72 private coaching sessions.
7 customized workshops.
11 in-studio demo sessions.
3 re-branded personal demo reels.
Hundreds of self-taped auditions for commercials, audiobooks, animated series, features and television.
Daily vocal warmups, in the likely event of last-minute recording requests.
A humble home recording studio closet upgrade.
There’s something about the last weeks of the year that often feel like tax time – having the time to reflect on how the professional year played out.
As a coach in 2021, I felt grateful to continue helping so many clients navigate the surreal and often lonely experience of self-directing their voice auditions without the luxury of collaboration. I encouraged experienced actors, university students and private clients to bring their authentic voices and choices to their work with confidence.
As a voice director, I savoured every precious hour spent in-studio with gifted recording engineer Andrew McCready and our demo reel clients, under the strictest of safety guidelines. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the immediacy and magic of creative collaboration. All of our clients at Toast + Jam did stellar work and I am so excited for the possibilities that await them.
As an actor, I was lucky to voice a fascinating variety of projects, including a few radio commercials and New Media narration gigs, the empowering memoir The Moment by Andrea Constand, and one by my late mother Allie Jean Hodder called Judy and Me. I even had the first-time opportunity to provide my voice for a digital production by a deaf theatre company, to make it accessible to hearing audiences.
Another highlight of this past year has been taking a weekly acting class through AMAW Toronto – both online and in person. The work is about embracing our imperfections and surrendering to our authenticity – in all of its messiness, beauty and raw vulnerability. The biggest takeaway came to me in our final class in mid-December, when our Instructor Meredith McGeachie reminded us that our art doesn’t just happen when we’re at the booking in studio, on stage or on set. It’s fully alive in us during every part of the process.
This time to reflect has reminded me to trust that when I take care of myself and my creative heart first, the rest always seems to sort itself out.
The business year ended with an unexpected surprise - an offer for a theatre contract in the summer of 2022 – something that feels radically hopeful. The thought of being in front of a live audience again makes me well up and smile so broadly that my cheeks hurt. I dared myself to dream that this project will happen safely and signed that contract the same day I received it.
Here’s to radical dreaming.
Here’s to keeping ourselves and each other safe and healthy so we can keep creating perfectly imperfect things.
And here’s to looking forward with only hope