JJ Surma is a voice actor and branding specialist. He is a lover of left-handed guitars, coffee, and baseball. JJ lives with his family in surburban Washington, DC.
Jeff Lynn: Give me a career synopsis.
JJ Surma: After a childhood spent making tapes of my favorite DJs, I started in radio at 17 in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. I spent years on the air before I realized the production studio was really home for me. I went from commercial production to imaging as I moved to Washington, DC, in the early 2000s.
Voiceover went from side hustle to full-time just before the pandemic. Now, I’m servicing clients worldwide from my suburban Maryland studio, while my kids are wishing I’d go back to working in an office and get out of their business.
JL: How many clients do you currently have? And how do you manage to keep them all straight and updated?
JJS: I’m a full-time voice actor working at the highest level. However, I’ve made a very intentional decision to hold on to a select few freelance production jobs because it keeps me connected to the people I serve. To think like a producer, you have to BE a producer. I feel that keeping a toe in that water benefits all involved. It makes for some long days with a lot of juggling, though. I guess you could say I’m living the dream!
JL: Has AI impacted the Voice Actor business and what if any concerns do you have for the future?
JJS: I don’t see AI as an existential threat, but a challenge to make myself more flexible and human. And that’s the crux of what I do. I provide heritage and legacy brands a fresh-sounding option — an “announcer” if you will — who also has the ability to shift into the gears that most producers in formats like News, Rock, and Sports need.
Sounds like that authoritative voice to address a crisis or the comical big voice that’s a parody of yesteryear. In parallel with the ability to downshift into everyman or the guy next door, sometimes within the same line of copy! Artificial Intelligence can’t do that like a human with years of experience can.
JL: Who is the one client that you don’t have that you have always wanted?
JJS: I am not currently on the air in NYC, but I have my eye on one particular station in the greatest city in the world.
JL: Voice actors pioneered the concept of working from home even before COVID. What is your studio setup?
JJS: I use a Studiobricks VO edition and all the typical mics and outboard equipment. To be honest I spend more time with my guitar collection than my mic locker. Making music is how I de-stress.
JL: Biggest Blooper?
JJS: I usually keep my audio pretty clean to make it easy on the producers I work with. Some people actually want to hear your flubs though. I had a producer at one of my rock stations ask for a bit on their Storm Desk, and during the session, I just blurted out “sperm desk” by accident. What can I say? It had been a long day!
I sent it unedited, thinking it would be between us, but then later got a note from the PD with a clip from their morning show where they had a great segment about “The Sperm Desk”. As embarrassing as it was, the PD loved it, and I’m told the morning guys still have it in their Shortcut to this day.
JL: Do you live in fear of getting a cold or sore throat?
JJS: I do, especially with a wife who teaches in the petri dish of early elementary school. Having to balance being Hot For Teacher and staying Claritin clear is no easy task, friends!
Find out more about JJ Surma and hear his demos here.
Jeff Lynn serves as Editor of Barrett Media’s Music Radio coverage. Prior to joining Barrett Media, Jeff spent time programming in Milwaukee, Omaha, Cleveland, Des Moines, and Madison for multiple radio groups, including iHeartMedia, Townsquare Media, NRG Media, and Entercom (now Audacy). He also worked as a Country Format Editor for All Access until the outlet shut down in August 2023.
To get in touch with Jeff by email, reach him at Jeff@BarrettMedia.com.
