|
Its official...I've been a resident of the tri state area for 10 years.
If you're a transplant to the area its funny how you hear stories of how rude New Yorkers can be. The legend of the hustle and bustle of the city and the mantra "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere" epitomize the lifestyle that from afar, outsiders either admire or fear. Filled with a little of both emotions, ten years ago I put on blinders and left everything behind in Florida to pursue a career that people warned me about. The radio business as well as the lifestyle of freelance voiceover work are not easy paths to take, yet I felt that I had to pursue my lifelong dream and throw caution to the wind. So off I went, with only a few boxes of personal items. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to be able to crash at my boyfriends moms' house on Long Island (She and I had met only ONCE before!). So other than her, I had no friends, no contacts, no family...I was alone, with no job, very little money, and a lot of ambition.
Being alone can be pretty incredible. It forces you to look inside yourself for strength, motivation and survival. You begin to have lots of conversations within yourself...and when your mind finally stops "talking", answers seem to come forth from your intuition. It was this intuition that kept me going through all the slammed doors and rejections from agents who said I wasn't ready for market #1. I was told to go home and come back when I was ready. In my mind, I WAS ready. I just needed a chance to prove myself and that one agent to believe in me.
Within a few weeks, I got a job in radio at KJOY (WKJY-FM) doing "Long Island Love Songs" in the evenings. A job that would prove to be perfect since I needed my days free to pursue my voiceover career. This was also my first full time position as a DJ, because in Florida I had only worked on weekends, part time. Lets just say... I was nervous. To introduce me properly to radio, my new boss decided to throw me in head first by giving me several duties on my first shift. I had to not only perform my first shift ever for the station, but I also had to run a live broadcast from a fireworks display, take callers to put on the air, and still remain calm throughout while making sure to say the proper identification of the station and not take the station off the air. Keep in mind that as a DJ, we have to run the music, the commercials, the equipment that records callers, etc so I was a nervous wreck at this point since it was my first time at this station, and each station is different. When I asked him "why" he was giving me so much to do? He answered simply..."Its sink or swim time Linda. I believe you'll swim". And with that, he turned and walked out.
The rest of my shift was a total blur, but in the end I must have survived since I wasn't fired the next day.
Now that I had my job situated, an agent was next on my list of things to do. Getting a reputable agent in NYC is a very difficult task and luckily in my naivety, I had no idea what I was in for. If I knew then what I know now, I may not have pursued it so much. The old saying "ignorance is bliss" is very near and dear for me.
Agents are an interesting bunch and I don't think I understand them anymore now than I did when I first arrived in NYC. For voiceovers, they are necessary to access the larger accounts and at the time, that was what my little ambitious mind desired. So after being told to go home by one agent, another saying I wasn't good enough for his agency and to move to Atlanta for a bit before coming back, and another agent calling me a phone psycho since I used to call him so much...I finally got signed by a bonafide large agency. It was a moment of triumph after months of rejections and I was hanging onto it with every bit of strength I could muster. I had no idea that this career choice was one that was filled with rejections and that rejection is part of the daily routine. No one ever told me that, but the reality set in as I started auditioning and NOT booking parts. Upwards of 10 auditions a week and all rejections, with only the occasional booking. I began facing casting directors each day with most giving me the obligatory smile, nod and "thanks for coming by" look as I blended in with the talented masses. With every audition, there's hope but as the auditions continue and the bookings don't, the ego takes a massive beating. By that time, I was married to a wonderfully supportive man who understood the business and kept me going, both financially and emotionally. That type of support was vital to my well being and I don't think I would have made it without him.
There were many nights of tears, thoughts of quitting the business, etc, but just when I would feel my lowest, I would book another job and delight in the voiceover career again. Bookings for AT&T, The Learning Channel, VH1 doing narrations at Sony Studios, Nickelodeon, etc would keep me on a high to help balance out the lows when I wouldn't work. It was a constant roller coaster for many years, so I kept working in radio to make ends meet and after 3 years at KJOY, was lucky enough to get a job here at CD101.9 doing weekends. When I joined CD101.9, I started to enjoy some of the hard work and efforts I had put forth over the years.
The CD101.9 studio has these huge windows that overlook midtown at an angle. You can see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building from here perfectly, and many nights I would look at this view while working and reflect on what it has taken to get here. A sense of pride would take over and I would feel a milestone moment coming on. Milestone moments for me are moments when you suddenly realize that you have accomplished something you've only dreamed of...its that 'a-ha' moment where you realize, THIS is what its all about for me.
I had a milestone moment at the CD101.9 Liberty Jazz Festival last year before Paul and I hosted George Bensons' set. Looking around and seeing the thousands of happy smooth jazz listeners dancing under the moonlit sky with Lady Liberty in the background glowing proudly...I then realized, I am exactly where I've always wanted to be. In the most amazing city in the world, watching one of the legendary masters of music perform live...THIS IS IT. A milestone moment indeed!
Another milestone moment occurred Christmas Eve when I got to see Chris Botti perform live at The Blue Note. I went backstage to say hello and as you can see by my picture with him on my page, it was another milestone moment for me. The chance to see an incredible musician in an intimate setting like The Blue Note which is legendary in itself, was just a thrill. I could not have experienced that if it hadn't been for the years of work in radio coupled with the tears and determination that have brought me to this place.
These days, my voiceover career has built up a larger client base so the roller coaster ride is a lot less bumpy. My stress level is back to normal and tears are no longer shed over rejections. The rejections still occur but my skin is thick after years of experience. As I look for the Empire State Building today from the CD101.9 studio window, the fog has masked it beyond recognition...but I know its there. It glows brightly reminding me just how far I have come.
-Linda Bruno
|
