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Shane August: Voice Over Superhero, Singer, Producer, Writer, Sex Symbol, etc.
Made for MusicVery few musical talents garner the kind of respect that has been bestowed upon Shane August over the years for his ability to wear so many hats almost simultaneously--and wear them all very well. Aside from being able to play fifteen instruments, Shane has refined his uncanny knack for musical production, orchestration and composition. He is one of those rare talents who regularly hears the finished record in his head the minute he begins to write a melody or put lyrical pen to paper.
Discovered years ago by songwriting legend Buddy Kaye on a visit to Shane's birthplace of Hawai'i, Buddy helped Shane hone his songwriting skills at the age of nine and by ten, Shane had won songwriting contests and possessed a catalog of almost two hundred songs, gaining much attention and congratulatory letters from music industry mainstays such as Kenny Loggins and Quincy Jones. At the time, Buddy's only other student was a twenty-something year old girl in California named Diane Warren.
The son of a fashion-model-turned-clothing-designer and honored aviator, Shane always turned to music to bring people together and put smiles on their faces. Although he excelled at sports and academics, music always came first and divine inspiration never seemed to be in short supply in his world. Musical genius was apparent soon after birth and Shane started singing by the age of one. By thirteen he was opening for Whitney Houston and by eighteen, he was writing and producing for major recording artists.
Shane's experience is so diverse and deep that he has worked with or in some way touched just about every major musical artist alive today. His assistance in furthering digital musical technology as well as helping to create and refine some of the most used keyboard and drum samples in the music world would secure his place in history alone. Likewise, his ability to bring out stellar performances from even the most reserved or reluctant recording artist is legendary and he has also helped many vocalists adopt better singing habits through proper breathing techniques and range development. However, Shane's passion is writing, producing and performing.
Shane has recently expanded his knowledge and ability base by adding screenwriter, director and visual editor to his list of bonafide talents, as he moves more into a multimedia environment where he wants to be able to understand implicitly every aspect of audio and visual production and become a master of the media arts. With his massive music catalog, Shane will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the music, TV and Film industries.
 The Reluctant Superhero of Voice OversShane's superhuman ability to duplicate almost any sound has gotten him into a small amount (okay, maybe a fair amount) of trouble over the years, but it also earned him some money and respect. Clients have used the following words to describe Shane: tall, tan, clean, hilarious, handsome, sweet-smelling, smart, honest, calming, versatile, original, brave, humble, dependable, generous, kind and limitless. He has been called a "voice over superhero" by more than a few, known to "come to the rescue" by fixing, improving, rewriting and/or replacing voice overs for clients, saving many projects over the years. One came up with the name "Voxman" for Shane's vocal superhero alter ego--the superhuman vocal range only added credibility to the moniker and it eventually stuck. But Shane doesn't mind; he has fun with it.
Shane spent his childhood in Hawai'i imitating Mel Blanc characters and all the sounds he heard around him in paradise...waves crashing...trade winds blowing...Mynah birds screeching...rental cars honking...tourists passing gas. Early on, Shane's voice over abilities were "discovered" by animation voice over legend, Charlie Adler, who encouraged Shane to stretch and develop his gift.
Voice overs have always been a big part of Shane's life, even during his extensive musical career, which allowed him to work with artists like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Celine Dion and Faith Hill to name a few. Some musical collaborations provided Shane voice over opportunities through radio, commercial campaigns and TV promos.
Aside from being one of the main voices heard at Disneyland theme parks, Shane's worked with Clear Channel, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kellogg's, Toyota, Ford, Southwest Airlines, Match.com, BMW, Chevrolet, The U.S. Postal Service, Random House, Scholastic, Hanna-Barbera, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, ESPN, Lifetime, Dreamworks, Sony, Warner Brothers, Miramax, Paramount, Universal, MGM and many others.
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