The Voice (Yours): Chatt State offering voice-over class

photo David Bourgeois from Voice Coaches, a New York-based voice development company, will teach "Getting Paid To Talk" Wednesday at Chattanooga State.

IF YOU GOWhat: Getting Paid To Talk class.When: 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5.Where: Chattanooga State Community College, Room 231, Center for Business, Industry and Health Building.Cost: $49, must register.Information: 697-3100.

Have you ever been told you have a radio or television voice? Maybe you've thought it would be fun - and lucrative - to be the voice of a video game or book on tape.

Providing a voice for everything from television and radio commercials to audio books to training films has become an increasingly popular vocation, and Chattanooga State Community College is offering a class called "Getting Paid To Talk."

It is an introductory, one-day-only class - no one will leave there as the next Mel Blanc or Hank Azaria or Don Pardo. It's designed to give people a good knowledge of what jobs are out there, and it might surprise you to learn where those opportunities are.

"When people hear 'voice-over,' most of them think that means commercials," says David Bourgeois, president and founder of Voice Coaches, the New York-based company that will administer the class. "Ninety percent of the voice-over work is noncommercial. In fact, when it comes to narrative voice-over work, 90 percent of the work today is audio books, training tapes and educational games."

The class is designed "as an upbeat, realistic introduction to voice-over for anybody that is in anyway curious about the field," Bourgeois says.

The majority of the class will be spent discussing what opportunities are available and some ways to pursue them, he says. The last part of the session will be spent recording and critiquing students.

"I don't want to imply that anyone will come out of there with a demo tape, but we will offer some simple advice," he says. "This is a great class for anyone remotely curious about the field. We will either talk them into it or talk them out of it. "

Patricia Garner, manager of Continuing Education Personal Interest classes at Chattanooga State, says the course was offered last fall and about 20 took it.

"We have a slogan, 'Come teach with us,' and we ask for ideas and instructors for new and interesting courses," she says. "We try to select things that have a potential for high interest for the community, and this one did."

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

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