Here at Such A Voice we bring together some pretty incredible professionals from all different parts of the world to provide our students with a top voice-over education. Our staff members have such a wide variety of backgrounds and unique personalities. From working VO actors starring in movies, videogames and national TV commercial campaigns, to producers spending their days working on voice-over demos as well as broadcast voice-over work, to copywriters, casting directors and many other industry skills in between! We genuinely love bringing our expertise and our experiences together to create the best programs for our students.
For this very first Staff Spotlight article, we’d like to introduce you to Chief Operations Officer, Heather Costa. We’ve asked Heather a few get-to-know you questions:
Tell us a little bit about yourself! Hi! Thanks for the opportunity. Well, in addition to be being SAV’s Director of Operations, I am also a full time working voice-over talent. I have a wonderful husband, Chris, and two little boys, Tyler who’s nine and Gavin who’s five. We recently moved from New York to LA, and we’re thrilled to be here!
How did you get your start in voice-over? Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be Ariel in the Little Mermaid. I loved the voice acting and singing, and of course that she was a princess. In the spring of 2004, a year after I completed college, my incredibly supportive parents and husband said, if this is really what you want to do, then take a class and go after your dreams! So I did. I attended Dan Levine’s introductory voice-over class, here at Such A Voice, and in less than a year, I was a paid working voice-over actor. I couldn’t be more grateful!
Do you play a musical instrument? Yes, I play the piano, oboe, flute, english horn and I sing. Music has always been a part of my life. I grew up being a part of All County and All State competitions and performance groups. I was fortunate to tour Europe in High School and College singing in cathedrals. I received a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from the Hartt School of Music, but I actually started out as a Music Education oboe major. One semester in when I realized I had to make my own oboe reeds, I decided to switch to voice and I’m so glad that I did.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I’ve always wanted to go to Fiji. Those huts on the water look so nice…
When did you do your first VO job? Summer of 2004. It was a radio commercial for my parent’s podiatry practice. I actually went into the radio station to record it. Something that isn’t as common today. The only thing I earned from that job was my parents treating me to dinner, but it gave me the confidence I needed. Shortly after I recorded a regional radio commercial for the New York State Podiatric Medical Association. Then I started becoming a regular voice on a few local production companies and in 2005 landed a narrator role for the Educational Testing Service – my longest standing client still today!
What’s your middle name? Marie
Any current VO accomplishments you’d like to tell us about? I booked a national union McDonald’s radio commercial that aired in the fall and then they picked it up again! https://soundcloud.com/heathercostavo/mcdonalds-all-day-breakfast-national-radio-spot-heather-costa-vo
If you don’t mind sharing, what’s the silliest thing you’ve done for a voice-over? Well… it was about a year after I started voice-over. I was asked to provide a recording with multiple sneezes. And I mean a LOT of sneezes. Being green to VO, and eager to do my best, I decided to sniff pepper to get myself to sneeze in the most natural way I knew how. All I have to say is, ouch. Yes, it worked, it was authentic, but boy did that sting! Never again!
What is this photo of? This is me with my family at Disneyland. This was this past January, two weeks after we moved from New York to California. It’s been an exciting adventure!
Where can we check out your voice-over work? Thanks for asking! On my website www.heathercosta.com
Is there any advice that you’d like to share with someone just starting out in voice-over? Set realistic goals for yourself and make a plan on how to achieve them. Having that road map will make such a difference between just dabbling in VO and hoping it all falls into place, vs taking control and making it happen. Never stop chasing those dreams! Every time you reach one, chase a new dream and never, ever stop learning, growing and having fun in this industry!
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