INSIDE VOICE BLOG — TRACEY HOYT

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

This morning I woke up to a congratulatory message through Linked In and discovered that my voice-over coaching and directing business officially turned fourteen years old this month.

In letting that fact sink in, I recalled the year leading up to my very first workshop, made possible by the incredible support of Pirate Toronto, where I led the voice-over training and demo reel program for nine wonderful years.

Thanks to the generous mentorship of Terry O’Reilly, brilliant administrator Justice Darragh, recording engineer Spencer Hall, the support staff and studio coordinators at Pirate, this led to the enriching experience of working extensively with engineers Brian Bernard, Ian Boddy and Kyle Anderson.

I then had the pleasure of working beside Jim Davidson at Davidson Recording Studio before eventually landing at Toast + Jam, where recoding/editing/mixing master Andrew McCready and I have been collaborating since early 2017. I have known Thomas Neuspiel, who runs Toast + Jam, for most of my voice-over career, and I am grateful for his ongoing support throughout the Pandemic, as we all navigate how to keep doing our work creatively and safely.

Recording engineers have given me such a profound respect for sound, music, instrumentation, tempo, timing and the power of silence. These have been some of the best and most unexpected gifts I have received as a voice director.

My training as a voice artist began when I graduated from theatre school. I have been profoundly and positively affected by the instructors, casting directors, voice directors, actors and engineers I have worked with and learned from, since 1987.

My voice agent and mentor of over thirty years, Sandi Sloan, continues to be a significant guide for me, even though she has now retired from the voice-over industry. In addition to Sandi and my Pirate Toronto mentor Terry O’Reilly, so many other names come to mind as I think back on my years working in voice: Rick Palidwor, Linda Grierson, Marice Tobias, Dan Hennessey, Jody Colero, Donna McCarthy, Chris Tait, Tom Goudie, Tom Eymundson, Vanya Drakul, Drew Frohman, Jessi Petta, Angela Bottis, Callie O’Reilly, Joanne Boreham, Jessie Thomson, Susan Hart, Kim Hurdon, Karen Goora, Sherry Dayton, Michael Walters, Craig Mason, Darryl Hogan, Merle-Anne Ridley, Zach Anderson, Julie Lafontaine and Roberta Romano. These people continue to influence and stretch me to this day, thanks to their encouraging and collaborative spirits and their passion for what they do so very well.

Don’t get me started on my students, clients and peers - I know have learned the most from them, with each insightful question and creative challenge. I have worked with such exceptionally talented and curious people: from stage to film and TV actors; copywriters to producers; news reporters to sports personalities; models to stunt performers; public speakers to political candidates; spoken word artists to opera singers. Each one of these gifted souls have inspired me to get better – each and every time I enter the booth or a coaching session.

It goes without saying that without the unwavering support of close friends, family and my dear husband Rob, none of this would have been possible.

I’m not sure about you, but over this past surreal year, my concept of time has changed in so many ways. One of my favourite things about being a voice artist, coach and director is that when we enter the recording booth, time changes and the outside world magically goes away. All that matters is the story we are trying to share, in that moment. In that second.

I have never felt so grateful to do what I do.

With heartfelt thanks for helping me get here.

Tracey