If you haven’t heard of Kabir Singh, it’s a name you should get to know. With a sound that pivots effortlessly from regular guy to authentically urban, Kabir is spearheading demographic change in the voiceover industry, paving the way with his success for future generations of talent.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Kabir on a collection of new demos, which can be heard at the following links, (goo.gl/dFNmgY, goo.gl/fyRCji, goo.gl/GaRosu.) Today, I interview Kabir about his rise to voiceover success, and his tips for talent just starting out.
JMC
Tell us how you got interested in being a voice actor.
KABIR
I never wanted or desired to do anything in entertainment. I was always a poet at heart. After college, I got a corporate job with lawyers. 2 years into it, I started to realize and feel my unhappiness. After some research, I quickly learned that there were zero dollars to be made in poetry (at least in the beginning).
So- I researched “how to make money using your voice” – I came across “The Art of Voice Acting” by James Alburgur.
The story starts here. after 2 years of “post awareness,” I planned my exit from corporate America by taking my first class with Marc Cashman and then going deep into study with Bill Holmes. 2008 I got fired and was forced to pursue VO. No money. No savings. All hunger. The grind involved daily work, beyond 9-5 in the beginning.
JMC
Is there one job or client you are especially proud of?
KABIR
I am not a fan of the word proud. I know it’s strange, but sometimes I don’t see my accomplishments as anything to be proud of. However, with all that said, it may be surprising, but my “proudest” client was my first VO job for $100 through Voices.com. Why? Because it gave me hope. It confirmed that a kid who came from a trailer park with 0 connections to the industry – can make this “VO thing” happen. HOPE is very powerful. That 1 job started this journey and gave me belief in my ability to accomplish anything. I felt fearless and I felt even more hungry.
This job will never be forgotten. It still fuels me today.
JMC
What advice do you have for new talent?
KABIR
Stay hungry- dam near- starving. Every single day. Hungry for knowledge, hungry for guidance, hungry for self-improvement and hungry to compete with TOP talent. Hunger dies in the land of comfort. 6 years into my journey, successful and very accomplished now, I am hungrier than I have ever been. Fearless to fail and learn from my mistakes. I cannot make this clear enough- I suck. I am not talented. There are thousands that are more talented than me. But- I will work harder than anyone (at least in my mind). If my competition is next to me and we are both trying to accomplish a goal, you will have to kill me in order to outwork me. So in summary – stay hungry and be ready to die before you let anyone outwork you (assuming you want to be successful)
JMC
You post motivational videos and have started speaking at conferences…..how does your life story inspire another talent?
KABIR
I don’t even know if my story inspires anyone. I hope it does. I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the inspiration of others. Men and Women have guided me in my life. Without beating up the story of Kabir too much I can share some snippets:
I am a son of a single mom. I met my father for the first time when I was 10. He died in front of me when I was 13. Up until my 2nd year of college, I was the lonely Indian kid in an all-Black/Hispanic school. My stories of being bullied would bring tears to even the toughest of men. But- I learned a lot through these experiences. One of the best lessons I learned- is empathy. Empathy is so powerful and can be very contagious.
What inspires me now? What fuels this hunger? My mom and my sister. My sister has polio. My mom is 66 years old. I see her every day. She is my angel. Each breath I take is for them. I want the responsibility that my father never did. To take care of my mom and my sisters. To provide them with comfort. I am 30 years old, and sometimes I feel 60. What I used to consider a burden in my 20s, I now see as a beautiful responsibility.
I have this one life. One life to be positive, make something of myself, and help others. I am nobody without the help of everybody.
JMC
Your sound can best be described as modern and urban. What advantages and disadvantages come along with that?
KABIR
Urban and modern is in. It won’t be forever and I am highly in tune with that now. It’s the “flavor of the week”, the swag, and the personality. I have been able to master this swag and personality and allowed it to become a part of my daily get down. The opportunities are endless and lots of producers are searching for great urban talent. With all that said- the disadvantages are you can become limited in your endeavors and auditions. If you can’t tweak that urban read and really go from urban to just a cool millennial- your opportunities become less. So, you have to develop your “knob of balance.” To be able to tweak your flavor to the right taste. It’s possible, but if you don’t, its extremely disadvantageous.
JMC
If you had to start over again today, what would you do differently?
KABIR
With no ego, I must say- Nothing. Trust me when I say- I have failed. Failed demos, failed classes, failed meetings, and failed auditions. BUT, each failed memory revealed a valuable lesson. To this day I can recall each LESSON from my FAILURES. I wouldn’t do anything differently because I love my failures.
Thank you for interviewing me and allowing me to share part of myself with whoever reads this. JMC has helped me grow my business unlike any other resource out there. I owe a lot of my successful business strategy to you and I appreciate you very much, sir.