https://www.ryandrean.com/2019/12/episode-137-neil-wilson/headshot2019_bw/Neil Wilson is an experienced Voice Actor based in the Baton Rouge area. His work is found on Radio like GO COUNTRY in L.A., TV Promo work such as FX Network and HBO, TV Affiliate, Commercial and more. Neil is also, possibly, the biggest football fan I know…like right up to the edge of annoying without quite crossing over. You’ll never guess which team he is out of his mind for by going to his website or looking at the pictures below.
Notes:
It’s mainly Radio, background and football for the first 30 minutes
The really pure “Voiceover” talk starts at about the 30 minute mark.
We do more “Football” talk on this show than any other show I’ve done.
-Links-
Neil’s Website – https://neilwilson.com/
Neil’s Studio Build – https://neilwilson.com/how-it-all-came-together/
-Neil’s Studio Pics-
Here is THE LOBSTER:https://www.ryandrean.com/2019/12/episode-137-neil-wilson/79b63694-b05d-4459-b7d3-447da71a7edf/
 
-Watch on Youtube-

-Show Audio-

https://www.ryandrean.com/2019/10/episode-136-pete-gustin/47395443_10215501266057631_7086645031368392704_n-copy/Pete Gustin is the voice of many Radio and TV stations, Movie Trailers, national commercial campaigns and perhaps most notably, the signature voice of The Fox News Channel.  Pete also has a background in radio production starting his career at WEEI, one the more powerful stations in one the largest American Radio Markets, Boston, Mass.  In fact, he started at WEEI and its sister stations during college and remained there for 18 years, taking short time away to work at Sirius Radio in its infancy. After interviewing Pete I can say that rarely do I run into someone with more drive and hustle in their bones…and I talk to a lot of very driven people.  Pete has stories for days and so much great advice.
If you know Pete’s FULL story, don’t worry, I certainly cover every aspect.  If you are not fully aware, then please don’t do TOO much research and just listen start to finish.  I promise – you will be greeted by a powerful surprise.
**BONUS:  Pete published his new Novel, WISH.  Check it out!
-Links-
Pete’s Website: https://petegustin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petegustin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/petegustin
-Watch on Youtube-

-Show Audio-

Today I bring on a Voice Actor with an enormous body of work. Beau Weaver has seen great success in TV Affiliate work, Network Promo, Syndicated TV Promo, Commercial, Narration, Trailers, Live Announce (Emmy’s and more), Animation, Radio Imaging and everything in between. Beau started in radio in the 60’s moving into voiceover in the late 70’s and has been cruising ever since.

Beau has won awards including the Promax BDA Award for best voiceover in television promos, and in 2015 received the special Voice Arts award for outstanding body of work.  He is also on the Advisory Board at the Screen Actors Guild Don LaFontaine Voiceover Lab.

Guests have talked about the “olden days” where they had to send voiceover on TAPE via FEDEX. Well, Beau was one of THE first to do that. He was also one of the very first to have a HOME STUDIO for Voiceover, do his own marketing, have a website that streamed audio and helped pioneer the “road rig.”

Beau was so generous with his knowledge and stories and I am thrilled to have him as a guest.

Visit Beau’s Website: https://www.spokenword.com/

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/www.ProdSquad.com_.pngPart 2 Continues with the men of Splice…(I didn’t mean that to sound all male-strip-clubby).  Terry and Drake get into more detail about video for idiots uneducated people like me!  Enjoy the show and the stuff below!
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FREE STUFF: The Guys at Splice mentioned free work-parts in the show- and here they are!
See the info below but I have to say they are very generous.  I checked out the files and they are all really useful and SIMPLE which I think would be good for us beginners.
Login Here: http://www.prodsquad.com/
Username: ryanonradio
Password: freesplice
Then click “Your Downloads”
LINKS:
http://www.terryphillips.com/
http://www.drakedonovan.com/
http://www.grooveworx.com/splice/
http://www.grooveworx.com/splice/tutorials.html
Sidenote: Unless someone tells me a reason not to I am doing away with the “Show Notes” posts and just putting the info into the Episode posts like this.

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Eddie-Pic1.jpgEddie Bower took some time away from his lavish Cali lifestyle to chat it up about Y, Eagle, Power, Star, Virgin and Shortbus…and many other things.  He has held some damn cool gigs and is really creative and semi-twisted.  My favorite part of interviews like this one are how genuine the interviewee is (thats not a word is it, oops).
We started things off a bit differently and dove into the studio/gear/tech/nerd stuff. Then we discuss his career and where he’s been and what he’s learned.  Eddie is currently at Virgin in Toronto and Produces for multiple Shortbus formats.  Don’t forget part 2 and the show notes page which contains photos and MORE audio.  Enjoy!
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Studio-2.jpgHere is PART 2 with Eddie Bower.
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Don’t forget part 2 and the show notes page which contains photos and MORE audio

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vanessa-marshall-.jpegI am happy to report that this podcast turns 50!  Yes, its our 50th episode and it is a good ‘un!  Vanessa Marshall, star of stage and screen and radio and Brazilian dance classes everywhere joins me for a chat on all things voice etc.  I knew OF Vanessa for a while but really became familiar with her work when we started collaborating on a station in Phoenix, KEXX.  In fact you can hear some of that on my demo page near the top.  This is part one of a two-parter and I can safely say we spoke about a wider variety of topics than any of my previous episodes.  Voiceover, dance, gear, stand-up, Scrubs, Football, stabbings and I think someone may have brought up junk food.  I’m starving so I’m going to go get lunch now.  Enjoy!
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Here is Vanessa’s Site:  http://vanessamarshall.com/
Here is the link to the “extra’s page” which has some cool stuff too like the Got Phat bit I referenced.
For the lazy here is Vanessa’s IMDB 😉
 

The BIG 5-0 continues with Vanessa marshall.  In case this is the only page you are finding here is a link to her site for you check out.
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www.vanessamarshall.com

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ian-sturgeon-xmas.jpegIan Sturgeon is back again…for part 2.  Enjoy!
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Ian Sturgeon is the creative mind (and hands) behind Big Fish Worldwide.  I have been using his products since the day I originally found them which was about 2007.  In the world of Tech/Imaging that’s a long time! There are many reasons why Ian has achieved long-term success but a few of the many that top my list are: Creativity, Value and Quantity.  You get creative content at a GREAT price and lots of it!
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Ian is one of the nice guys in the biz but make no mistake, he is a solid business-man too.  I have personally taken some cues from him over the years on this side of things and I tried to squeeze some of his business strategy out of him in the interview too.  There is a part 2 so be sure to listen to that BUT for this episode (as mentioned in the intro) I shrewdly talked him into giving away some free stuff!  See below as all you have to do to get it is Tweet or Share this post.

This little “Pay with a Tweet or Post” thing is new to me.  Just trying to find easy ways for people to share the podcast and get something in return.  If you have any issues (I THINK it works) just tweet this post’s link and put @rdrean in there and I will send you a link!

Also, again as mentioned in the intro, Ian wanted me to offer 10 people a FREE month of his Big Fish weekly updates!  That’s right folks, mention this podcast and get free sounds, but only 10 of you… so be fast!!!
Here is Ian’s Site for all things Big Fish: http://www.bigfishworldwide.com/ 

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/photo.jpgMitch Todd gave me an hour and I took every second of it for this interview!  Mitch is the Senior Director of Production, Music Formats at Sirius XM Radio.  Actually I think “Marketing Director” is in there too but its so long I was certain I’d mess it up so I left it.  Mitch is a Pro who has worked at all levels, though most of them elevated, and now oversees a team of ultra-talented creatives in almost every music format imaginable. His day to day life is so interesting and dynamic to me and I hope with the impending Liberty…thing…none of that changes.  He brought a ton of insight and great advice to those looking to become employed.  Don’t forget to check out part 2 and he welcomes your emails as well.  mitch.todd@siriusxm.com
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On the Paul McCartney Promo Mitch gives Production credit to (and intro VO) Jerry Rohira…who is also awesome.

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sirius-xm.pngPart 2 continues with Mitch Todd.  I tried to get a feel for life inside the SXM complex and more-so the life of a producer in said complex.  Mitch welcomes your feedback – mitch.todd@siriusxm.com.  He also mentioned looking to hire some talented imaging producers so if that is you then apply at will!
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mike-horn.jpegMike Horn is the Imaging King at B96 in Chicago.  I believe that you will notice he does killer imaging, has many other skills beyond producing radio imaging and is a heckuva nice guy.  He started in the small radio market called Chicago at a small CHR station called B96 and now has worked his way allllll the way up to the exact same station in the exact same market after his 18 or so years in the business. I don’t personally like the word LUCK all the much but in this climate and in this business he is certainly fortunate.  He has not limited himself to Chicago though as the fine upper management types at CBS have him doing imaging at NOW-FM in NYC and AMP in Detroit.  Listen in as we discus his career and hear his excellent audio.  Part 2 will continue with more audio and specifics about how he manages it all.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/2018/12/episode-126-capital-fm-xtra-2018/capital-network-logo/To finish off 2018 in style I decided the show would require a TEAM as opposed to ONE guest.  In fact, I welcome not just “a” team but perhaps THE team.  The 7-man Imaging Collective at CAPITAL and CAPITAL XTRA are ALL guests on the show.  We commandeered the big studio at Capital and even had multiple remote locations mixed in. I can’t begin to summarize everything we discussed but I did my best to cover most of what goes into Imaging such Epic brands like Capital and Capital Xtra plus all the network stations/affiliates.
Topics:  Background of each, the traits they uniquely bring to the table, day-to-day operations, dividing the work, producing sound to picture,  the various tools they use, the strategies that go into building their legendary sound and more. I also asked about SOCCER (Football) because I was hoping a fight would break out.  Almost.
The World Class crew at Capital in London includes: Ashley Bard (Head of Production), Jonathan Young, Ed Rummins, Dan Hill, Chris Longman, Sam Wickens and Luke Prior.  They are all prodigious, cool as hell and a true pleasure for me to have on the show.
BONUS!  Looking for a job? Possibly one of the best Imaging jobs on earth? It’s in there.  They are hiring!
*Ashley Bard went way above and beyond to make this happen!  I had to extend a HUGE “Thanks” to him.  

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/mike-horn.jpgWe continue with Mike Horn and dive a little more into radio and what he does outside Chicago.  I ask about the different landscapes and dealing with CHR in 3 of our largest metros.  I try to uncover the ultimate secret to acquiring and then keeping one of the premier imaging gigs for almost 2 decades.  I don’t know how well I did but at least I tried!
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/matt-nikolic.jpgI am thrilled to connect to the other side of the world again, this time with a producer out of Melbourne, Matt Nikolic.  Matt works for Fox FM and Triple M, both part of Austereo.  Matt is one of the most well know Imaging producers in Australia and a guest I had requested multiple times in the past.  I would call his work BIG.  You feel excited when you hear his production and the station by extension feels that much more exciting.  I would also like to shine a light on the quality of his sound.  I mention it in the interview but I am a geek for processing and it’s obvious that his work leaves nothing to chance.  This comes in 2-parts plus a show notes section so check it all out and don’t forget to follow Matt on twitter @uncleblacko.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/fox-fm_logo.pngHere is part 2 with Matt Nikolic.  Dont forget the show notes section and to follow Matt on twitter @uncleblacko.
Here is the link to Fox FM
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bethell-1.jpgDave Bethell, currently well known as the creative talent behind BedsandBeats.com, is an accomplished producer and voice over artist based in the UK.  Dave has voiced Kiss 100 (among other radio and commercial clients), produced all over the UK in radio imaging and now holds the honor of releasing an album recorded at the wold famous Abbey Road studios.  This episode was fun for a multitude of reasons (I learned a lot!!) but mainly because he was a rare live in studio guest!  If you are a person who likes to dabble in music creation you will certainly find this one interesting.  Be sure to hit the show notes page for Dave as there is plenty of audio, some great historic pics and 2 different videos.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bethell-logo.jpgHere we are with part 2 featuring Dave Bethell.  This part dives into his new release, Big String Beats.  A feature video for this can be found on the show notes page and the audio of course can be found on his website, BedsandBeats.com.
Also, thanks to Dave the pics of the famous mics, discussed in this part, can be found in the show notes.  Don’t forget to check out more from Dave at http://www.davebethell.com/
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Harry-Legg-photo.jpgHarry Legg is now known for many things.  He has been a successful voice for radio and TV on a worldwide scale for some time now and his focus lies more in that arena today.  He still produces imaging though, mainly for Benztown Branding – News/Talk.   BUT many know him as the one-time producer and voice of KTU in NYC.  To me it was a very unique and signature radio brand unmacthed in the format anywhere.   KTU always felt very “New York” to me and we get into why the heck that is (or was).  KTU is still a hugely successful NYC radio station today, make no mistake, but it is very different.  Harry is also one of those talented people that was let go from a very big gig.  He is honest about his feelings at the time, how he dealt wiht the situation and some roadblocks he met along the way.  It happens a lot these days but back then it wasn’t as commonplace, making him an example of how hard work and focus will keep the cream rising to the top.  Check out more about Harry at www.HarryLegg.com
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Part 2 rolls on with Harry Legg.  We continue with the discussion of life after losing a big gig and how Harry reacted and adapted and ultimately found as much or MORE success in his career.  He is candid as expected and also very professional in his recount of the events.  We also get into his studio “setup” which might make me a little jealous.  We then discuss keys to success on your own.  He made sure to keep me on track at the end and gives a very hearty verbal thumbs up to vocal coaching and explains how it helped him and how it COULD help you.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/brian-lee.jpgBrian Lee, one of America’s most recognized voices, is the guest.  He is widely respected for a variety of reasons and excels at literally the highest levels of the industry.   The number one theme I heard most when listeners contacted me before the episode was in regards to his “every-man” delivery.  He is not exactly what you would call a stereotypical “BIG” voice.  Of course as we all pay attention to how voices are used and the trends on the largest platforms, the traditional style of deep, bassy, big reads has been going out for quite some time.  Brian, along with others like Joe Cipriano before him, can be credited with ushering in the new era of voice over at the highest levels.  Now, I still contend that Brian can bring the Thunder in his lower register when he is asked to.  Also, I personally like his Sports Promo read best which puts his balls on display a bit too.  Either way of the interviews I have conducted, Brian is categorized in the “Most Successful People” column.  He was terribly generous with his time and from talking on and off mic, he was real and candid and was NOT afraid to be honest.   This is a three-parter so be sure to grab them all.  Plus see the show notes page for a few links he mentioned.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/brian-lee.png

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/brian-lee.pngPart two continues with Brian Lee.  We get a bit more detailed on day-to-day work and the industry as it operates today.  Brian expands on the actual mechanics of being a top voice talent and what is expected.  I also include some submitted questions.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/brian-lee.pngPart three concludes this episode with lots of gear talk and more insight into how he has achieved his GREAT success.
Note:  I featured work from Terry Philips at WYCD Detroit.  Brian voices Imaging for plenty of stations but Terry uses Brian as well as anyone.  You can hear a range in his radio delivery just in these ‘YCD samples. Terry is a great producer and voice-talent as well.  In fact while I can’t give details just yet I have hired his services on a new project I have been developing, so yeah, I think he is good.  Another thing to note if you are not that familiar with Country Radio, WYCD is one of the top station in America. They lead the market in total listeners and have literally shut down any competition they have faced.  ‘YCD is a great example of what country radio SHOULD sound like.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/2018/11/nik-smon-show-notes/nik-smon_main/I should lead with one of the big reasons I wanted Nik Smon on the show:  He uses Ableton.  Music producers, especially electronic producers, might say, “So what?”  But in the Radio Imaging world it’s rather rare to work in this DAW.
(Warning – Voice talents or NOT-so-nerdy-audiophiles – we get super nerdy with audio geekery)
I saw Nik in action on stage at the Imaging Days in Amsterdam. He was methodically, efficiently and creatively moving around the software building musical, tight, effective production in no time and I was REALLY impressed.  I had to know more!  Nik is a freelance Radio Imaging producer based in Slovenia.  He works for stations and brands on an international scale and is a specialist in music branding, custom intro production and (in my words) making everything he produces feel like it was “born that way.”
PLEASE visit the SHOW NOTES page for this show.  He provided a lot of great content: bonus audio, studio pics and plenty of links!

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/santos2.jpgMike Santos, fellow Colorado State Ram and Imaging producer is the guest.  He has been around the world (literally) and for now has landed in Los Angeles at 97.1 Amp Radio.    He is also an accomplished voice talent and parody-song-maker.  See the show notes page for Santos for an example.  In this one I wanted to get his background covered but also really focus on starting that new “BIG” gig.  He was in San Fran and Denver but this is definitely a major jump and well deserved.  Enjoy!
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/santos3.jpgHere is part 2 with Mike Santos.  He likes to talk tech-shop and we did.  I also got his open opinions on the status of the industry and our future.  I think we will be ok.  He is a very positive person and very willing to help when and where possible.  So contact him if you want to be a better person!
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/radio_1_logo.jpgIts been a long couple months of preparing to start a new job (which I am oh so very excited about)  plus enduring the Cumulus move in Dallas, in my current job.  So, after taking a little time away from talking to the paramount figures in Radio Imaging and Voiceover I am back with a really fun interview. Matt Fisher at BBC-Radio 1 in the UK is the guest.  He is actually one of 6 different people who produce station sound for Radio 1 and Radio 1 extra.  Not only do they have a stable of highly skilled and creative producers in house, they also have the luxury of out-sourcing projects to other great producers.  I tried to pretend (unsuccessfully at times) to know something about radio in the UK but Matt set me straight on a number of topics.  I hope you enjoy it!
Show 41 Part 1
 

https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/radio_1_logo.jpgPart 2 continues with Matt Fisher at BBC – Radio 1 in London.  We do get into the tech speak a little plus I learn exactly where that funny accent of his is actually from 😉
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/braindead_cover_full_final.jpgI am proud to have the duo of Mike Crank and Trevor Shand at CBS Radio, Los Angeles on the show.  They are responsible for Jack FM and KROQ respectively but have a very open structure to collaborate creatively.  You will hear plenty of audio, old and new, and get the inside scoop on their new book, Braindead Creative Help.  There are other books written about production of music and even audio for radio but none, that I have seen, that give the imaging and branding of a station this much focus.  They break things down into chapters that are easy to reference in the future and make it an easy “skip-around” type of book.  I would call it a handbook and I do recommend it.  I start part 1 with the Trevor Shand Production demo.  Mike’s demo kicks off part 2.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/braindead_cover_full_final.jpgPart 2 with Mike Crank and Trevor Shand at CBS L.A.  I start this part with the full Mike Crank Demo.  We dive into their brand new book about Radio Creative: Braindead Creative Help.
You also get to hear some old school Crank Prod and a few funny tales of radio.  I think I try to get them to fight, unsuccessfully.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/braindead_cover_full_final.jpgPart 3 continues here with Mike and Trevor!  I stear us into a bit of Tech-speak and some advice on the future.  I start with a song from Trevor which may or may not have landed him the gig at KROQ.  I finish with some Peak/Denver stuff from Mike.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Joe-Sherri1.jpgJoe has been neck deep in radio sound design from all angles for decades.  He is generous, knowledgeable and has experience that few if anyone else have in common.  As anyone who has been to my site has noticed AV Deli has been a huge supporter of this podcast for almost 2 years.  AV Deli is a great service in which I take part.  But if you are looking for a 40 minute advertisement for them then this will be a bit dissatisfying. We did talk about Joe’s thoughts on the current radio climate and his vast background.  However, Joe and I wanted this episode to focus more on what a producer or voice talent can do to prepare themselves for life after the radio station.  We discuss the ups and downs of being on your own.  We  talk about what you can expect and the unexpected of finding your niche outside the protection of a corporate station.  There are still a lot of ways a talented producer or voice talent can earn a living and Joe gives us a insight into his life experience to help plan for the future.
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http://www.avdeli.com

I am very grateful to be joined by John Willyard this month.  He is the longtime voice of Country Radio.  I say that as an obvious generalization because when you talk about the “sound” of country radio and the station voices that are used, he is at the very top of the list and used by the biggest and most important stations around the country.  John is not limited to country imaging VO but he is limited to country when it comes to radio imaging VO and that’s exactly how he likes it.  He has also been the voice of the CMA’s for 15 years and counting, the voice of CNN and many other projects on TV, Radio, Web and even museums!  I start off his interview with a retrospective of his years on country radio dating back to 1991 (and I may have mis-spoke and said 1992, but it is now 20+ years!).  John put this together for this interview.    To learn more about John visit his site…
www.JohnWillyard.com
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http://www.avdeli.com

Part 2 continues with John Willyard.  The intro audio is from K-Bull 93FM which he has been a part of for a very long time and demonstrates some of his range and also what a pretty creative PD can do on a country station, if he isn’t afraid of barriers.
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I discuss some upcoming content at the end (also the beginning of part 1) but I am happy to mention that I just secured an interview with BOTH Mike Crank and Trevor Shand at CBS in L.A.  Mike happens to be one of my heroes but I will go into that at a different time.
The Next episode features Joe Kelly of AVDeli – avdeli.com  – Joe has been a huge supporter of this podcast since very early on.  He is also someone I had been badgering to be on the show for a long time too.  So everything is finally coming together!
http://www.avdeli.com

“Write it down. Write down what you want. Write down your goals.”

I’ll lead off this post with those wise words provided from my guest, Rich Van Slyke. Sort of seems obvious…yet is it?  How many of us actually do that?  I do not.
On top of being a stellar Radio Imaging Voice, Rich is bringing some perspective today!  The type of perspective that comes from many years of experience , quality experience. He is an Up-State New York guy, started radio there in ’79.  He then elevated to the Production Director gig at 96-Rock in Atlanta.  Then…a wave of lay-offs (Radio wasn’t the busted ATM machine everyone knew it to be anymore.)  Since then, its been about 18 years of full-time, from-home, voiceover. Among many things he is the Radio Imaging Station voice of some pretty major stations.  Rich was surprisingly honest about his transition from inside the station to going on his own.  It can be hard for anyone to adjust and he took it  especially hard but got through it and is better for it. He was VERY candid in the interview about the whole process and is obviously doing something right.
Which is why I am going to write down a goal I’ve had sitting in the back of my mind right here, publicly…why not. I want to be the a voice of KROQ even for one day, one promo.  Many aspects of that station, it’s heritage and talent are a HUGE part of why I went into radio and more specifically radio imaging production.  It’s not an “attain this thing and retire” type goal by any means.  But I did it.  I wrote it down.  Rich said so. Hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did!
Maybe write down a goal or two of your own.
LINKS:
Rich’s Website
Buy his Rock Imaging package: Distortion!

Rick Allen has been oft requested and now finally a guest on the show.  In fact if it weren’t for a lost email a couple years ago he would have already been a guest.   Technology!  This was a really fun and informative interview for me.  I love waxing on the past and to do so with a guy like Rick was a unique experience.  This episode comes in 3 parts and each part is a little extra long so you may need extra time to listen to this episode.  BUT I think its well worth it.  We start part talking about his career and the stops along the way he makes.  We spend a good amount of time on his work at the legendary Hot (103) 97 in NYC.  Guess how long Eric Edwards has been voicing that station….
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http://www.avdeli.com

In Part 2 with Rick Allen I take things in to the present talking more about the current landscape of modern radio and production.  I tried to play a little devils advocate as to why we shouldn’t just expect people to produce 7 stations in one radio group with ZERO time to create and Rick gives plenty of reasons why this is bad practice.  We also discuss more of his current projects and one of my favorite voice talents, Rick’s friend and neighbor, Ann DeWig.  As I anticipated this interview was in-depth and could not be completed in 2 measly parts.  So don’t forget to continue onto part 3!
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http://www.avdeli.com

This is the final part of the Rick Allen interview.  We talked about so much and also realized….we talked about SO MUCH!  So we did end up bringing the episode to a conclusion.
Mainly I took things a little deeper into the technical world speaking very specifically about the tools he uses and some of his signature tricks.
I hope to speak with Rick again in the future.  Perhaps my favorite thing is to know that Rick is still so passionate about radio, imaging production, sound design and life in general.  It gives us younger folk an upbeat outlook on the industry when sometimes we hear a lot more negative then positive vibes from the people we work with and for.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/SoundFreqz_NEW.jpgThis episode features sound design producer Joe D’Agostin.  He is the man at D’Agostin Productions which is responsible for Sound Freqz and the brand new Identi-Fi imaging libraries.  Joe has actually taken a different path through is radio/audio production career.  It was interesting to hear about his background and his day-to-day routine.  While his main focus is on creating the tools that imaging producers use to create imaging he also has his fair share of radio clients for whom he produces branding.  We discuss the usual arsenal of topics from tools, software and hardware, to the inside info on how he gets his signature sound.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/identi-fi-Logo.jpegPart 2 continues, seamlessly I might add, with the Identi-Fi demo and more great tips and inside info from Joe.  The End features the 80’s Imaging Library demo which I think is pretty darn fun and unique.  Check the show notes page for links mentioned in the episode and don’t forget Rick Allen will be the next guest so email your questions now.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Robert-Dudzic.jpgRobert Dudzic, the creative talent behind Trynity HDFX, is the guest.  His work is well known from his days at Clear Channel to his current work with Grooveworx.  He has had the ear of Dave Foxx at Z-100 NYC for years and has created a new extension of Trynity with Dave’s opinions in mind.  We talk about that product and everything else he does on a daily basis.  Most people may know he does not originate from the states but you might find it interesting how he actually got his start producing sound design.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Robert-Dudzic-IMG_2882.jpgPart 2 continues with Robert!  We discuss the future quite a bit but also a way you can win some really cool prizes!  Plus all the other sound design nerdery we can get to.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/stew.jpgStew Herrera is the guest and he brings a wide-range of skills to the table.  He has been at KLOS in Los Angeles for…a long time…which is rare in today’s radio climate.  Stew is a very easy guy to talk to and seems to be able to put everything he does into very relate-able terms.  Basically, I think this episode will be one of the more valuable ones to the younger talent looking to break into radio imaging production or voice work in general.  We discuss all facets of voice work and how you juggle multiple jobs at once.  We also talk about some of the Trailer world’s intricacies you may find interesting.
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We continue with Stew Herrera.  Part 2 includes a wider range of topics: Trailer Voice Over, Promo Voice Over and some listener questions.  Stew also talks about what he feels is the most important thing to do be successful in this business.
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John Kerber is the guest and has a pretty fascinating, and perhaps for some, relate-able story.  John currently is the head of production the Howard Stern channels over at Sirius in NYC.  Before that he was many places including MTV and also as he put it, unemployed about to receive his last unemployment check.  John has also been producing excellent sound design elements for his company Blue Sound Design which he has just recently brought to a National scale with Citadel Media.  In Part 1 we spend most of the time on John’s background.  Don’t forget to check out Part 2 for the more geeky tech stuff and more on his current projects.
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https://www.ryandrean.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Brad-Leask-e1536009773192.jpgBrad is the Network Imaging Producer for NOVA Entertainment based in Sydney, Australia.  Great gig for a seasoned veteran of the industry…or for someone who has been in for 5 YEARS and is all of 24 YEARS OLD!  You wouldn’t know how old or young he is by talking to him.  You will know how much passion and love he has for the Radio Imaging Production industry and Radio in general.  I would list some of the many places he’s worked (credits so-to-speak) but there is NOVA and…..NOVA.  He tells us about starting out, the realities of working 3 jobs, going to school and just being AT the station whenever possible and what it takes to get IN and get GOOD.
Voice Actors:  I do make an effort to dig in and get some info for you about what is expected by the big producers… but you will hear at about the 30min mark that the setup between talent and producer at the major networks and stations in Australia is TOTALLY different from the states.
PRODCAST:  Brad was featured as the first guest on Dom Evans podcast “PRODCAST.”   I mentioned this in my intro – so here is the link to that.  I have listened and it is GOOD!  In fact I didn’t notice until now, but the show finished with Brad back for the finale so I still need to go hear that.  Dom is smarter than me –  doing his shows MORE often and in a season format.  He is currently on break.
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Part 2 continues.  We get into the technical side of what John does.  Perhaps my favorite moments are when we discuss all the fancy production tools John likes to use in sound design.  He also discusses his latest projects – Blue Sound and Spark.  Both are imaging libraries being offered by Citadel Media with links on the show notes page.  Also, John has some good advice for young producers and seeing where he has been and what he has achieved I think he is a pretty good guy to listen to.
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Sony Award winning producer Paul Armstrong joins the show.  Paul has also recently moved his company, Redefined Media, into new offices in London so it has been a busy time.  Paul was a winner on the Benztown Blog contest which fast tracked him onto my podcast, but to be honest I was already certain I would have brought him on as a guests regardless.  He does great things with “theatre of the mind” production for radio stations, networks and other commercial clients.  Check the show notes post for links to full audio files featured in this episode.
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Here is Part 2.  We continue discussing Paul’s background and then move into some tips and tricks.  We also get into a bit more “theory” talk and what swirls in the brain as we produce.  I always find it interesting to hear what other people think about when they create with audio.  Often times I end up feeling less weird about what goes on in my head!  Of course its possible I am just wrong.  BTW I feature a bit more audio in this part and full audio can be heard by going to the show notes.
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