Voice Trainers make people listen!
The Lowdown
Voice trainers try and bring out the best in a person's voice. They teach one how to intonate, energise the voice and give it an expression. A voice trainer teaches aspiring voice artistes how to interpret copy (script) and modulate their voice according to a given situation (sad, joyous, excited) 
location, etc. In a call centre, a voice trainer trains students in US or British accents and eliminates regional accents.
Clockwork
12 pm to 2 pm: Hold sessions with students
2.15 pm: Lunch
3 pm onwards: Work on script translations, dubbing and recording freelance voiceover assignments
The Payoff
On an average a voice trainer charges about Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 for a six-week course.
Skills/Traits
- Experience as a voice artiste
- Command over the language
- Knowledge of grammar
- Good communication skills
- Ability to change training content as per student's requirements
Getting There
There are no specific educational qualifications required to be a voice trainer. A basic graduate with good command over a language with a clear accent and sufficient experience in the field can become a successful trainer. A degree in linguistics is beneficial and can help one go higher up in the profession.
Institutes
Indian
- Manohar Mahajan course in Voice Training, Mumbai
- Nimble Foundation, Mumbai
- Peach Communications, New Delhi
- Indian Voice Training Centre, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Bangalore
- InSync Studios, Conducted by Nandoo Bhende, Mumbai
International
- Words in Action, UK
- Presenter Promotions, UK
- Estill Voice Training, Pittsburgh, USA
- Voicetrax, San Francisco
Pros and Cons
- It's a great feeling nurturing new talent and passing on the knowledge one has gained after so many decades in the profession
- Freelance options are easily available
- There aren't any cons when you are in a career you really love
Source: HT Horizons
Date: 26th April 2011
