with Erikka J
This week, Anne & Erikka let you in on the secret of genre exploration. Each genre has sub-genres and adjacent genres, but you’ll never know which ones work for you unless you try them out! Examine what kind of work you're drawn to and where your passions lie. That will inform what jobs creatively challenge you vs. ones that make you feel stagnant. Always follow your passions. With a growth mindset, focus on the message you send with each script + a little help from your #VOBOSS hosts, you’ll be on the path to success!
In this episode, Anne & Erikka talk about how they discovered their favorite genres to work in + why you should let the genre find you.
"Balance is letting the genre find you." - Erikka J
About Erikka
DC born, Atlanta based voice actor, singer/songwriter and entertainer Erikka J is known for her rich powerhouse vocals, soulful tenor to soprano range, and commanding stage presence. As a writer, she is dedicated to giving her fans, or "Jewels" as she has named them, meaningful, honest, and relatable lyrics. During her time in Richmond, Virginia a reputation for delivering quality, heartfelt, attention grabbing performances earned her the honor of opening for Grammy-winning recording artist Chrisette Michele. Erikka has headlined events at notable venues such as DC's historic Blues Alley Jazz Club and the Dumfries Summer Concert Series. Though classically trained at DC's Duke Ellington School of the Arts and influenced by vocal staples such as Mary J. Blige and Billie Holiday, Erikka has a deep rooted love for hip-hop that is evident in her delivery. She lives up to her "Natural Born Hustler" mantra with accomplishments such as landing music video placements on BET Soul, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Russell Simmons' All Def Digital YouTube channel, as well as lending her voice over talents to notable clients such as Google, Amazon, Apple News+, and the DC Lottery.
Top 10 Takeaways
Quick-share concepts from today’s episode:
Learn who you are outside of work and let those inform your business choices. #VOBOSS
Interests early in life are good indications of what kind of work or daily tasks you should be incorporating. #VOBOSS
Expose yourself to different genres, even if it feels uncomfortable at first!
Workshops and group classes are a great way to dip your toes into new genres. #VOBOSS
Audition for a wide variety of genres and pay attention to what kind of jobs you get hired for. Those are the ones you flourish in! #VOBOSS
Don’t be complacent. Although change is scary, it is necessary for professional growth. #VOBOSS
Speaking confidently in a genre is what makes you good at your job. #VOBOSS
Explore sub-genres to further find your genre niche. #VOBOSS
Seek out creative challenges. They are fun + push you to be better. #VOBOSS
There is no “voice” for a specific genre. Learning these genres and applying yourself to the work is what helps the genre find you.
"I’ve always followed my passion." - Anne
Referenced in this Episode
Direct links to things we brought up ++
Recorded on ipDTL - get it here >>
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Connect with Erikka J >>
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More from Anne
She's a powerhouse voice talent, producer, and host. Book time with Anne to get your voiceover career in gear or focus on a specific genre. Catch her each week on VO BOSS or register for an event on VOPeeps.com >>
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New voice actors usually are trying to find what niche or genre they should pursue. It's not as obvious these days what genres are open to new talent. Don't worry, Anne's here to help you figure it out...
