Performers who specialize in voice work have some unique challenges. Anne Ganguzza, founder and president of VO Peeps as well as a VO artist and nationally recognized trainer, knows that many are struggling. Anne created the concept of a career education scholarship fund specifically for qualified members of the voiceover community and along with Tim Keenan of Creative Media Recording (below) brought it to the LA/OC Chapter of MCA-i.

At the September Board of Directors meeting board members were very enthusiastic. So enthusiastic, in fact, that MCAi and VO Peeps are currently working out the details to make the scholarship fund a reality!

In broad terms, the scholarship fund—to be administrated jointly by MCAI and VO Peeps—will respond to a number of both need and merit-based requests from existing members of the professional voice acting community. Some provisions may be made for student level scholarships as well. Scholarships may be granted in the form of equipment, software, training and mentoring services as well as cash.

While no timeline has been set, the educational scholarship fund is expected to become operational sometime in early 2012. Obviously, fundraising will come first followed by call for applications and awards of scholarships. Appeals to fund the scholarship will be made to media businesses and individuals as well as the general public. Tax-deductible donations will be made to MCA-I, which is a registered 501c3 charity. So look for more announcements this fall.

VO Peeps, a support organization for voiceover artists founded in 2010 by Ganguzza, has now gone international, streaming their bi-monthly meetings over the internet and this October hosting British VO artist, Natalie Cooper, in person.

MCA-i’s LA/OC Chapter is one of the oldest in the over 40 year old association. The Media Communications Association-international (MCA-I,) which started as ITVA, is an association of professionals from every media: television, film, radio, print, the internet and more. Members represent every job category from producer to performer, engineer to copywriter and everything in between. The MCA-I is dedicated to serving its members, the professional media community and the community at large.