Sound + Services Company

Our Sound + Services Company is the professional voice of Mind's Ear.

Members of this professional performance troupe form the core of our sound + services division. These are the audio artisans whose voices are featured in our work for various corporate, government and educational projects. Our work has been used for educational videos and websites, radio and television commercials, hold messages and phone trees, amusement park announcements, theatrical sound support for stage and dance, and more.

This page contains answers to most of your questions. If you're serious about joining our Sound + Services Company, we suggest that you explore this page before coming to auditions. This will give you a better idea of who we are, what we do, what you'll be doing, and why it can be such a rewarding experience for actors. If you don't find the information you need, please feel free to email us and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Click here to explore our Sound Services page, where you can listen to samples of some of our work as well.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Who can audition?
What do I need to do to prepare?
Can I get the audition forms in advance?
Can I read the script(s) before auditioning?
Do I need to have a lot of experience?
Do I need a polished "radio voice" to participate?
What about accents or "character" voices?
What about authentic or native accents?
How much time does it take to be in one of your shows?
What's it like being in one of your shows?
AreSsound + Services Company members paid?

Who can audition?
The Sound + Services Company is the elite performance ensemble of Mind's Ear. Membership is by audition, or invitation, only. As such, we do require either a considerable performance background and/or professional recording experience or pure, raw talent. Our clients select Mind's Ear for their projects based on our reputation for excellence, and it all starts with the voice talent. We need all levels of voice talent -- narrators, announcers, and voice actors. top

What do I need to do to prepare?
An audition for us is designed to be a very friendly, very supportive experience. We feel that it is gratuitously counterproductive to intimidate an actor at auditions, so we don't play the games many producers do. There is no need to come with a prepared monologue. In fact, we probably won't let you use a memorized audition piece. Why? For the simple reason that we NEED to hear how quickly you can interpret a script and perform it. The last thing we want to hear is you READING the words. The best audio + theatre actors can make us (and the audience) forget that he or she is holding a script in hand. Certainly, if you have a theatrical production resume and headshot ready, bring them. (You can save the expensive headshots for stage directors: a clean photocopy will do for our purposes.) top

Can I get the audition forms in advance?
We do STRONGLY recommend that you download and fill out your forms in advance! It will save you time and stress once you arrive on site. We don't take reservations for audition slots. Those with paperwork completed BEFORE they arrive can focus on reviewing the script sides, and will be heard before those filling out forms. You can download the audition form PDF here, or you can download a Word document here. top

Can I read the script(s) before auditioning?
We will make selected script samples available online the day before auditions, so check back to review those. top

Do I need a polished "radio voice" to participate?
Not by any means! Our clients hire us because our work has an unique sound. Certainly, we need a polished performance, but that doesn't mean that there is no room for YOUR unique sound. top

What about accents?
Accents are one of the most valuable tools in an actor's kit, when they are good, and when they are used intelligently. A strong, believable accent can be one of the most effective ways to define a character, or differentiate one character from another. We're real sticklers for only allowing believeable accents in our productions. As a rule, we also ABHOR "Ridiculous Accent Theatre" (save in VERY specific comedic situations) so we only want to hear your best offering. top

What about authentic accents?
We ADORE native speakers with authentic accents, so please don't suppress your natural voice, and share our interest in actors with native accents with people you know. (We've recruited several great actors from the unlikeliest places -- grocery stores, parks, restaurants -- after simply hearing them SPEAK. So don't be surprised if one day, a stranger comes up and asks "Do you by any chance act?" -- it's probably one of our directors!) It is the rich tapestry of voices, of all types, that is important to our shows. Mind's Ear embraces and celebrates diversity, and we welcome the participation of all ages, races, beliefs, backgrounds, experiences, lifestyles, and skills. The depth of our productions is a direct result of the eclectic nature of our Company, and it shows. top

What about "character" voices?
One of the thrills for an audio actor is the possibility of being cast in several roles in the same show. It happens all the time. Our most versitile actors have been cast in as many as a dozen roles in a single show. Variety truly IS the spice of our life. As such, we do have use for "character voices", those old chesnuts of the theatre. You know them, the "old man", the "valley girl", or the " southern belle"...so certainly, if you have a GOOD chesnut in your bag of tricks, let us know. We want to hear it. top

How much time does it take to be in one of your projects?
We focus on QUALITY of time, rather than quantity of time. MOST of our voice talent are in and out of the studio in a single evening session. In some cases, if you're cast as the signature sound for a larger project, you'll be asked back on more than one ocassion.

However, because of that condensed production schedule, we don't have time for in-depth development, experimentation, and discussion. Where a stage actor is given weeks to find his or her character...you'll have HOURS...and sometimes MINUTES to get it right.Our best and brightest can often get the job done in one or two clean takes (but we won't stop recording until it's right...)That's why it's important for our actors to invest their own time in getting to know the script and developing his or her character, so that you can come prepared to record. As a member of our professional Sound + Services Company, you'll be held to a higher standard. Our clients demand it as much as we do. top

What's it like being in one of your shows?
We treat our actors like thinking, talented, reasonable, creative, responsible adults. You're a human being in our eyes, not just an expendable part of the machine. We value your input. We ALWAYS want to hear your opinion. We are a creative community, not a dictatorship. We've all worked for theatre companies run by petty tyrants who view creative people as disposable, who are threatened by (or are too lazy to reach for) our high standards, who think "good enough" is actually good enough, and who view actors as a necessary evil on the road to ticket sales. We hated it as much as you did, and that's why at Mind's Ear we go out of our way to make YOUR experience with us satisfying and rewarding.

We respect the people who create theatre with us, and you'll never be treated poorly or taken for granted. That's our promise to our actors. top

We are honored to have worked with some incredibly talented people, and we treat our actors, engineers, foley crew, and other company members as professionals. We expect that courtesy in return, which means that we expect you to show up, on time and ready to work, for ALL rehearsals, studio sessions and performances. We're not tyrants, but please respect the time of your fellow company members and be responsible. Once you accept a job in a Mind's Ear production, we expect you to give it your full attention and respect. Consider a taping as important as a live performance of any stage play. top

Unlike most audio theatre producers, we INSIST on human interaction! We believe that actors need to see and hear each other to give the best performance, and so we won't isolate you in a sound-proof booth. top

Are Sound + Services Company members paid?
Yes! We provide affordable, professional sound services to our clients, and every voice talent or crew member will be paid, on the spot, at the end of each session. Agreements will be negotiated on a per-project basis, and rates will reflect experience, skill, and/or union affiliations.

You will be brought on as an independent contractor, and are responsible for reporting all income, and paying all taxes. If you've earned more than $600 (in a year) through your work with Mind's Ear, we will send a 1099 by the federal deadline. top

In addition, our voice talent recieves a complimentary copy of the finished production on CD or mp3, and we can easily create a demo CD of your body of work for Mind's Ear.

From time to time, we throw dinner parties, BBQs, picnics, brunches, listening parties, premiere parties, and other casual gatherings as our way of thanking those people who have given so generously of their talent and time. top

From time to time, we make our studio and expertise available to our most dedicated company members as well. We've produced no- or low-cost voice over demo reels, demo CDs, and sound support for stage productions they appear in. top

We APPRECIATE our cast and crew! It thrills us when an actor says to us "You know, this is the most fun I've ever had working on a play. You folks are the best!" top

Thank you for your interesting in joining the Mind's Ear family of audio artisans. We look forward to meeting you at auditions!

Have a question we didn't answer? Please email us.