August 31, 2020

We are back to the OLD normal here!

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Schools are back. Shops are back. Restaurants are back. I am back to the OLD normal!  

Well..... to be honest, I never adopted the NEW normal as, thankfully, work and most parts of my life have continued exactly the same as before the pandemic. 

I always take August off work so that I can be with my kids and do holiday things, which this year meant a Glamping trip to Suffolk and lots of time with friends, enjoying the British summer.  

I am back into the booth again now that September is here and I have fresh audiobook titles to record and some e-learning contracts to keep me busy.  I am keenly aware that life has not been normal for a lot of people and for those who have had to deal with adverse issues, I really hope we can all crack on and pick up where we left off in March.  

So, let's be optimistic and celebrate the return to schools for our children's sake as well as our own, and get our heads down and get busy again.  Studios are back up and running and clients are eager for audio. 

We've got this! Happy autumn and happy OLD normal.

July 07, 2020

It's now July and we are coming out of lockdown in the UK.  I hope you have not suffered during the COVID outbreak.  For me its been business as usual and I've worked full time throughout the lockdown, which has been difficult at times due to the additional burden of home schooling and trying to ration food and toilet roll, at the beginning.  

A couple of years ago I invested in my StudioBricks VO edition sound booth and that has meant that I have been able to work from my professional home studio in the full knowledge that the quality of my audio is top notch!

So far this year I have competed ten titles, which has meant I've been recording back to back audiobooks, ranging from  non fiction, Leadership academic books, to Pixie crime adventures in New Zealand. So the variety has been great! 

One of the things I love most about recording audiobooks is the range and variety of titles I record, often books that I wouldn't ordinarily pluck from a bookshelf for my own reading. I am currently recording another 'Leadership" strategy non fiction title and, not for the first time, I'm reminded why I'm not leading a global blue chip company! lol. I'm perfectly happy leading myself and my faithful hound who works with my.  

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One move I have made during lockdown is that I have ditched almost all Social Media.  It's a move that has been on my mind for the last few years.  It's such a shame, but because 'Identity politics' is such a virus right now and shows no signs of stalling, I have found Facebook and certainly Twitter to be a highly toxic environment and absolutely not conducive to networking and growing business relationships.  

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I am now using Instagram as my sole social media platform and I hope to see you there.  gabriellevoices_audiobooks

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It was such a shame that APAC was cancelled this year as a result of COVID but hopefully I will be off to NYC next year instead.  

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I am looking forward to the second half of 2020 to be as busy and fruitful as the first half, albeit less socially restricted and I really hope to keep in contact with you via updates from my website and Instagram.  

If you would like to work with me then please contact me and let's talk. 

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January 01, 2020

Yesterday one of my the audiobook publishers that I work for emailed me to let me know that I had a review in Audiofile Magazine. Audiofile is THE industry reviewer and to get reviews and awards from them is a good thing indeed.  

Here's a snippet from the review.

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"Baker is a skilled narrator, differentiating character voices cleanly and clearly and smoothly weaving French words and names into the English narration. The listener will be eagerly pulled along as this fast-paced adventure unfolds with Anouk and the other Beasties racing against the clock and a magical world that denies their power. H.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2019]

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Grim Lovelies is available on Audible and is a fantastic book.  I really hope I get to narrate the sequel and I'm desperate to know what happens next for the characters!

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January 01, 2020

...and then it was 2019 all of a sudden!

Wowzers, is it me or did that year just fly by?  It has been a fabulous year for me, with a 100% flat out schedule, investment in a new recording booth and tripling on what has become my niche genre... Audiobooks.

I've booked my place at the APA conference in New York in May, and this time I'll be travelling  with my husband and two children, who wouldn't let me go without them! So I'll be in full tourist mode whilst we are there and cannot wait to see more of the sights and sounds of this great city.

I'm determined to work on my brand more this year, by dedicating time to working on my website and my Instagram feed, which is my main Gabrielle Voices social media account.

If there is anything that you'd like to see more.... or less of on my website, please let me know.  I'm toying with the idea of creating a page where I list and give brief reviews of the audiobooks that I listen to for pleasure.  I always have a good listen on the go and I can't help but share them when I find something impacting and empowering. Watch this space...

December 07, 2018

I literally cannot believe hoW quickly this year has gone by!  It's probably a sign of age.. but it's also because I've had my most productive year yet, with back to back audiobooks and corporate work in between too.  

I invested in a super funky Studiobricks VO edition booth this summer, which has transformed my productivity and output.  It means that I can work in any conditions and as of yet absolutely no outside noise has penetrated into my little world. This has not only increased my output, but decreased my stress levels, which can get a bit high if something unexpected kicks off in the neighbourhood.

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I've just updated my professional head shots too, as it's been three years since I got my last lot done, and I've changed my look quite a lot since then.  I hope you like them... we had fun on the shoot.

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It's been back to back books for me over the last couple of months, which has given me a fantastic start to 2018!  As a narrator for Tantor media I have the opportunity to record some really interesting books, some are good old fashioned romances and others are based on real historical figures.  I've also been catching up with award winning author Grace Draven and talking about the next in her Wraith Kings series, which we'll be bringing into audio format this year.  I was very fortunate to connect with Grace a few years ago when she found me via the ACX platform and asked me to narrate for her.  I can't wait for The Ippos King to land in my inbox so I can start prepping it, and I know that her army of fans are as eager to hear the audiobook as they are to read the actual novel itself.  Watch this space!

Corporate wise I've been providing VO for BNP Paribas and also am also in discussions with a large British telecoms provider about handling all their telephony voice over needs for them and their clients. 

As always I'm working around my family life and the recent snow we had in the UK, which meant my kids were off school for a whole week... was a fantastic reminder that a home studio, flexible working hours and international timezones make what I do possible.  That I was able to keep working and also enjoy the snow with my kids was another tick in the box for Voice acting and freelancing.  

Don't forget to connect with me on social media and type my name into the audible search box to keep up to date with all my new book releases.

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Well, here it is... a new year and a new look website.  I've spent the holidays updating the look of my site in order to keep it fresh and relevant.  I hope you enjoy the new look and find all the information you need.  

I'm aiming to really grow my business this year and triple down on the aspects of my work that bring me the most joy.  Working with like minded clients is certainly one of those things that makes me happy.  I'm lucky to already have  some incredible creative partnerships and I'm looking forward to making new connections too.

If you have yet to work with me or if you you are one of my regular clients, get in touch and let me know how I can be of service to you.

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Training and workshops are an integral part of voice acting.

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There is always so much value in attending workshops and training courses, even if you've been doing what you do for years and years, the industry is always evolving and there is always more to learn and inspiring people to learn from. I am still a relative new comer in the industry so for me its even more valuable.

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This year I have added ADR to my skillset with a training day at the world famous Warner Brothers studios in London. ADR, which stands for Automatic Dialogue Replacement, is the hidden gem of movies and television.  Without the work of ADR actors and producers not a single blockbuster would make it to the screens.  For details about the course I attended hit this link: www.louiselmanassociates.com

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I have also spent two full days at an Audiobook workshop with two of the industries finest narrators, who popped over form New York and Oklahoma!  Sean Pratt and Johnny Heller are truly experts in their fields and not only do they coach, but they also continue to maintain a very busy narrating schedule.  In partnership with The Voice Over Network we spent a day concentrating on Fiction with Johnny and a day of Non-Fiction with Sean.  Fiction is my happy place so a day of Non-fiction was really beneficial for me.  

What happens at an 'Audiobook Workshop?'...well its two days of actor training with the focus on how to make choices about characters, how to self direct, how to manage your workflow, how to bring nonfiction off the page and entertain and educate the listener.  We listen, watch, learn and get up and act. 

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People in other industries may wonder why an actor keeps going to class, once you've tapped into that part of your creativity isn't that it?  Well no, and it is always essential to keep training, learning and evolving.  It's also a brilliant way to spend time with other members of your career tribe and do some bonding and sharing.

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I was due to attend a two day workshop on Video Games with Dave Fennoy, but due to ill health (a total lack of voice), that is postponed till 2018 for me.  But I can't wait to do that!!

I'm so excited to let you all know that Nothing to Lose is now live on Audible and already flying off the virtual shelf.  I has been a joy to work with Clare Lydon on this project and as an award winning British author I know this will be a huge success.  

A lesbian romance that will warm your heart as two women fall in love and discover a true happiness, which they thought they'd never find.

If you want to check out any of Clare's books or her blogs and bookclub news, hit this link.