One of Pat’s fellow MVO talents, Peter K. O’Connell, shares this remembrance of his long time friend.

*****

Oh Canada. Today you lost a great one.

In the 8+ years that I have been friends with Pat Sweeney, he had become one of those rare fellows of whom I only heard positive, kind words said.

Marking his passing from Cancer this morning, those kind words are being reiterated and certainly shouted from the roof tops. As they should.

Family was first and foremost to Pat, as he would often speak of his wife and sons. They were his everything.

But second, I think, was his love of the voiceover industry and of the community that Patrick Sweeney helped foster in Toronto and pretty much everywhere else he went.

Before I moved to Raleigh, NC, I lived most of my life in Buffalo, NY, nearby to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where Pat and his family live. My affinity for Canada is well known (my Grandmother was born there and I spent my summers in Fort Erie, Ontario for decades). So I was especially happy to hear many years ago that a pair of my voiceover friends had gotten together in Toronto to create a local Voiceover Meetup Group called VO in TO.

One of the group’s founders was female voice talent Jodi Krangle. The other (and to hear Jodi tell it, a driving force behind the group) was Pat Sweeney.

To watch Pat navigate the room at a VO in TO meetup was a thing of beauty. If you didn’t know Pat before you walked through the door, you would know him by the time you left. And he would introduce you to one or two other people there who he thought you should know, so you could have someone to say hi to at the next meeting. Pat was a wonderful community builder.

Another voiceover group where we shared many happy times together was at an annual event called FaffCon. This is a wonderful group of talents from all over the world who would come together to share best practices in a very inclusive and welcoming format. It was an event tailor made for Pat, who certainly learned a great deal from his fellow voice talents but possibly shared even more, especially in one on one conversations. Pat’s supportive and encouraging spirit, attitude and actions positively impacted more people than he may have ever realized.

All of this ignores when Pat and I would chat about his visits to Buffalo or mine to TO. Or when we worked together as part of a voiceover marketing collective called MVO: The Voice-Over Guys. Or when he would commiserate with me on the phone about my (usually losing) Buffalo sports teams.

You always left a conversation with Pat feeling better.

All of this kindness and help from Pat made it so challenging for us (his VO pals) when Pat got sick and we couldn’t help the guy who had always helped us. There wasn’t much we could do but support and pray for Pat and his family.

Hard as we’d pray, it never felt like enough of a repayment for a gentleman who so positively impacted so many people. We are deeply sorry for his family’s loss but are grateful for their many family memories and for Pat’s final peace.

Me? I’m selfish. I will miss my friend.

Eternal rest grant to your servant Patrick, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

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1. Can you tell us about a recent voiceover project you’ve recently enjoyed working on? Who was it for?

For the past 6 years I have worked closely with the students of Sheridan College’s Animation program, whereby I donate my studio and voice for some of the student’s 4th year films. It’s a great opportunity to share a little of what I know about the voiceover industry and record a few character voices for their projects. The films are used as tools to find future jobs in the Animation Industry.

2. What was the project all about?

Perry Lin, a student at Sheridan College asked me to play a gentleman that was very excited about going on his first on-line date. I recently saw the film at Sheridan’s Industry day and it was voted one of the top films by the students and professors.

3. How did the project come to you? Agent? Website? Past client?

It’s an ongoing relationship I have with Sheridan College and came to me by contacting their Animation Department a few years ago.

4. What was the most interesting or enjoyable part of this project for you?

Just giving back and helping out the talented students with their films is payback for me. They really appreciate what I do for them and I enjoy giving my time to help out in a small way.

The link to the film is here.

ABOUT MALE VOICE TALENT PATRICK SWEENEY

Patrick Sweeney works as a full time voice actor based in Toronto, Canada and has over 13 years of experience working in the voiceover industry. He specializes in TV and Radio Commercials, Medical and Corporate Narration, Animation, Video Games, Documentaries and e-Learning.

What sets Patrick apart is his versatility and range, his passion and professionalism in delivering quality work to ensure customer satisfaction when building long term relationships. Effective listening skills and clarifying specific client needs allows him to tailor his work around expectations when striving to exceed expectations

Patrick is married with 2 young boys and is kept busy coaching his son’s basketball and baseball teams, Taekwondo, working out at the gym, following professional sports and watching Netflix. Some people actually call him ‘Binge’!

His work is recorded 24/7 from a state of the art, professionally designed recording studio that is fully equipped to provide quality audio via Source-Connect, ISDN, ipDTL, Skype or phone patch.

Some of his clients include: Verizon, Discovery Channel, NYSE, Orkin, BMO Insurance, Novartis, Canberra, GSK, Amgen, Purdue, Buffalo Wild Wings, Canberra, Scotiabank, Applebee’s, CI Investments, Alcon, BMS, Inner World Outer World, Remington, Siemens and many more.

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JOHNNY GEORGE, DUSTIN EBAUGH, MIKE COOPER, BRAD VENABLE and PATRICK SWEENEY were part of a ton of voice talents who attended WoVOCon IV in Las Vegas.

It’s an annual voiceover event that includes an educational conference for voice actors and a meeting for the association’s members.

The association itself is a non-profit, member-driven international association of voice actors that seeks to educate members about the essentials of voice over performance skills, maintaining high industry standards, and operating a private studio.

Dustin is a past president of the association and some of our guys even presented at the meeting (cause they’re all smart and stuff).

We’ve been advised all our voice-over guys returned home safe and unharmed from Vegas and no other pictures of the weekend exist.

ABOUT MALE VOICE TALENT JOHNNY GEORGE

Client-driven and recommended, Johnny George brings a unique style and sound to imaging brands of all multimedia applications.

Johnny has been a Voice Actor as well as Creative Services Director for over 35 years serving national and international clients.

Specializing in Explainer Videos as well as Broadcast Commercials and Videogame/Toy Character development, producers seek out Johnny for this tenor’s  natural, real and timeless sound.

ABOUT MALE VOICE TALENT DUSTIN EBAUGH

With over 20 years of experience in the voiceover industry, Dustin Ebaugh’s voice has been described as clear, natural, warm, friendly, agreeable, believable and trustworthy. His voice is ideal for narration, commercials, promos and radio and television station imaging.

He takes direction very well and can change delivery according to your needs.

In his professional personal studio, he uses Neumann and Rode microphones, Apogee inputs, Twisted Wave, Adobe Audition, a Focusrite Red 7 and a Blue Robbie tube preamplifier. he can easily do a telephone patch for recording sessions and offers SourceConnect, ipDTL and ISDN.

He has been heard nationally on network television and radio, broadcast cable, MTV and VH-1, on infomercials for Les Mills Pump by Beachbody and on commercials for Niagra Water, Nature Made Vitamins and Rockwell Tools. Dustin is honored to be the radio and television voice of The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His corporate narration clients include: Ferrari, The United Nations, General Electric, Pepsi, Delta Airlines, UBS, Kraft Foods, The Four Seasons Hotels, UPS, The United States Air Force, Pizza Hut and many others.

ABOUT MALE VOICE TALENT MIKE COOPER

Mike is a British voice over from London, who’s now based in the mountains of North Carolina. Mike emigrated from London to the USA in 2014 with his partner, two rescue dogs, and his natural, neutral, and famously friendly sound – which is fast becoming as popular in the States as it is in the UK.

The voice of numerous shows for A&E, HISTORY and National Geographic in the UK – as well as being heard globally for a decade on the BBC World Service – Mike has been called a “one-take wonder”, and loves bringing his wit and humour into the booth (when appropriate!) to play tongue-in-cheek, as well as straight/dramatic British. Producers who are taking the time to get to know Mike just seem to love him and keep coming back.

ABOUT MALE VOICE TALENT BRAD VENABLE

He was once described as “holding down the XY…both generations…and chromosomes.” Brad smiled at the appropriately geeky compliment.

Brad talks for a living. Incessantly.

You’ve probably heard Brad’s voice at least twice in your life and never even knew it, because Brad’s voice is heard on everything attached to a speaker. One day, you may be near Brad, and then you’ll hear him even without a speaker.

Somewhere in the world, he’s probably talking right now, and that’s oddly comforting. He could be talking somewhere, and yet could be sleeping at the same time. *mimes ‘mind blown’*

What Will Rogers said about liking the weather in Oklahoma could apply to someone who said they’ve never heard Brad’s voice: “Just wait.”

Computer tech, comic book collector, pop culture nerd, and avid gamer, Brad covers about every sub-culture cliché known to man, and can still sound like the don’t-dare-call-him-coolest hipster to ever wear clothes ironically. Now that’s irony for you.

Brad lives most of his life in a box, yet was not actually the inspiration for the Alice in Chains song. That was a point that needed clarifying.

Brad loves what he does, and does what he loves, with his beautiful wife Katie always by his side. Except when she’s at work. Then she’s not quite by his side.

ABOUT MALE VOICE TALENT PATRICK SWEENEY

Patrick Sweeney works as a full time voice actor based in Toronto, Canada and has over 13 years of experience working in the voiceover industry. He specializes in TV and Radio Commercials, Medical and Corporate Narration, Animation, Video Games, Documentaries and e-Learning.

What sets Patrick apart is his versatility and range, his passion and professionalism in delivering quality work to ensure customer satisfaction when building long term relationships. Effective listening skills and clarifying specific client needs allows him to tailor his work around expectations when striving to exceed expectations

Patrick is married with 2 young boys and is kept busy coaching his son’s basketball and baseball teams, Taekwondo, working out at the gym, following professional sports and watching Netflix. Some people actually call him ‘Binge’!

His work is recorded 24/7 from a state of the art, professionally designed recording studio that is fully equipped to provide quality audio via Source-Connect, ISDN, ipDTL, Skype or phone patch.

Some of his clients include: Verizon, Discovery Channel, NYSE, Orkin, BMO Insurance, Novartis, Canberra, GSK, Amgen, Purdue, Buffalo Wild Wings, Canberra, Scotiabank, Applebee’s, CI Investments, Alcon, BMS, Inner World Outer World, Remington, Siemens and many more.

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It’s time once again for the Voice-Over Guys to pick the 2017 Stanley Cup winner.

As usually, only some of the guys will be winners.

This year’s NHL finals see the perennial Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Nashville Predators, who are in their first Stanley Cup Final.

We’re not sure if many folks are just tired of Pittsburgh winning the Cup all the time but there sure are a lot of MVO: The Voice-Over Guys cheering for Nashville. Maybe they just love the underdog.

At any rate, here are the MVO: The Voice-Over Guys who will be supporting Pittsburgh:

• ROWELL GORMON
• SCOTT BURNS
• PETER K. O’CONNELL
• BRUCE MILES
• TOM TEST
• JAMES CLAMP
• MIKE COOPER

Here are the MVO: The Voice-Over Guys who will be supporting Nashville:

• PATRICK SWEENEY
• GEORGE WASHINGTON III
• BO BARKER
• CHUCK DAVIS
• DAN FRIEDMAN
• BRAD VENABLE
• JOHNNY GEORGE
• MATT COWLRICK
• ANDY BARNETT
• DOUG TURKEL
• DUSTIN EBAUGH

For those of you unfamiliar with the Stanley Cup (and oh what fun you’ve been missing), here taken from NHL.com is a brief history of the NHL’s highest prize:

It all started on March 18, 1892, at a dinner of the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association. Lord Kilcoursie, a player on the Ottawa Rebels hockey club from Government House, delivered the following message on behalf of Lord Stanley, the Earl of Preston and Governor General of Canada:

“I have for some time been thinking that it would be a good thing if there were a challenge cup which should be held from year to year by the champion hockey team in the Dominion (of Canada).

“There does not appear to be any such outward sign of a championship at present, and considering the general interest which matches now elicit, and the importance of having the game played fairly and under rules generally recognized, I am willing to give a cup which shall be held from year to year by the winning team.”

Shortly thereafter, Lord Stanley purchased a silver cup measuring 7 ½ inches high by 11 ½ inches across for the sum of 10 guineas (approximately $50); appointed two Ottawa gentlemen, Sheriff John Sweetland and Philip D. Ross, as trustees of that cup; and set the following preliminary conditions to govern the annual competition:

• – The winners to return the Cup in good order when required by the trustees in order that it may be handed over to any other team which may win it.
• – Each winning team to have the club name and year engraved on a silver ring fitted on the Cup.
• – The Cup to remain a challenge competition and not the property of any one team, even if won more than once.
• – The trustees to maintain absolute authority in all situations or disputes over the winner of the Cup.
• – A substitute trustee to be named in the event that one of the existing trustees drops out.

The first winner of the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) hockey club, champions of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada for 1893. Ironically, Lord Stanley never witnessed a championship game nor attended a presentation of his trophy, having returned to his native England in the midst of the 1893 season. Nevertheless, the quest for his trophy has become one of the world’s most prestigious sporting competitions.

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