Rochester Actress Finds Her Voice on Stage and in Books: A Post Bulletin Story

Finding Your Voice: A deep Dive into Audiobook Narration

The world of audiobook narration is booming, offering voice actors a unique avenue to bring stories to life. Rebecca Brokaw-Sands, a seasoned voice actress, shares her insights on the craft, career, and the sheer joy of storytelling through audio.

From Stage to Soundbooth: A Journey into Voice Acting

Brokaw-Sands’ passion for acting ignited early. “I joke about making my debut as Baby Jesus,” she says, adding, “I don’t think it’s true, but I really don’t remember a time where I wasn’t acting.” While her stage experiance includes diverse roles from Antigone to Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker,” voice acting quickly became a significant part of her career.She noted, “I worked with an agency right out of college and the only work I was regularly landing was voice work…I got hired to do a huge compilation of children’s books and fell in love with it. It’s been off and on for 18 years.” For the past two years, voice acting has been Brokaw-Sands’ full-time focus.

the Craft of Character: Building Voices from the Ground Up

For Brokaw-Sands, voice acting is deeply rooted in character development. “I have a degree in theatre which I think helps me out a lot,” she explains. “I am very much a character actor and when developing a character, for stage or otherwise, the voice is a big part of it. Having the knowledge of how to build a character, and quickly, has helped me in voice acting as I see these characters in my mind and it’s easier to switch to their voices.” This foundation allows her to create distinctive and believable voices for a wide range of characters.

When building an audiobook reading, her focus remains on character building: “For characters, I take the character description and build an image in my head — age, gender, body build, birthplace, residence, work background, family — all of it builds together until I have a mental 3D image of this character, and then I know how they sound.” She adds, “I like playing around with voices to get different tones and colors.” She tailors her voice to suit younger and female characters with higher tones, and uses lower tones for older and male characters.

Navigating the Audiobook Landscape: Indie Authors and Cinematic Audio

A significant part of Brokaw-Sands’ work involves collaborating with independent authors through platforms like Soundbooth Theatres. “Indie authors are the best, and I have found some great books and friends from audiobook work,” she says. She also praises Soundbooth Theatres’ innovative approach to audio production: “I love what Soundbooth Theaters is doing with audio series and cinematic audio—really making a high quality immersive experience. It’s small to full cast with sound effects and original underscoring and well-polished.” In November, she performed with her Soundbooth Theatres team doing voice work on stage in Las Vegas and said “it was a blast to perform both ways at once, and also with such talented performers and fun scripts.”

She has performed small parts in the “dungeon Crawler Carl” series as well as performed triplets in the controversial “Everybody Loves Large Chests” and a detective in “Bones at No Bones Point.” Currently, she is working through Mel Todd’s “Kaylid Chronicles” and will also be continuing to work on a series following Kat Healy’s “The Problem with Pixies,” which includes fantasy, romance, magic, witches and shifters.

Practical Advice for Aspiring Narrators

For those looking to break into audiobook narration, Brokaw-Sands emphasizes the importance of self-motivation and perseverance. “There is a ton of work out there,” she advises, “but you have to be willing to do the work, take the rejections, learn and keep hustling.” she also stresses the welcoming nature of the industry for those who are motivated and hardworking.Reaching out to independent authors and specific production companies by going to author conferences is one way to find this type of work.

She also highlighted the importance of protecting your voice. Training in classical, opera, and musical theatre has helped her to do this.

• Voice training is essential: Develop techniques to protect and enhance your vocal instrument. This strengthens experience,expertise,authority and trustworthiness.
• Connect with independent authors: Build relationships by attending author conferences.
• Use platforms like Fiverr and Backstage: Seek “quick gigs” to gain experience and exposure.
• Transform a closet into a recording booth: Prep a book, figure out a schedule and start recording.

The Heart of Storytelling

Ultimately, for Brokaw-Sands, voice acting is about connecting with stories and sharing them with the world. “We humans love telling and hearing stories to learn, to relate, to broaden our experiences, to challenge our perspectives, to entertain, to feel and think…voice actors and actors bring these stories and characters to life.”

Discover Rebecca Brokaw-Sands’ Work

Explore rebecca Brokaw-Sands’ captivating voice acting on various platforms:

• Audible
• Pocketfm
• SBT (Soundbooth Theater)
• YouTube

For more facts and samples of her work, visit her website at rebeccabrokawsands.net and her linktree at linktr.ee/rebeccabrokawsands.

Conclusion

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands’ journey into audiobook narration exemplifies the dedication,skill,and passion required to succeed in this dynamic field. Her insights into character development, industry navigation, and the importance of storytelling offer valuable lessons for aspiring voice actors. If you’re captivated by the art of voice acting and are looking to learn more, explore the resources mentioned above and consider connecting with independent authors or production companies. The world of audiobooks is waiting to be brought to life!

what type of audiobook genre do you find most engaging to listen to?

Finding Your Voice: An Interview with Audiobook Narrator Rebecca Brokaw-Sands

The audiobook industry is booming, and voice actors are at the forefront of bringing stories to life. Archyde recently had the possibility to speak with Rebecca Brokaw-Sands, a seasoned voice actress with years of experience in both conventional theater and audiobook narration. We delved into her journey, her process, and her advice for aspiring narrators. Join us for an exclusive interview!

From Baby Jesus to Audiobook star: Rebecca’s Journey

Archyde’s eleanor Vance: Rebecca, thank you for taking the time to chat with Archyde today. Your journey sounds interesting. You’ve mentioned a performance as Baby Jesus—can you expand on how your theatre background prepared you for audiobook narration?

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands: Absolutely, Eleanor! Thanks for having me. While I joke about the Baby Jesus role,my theatre training was invaluable. Understanding character progress—building a persona from the ground up—it all translates directly to voice acting. My agency steered me towards voice work early on, and recording those children’s books solidified my passion for it. The stage gave me the foundation; the soundbooth became my playground.

Crafting Believable characters Through Voice

Archyde’s Eleanor Vance: You mentioned character development. How do you approach creating distinct voices for each character in an audiobook, and how do you decide on the right tone and color?

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands: For me, each audiobook is a casting call in my head. I dissect the character description—age, gender, background, everything. I build a 3D image in my mind. This helps me with their intonations, accents, and the overall *color* of their voice. It’s about embodying the character, not just reading the words. Think about any book; The Problem with Pixies by Kat Healy has a quirky cast, each needing a unique approach.

The Indie Author Advantage and Cinematic Audio

Archyde’s Eleanor Vance: You’ve worked extensively with independent authors. What are the benefits of collaborating with them, and what are your thoughts on the rise of cinematic audio productions?

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands: Indie authors are gems! I’ve discovered fantastic stories and formed genuine friendships through working with them. They often offer more creative freedom as well. I am working through Mel Todd’s “Kaylid chronicles” right now, and it’s fantastic. As for cinematic audio,I’m thrilled to be part of it. Soundbooth Theatres is doing amazing things – full casts,sound effects,original music – it elevates the entire audiobook experience. It’s immersive and incredibly engaging for the listener. Performing with Soundbooth Theatres in Las Vegas was exhilarating – a true blend of stage and audio.

Breaking Into the Audiobook World: Practical Advice

Archyde’s Eleanor Vance: What advice woudl you give to aspiring audiobook narrators hoping to break into the industry?

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands: Be prepared to hustle, Eleanor! The work is out there, but you need self-motivation and resilience. Voice training is paramount – protect and hone your instrument. Network by attending author conferences. Use platforms like Fiverr and Backstage for those “quick gigs” to gain experience. And the transformative magic of converting a closet into a recording booth can do amazing things. Don’t be afraid to start small and build from there. You will also need to be willing to do the work,take the rejections,learn and keep hustling.

The Power of Storytelling

Archyde’s Eleanor Vance: what do you find most rewarding about bringing stories to life through audio?

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands: It’s the human connection, Eleanor. Storytelling is essential to who we are. We learn, we relate, we expand our horizons through stories. As a voice actor, I get to be a conduit, bringing characters and narratives to life for listeners around the world.It is what connects all artist through the ages.

Archyde’s Eleanor Vance: Where can our readers find your work to hear more of your storytelling magic?

Rebecca Brokaw-Sands: Thanks for asking! You can find me on Audible, PocketFM, and through Soundbooth theatre (SBT). I also have some content on YouTube. And feel free to visit my website at rebeccabrokawsands.net or my Linktree at linktr.ee/rebeccabrokawsands for more samples of my work and upcoming projects.

archyde’s Eleanor Vance: Rebecca, this has been incredibly insightful.Thank you for sharing your journey and expertise with Archyde! One final question for our readers: What type of audiobook genre do you find most engaging to listen to? Share your thoughts in the comments below!