10 Questions with ... Rachel McGrath

1) What made you want to get into the radio business and who were some of your early mentors?

Does anyone's answer on this part ever swerve from "I wanted to be in radio because I listened to the radio?" No? Well then, let me join the herd for a few seconds. I'm going to leap right back out immediately after I'm finished though -- and probably take a steamy shower; herds make me acutely nervous.

I wanted to be in the radio biz because I listened to the radio and loved it! We had this station in Chicago called Rock 103 5 (RIP) -- it was Rocktastic AF -- I'd listen to Sludge and just adored him. Irma Blanco on B96 was also one of my faves, as were Cara Carriveoa and Seaver on The Loop. You can imagine how excited I was when I landed an internship at The Loop; it was a dream!

2. What was your first radio job and what did you do there?

In broadcasting school, I took a surprising liking to production. I ended up being that person who helped with other people demos -- and I knew I wanted an on-air gig that came with the possibility of learning more about production. Thanks to Rob Creighton, I was hired part-time on-air at 100.7 RXQ -- The Southland's Classic Rock -- a suburban Chicago station. I sat with the Production Director as much as possible and absorbed everything I could about commercial production and imaging. I voiced every spot available -- produced every piece they let me. I even learned Selecter and all the ins and outs of NexGen. Because why not? After a few months, I ended up landing afternoons, then becoming the interim PD of the station. I was 24.

3. Give us a run-down of some of the other stations and positions you've held over the years?

Parkersburg, WV, PD (take that title "PD" with a grain of salt; I was nothing compared to actual PDs. It turns out they only hired me because no one there knew NexGen; they needed someone to show everyone there how to use it and keep the station on the air!) of Z106 -- another Classic Rock station. Met some kind people there, but I was a giraffe out of the savanna. I literally cried every night, but that only lasted a few months. I joined Clear Channel in Twin Falls, Idaho to become Imaging Director of KSNQ -- yet another Rock station. Awesome people there. I became active in the Clear Channel production forums and met the men at the CC Creative Services Group -- and they helped get me a job in Atlanta as Commercial Prod Director, which led to being Imaging Director of WUBL (a Country station!), which changed everything.

4. You've done commercial production and imaging for several stations. How did that turn into actually doing voice work?

Being an Imaging Director was the single most important role for the development of my radio imaging voice career. I was the producer for many years, so I get it! You can't teach a voice talent what a producer may be thinking -- they either know or they don't -- and I had the experience of being the producer, which is wildly beneficial. I know where you can make an edit, or where you can't. I know where to breathe to make it easier for the producer ... and to give multiple takes so that nothing has to be redone (a huge time suck!). I'm always thinking, "How can I make the producers life easier?"

Oh wait, that didn't answer the question! It turned into voice work because I networked with so many people and I'd tell everyone, annoyingly, "I'm a voice girl! Let me voice your station, please!" I had no shame. You can't in the beginning or you'll never make it. I'd also voice stations for free or super cheap. Got an ego and feel you should be getting paid big money at the beginning of your career?

Let's talk in two years. You probably won't still be a voiceover artist, or worse yet, you'll be someone who complains that the industry "isn't fair" or that there's "no work." I feel sorry for those personality types; they just have no place in the entertainment field. It's hard! Only the strong survive and you have to leave your ego in your closet and work really, really steadfastly.

5. What was the first station you did voice work for and how was that experience?

Um. This is embarrassing. I can't remember! But I do remember that I was beyond excited and grateful to be doing it.

6. What made you decide to leave Clear Channel/Atlanta and venture out on your own as a voiceover person?

It was the most surreal feeling. One day, I just felt like I no longer belonged there. And that instant I knew I had to try being on my own. I still adore and miss my CC/Atlanta co-workers, though, and we are all still friends -- like really close, forever friends; they were all such awesome humans!

7. Sounds like this voiceover thing has worked out very well for you. How many stations are you voicing for at this point?

Zweiundsiebzig! Wait, that's in German! Oopsies! Hate it when that happens. If you really want to know you'll figure it out ;))

8. You're working with lots of big Rock stations including KLOS, KXXR, KSAN and KGSR, to name a few. How do you like doing voice work for Rock stations?

When my freshman English teacher asked us to get up and recite a poem ... I sauntered to the head of the room and said:

"She's got a smile
That it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood
Memories"......

If you're FB friends with me, you can see that I have ... um ... a teensy ... obsession with Guns N Roses. Pearl Jam is my second-favorite band. I adore Led Zeppelin and The Doors. See where this is going? It's my jam. I still get delicious shivers when I get to do a GNR promo. Rock stations let me go crazy and be a little dangerous. They're wicked gratifying.

9. I've heard the stuff you do for KLOS/LA and KSAN/SF and it's very hip and humorous. How much of that is written as opposed to ad-libbing?

First, Stew Hererra and Jeff Schmidt are so unbelievably talented that I still can't believe I get to say their copy! I know these men personally and am friends with them, so we get each other. On KLOS, we have these things called "Rachitudes" -- just wildly random and hilarious little snippets about everything from life's little idiosyncrasies to relationships to work. When Stew sends me a page of them, I can't wait to get in the booth and let loose! I can't say what the actual writing/ad lib percentages are, but I can say that a *boatload* of my ad libs make it to the finished pieces. It's immensely liberating and complimentary when you're allowed -- and encouraged -- to add to the creative process.

10. Finally, you've carved out a nice niche as a female voiceover person. What kind of advice would you give to any other women who want to pursue voiceover work?

I've always looked at being a female as a positive. Yes, there are still some vacuous individuals who believe that female must also have a male counterpart on the station or be relegated to an "accent voice," but all we can do is giggle at their archaic ways and push forward. And the good news is that for every one of those delightfully retrogressive blockheads, there's a forward thinking programmer or producer who understands females can be a station voice all by themselves. In rock specifically, the powers that be are realizing "Wait, we're talking to men -- and empowered, hard working woman -- why on earth haven't we been using a female?" And that's just in radio imaging.

In other spectrums of voice work, the trend in using women is skyrocketing. It's an incredible time to be estrogen-laden in VO land! The #1 thing I'd say for women -- and anyone, really -- is to sound like yourself. Don't try to sound like anyone else -- ever-- cause you won't book the gig. And nobody likes a non-gig booker.