Most helpful tips/tricks when starting out?

[CeruleanAsh]

So... As technically a beginning amateur in Voice Acting I am curious to know:


When you first started out what was the thing that stood out as most helpful toward advancing your abilities and skills as a voice actor? Was it... Scales? Acting classes? Finding a voice coach? Gargling salt water? x_x


I'm finding a pattern of walking in circles as I try to advance myself and I feel a good dose of conversation with other VA's might be a sort of cure. So come now, share with me your beginning secrets and stories. There may be juice and cookies...

[DanielTCGuitarist]

Well, I've just started on this site, however, I think that studying Opera has given me a bit of a running start, as I know the mechanics of how the voice works, and when speaking, you are really just hitting different pitches, and the singing lessons have helped me put power into my range all over, and, more importantly, as the Bel Canto technique is seen as the 'correct' way to sing, you grow to understand what will wreck your voice, and what you're safe to do, and it'll let you do extreme things in a safer way. When I was thirteen, I actually wrecked my voice completely singing in a Black Metal band, so, recently, when I had to really do a high pitch screech for an audition, I was a bit scared, as the same thing had ruined my voice years before, however, by putting the correct technique into place, I could do many takes in a row, and I didn't harm my voice, so, I'd recommend some kind of formal training.