GNEWVEN
Case Study: Translating Talent

Submitted by:
Sabrina Gan
Jack Garcia
Lia Navarro
Kristine Perez
Mier Zapanta

Submitted to:
Mr. Willy Cuason

February 8, 2013

I. Case Background
The common thread in the three businesses in the article is voice and communication. Rosi and Brian Amador used their talents to set-up Sol y Canto: a six member Latin roots musical group; Music Amador Production: independently owned records label producing Sol y Canto recordings; Amador Bilingual Voice-Over work in English and Spanish. They capitalized their professional musical talents and native English and Spanish speaking skills to and took the opportunities to put up a business.
Rosi Amador, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico was raised by their parents, who are both actors and actresses passed on to her the love of Latin American rhythms and musical style.
She moved to the United States to continue her high school and graduated with a degree in Spanish and French from Bryn Mawr College. She briefly worked in retail and administrative roles and served as the manager of the socially conscious Underground Railway Theatre, where she learned how to manage, fundraise, and book performing arts ensembles nationally. Together with her husband Brian, they founded their Latin band, Flor de Cana, which she also acted as the manager. In 2005, she merged her agency with two other booking agencies and became the Vice President of the Roots Agency and its Latin Division Direct until 2007.
Brian Amador is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music, taking up classical guitar, composition and improvisation. He also took classes in flamenco guitar and received a highly competitive grant for brilliant artists by Massachusetts Cultural Council. He was the principal guitarist for the Ramon delos Reyes Spanish Dance Theatre for 5 years and served as the musical director, producer, composer and arranger for the Sol y Cano in styles in Latin American and the Caribbean. Brian also developed a unique guitar style incorporating Latin America; flamenco and African elements. In 2009, he was granted a fellowship by the MacDowell Artist Colony, the oldest and most prestigious artists’ colony, where majority of, Sabor y Memoria: A musical Feast in Seven Courses for Sol y Canto and string quartet was composed.
Sol y Canto was founded when Rosi and husband met in a three-week cultural exchange tour to Nicaragua. They created their first band Flor de Cana, committed to singing about the reality in Central America and to inform the people of North America about the role of both governments in the Nicaragua’s war in mid-1980s. Sol y Canto’s mission is to connect the audience to Latin American culture through music, poetry, laugher, humor and to create oneness towards the betterment of the word. The band was recognized by the Boston Music Awards and their successes included performing nationally in renowned places such as the Kennedy Center, the White House, Boston’s Symphony Hall, the California World Music Festival, the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Museum of Art in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Sol y Canto markets concerts and workshops as educational services that celebrate Latin American Culture through its musical manifestation of positive social change, love and personal observations of day-to-day realities in a changing world, as well as promoting cultural bridge-buildings.
They have a wide range of audience from pre-schoolers to senior adults in different types of settings. Each event can last from 45 minutes to two hours and are priced according to different factors: the number of musicians, and length of the concert/workshop, location and size of the venue, capacity to bring in ticket income, whether the organization is for non-profit or for profit and other factors, including how far the location is. Typically, they work for non-profit arts presenters and receive a guarantee. The band averages 30 to 40 shows annually however, Brian and Rosi decided to focus on the voice-over business and reduce their time away from home and their twin teenage daughters. To serve its community, the band performs a non-profit educational and entertaining concerts and workshops primarily in the United States and Puerto Rico in theatres, concert halls, and outdoor venues and also at a school settings or senior centers. They measure their audiences’ satisfaction by means of the warm and enthusiastic responses and by signing up their social network fan pages.
MusicAmador started as a Latin booking agency and it grew into representing a dozen touring music and dance ensembles from around Latin America in the last 12 years. However, the couple gathered that it was not a sustainable path; the MusicAmador ceased serving booking agency and became an independently owned records label in 2008 for Sol y Canto releasing the band’s fifth CD.
Fans of Sol y Canto started asking the Amadors to narrate children’s audio book and e-learning modules which led to occasional voice-over request. In 2008, Rosi made a decision to put more effort into pursuing voice-over work after realizing that it has a big market. She then began researching, taking courses and seeking out mentors. This line of business was a viable one because they could do it in their home studio and in local studio in Boston area without moving to Los Angeles or New York.
It became a family affair, as their twin daughters Sonia and Alisa are also involved in their voice-over. Clients include U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Geographic, Comcast, Verizon Wireless and PBS/WGBH Boston among others. You can also hear Rosi’s voice in Spanish on most Motorola and Blackberry phones, if you select Latin American Spanish.
Their target market for the company is North American Media producers, Hispanic media producers creating media producers specializing in creating media. Prices vary depending on the client-local, regional, national and the type of client, small company, major television network and others.
The couple’s work is primarily from their home studio or from local professional studios in Boston area using broadcast quality sound equipment and they deliver sound files electronically via Internet. Because of customer satisfaction, they receive referrals and testimonials from customers, many of whom became regular clients. The three agents and online voice casting websites that the couple worked for gave them high ratings and evaluations leading to more prospective clients. In 2010, they narrated an audio book that received the American Literacy Association’s “Notable Children Recording” award.
Their ability to provide accent free or slightly accented English and Spanish voice-overs and using their acting skills in conveying emotions as well as representing characters of different ages are their assets in this business. Pricing and speed is competitive. In addition, being native speakers of Spanish, they can offer clients translation and can easily catch script errors. They offer original music in authentic Latin styles and sound effects and can deliver finished masters in audio books.
The business is expected to grow dramatically in the next few years replacing their music income and they exceeded their goals thus far when it has quintupled in gross sales. They see the trend in the business given the projected increase of Hispanic population in the United States.
The business employs a small staff which includes one part-time administrative assistant/engineer and frequent college-age interns aside from the couple. Twice a month they bring in bookkeeper. Working environment and culture is informal, warm, supportive, and cheerful and fosters open regular communications. The couple is backed-up by a musical personnel consists of four other seasoned Latin musicians who make-up the sextet. Weekly meetings are held to resolved problems that may arise. Rosi sums up the aspects of the businesses, saying: “I love to sing and communicate positive ideas for social change surrounded and supported by wonderful musicians, singing her husband’s compositions and other Latin song writers, delighted to perform with her two daughters and enjoy educational work with positive social messages, for the children and projects that promote better health and lives for people of all ages.”
II. Statement of the Problem
Seeing that Rosi prefers to work from home to be able to spend more time with her whole family, what could be the best route for the couple to prioritize and expand their business utilizing their skills.
III. Alternatives
• Expand their voice-overs through PODCAST in teaching Spanish 101
• Put up a Spanish language school in Boston
• Syndicate a magazine show utilizing their love for music and public speaking targeting the audience in Spanish and English language as medium
• Start a music camp that teaches voice and instrument playing to the youth banking on the fact that they are well-known in the Hispanic and Non-Hispanic community and have established themselves as one of the pioneers in terms of being able to maximize their talent and skills in both language and music.
a. Focusing on the less fortunate kids who have the passion and potential in music.
b. Transfer of skills and knowledge to the young ones especially the Hispanic youth
c.
IV. Recommended Solution
Summer music camp for the youth.
Financing:
Foundations that support the propagation of Spanish language
X-deals with former employers: National geographic, Verizon, etc

V. Answer to the Case Questions
1. How does Sol Y Canto define its business? Identify the offer, the target market, and the product and delivery capability?
Rosi and Brian Amador are considered to be one of the pioneers in the Latin American music industry. They assembled a 6-man Latin band showcasing their love of music to the Hispanic and Non-Hispanic community. Being well received by the public and responding to the clamor, the couple started to expand their business by narrating in audio books, pre-learning modules and occasional voice over jobs.
Their target markets are the North American producers, Hispanic media producers, and producers specializing in creating media. Outputs include e-learning, documentaries, children’s audio books, and audio tours for cities and museums, medical/health media, Latino media projects, bilingual tutorials, Spanish or bilingual telephony/IVR, and “industrials” (instructional guides and motivational employee media).
Rosi and Brian record bilingual voice-overs primarily from their home studio or from local professional studios in the Boston area using broadcast-quality sound equipment, and they deliver sound files electronically via the Internet.
2. Describe the culture of the Amador’s businesses.
The office culture is informal, warm, supportive, cheerful, and fosters open, regular communication.
The culture of the organization is one of respect, consideration and open communication, to ensure that all independent contractors are happy. If problems emerge, they are brought into the open and resolved. Weekly staff meetings, and discussions-by e-mail, in person or on the road address concerns with musicians. The Amadors prioritize the needs of the customer and guarantee the quality of their work .
3. Which methods of deciding upon business opportunities did Rosi and Brian Amador pursue?
The Amadors have leveraged their finely honed professional musical talents and native English and Spanish-speaking skills to create business opportunities. Specifically, opportunities involve voice and communication. Rosi did some researching, taking courses and seeking out mentors in the field and all of which confirmed that there is potential and the voice-over is a viable business that they can operate primarily from their home reducing the time to be away from their children. Realizing the decline in the booking business, where they are probably earning just a commission for every booking, they pursued to voice-over business.

4. What competitive advantages does Amador Bilingual Voice-Overs have in the voice-over field? List them, and indicate whether each is based upon quality, price, location, selection, service, or speed/turnaround-or a combination of these.
A. Accent-free or slightly accented English and Spanish voice-overs and have the acting experience to convey emotions in a pleasing, flexible tone of voice, representing characters of different ages. (Quality, Service and Selection)
B. For audio book projects, they offer original music in authentic Latin styles as well as sound effects. (Quality, Service)
C. Script errors are identified and corrected. (Quality)
D. Pricing is competitive; their onsite facilities eliminate the cost of studio rental fees. (Price)
E. Deliver sound files electronically through internet. (Service)

F. Ability to finish small project within 24 hours and big projects in 1 week. (Service and Speed)

G. They are native speakers of Spanish, offering clients translation or script supervision services when needed. (Service)

5. If you were consulting to the Amadors, what advice would you give to them?
A. To continue their voice over business
B. Open a Spanish language school in Boston
C. Start up a music school (Voice and instruments)
D. Market their business outside Puerto Rico and USA by internet and media
VI. Learning
Maximize your talent and skills and to make money out of it. Exploring other possible areas where the skills could be applied. It is possible to approach different venue that is in line of your abilities. A balance between work and family life is the key towards success.