Voicetrax—how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
For the opportunity to meet
and learn from so many uniquely talented persons,
For so often boosting my flagging spirits (and confidence)
and keeping me focused on my dream,
For providing the antidote to all those naysayers who thought I was a tad too "long in the tooth" for such aspirations,
For cheering me on to "victory" (i.e., an agent and bookings!),
For the joy you have brought to my life—and for helping to make my "golden years" truly golden.
Thank you
- Katharine Turner

The Voicetrax Renewal
of Martine B. Larsen
    It was September 1937 and the end of a summer vacation in San Francisco. The highlight of the trip was a picnic in Marin. At age seven that was my delight. What I didn't pick up on was that motoring across the just-completed Golden Gate Bridge was the main event.
    Back in Los Angeles were all my friends—dogs, bears, dolls (even a fancy one kept in a glass case). All left behind to go to the second grade? Oh no! Surprise! LA Juvenile Hall behind bars for two months (as vivid as ever in my mind). Planning my escape over the fence. Hop the train. Find my daddy. Conclusion—in those days fathers never won custody and that is the crime.
    From then on I resumed life as an adult, including many adventures—living in Las Vegas, on a Arizona cattle ranch, UCLA.     
As a mature adult I worked as an accountant in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and back to cool San Francisco.
    During the early years (no TV, only radio) there was always that positive upbeat radio voice,"THIS IS MARTIN BLOCK COMING TO YOU FROM…NEW YORK CITY." You knew from his voice, all was well. 
    The years washed away until retirement age in 1995. Around the corner was Samantha Paris of VOICETRAX. 
    She stripped away the adult maturity. She returned me to the happy days—pre-juvenile hall—and back to a carefree state of mind. She introduced me to the source of and the magic of the voice, mine and others. She opened the door to a different kind-hearted world and to many of her talented friends.
    The business world caught me up again and took me away from her world. But I am not the same partial me as I was before. I am back to being ALL OF ME!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! SAMANTHA, et al
-Martine B. Larsen 

SAMANTHA'S PERFECT MARTINI
To a Voicetrax studio add:
One amazing teacher
A bunch of quirky students
(the quirkier the better)
Some copy (preferably BAD copy
A helpful studio engineer
Mix in motivation, energy, passion and shake, shake, shake
Serve in chilled sippy cups..house rules forbid spills
ENJOY
Warning.....contents are habit-forming, extremely potent and life-changing.
You will soon be seeing "Dots."
- Allison Finney

Found
To reclaim my imagination
To regain the strength of my perception
I found here,

To create a family
To establish strength in support
I found here,

To find myself
To discover the strength within
I found here,

To realize my voice
To uncover my strength of expression
I found here.
-Erin Shand

    Once upon a time Samantha and her magnificent voice found her way to the desert. She turned on her radio, and ACKKK! These people need to learn how to talk on the radio!!!
    So VOICETRAX DESERT CITIES was born. And there she was…in a little room down by the River, and come they did—from all over California and points beyond, eager to learn the ways of voiceover through Samantha, and her many friends.
    Alas, all good things seem to end far too soon, and heeding the call of the North, Samantha returned to her home. But not without leaving some of her special talent and wisdom with each one of us.
    We could watch her as she would build each one of us from a fragile seedling to a flower in bloom. Samantha, I learned so much from you. Never again will say "INTERDUCE". Nor will I bat an eye when I read a script about how well feminine pads fit between my legs.
Love
-Judy Pruitt

A long time ago in a city not far away
An idea was created for a great place to play
Sausalito is the city and Voicetrax is the name
All kinds of voiceover fun is their game
A plethora of classes from which to choose
From beginning to advanced students cannot lose
For simply acting and on camera Coppola is the man
Symons’ narration boot camp has many a fan
Audiobooks with Baney is always a fun read
Pinto’s colors and prototypes are coveted with greed
You can be a character with Sommer, Songé, Lott and Ms. Rose
But Samantha Paris is the expert in that - everyone knows
The office runs pretty well with CK’s loyal assistance
And our beloved Johnnie is still with us from a distance
Some folks may call Ms. Shirley a little bit sassy
She’s mom, a great friend, so funny and really quite classy
Can’t forget the engineers who help keep the classes running
Spending their nights and weekends inside instead of out sunning
Take a class with students or a private lesson if you can’t wait
They’ll be more next semester if you registered too late
This is the place to risk and fail terribly you may
Focus and hard work might bring you success someday
With a minute or demo completed an agent you could land
A wealth of jobs you’ll take, as many as you can stand
Sirenetta may call you to audition if you're voice is right
Just don't beat yourself up on the drive home that night
A most fulfilling journey of voiceover training you’ll take
Many acquaintances and lifelong friends you’re sure to make
Our Voicetrax family has come and gone in the past
It’s truly amazing how 20 years have gone by so fast
With the support of all its teachers and students so vast
In our hearts and souls, Voicetrax is a place that will continue to last!
-Jessica Cacioppo
 

Here’s a little story, which contains lines from GRAMMY AWARD™-nominated songs for 2007. To give credit where credit is due—and avoid plagiarism—those lines are printed in CAPITAL LETTERS. Have fun identifying the songs. You might even sing those lines if you can!

ONE VOICETRAX JOURNEY     
    Once upon a time, an eager voiceover wannabe named Mary Jo Ip walked into Voicetrax and announced, "I want to be a voice actor. DOES THAT MAKE ME CRAZY?" 
    "Not at all. We want to be voice actors too," chimed in the others who were present. 
    Mary Jo took a class with Thom Pinto. She could tell he was into music and psychology, because he told his students to "GO PUT YOUR RECORDS ON, TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE SONG. YOU GO AHEAD, LET YOUR HAIR DOWN. SAPPHIRE AND FADED JEANS, I HOPE YOU GET YOUR DREAMS." 
    Samantha Paris peeked her head in the door and assured everyone, "YOU'RE GONNA FIND YOURSELF SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW."
I don't want to be WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE before I reach my dreams, thought Mary Jo. I'm going to do what it takes. 
    Mary Jo experienced many highs and lows during her classes at Voicetrax. Sometimes she had to throw her hands in the air and say, "JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL...GIVE ME ONE MORE CHANCE." These low times when you KICK UP THE LEAVES AND THE MAGIC IS LOST made the good days all the more exhilarating. This must be what drugs are like, she thought on those good days. 
    Mary Jo encountered encouragement to be herself everywhere. She was told often, "NO ONE ELSE CAN SPEAK THE WORDS ON YOUR LIPS." 
    Some of her teachers, such as Frank Coppola, Anna Matthias, and Cynthia "Talk with your Hands" Songe, focused mainly on acting. These acting teachers made Mary Jo realize:
"WELL MY HEART KNOWS ME BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF, SO I'M GONNA LET IT DO ALL THE TALKING." 
    Well, that's the goal anyway. They keep saying not to think. "Where's the key to turn off the brain?" Mary Jo wondered. The key to the Voicetrax bathroom is much easier to find. (It's hanging under the counter!) 
    Has Mary Jo learned many things about herself on top of the things she has learned about voiceover work? Has she benefited from her journey at Voicetrax? The answer is a resounding yes, and for that reason she says, 'I'm gonna STICKWITYOU."
THE END
-Mary Jo Ip