Critical Reviews


Review from Sandie Newton

"You have sent me some great voices over the last year and I appreciate it very much. I have also noticed the professionalism and variety in the quality of the demos you are producing - top notch! Kudos matey. Thanks again for your referrals and high quality production."

Review from Jack Dennis

"This note is long overdue. Many many years ago I was pushing buttons as an op at CFTR. Mississauga train derailment and evacuation happened. You voiced the promos. They moved me. The best reads I ever heard. Instant fan of yours and have been since. Probably the biggest motivating moment in my career. I wanted to read like you. Anyway, the rest is history. Thanks Mike."

Voiceworx in Toronto Creates Great Performances With Heart — Blog by Stephanie Ciccarelli, Voices.com

"Founded in 1996, Mike Kirby's Voiceworx has served students of voice over for 13 years, and has introduced Canadian talent to the wonderful world of voice over, including Shakespearean actors who have performed at The Stratford Festival, broadcast professionals, and aspiring voice artists. Read more

Industry Comments: Mike Kirby's Voiceworx.com — Review by Roger King

"The legendary Mike Kirby invited me to sit in on his documentary and narration class, the second of 4 nights of training that his Voiceworx program offers in their Monthly Voice Over Workshop (www.voiceworx.com). I love sitting in on workshops. It's not so much the perverse pleasure of watching nervous first-timers tremble as they step to the mic, alone in the booth, while 7 or 8 of their fellow peers watch and listen intently. It's that I like to know what goes on in these courses. What are they teaching the youth of today? I really want to do more of this, so I can have an informed opinion when people ask me - and believe me, they do - where they can get voice over training.

I spent 3 hours not only observing Mike Kirby putting voice students through the documentary narration paces but participating as well. What?! This was not in the contract. I'm supposed to just drop by these workshops, a mysterious figure lurking in the back of the room, quietly observing the proceedings. But Mike insisted I read aloud with the students and even sent me in the booth at the end to read a corporate piece. That aside, I really enjoyed the experience!

Running the agency from my home office - or by blackberry from the pub - I don't always get the chance to be in studio with talent, especially up and comers. I always love the mix of characters who are drawn to pursuing voice work in various stages of their lives. Everything from the bearded 50-something documentary buff to the young actress just brushing up on her voice skills to the 20-something fashion maven who shows up late, wearing the big white Russian winter hat and red high-heeled boots.

Mike assigned each student a narration script, ranging from a standard Boys and Girls Club of Canada corporate piece to a character driven docu-drama monologue from a character looking for drugs on the streets of Mumbai. He would direct and critique each aspiring performer, all the while mixing in observations about the industry and spinning anecdotes from his long and distinguished career in the biz (www.mikekirby.ca). As mentioned, this is one of 4 nights in the Voiceworx intro program, each one taught by a different instructor. I look forward to sitting in on future Voiceworx sessions.



Voice work can be intensely exciting - just you and the microphone, a page of text and the wonderful sound of your voice in your head-sets.