Coaching FAQs
Click here but please read this full page first.
If you’re new to coaching with me, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to help discern if I’m the right coach for you.
If you’re ready to get to work, book a 30- or 60-minute session — or gather a few others and book a two-hour workshop. You’ll see available times on my scheduling page. If the times absolutely won’t work for you, let me know and I’ll try to carve out something else. (Please know that my first priority is my own VO career. I limit the number of coaching sessions per month.)
I base my teaching on the guideposts from Michael Shurtleff’s book, Audition!, as taught to me by casting director and master teacher, Jane Brody. Shurtleff’s guideposts help you quickly find the truthful communication in your work. I’ve also done workshops and coaching sessions with many well-known VO coaches in the business. I coach specifically for commercial and narration VO. (I don’t do promo, animation, gaming, etc. - there are many coaches around the country who can help you.)
I teach primarily on zoom for now. If you’re in the Minneapolis area and would like in-studio coaching, please visit UndertoneMusic.com and join the VO workshop mailing list. We hope to return to live in-studio workshops soon!
Truth be told, I most enjoy helping stage actors transition into voiceover work. Experienced actors have frequent “aha” moments as they learn to apply familiar acting concepts to a new medium. I also enjoy helping experienced performers of other disciplines. If you have other broadcast or performing experience, let’s talk.
If you’re a beginner, I encourage you to pursue basic actor training before you come to me. Much of what I teach builds on concepts and skills learned in acting class. I could teach you Acting 101 for VO, but that wouldn’t be cost effective for you. There are terrific options for basic actor and improv training in most cities around the country. You’ll learn camera and voiceover techniques much more quickly if you first have some context for that training.
I’ve coached many commercial and narration demos over the past 20 years. (See the testimonials on the "coaching" page.)
I won’t commit to helping with a demo before I’ve met and worked with you for at least one workshop or coaching session (or on rare occasion, an enthusiastic recommendation from a reputable talent agency). First we need to be sure you’re ready to invest in a demo. Second, let’s decide if I’m the right coach for you. Please read all the info on this page before you schedule time with me.
I welcome repeat students, of course! However, my goal is to help you improve as quickly as possible in as few sessions as necessary. I want to give you tools, techniques and advice to follow your own path to success. I believe you should study with various coaches— not just me. Absolutely, come back to me from time to time if you feel like a “tune-up” will help you! If you want to focus on a particular area for improvement, I can also suggest other coaches and training options.
If you try a class or a coaching session and you don’t see significant improvement in your work, you don’t pay. We’ll part ways and I’ll wish you well in your training with other instructors.
More from Workshop Participants
“Beth has a vast store of knowledge which she is very generously willing to share. She has great insight into script analysis and interpretation and is able to elicit the best read from everyone she works with. When helping me to create a new demo, she puts me right at ease. I always come away from a session with Beth feeling that I’ve learned so much and I’m really good at what I do.”
“My experience with Beth Chaplin was amazing. She patiently guided me through my first demo from initial script choices, all through my vocal recording sessions and all the way down to the strategic placement of where each spot landed in the final demo order. She does an incredible job of straddling the line between boosting confidence while at the same time offering constructive alternate ways to approach each read. I appreciated every minute of the demo process and highly recommend her as a guide.”
“Beth Chaplin is one of my favorite coaches. She gets right to the heart of things in a professional manner yet with a fun and supportive attitude. She helped me create successful commercial and narration voice-over demos, bringing out the very best in me! I highly recommend Beth.”
“Beth is a wonderful coach! She is able to pull things out of you and lead you to a solution. She really hears you! Beth has been a coach to me for many years and I find her advice and process has helped my voice over career grow and thrive.”
“Beth helped me put together my narrative and commercial VO demos. She waded through tons of copy and helped choose the best material to match my sound and personality. She referred me to an amazing engineer, and coached me through the session. The resulting demos have booked several jobs for me without me having to audition. She really knows what she’s doing.”
“Not only is Beth Chaplin incredibly talented and knowledgeable, but her ability to share what she has learned throughout her artistic career is truly impressive. She honestly loves what she does, and is always willing to learn and grow with our industry, which makes her a powerful and deeply impactful educator. When we were working on my demo, she listened to me, tailored each session to my individual needs, gave me priceless advice about current trends in the industry and how to lean into my unique strengths. When you take a class from Beth Chaplin, you’re signing yourself up for life long lessons that will always ring true.”