music

Voice Acting and Songwriting – All About Discourse, by Alisa Amador

July 27, 2018 by Alisa Amador

Musician and voice actor Alisa Amador — She’s joined the family biz full-time!

I have a confession to make. I am 22 years old and just graduated from Bates College, but it wasn’t until last week that I completed my driver’s ed certification. (Which made it all the more comical when we all got hired for voice acting in English and Spanish radio ads for the Massachusetts Registry of motor vehicles by MORE Advertising. I played the beginning driver and my dad played the slightly nervous father. It didn’t require much acting on either part, LOL, but I digress.) I passed my license exam a year ago, but then had to go back to college. As it turns out, passing your license exam does NOT equal a discount on insurance! Only completing driver’s ed does! So, it was back to driving school for me during the first month out of college.

Driving Lessons, Prying Questions

Those of you for whom driving lessons are a distant memory may not recall that they can be a very social, kind of intimate experience. You sit in a car with a stranger for an hour or so. You drive them around and try your hardest not to run any red lights or generally make the passenger feel unsafe. When the instructor is not telling you where to turn, they tend to ask you questions. I was an older student who had just graduated college with a degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies. So the constant question was, “So, what do you do with a degree in that?”

At first, I’d break into a sweat as I searched my brain for a respectful, yet firm response about the importance of a GSS degree while also keeping my eyes on the road. After many driving lessons, and many of the same questions asked, the answer now flows more easily.

Voice Acting and Songwriting: It’s All About Discourse

To the friendly driving instructor, and well-meaning question-asker I say: I am a musician and voice actor. My degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies pushes me to point out where power and oppression are. It helps me see how individual and collective discourse (written and spoken thought) resists or reinforces these injustices.

My work in voice acting and songwriting goes straight to the source: discourse. Expressing yourself in order to shift people’s ways of thinking about a subject. In the last few weeks alone, I’ve been able to voice some great projects:

combating childhood obesity
teaching kids good heart health habits
being the voice of an ACLU call to protest against Trump’s horrendous actions towards immigrant families (see the compelling video below)

That’s not all! I recorded an original song about toxic masculinity and rape culture with Loïca, a fantastic Chilean feminist-environmental activist songwriter. Stay tuned for the video! I also performed live alongside my band, Loïca, and my parents (a/k/a Sol y Canto). The performance included Brian originals like, “Olor a chiles,” about respecting and honoring immigrants, and “Love Wins,” about marriage equality and the power of love.

Breathe In, Speak Out

As I learn to (quite literally) navigate adult life, I feel so blessed. I have incredible parents who raised me to believe in the power of the human voice to open hearts and minds, to break down barriers, and to catalyze a community that cares.

In the words of Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux,

“Sacar la voz que estaba muerta/y hacerla orquesta/caminar, seguro, libre, sin temor/ Respirar y sacar la voz” To project the voice that was dead/and transform it into an orchestra/to walk, secure, free, without fear/to breathe in and speak out. (Ana Tijoux, Sacar la voz)

I love voice acting, and I am proud to be able to do it professionally. And I am so grateful for the caring community of e-learning producers, medical and health writers, animators, activists, and non-profits who have chosen my voice to carry their transformative messages.

For more about using voice acting and music for a better world, check out these links:

https://amadorbilingualvoiceovers.com/puerto-rico-voiceover-music/

https://amadorbilingualvoiceovers.com/amador-family-la-familia-verde/

And if you like music, perhaps you’ll enjoy my submission to this year’s NPR “Tiny Desk Concert” contest and a beautiful song by my father, Brian Amador, “Olor a chiles”.

Sol y Canto – Olor a chiles

Producer’s Guide to PSAs for the Hispanic Market

April 12, 2018 by Brian Amador

Watch this charming animated PSA for the El Paso Streetcar, voiced by our daughter Alisa Amador. Produced by Pilgrim Animation

PSAs Image Producers of public service announcements (PSAs) for the Hispanic market know that skilled bilingual voiceover talent is a powerful weapon in their arsenal when it comes to creating PSAs that resonate with their intended audienc

ABCs of PSAs

PSAs are used to inform the general public and promote government programs, services, or activities or those of non-profit organizations. To be effective, they need to engage the audience with a relatable message and delivery.

Over the years, Rosi and I have had the honor of voicing bilingual PSAs for causes that we wholeheartedly support. We recorded English and Spanish versions of the “Ask MOVA” spots, produced for the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance. These PSAs were created to inform survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing of the services available to them.

Working with ChavoBart Digital Media, our whole family recorded the environmentally themed PSA “La Familia Verde/The Verde Family”. And in the wake of Hurricane María, Amador Bilingual Voiceovers partnered with MORE Advertising to create PSAs for the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund. We produced and voiced the spots, in addition to providing original music.

What Makes a Great PSA Voiceover?

Whether targeting the Hispanic population or a general market, producers who create powerful calls to action are looking for a specific skill set from voiceover talent. Being able to meet this need has allowed us to put our voices to work where they are most useful.

Here are some important qualities to look for in bilingual voice talent for PSAs:

1. Perfect command of both English and neutral Latin American Spanish.

Often the same campaign will be produced for both English- and Spanish-speaking media. Having voice actors who can speak both languages can streamline the process and save the producer money. Neutral Latin American Spanish, which avoids regional dialects and accents, is useful in reaching Spanish-speaking audiences of all backgrounds.

You can learn more about neutral Latin American Spanish in this post from our archive.

2. Ability to offer varying degrees of Hispanic-accented English.

Like advertising, PSAs are often most effective when the listener feels an affinity with the person talking. In Hispanic markets, this means there’s a demand for Hispanic-accented English. Finding the right degree of accent can be a challenge, and for that purpose we created The Revolutionary Accent-O-Meter.

3. Experience and an ability to take direction quickly and accurately.

The goal of many PSAs is to make an emotional appeal to the listener. To do that successfully, the voice actor has to be able to take direction, and to offer different interpretations of the same copy.

4. An understanding of the PSA’s purpose and the ability to convey it powerfully and emotionally.

Voice acting is acting. And acting depends on the ability to analyze the script and interepret it through the lens of one’s own experiences. This is a skill developed over time, and it’s painfully obvious when it’s lacking.

5. A topnotch recording studio that can deliver consistently good audio.

While many PSA producers choose to work in commercial studios, a professional quality home studio can save money and streamline the creative process. Internet-based audio platforms offer producers the ability to hear and direct the voice talent, or even to record remotely. Some of the most popular are ip-DTL, Session Link Pro, and Source-Connect.

6. BONUS! Music

The capacity to add an audience-appropriate original music bed and to fully produce the spots. This can save the producer time and money and enhance the consistency of the spot.

7. EXTRA BONUS! Translation and Script Supervision

The best way to create a PSA targeted to a Spanish-speaking audience is to create it from scratch in Spanish. But that’s not always possible. If a producer wants to create a Spanish spot based on preexisting English copy, it’s vital that the translation be accurate, idiomatic, and culturally relevant. It’s no exaggeration to say that a bad translation can ruin a PSA. We’re often called upon to translate spots or to tweak them so the Spanish sounds more natural.

Raising our Voices for Puerto Rico – Voiceover & Music

March 21, 2018 by Rosi Amador

After Hurricane María hit, my family and I decided to use our voices for Puerto Rico, to help in any way possible, as soon as possible. I believe, as do many of my closest friends who’ve chosen to remain on the island, that as devastating as this experience has been, what’s next for Puerto Rico represents a huge opportunity.

Through creativity, open-heartedness, and hard work, my fellow Puerto Ricans can create a just recovery, one that doesn’t enrich the privileged and ignore the rest. And we on the mainland have a historic opportunity to help our brothers and sisters in ways that our government has failed to do. Here are some of the things we chose to do to support Puerto Rico’s recovery:

Voces Pa’ La Isla: Singing For Puerto Rico

While I no longer have relatives on the island since my parents and abuelita passed away, I still have many dear friends that I consider my extended family in Puerto Rico. My friends are all doing okay considering the devastation on the island. Their work as creatives allows them to work globally. Many others are not so lucky, and hundreds of thousands of people have left the island for economic reasons. I felt so incredibly sad and angry for all my Puerto Rican compatriots who are still struggling, many of them sick and without resources during this crisis.

Hoping to help my island, my husband, fellow voice actor and musician, Brian and I produced two fundraising concerts with our Latin music ensemble Sol y Canto, along with special guests including our daughter Alisa. The first concert was on October 20th of last year, and the second happened just recently on February 18th. Between the two fundraisers, we raised over $12,000 thanks to the remarkable generosity of those who attended and others who sent a donation anyway. We sang our hearts out and people gave in kind! Photos and videos of the concerts (if you’re curious) are on our Sol y Canto Facebook page. (Incidentally, here’s the story of how we transitioned from music to full-time voiceover.)

PSA’s Promoting Vetted Recovery Funds for Puerto Rico

While planning our first fundraising concert, I also wanted to put my voiceover talents to work for Puerto Rico. I approached my friends and longtime clients, the award-winning Boston-based agency MORE ADVERTISING, an expert cause-oriented business whose mission aligned with ours. I asked them if they would partner with me in producing a bilingual public service announcement to raise awareness and funds for my Puerto Rico. MORE came through with flying colors, writing copy, setting up the media buy, and working with me through several iterations until we nailed the PSA’s – all pro-bono! On our end, our fabulous engineer Steven Hopkins then produced the spots, I voiced in English and Spanish, and Brian added beautiful music (yes, he’s also a talented composer).

The PSAs we created highlight the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund (MA United for PR) and aired throughout Massachusetts over many months. The fund was created under the umbrella of the Boston Foundation, and it has raised over three million dollars and counting for grassroots community organizations in Puerto Rico. While Puerto Rico has slowly been rebuilding since the hurricane first hit, funds are still desperately needed. If you’re interested in donating to help Puerto Rico, you can give to MA United for PR easily by clicking on this link. More donation options are listed below.

Sí Se Puede: How To Continue Supporting Puerto Rico

In addition to raising money at our Sol y Canto concerts (join us – concert schedule here!), we encourage everyone to donate online to continue helping the people of Puerto Rico. Sadly, thousands remain without access to electricity, food or proper medical care.
You can help by supporting NGOs such as Grassroots International’s “Just Recovery” Fund, which supports the “Comedores Sociales” (soup kitchens) and other community-based projects in Puerto Rico. You can also send a check to Grassroots International, 179 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02130 with “Just Recovery Puerto Rico” in the subject line. Your donations make a difference, we promise!

A third option is our good friend cultural promoter Benjamín Muñiz’s Saravá Foundation, which brings live and recorded music to Puerto Rico’s children as a badly needed source of healing and joy. Go Fund Me: Música Para Niños Campaign

Yet a fourth option was brought to us by our close friend in San Juan, Emmy Award-winning public television and documentary producer Caridad Sorondo, who is helping the non-profit, Puertorriqueños con Morovis, (Puerto Ricans with Morovis (town), to help with the town’s reconstruction. Caridad is producing a documentary honoring the town’s bicentennial (1818-2018). Still, only 49% have electricity and potable water is intermittently available. A check can be mailed to: Puertorriqueños con Morovis at Condominio El Centro I, 500 Ave. Muñoz Rivera, Suite 216, San Juan, PR 00918.

Through Grassroots International, the Massachusetts for Puerto Rico Fund at the Boston Foundation, the Saravá Foundation and Puertorriqueños con Morovis, donations bypass the bureaucracy and get to the people who need them.

Favor de regar la voz. Please feel free to share widely. ¡Y gracias, de todo corazón! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

The Amadors On Boston Voyager Magazine

March 7, 2018 by Rosi Amador

Meet Rosi and Brian Amador of Amador Bilingual Voiceovers and Sol y Canto in Cambridge

Rosi and Brian Amador recording voiceovers in the studio.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosi Amador.

Rosi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We began our music career together in 1984 as co-founders of the popular Latin Band Flor de Caña, a group that met during a cultural exchange tour to Central America and returned with a commitment to singing for social change. When that group dissolved in 1994, we formed our own band, Sol y Canto, which we describe as “Latin roots music to change the world; passionate, poetic, playful and honest.” Over the years, we were honored to win several awards including three Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Latin Act,” have toured internationally and have established a reputation for quirky original compositions that address matters of the heart, social and global aspiration, combined with our unique and driving interpretations of contemporary Latin music. When our twin daughters were four years old, we brought them into the family business. They recorded on our CD of music for kids and their families, and performed with us when school permitted. Our daughter Alisa Amador is now a singer-songwriter in her own right.

In the 1980’s, while touring and recording, we began to be called upon for educational voiceover recordings for kids. Recording at studios in the Boston area into the 90’s, we learned on the job, and we loved it! Developing this passion for recording voiceovers led to the official establishment of our company, Amador Bilingual VoiceOvers 2010. Eventually voiceovers replaced music as our full-time career, in an organic way. ABVO is a family business. Rosi, Brian and our 21-year old daughter Alisa record bilingual voiceover regularly for a global list of clients. We use our voices to build cross-cultural bridges, and to bring compelling messages to life. We serve both North American and Hispanic/Latin American markets, recording from our private studio in Cambridge. Our success is built upon our ability to provide evocative voice acting in flawless native English and neutral Latin American Spanish or English with a Hispanic accent. We are bilingual and bicultural, and we navigate both worlds seamlessly. We are now one of the foremost providers of bilingual English and Spanish voiceovers in the United States.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As for any entrepreneurs, it took time to establish ourselves both as musicians and as voiceover actors, locally, regionally, nationally and then internationally. The journeys have been similar for both careers in that succeeding as a business that fills any need has everything to do with understanding what the needs are in the market and meeting that need with the utmost care and dedication, so that your clients feel they’ve found a great resource they can rely on again and again.

As musicians, there were continuous struggles as levels of funding for our cultural presenters ebbed and flowed. The ups and downs during the 80’s and 90’s were frequent, yet we persevered by continually believing in our music and its message and by marketing ourselves, communicating with our fan base, which at one time numbered 11,000, by snail mail (!). Fortunately we can do this online now. We still do around 30 concerts a year, primarily in the Boston area with occasional tours to places we love such as California, New Mexico, and parts of New England. Making a living as a musician was and still is a sacrifice unless you do commercial music, and you really have to love it since musicians aren’t compensated as well as they should be.

As bilingual voiceover actors we worked hard to establish ourselves locally and be seen as a resource for local production companies, very quickly getting connected with regional and national companies, recording studios and then agents, by training with voiceover coaches and acting coaches and by researching which important industry events to attend that could best help us improve our skills and grow our network. All of this took time and due diligence. The challenge at first was to figure out where the resources were to help us become as professional and skilled as possible. Finding local mentors was a critical step that led to launching our business officially once we felt confident about presenting ourselves in the marketplace.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Amador Bilingual Voiceovers, Sol y Canto – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Amador Bilingual Voiceovers’ global clients frequently remark on our excellent customer service and our ability to provide male, female or adolescent female voiceovers in flawless native English, Spanish, or Hispanic-accented English. We’re seasoned talents. Together we voice for a wide variety of applications, specializing in commercials, museum audio tours, corporate videos, overdubbing from English to Spanish, on-hold and IVR telephone messages, industrial training videos, eLearning modules, children’s bilingual audiobooks, documentaries, audio tours, and explainer videos. We specialize in the areas of health/medical, children’s educational, and social change-related issues. We truly value being part of our clients’ team. We care as much as they do about the final product and delight in leaving our vocal imprint on each and every project and in developing personal relationships with them. We also pride ourselves on providing top quality translations and original music for our clients’ projects. Learn more about us: www.amadorbilingualvoiceovers.com

Sol y Canto is led by my wife, Puerto Rican/Argentine singer and bongo player Rosi Amador, and me. I’m originally from New Mexico. I’m a guitarist, composer and Sol y Canto’s musical director. Featuring Rosi’s crystalline voice, and my Spanish guitar, we occasionally expand to a trio, quartet, quintet or sextet, including virtuoso musicians from all over Latin America and the U.S. on piano, winds, bass, and percussion. We have recorded seven commercial CD’s featuring Latin music for adults and bilingual music for children. We’re particularly proud of the fact that our music is often used as a bridge to help bring North and Latin Americans together. We often perform for mostly non-Spanish speaking audiences, for whom our music is a way of learning more about Latin America. The Boston Globe called us “Boston’s pan-Latin ambassadors”. We are particularly dedicated to raising awareness of social issues through our music, which we use as an expression of our values and hope for a better world. Learn more about us at: www.solycanto.com

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Sol y Canto has a very exciting new project that’s about to be revealed. This fall we will release “Sabor y Memoria: A Musical Feast in Seven Courses,” a CD and DVD of original Latin music all about food! It’s a suite in seven movements for the Sol y Canto sextet and a string quartet, accompanied by stunning food-themed photos, recipes and a mini-documentary about the creation of what we feel is our best work yet! From the appetizer to dessert, it’s a Latino musico-culinary, multi-sensory mix of music, images and flavors in Latin rhythms from Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Panama and Puerto Rico, where each movement is a “dish” in an imaginary meal. Recorded live with the Boston Public Quartet in a performance presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston, this DVD is guaranteed to make you hungry! The DVD was crowdfunded by our fans, and all sales revenue will go to a wonderful non-profit in Boston called the Haley House, which “uses food and the power of community to break down barriers between people, transfer new skills, and revitalize neighborhoods. We believe in radical solutions: solving problems at their root by challenging attitudes that perpetuate suffering and by building alternative models.” Learn more about it here: http://solycanto.com/saborymemoria/

Amador Bilingual Voiceovers plans to continue building its local and international clientele, providing top quality bilingual voiceovers for clients including the Smithsonian’s African American Museum of History and Culture, MIT, Biogen, Discovery Education, Expedia Travel, Mattress Firm, PBS, Bilingual children’s audiobook publishers Live Oak Media and Barefoot Books, Royal Caribbean Cruises and the National Fire Protection Association, to name a few. Rosi and Brian also teach an introductory voiceover skill class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education a couple of times a year.

Rosi Amador was cast in a major role in Boston of the Broadway hit musical IN THE HEIGHTS by Lin Manuel Miranda (HAMILTON). She will play the role of Camila, the strong Puerto Rican mom that keeps the family together in this fantastic musical about the Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights in NYC, which will make you cry, laugh and want to dance in your seats! The storyline, choreography and music are simply extraordinary. The play runs from October 27- November 19th at the Wheelock Family Theater. For tickets and group sales contact: wheelockfamilytheatre.org/current-season/feature-performance/ Feel free to use Rosi’s discount code for tickets: HEIGHTS17

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE →

Rosi Amador’s Pro Theater Debut in “In The Heights”

November 16, 2017 by Rosi Amador

From the voiceover studio to the acclaimed Wheelock Family Theater stage in Boston, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve made my live theater premiere in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (of Hamilton fame) first Broadway musical, In The Heights, playing Camila, one of the principal roles. This is a dream come true!

With "Vanessa" (actress Iliana García, my "husband, Kevin" (actor Luis Negrón) and "Nina" (actress Laura Lebrón) — With “Vanessa” (actress Iliana García), my “husband, Kevin” (actor Luis Negrón) and “Nina” (actress Laura Lebrón)

This 2008 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical centers on an ensemble of characters in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. My character is a strong Puerto Rican mother – kind’a, sort’a who I am! This extraordinary play addresses themes of immigration, Latin culture, connection, love, unity, community and home. It ranges from poignant to hilarious, and the songs (all in great Latin rhythms) and choreography serve the story line faithfully.

Rosi Amador with "Daniela"(Yewande Odetoyinbo in) in "In the Heights" at Wheelock Family Theater. — With “Daniela,” actress Yewande Odetoyinbo.

I haven’t performed in a musical since my days at Bryn Mawr College. During my adolescence it was one of my passions, so you can imagine how honored I am to have been given this opportunity by the award-winning Wheelock Family Theater, where our family saw so many fabulous topnotch musicals when our twins were little, and where they studied theater in the summer.

I cried when I was offered the role and I’m very happy to say that it has been a wonderful experience! We’ve had responsive full houses in the gorgeous 660 seat theater since the show opened. The 16 show run (plus 6 packed shows for middle and high school students) turned into an 18-show run and the last 6 shows have completely sold out! That coupled with a string of standing ovations has made this experience something I will never, ever forget.

Rosi Amador and Johanna Carlisle Zepeda, "In the Heights", Wheelock Family Theater — With “Abuela Claudia,” actress Johanna Carlisle Zepeda

What am I most grateful for? How much this stretched me as an actor, of course! As a voice actor I have continuously studied to improve my skills with fantastic casting directors and coaches. But add in the blocking, the interaction with other actors and the way the audience responds differently each night, and it’s a whole other ball of wax. I have had to continuously respond to the stimuli in the moment. Fun!

With my husband on stage, "Kevin Rosario", actor Luis Negrón — With my husband on stage, “Kevin Rosario”, actor Luis Negrón

I’m reminded of how much I’ve grown since studying with my talented friend Rebecca Haugh’s “Love That Improv” online voiceover improvisation classes, which have helped me become a more creative voice actor.

Of course, I feel tremendous gratitude toward the other talented actor/singers and dancers in the show for their inspiration and patience as I learned all about the theater world and lingo.

The experience has challenged me, but I believe I rose to the occasion thanks to good direction and stewardship from those around me. Gracias de nuevo – thanks again to the Wheelock Family Theater, for choosing me. Lastly, I’m also deeply grateful to all the friends who traveled from all parts of the country to see me perform. I’m so blessed.

I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to make my living from my voice and creativity. From music, to voiceover, to singing and acting on the stage, this experience reminds me of how we transitioned from our full-time music career into voiceover, years ago. I’ve loved every minute of it, but I so look forward to helping my clients once again at my voiceover studio, once we take that final bow on Sunday night!

Shiny New Voice Over & Music in 2017

December 16, 2016 by Brian Amador

NEW Music & Production Services and NEW Commercial Demos!

New Musical Production Services Just Launched! — **New Music & Production Services for our Clients**

Bringing Our Musical Roots Into Voiceover – After 27 years of singing, composing and performing our Latin music, Brian and I stumbled into our current career as happy bilingual voiceover actors who get to build cross-cultural bridges using our voices day in and out. We launched ABVO in 2010 and haven’t looked back. We’ve gone and done it. We’ve married our two loves – music and voiceover!

Announcing the birth of our favorite new “shiny thing,” our Music and Production Service! Just launched by composer/guitarist Brian Amador and ABVO senior engineer/ music producer/composer Camilo Gómez. Listen to samples of their awesome original music, now available for spots, documentaries, web videos, corporate use and more, from Latin music genres to electronic, pop and solo Spanish guitar. And we can handle production, too. Read all about it here.

But that’s not all….. BRAND NEW SHINY COMMERCIAL DEMOS FOR 2017!!

Check out Rosi’s English & Spanish Commercial demos, and Brian’s English commercial demo. Fun, right? From real person, conversational to authoritative, sensual and upbeat/high energy, we love to mix it up for the brands who put their trust in us, whether in English or Español! Let us know what you think. Incidentally, HAPPY HOLIDAYS to you and your loved ones. Gracias – thank you for joining us here. We wish you a peaceful and prosperous 2017.