Check Out Dena Dahilig’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dena Dahilig.

Hi Dena, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been interested in the human voice, and its power to shift how we feel, how we interact and how we effectively communicate.

Growing up as an only child I spent a lot of time with adults, watching and listening to how they spoke to their families and peers, versus how they spoke to those they reported to and those who worked for them. I heard powerful voices and weaker voices. I heard people who talked a lot but were not respected and people who said almost nothing but were revered for their intelligence. I heard calm voices that inspired confidence and anxious voices that demanded attention. And from that I learned when to listen and when to speak up.

But I also dug deep into all forms of vocal expression: the spoken-word of Laurie Anderson and William Burroughs, comedians like Steve Martin and PDQ Bach, the audio drama of The Firesign Theatre and Douglas Adams’ *Hitchhiker’s Guide,* and musicians like Tom Waits, Meredith Monk and The Bobs. Lots of unique vocal variety!! All informed my own vocal growth.

And what I discovered is that tone, pitch, pacing – and especially authenticity – are as important to any message as content. And that’s made a lasting impact on how I use my voice for voiceover and as an advisor to my clients.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are definitely struggles in the world of voice right now. As AI is increasingly trained on human voices, synthetic voices become more realistic and believable. And as a glass-half-full kind of gal, I can see the benefit of making information accessible for those who would prefer to listen rather than read.

At the same time, I want to hear humanity from a human. And I believe creators who can communicate using their own voices are going to be in demand. We’re already craving authenticity. And I want to be a part of that real-life resurgence.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Today, I’m a speaker, writer and voice actor, and I advise non-fiction and memoir authors who want to narrate their own books. I call it The Voiceverse Studio. The path to this point has been completely circuitous: musician to performing arts producer to graphic designer to voiceover/writing/speaking/coaching. But the driving force has always been a desire to encourage anyone who has a message to share, but needs a bit of support, to realize their vision.

Working with authors in particular is incredibly rewarding! I listen to a lot of non-fiction audiobooks and as much as I love good narrators I’m always a little disappointed that I’m not hearing the author. And there are lots of excellent reasons why an author would choose not to narrate their own books! It’s time consuming. You need access to recording equipment or a studio. It requires consistant energy and stamina. But if an author is driven to narrate, I want to make sure there are as few roadblocks as possible, especially if those roadblocks are, for example, coming from their agent or publisher. If I can help them bring their best, most authentic voice to the table, it’s an exciting project all around!

As a voice actor I focus on two particular areas: commercial and corporate narration. I’ve done a handful of audiobooks but I really love short-form audio (let’s say 10 minutes or less). And it turns out that script analysis, the idea of drilling into “story” is, in fact, what sets me apart in both my voice work and my coaching. It’s absolutely my super power.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Voices are magical. All kinds of emotions can rise to the surface when you hear a particular voice. The voice of someone you’ve lost brings them right back in the room with you. So by far the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to preserve the voices I love. Because when the opportunity is gone, it’s gone for good. I can’t find my mom’s voice anywhere. And I miss it. And that’s the lesson I continue to learn and share.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.denadahilig.com/voiceverse-studio
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denadahilig

Image Credits
All images Gene Dahilig or myself. CD Cover image photographer unknown.