter about dubbing and localization in James Alburger’s book, “The Art of Voice Acting, considered to be the Bible for voice acting worldwide. This was published in March 2019.
POCHOLO RECEIVES BEST BOOK ON PROFESSIONS AWARD AT THE 36TH NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS IN THE PHILIPPINES
More than his skills and experience as a voice artist, what makes Pocholo even more special is his heart. He made a commitment right from the start that he would make his voice an instrument to inspire people to live to their maximum potential, and this he did. That’s why he organized the Voice of the Youth Network (VOTY), an advocacy organization whose main goal is to educate, inspire, involve, and empower the Filipino youth through information and communications technology (ICT).
For this, Pocholo received the 2nd YouthActionNet Award from the International Youth Foundation in Washington D.C. in 2003, and the Global Youth Action Award from the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) in New York City in 2004. Perhaps in recognition of these efforts, he was the only Asian panelist to have been invited during the 2012 VoiceOver International Creative Experience (VOICE) Convention held in Anaheim, California.
This is the kind of mentor that will be handling the Certified Voice Artist Program (CVAP), an online program that aims to provide both new and experienced voice artists alike with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that would give them a headstart in the voice acting industry. From the regular price of Php10,000, the course is currently being offered at only Php5,000 (that’s 50% off!) as The VoiceMaster wants to reach out to as many people as possible. The program for the first batch will be held on June 20, June 27, July 4, and July 11.
Unlike previous workshops where he shared the stage with other mentors, Pocholo will be handling this course EXCLUSIVELY. That’s 24 hours of mentoring and coaching time directly from The VoiceMaster himself!
If you want to be part of the pioneering batch of this program, send a message to nikie@creativoices.com now and they will provide you with details on how to confirm your slot.
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