Suzanne Lafond

Voice Description

Warm and deep for narrations,
Sexy and fun for commercials,
Smoothe and professional for presentations, etc.
Educated voice with flexibility

Voice Genders and "Ages" I Can Perform

• Young Adult Female

Language(s) of Which I Am a Native Speaker:

• French - Canadian

I Offer my Services for these Recording Purposes

• Commercials
• Promos
• Audiobooks
• Documentaries
• TV shows and movies
• Movie and game trailers
• Others (on-camera, infomercials, live announcers, spokespersons)

Jobs I Am Willing to Take (Union-wise)

• Non-Union Jobs

• Jobs for ACTRA (Canada) signatories

• Jobs for AFTRA (US) signatories

• Jobs for British Equity signatories

• Jobs for SAG (US) signatories

• Jobs for Union des Artistes (Canada) signatories

My Union Affiliations and Memberships

None

My Recording and Delivery Capabilities

• I will go to any designated studio in my area

Pre-, Post- and Production Services I Offer

• I offer translation services

My Home Base

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Accents, Impersonations, Characters and Dialects

Native French Canadian speaker,
French to English translation,
English to french translation,
Can give a European French accent,
Silly, haughty lady,
Deliver upbeat scripts,
Religious, solemn scripture readings,
Promos, pretty much anything a female voice is required to do,
Solemn church related readings with clarity and appropriate inflections

My Voice Experience

I absolutely love doing voice work. One of the most pleasing pieces I did was a three page VO script to raise funds for the elderly in Israel. It was a project of the Christian and Jews Association and I found it to be particulary moving. I was very proud of that job.

I can actually say, without reservation that I am proud of everything I have done in the VO business, be it as a radio spot announcer or commercial spot for a product to kill weeds, or for restaurants, hospitals, insurance companies, banking, real estate or car dealerships. I have done quite a few political spots, also. The jobs are varied and I do the work accordingly. I do believe I respond well to direction given by the client, project director, business owner. When it is appropriate I give the first read without direction, then I ask for direction if this is not what the client is looking for.

I have the reputation of being "One Take Suzy," Often I am the one to suggest a different read.

My Training

I attended the Los Angeles Broadcasting school for which I had to audition. The training there was excellent. Voice and articulation classes, commercial reading/interpreting classes, radio announcing in many different formats, news, and chatter. We also received training in production.

I eventually landed a job for a small Santa Barbara radio station (KBLS) whose format then was jazz and big band music. I was responsible for producing many of the commercials that I personally sold to clients, wrote and produced. I didn't mention that I was on-air 3 days each week and in sales for 4. It was grueling, but I learned a lot during that time.

Also I did on-air fundraising for WPLN Public Radio in Nashville many years ago. I also helped with on-air fundraising for Nashville Public Television in the 70's.

I have studied acting in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Nashville. Commercial workshops in Los Angeles.

My Studio Equipment

I am sad to say I do not have my own studio. However, I have access to several studios in Nashville and I can borrow my son's hand-held recorder which, he uses for his lectures at Vanderbilt University. I am told by others that it produces broadcast quality.

Additional Skills

I have people skills. Organizational skills. I founded the Nashville chapter of "Dress for Success Nashville (DFS)." A nonprofit organization. I acted as founder and Executive Director for 9 years. Sadly we closed in Dec. 2007 because of lack of funding. Our core mission was to provide low-income women with appropriate attire for the workplace for they are required by law (men and women on welfare)to find employment. I also taught our clients how to present themselves for a job interview with a list of do's and don't's, not only at the job interview, but also once they land the job.

I was asked to speak at many clubs and organizations about our organization throughout the 9 years of DFS Nashville's presence in the community. I appeared several times on our three networks to explain who and what we were, to outline our needs and generally call attention to this worthwhile organization. Unabashedly I will tell you that I was named one of the Unsung Heroes one week during a 6 week series on TV. That was lovely.

For 12 months from May 1997 to May 1998, I was the spokesperson for the Washington State Apple Commission. I traveled to 52 cities in the U.S and Canada to talk about apples, of course, but also to urge grandparents to stay active, fit and develop healthy lifestyles. The promotion was for the apple industry in Washington State. I was interviewed in all 52 cities mostly on TV, a few times on radio.

I was also involved in the insurance industry when selling Long Term Care Insurance (LTC), I was an independent broker and represented 4 or 5 different LTC companies and their LTC products. My goal was to especially help widowed or divorced senior women. Generally women of that generation were not business-minded - traditionally men took care of business and women were not informed. I enjoyed helping men and women as well as earn a living in the process.

I have taught French in a private primary school in Nashville - Ensworth School. I love teaching. My children think I am a born teacher.

I was involved with the 1984 Olympics as an French/English interpreter. I was Director of Language Services at the Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking venue at Lake Casitas in California. I recruited, taught, scheduled and dispatched interpreters at the Lake Casitas venue. The work began in 1983 during the pre-olympic trials. It was hectic, interesting and beautiful to watch -especially the canoes on the still morning waters. I did a few public announcements on loud-speakers and always had the weater report for the day from the Ntl. Weather Service. Of course I did a bit of trouble-shooting as well. When there is a conglomerate of cultures and languages, things can get gummed up. I heard that Peter Euberoth (sp?)(head of 1984 Olympics)told the Commissioner at Lake Casitas that ours was the best run language venue of all.

I also recruit and train readers for our church services. First they must audition for me, then I train them in the ways our particular church does things then comes the schedule. Our pastor kids me about being so demanding. I want our readers (lectors) to keep the congregation from falling asleep when they are up at the ambo delivering the scriptures of the day.

I will end by saying that my Father Rodolphe Lafond was an Olympian, representing Canada in the 1956 Summer Olympics in the eEquestian eEvent (dressage). Held in Stockholm, Sweden that year. In 1956 all but the Equestrian Events were held in Sidney Australia. However, in Australia, animals had to be quarantined for 40 days. One cannot lock up a performing horse for such a long stretch of time without the horse's usual routine and training. Stockholm did not require such a quarantine so it was decided that the Equestrian Events would be held Stockholm in 1956. Growing up, my parents told me that there was nothing I could not do. I believed them!

Payment Methods Accepted

• Personal checks, cashier's checks, or money orders in my local currency
• Personal checks, cashier's checks, or money orders in any currency
• Wire transfers

Contact Information

To contact Suzanne Lafond by email or phone, please click here.