The votes are in! After receiving dozens of e-mails and other messages from you, Paul has selected the topics for his new Zoom masterclasses in June and July 2024:
Masterclass 1 (Received Pronunciation (RP), Cockney, Estuary, and Transatlantic): June 1, 8, 15, 22, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. US Central Time (UTC-6 hours). Four 90-minute sessions.
Masterclass 2 (Acting in a Foreign-Language Accent): June 2, 9, 16, 23, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. US Central Time (UTC-6 hours). Four 90-minute sessions.
Masterclass 3 (Dialects of the British Isles): July 6, 13, 20, 27, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. US Central Time (UTC-6 hours). Four 90-minute sessions.
Masterclass 4 (Coaching Accent Modification): July 7, 14, 21, 28, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. US Central Time (UTC-6 hours). Four 90-minute sessions.
Maximum number of participants for each masterclass: eight. Cost per person for one four-session course is $400; cost for each additional course is $350.
The course includes a free copy of Paul’s Accents & Dialects for Stage and Screen: Deluxe Streaming Edition (shipping also free within the United States).
E-mail Paul at paul@paulmeier.com for more information or to apply for a course. If you haven’t worked with Paul before, please tell him a little about yourself and confirm that you are 18 or older. If you are accepted, you will receive a PayPal invoice, payable with the credit card of your choice. After receiving your payment, Paul will send you a Zoom invitation with a password to the sessions, and the materials included in the course fees.
Past courses have included:
The Art of Voice-Over. Drawing on his long experience as a voice-over artist and coach, Paul covers the broad range of voice-over work, including audiobook narration, commercials, and long-form narration. Character voice and dialects/accents will feature in some of the material.
Secrets of Great Shakespeare Performance. Paul has directed more than forty Shakespeare productions and text-coached many more. In this masterclass, he will address the acting techniques required for Shakespeare’s heightened text, with special attention to the demands of verse, prose, and rhetoric. (In addition to Accents & Dialects for Stage and Screen, free copies of Paul’s Voicing Shakespeare Windows/Mac ebook (or the new iTunes Apple Book version, out soon) and his The Original Pronunciation of Shakespeare’s English ebook are included.)
Dialects of the British Isles and Ireland. While getting an overview of all 11 British and Irish dialects covered in Paul’s Accents & Dialects for Stage and Screen: Deluxe Streaming Edition, each participant will select three dialects for intensive training with Paul.
Acting in Foreign-Language Accents. Contrasting with English-language dialects, foreign-language accents involve quite a different approach by the actor and require special sensitivity. While getting an overview of all seven such accents covered in Paul’s Accents & Dialects for Stage and Screen: Deluxe Streaming Edition, each participant will select three accents for intensive training.
Working with Accent-Modification Clients. Addressing the needs of English as a Second Language (ESL) clients and others who feel disadvantaged by their accent, this class is for established teachers of British and/or American English pronunciation, or for SLPs, dialect teachers, and coaches who want to add this skill to their private practice. Paul draws on his long experience in this field to help others who want to begin or improve their techniques.
- New to Zoom? It’s easy! No Zoom account needed, just a computer with a webcam. After each session, you will be able to stream a private, password-protected video recording of it and download the session notes.
- If you prefer solo sessions with Paul, one-on-one, see his Zoom/Skype page for details and pricing.
Cancellation policy: If you withdraw from the course 21 days or more prior to the first meeting, we will convert your credit to personal one-on-one sessions with Paul or refund your payment in full minus the retail price of the book you received with the class, plus shipping. If you withdraw less than 21 days prior to the first meeting, the same terms apply only if we are able to secure another participant to take your place. No refund or credit is offered if you withdraw after the class has begun.
What do participants say about Paul’s classes?
“I wanted to write a note of thanks to you for sharing your great wealth of knowledge with us in the ‘Dialects of the British Isles’ class. Sometimes it’s difficult to express in a group over Zoom so I wanted to make sure you know how much fun I had in the class and what a great experience it was for me. I feel much more fluent with the IPA and loved the feeling of going to the phonic gym, so to speak :). I’ve now become one of those perhaps delightfully annoying people who are trying to identify the origin of every British accent I hear, calling out the strut set or the price set or the rhotic quality. Anyway, it was a wonderful learning experience and very fun, so thank you.” – Rachel Bar-Gadda
“Thanks again for the great class! For me, it was incredibly useful – helpful and inspiring.” – Michael James Bell
“Thank you for an inspiring and informative course. Your coaching with each class member, as well as the nuggets of wisdom you provided through dialogue and coursework, was most affirming.” – Tamera Izlar
“Don’t miss an opportunity to take a class with Paul! He’s right on the money; with an eagle eye, he doesn’t miss a thing. He’s able to pinpoint every nuance that will make your reading not just better but excellent. And he manages to be kind, gentle, and encouraging in a way that brings out everyone’s best. He outlines techniques that give you a foundation and structure you can build on. His own readings are exquisite, and I trust his insights completely about when it’s too much and when it’s not enough.” – Wendy Banks
“Thank you so much, Paul! It was a wonderful class. Looking forward to more soon.” – Denis Lambert
“Thank you for these excellent classes. You are a master teacher: inspiring, practical, and joyful.” – Eva Barnes
“What an exhilarating day Saturday was, as were the days of study beforehand of the materials and resources you sent. I’ve been on an OP [Shakespeare’s Original Pronunciation] high for days and days! Initially I was terrified of jumping in and looking like an idiot, but as soon as we began, I threw all that to the wind. I had forgotten how effortless and satisfying it feels to be coached by you, and your clarity and strength and calm is evident in your podcasts as well, which I have SO been enjoying.” – Susan Wilder
“Several years ago, I had the privilege of being coached by Paul in RP [Received Pronunciation] for a role in a play, so I knew that he was the real deal. Still, I’ve done a lot of voice-over work so I wasn’t sure what there was to learn. Thanks to Paul and some great classmates, I came away with several small but key learnings that set audiobooks apart from other forms of VO.” – J. Louis Reid
