dianna cm

Child voice (little girl) that is sweet, open, innocent, and trusting. Middle-aged or elder Chinese lady with light or heavy accent. Light British accent.

Doing voice began when I was chosen from among a student body of perhaps 300 kids in my Chinese School (all Chinese kids attended Chinese school after a full day of "American school."), in the 1940s, to do a radio spot in English for the Sunday evening programs of the Standard Hour radio broadcasts. At age 17 (1950s), I was sporadically speaking in public, in both Chinese and English. Then seemingly out of the blue, high interest was focused upon me to host a program broadcast on Canadian radio. Orientation, audition, and recording of a demo tape as a tryout was to take place in a little Arizona town (Winslow), where the Canadian station operated a studio. But there were budget problems, and the project eventually fizzled out. By age 18 (still 1950s), I was professionally working as a high-fashion model, but because of industry barriers in relation to my being a minority talent, I necessarily branched out into every industry arena both as performer and in production, frequently providing pro bono services just to get work at all...and discovering in the process that I was multi-talented. I thus worked in every arena --theater, film, radio, television, media, writing, teaching, consulting, publicity, runway dance modeling, ballroom dance demonstrations, etc. However, my primary area was the fashion and beauty industry. It was the late-'60s/early-1970s when I began applying more attention to voice work and acting as a major pursuit... and found that I adored voice work. I was especially interested in developing contacts for audiobooks, but it was too early, such that many agents hadn't any idea how to get me into that genre, for it was then a still-unknown territory. However, in this period, I did a lot of public-service spots (again, much pro-bono just to work, because Chinese), did many paid industrials, narrations, and some radio commercials. The paid gigs were usually below-union, but they got me Taft-Hartley'd into SAG-AFTRA (from which I am now electively on "Honorary Withdrawal" due to inactivity). The great irony was that I left the voice industry in the late '70s (left all those industries, the entirety) just when reel-to-reel was beginning to give way to digital, and just when the nascent audiobooks idea became a solid commercial enterprise. But even apart from my previous associations, I continued voice work, in an area that had nothing to do with broadcast media and performing arts and industries: Colleges and schools that trained future court reporters. In the 2000s, I began reading for the blind on radio, and also began writing, producing, and hosting 3 radio programs that audiostream on the Internet. Again, this is pro bono work, for Non-Profits, on public-service broadcast channels. These programs are current, and soon in their fourth years' running, on 20th- and 21st-Century classical music and on Consciouness Sciences and Alternative Knowledges. I absolutely love voice work, but it is time to be earning some money at it, serious money, and developing it into my primary livelihood --- with Voice123 and YOU as my partners! ACADEMIA BRIEFS CURRENTLY Resuming interrupted education, advanced studies: City College of San Francisco, University of Metaphysical Sciences. Interdisciplinary. Consciousness & Philosophy..Physics & Metaphysics. Part-time, onsite, online. Doctoral programs. 1981-1991. Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies/Sciences: in Religion & Philosophy/Metaphysics.....Astronomy/Cosmology & Physical Sciences, major. Music minor: 20th-Century repertory and performance (piano). City College of San Francisco. John F. Kennedy University, Orinda, CA. San Francisco Conservatory of Music. American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco. Have digital editing/mixing resources at home. Use Adobe Audition 1.5. PERFORMANCE ARTS AND INDUSTRIES RELATED Camera, stage, screen, podium, airwaves - their products, arts, techniques, commerce, and derivations. BROADCASTING, PUBLIC SERVICE, 2005 ONGOING ............... Write, Produce, and Host Radio Shows that perform a unique service in the Bay Area and the greater world through the Internet, addressing special-interest topics for special-needs audiences --- For the blind, low-vision, physically disabled, niche music lovers and consciousness seekers, a large demographic of under-represented listeners with limited visual and/or physical access to events and information - and for the broad, able, general public --- Sole responsibility for creative content and technical production, programming and hosting weekly radio shows, focusing on Twentieth-Century and Contemporary classical music, and on Consciousness and Metaphysical Sciences and Alternative Knowledges --- Because of these 3 programs I write, produce, and host, LightHouse For The Blind And The Visually Impaired, its AIS radio broadcast and Internet live stream, thus enjoys the distinction of being one of few channels in the entire country featuring timely forefront niche topics, in distinction from their broader umbrella purviews and services. ALL PERFORMANCE INDUSTRIES, 1954-1983 ................... Polymath, Renaissance woman, a leading light in a job well done -- did it all just to work at all, and laid the groundwork for the future --- High fashion, fur couture, runway & choreographic modeling. Film & theater, radio & television, the speaker's podium. Fashion coordinating & design, production & direction, photographic styling. Demonstration ballroom dancing, lounge vocalist, celebrity telethons. Writing, teaching, consulting. Social advocacy and more --- Paved the way for ascendancy of minority talent, especially of Asian and black models and media actors, for fashion, beauty, hairstyling, entertainment, and public-contact industries --- as role model, teacher, public relations representative, consultant, advocate, speaker --- Early on, first Oriental talent in Bay Area to successfully enter almost every arena in a white-dominated industry and maintain steadfast professional esteem. TOUR DE FORCE, 1989 .................................... Saving a floundering planetarium show for the CCSF Department of Astronomy, in celebration of National Astronomy Day and NASA --- Unforeseen extreme situation, short production schedule, time urgency. As fellow student in workshop class, offered to be voluntary "one-stop-shop" --- As executive coordinator and producer-director responsible for all creative content and technical procedures, as well as all acting demands, backed by ingenious classmates --- Functioned as Executive Coordinator. Director, Lead Co-Producer, Lead Co-Scriptwriter. Sole Narrator and Voice-over actor, straight and character roles. Technical Co-Consultant - lights, sound, music, visuals, props --- Resultant non-profit production mounted by Astronomy Workshop class for the general public very well-received, achieved copyright status (1989) by the Department of Astronomy, City College of San Francisco. CONSULTING, IMAGE AND PERSONA, 1977-1983 ................ An original, providing a unique service for the nascent transgender community and their caregivers --- Anticipated and prepared the way for societal acceptance of transgenderism (then called the "gender dysphoria" subculture) and for enabling functional, crossdressed mainstream-living by transgendered persons, male-to-female and female-to-male, via image cultivating and persona packaging --- An "underground" calling, classified clientele included many individuals with sensitive professional/public profiles ---- Broad capacity providing a one-stop-shop (make-up & cosmetic surgery, hair-care & styling, wardrobe & accessories, comportment and fitness, hand and foot care, voice & speech, health & nutrition, shopping savvy, etc.). My full range of capabilities an inimitable first for its time --- Individually conducted community workshops, private counseling, and intensive personal consulting, through referral from psychotherapists, psychiatrists, voice pathologists, endocrinologists, hairstylists, and electrolygists. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: LANGUAGE ARTS RELATED, SPOKEN AND WRITTEN English, the language most loved, not my mother tongue but my langage of choice. COMMUNICATIONS IN SERVING PEOPLE AND COMMERCE, 2001-2006.. Called customer, clientele, patron, the public, they really are the true providers for our jobs ............. As Customer Service / Ticketing Agent-Reservationist, increased word-of-mouth and repeat sales by offering far more than job requirements ---- Familiar with European and Asian language patterns, structures, and construction. Comprehended international accents. Matchless name/address spelling ability in other languages (as well as in English). Clear, logical, and concise speech enabled being understood by non-native users of English. Excellent and intuitive listening skills --- World cultural awareness and respect. Sensitivity to visitors' needs for personal dignity. Spared frustration, embarrassment, and shame in communication, non-Americans are relieved, reassured, grateful, to be accorded awareness and respect for their linguistic distinctiveness, cultural pride, and refinement of sensibilities. COPYEDITING AND PROOFREADING, OVERVIEW, 1982-2000 .... Making extemporaneous speech clean and clear without changing any words. Making writing contextual and comprehensible for print without bruising feelings and dashing pride --- Devised and refined a technique of rendering natural speech, expert testimony, and technical discourse into readable intelligibility without altering verbatim testimony, by structuring with punctuation exclusively --- Esteemed and favored by many court reporters for same, on transcripts of legal depositions and superior-court procedures and trials, criminal and civil. 'Secret wordsmith of choice' for academic and technical writing among graduate students --- Awarded "President's Cyrano de Bergerac Award of Excellence" for ghostwriting, editing, by President, California Court Reporters Assn., 1991 --- Brainbench certifications in written English for Master Levels and Excellence in editing and proofing, spelling and vocabulary, in accord with Chicago Style Manual standards, 1990s. National Spelling Bee, contending in California presention, 1953 --- CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO, 1982-1990 - Speedbuilding classes, Court Reporting, Department of Business........ Reader quality critically helps or hinders aspiring court reporters. These are exacting reads, dictation for serious intent and high purpose, yet mellifluous with a natural lilt --- Reader of choice among teachers, Reader in demand by students, for mellifluous dictation, resulted in position worked for 9 years. Cold readings including technical material, strictly timed at variable speeds to 225 wpm, for delivery in clear, expressive articulation --- Volunteer ad hoc faculty assistant and team leader, copyediting and proofreading legal transcripts and other material for Reader readability. CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO, 1982-1985 - College Study Center (1) ............................................ Not the math, but the polymath - help for the timid and uncertain in communications and scholarly imperatives, in jobs specially expanded or newly created just for me --- Student positions as multidisciplinary peer tutor for 9 academic departments. As scheduled Personal Tutor, specific disciplines. As Drop-in Tutor for nonscheduled tutees, all disciplines. As Drop-in Group Tutor, concurrent multidisciplinary tutoring, group sessions with nonscheduled tutees. (2) --- Budget specially allocated for paid student employment as "Assistant Advisor" positions, created for me (3), (4), by Director of College Study Center, in direct response to requests by English faculty ("Lab Advisors"). Writing and Reading Labs both not normatively budgeted for such staff. (1) The College Study Center included Tutorial Services, the Writing Lab (3), and Reading Lab (4). (2) English, ESL, Humanities (World), Anthropology (Ancient Civilizations), Music (Fundamentals, History), Art (History, Asian), Philosophy (Eastern), History (World), Comparative Religion (World). Qualified by coursework, GPA, life experience; as autodidact; and through personal recommendations by faculty. (3) Writing Lab Assistant Advisor: Consulting, analysis and research papers: editing, proofing, evaluating, advising. (Graduate and upper-division students, formerly from CCSF, were welcome clients of Labs' services.) (4) Reading Lab Assistant Advisor: Consulting and coaching, especially for ESL (English as a Second Language), and for Speech students: phonics, diction, phrasing, reading comprehension. /dcm7009