No Double Dutch Spoken at Nethervoice

Easton, PA, July 15, 2009 --(PR.com)-- In a world dominated by American and British talent, voice over artist Paul Strikwerda is launching “Nethervoice” on July 15th. Strikwerda, a 25 year veteran of the voice over industry, describes himself as “the ultimate European voice”. Born in Holland, Strikwerda has worked for Dutch national and international radio, the BBC and American Public Radio. His voice is used by companies such as Novartis and Johnson & Johnson, as well as the Discovery Channel.

After coming to the United States in ‘99, Mr. Strikwerda carved out a niche market for his vocal chords. Strikwerda: “British accents are often perceived as snobbish and stuffy. American-style voice overs are sometimes too much “in-your-face”, or a talent might be trying hard to emulate that guy who does all these movie trailers. Advertising agencies are increasingly aiming to give their product or service a true global appeal. They are turning to me for a more European sound.”

For some agencies, Strikwerda is a one-stop shop, because he can translate a script, read and record it, and even edit it in his studio. That way, clients receive ready-to-use audio files, within 24 hours or less. Strikwerda: “Thanks to the internet, I can record a training course for a Spanish hotel chain and a commercial for a Hollywood agency on the same day, without ever leaving my home!”

Although 90 percent of his work is in English, Strikwerda also records in Dutch, in German and in French. The US Census Bureau recently asked him to use a Dutch accent in a radio campaign to recruit volunteers.

With the official launch of www.nethervoice.com, the company is offering a new service: voice evaluations. Strikwerda: “Most voice-seekers can’t tell the difference between a talent from Belgium or The Netherlands, yet both can label themselves as Dutch speakers. It takes me no time to sort that out. Technology has made it easy for amateurs to enter the international voice over market. Unfortunately, many have no business being in this business. People constantly underestimate what it takes to be a professional voice over, and I often can’t believe what sound bites people dare to put up online. Not everyone on YouTube is a Spielberg. People know that. But if you don’t speak Dutch, it’s much harder to separate the real talent from the pretenders. That’s where I come in.”

Strikwerda is one of only a few US-based Dutch voice over professionals in the business. Thanks to a weakened dollar, he has noticed an increased demand for his services in Europe and Asia. With the introduction of Nethervoice, he expects to solidify his position in the competitive voice over market. “It’s my ultimate goal to become the European voice of choice”, adds Strikwerda.

Paul Strikwerda lives in Easton, Pennsylvania, home of the Crayola Factory and conveniently located between New York and Philadelphia. His fourth audio book, a medieval mystery novel, is due to be released in August. Mr. Strikwerda can be reached at 001-732-322-5292 or at paul at nethervoice dot com. More information can be found at www dot nethervoice dot com.

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