Voice Spotlight: Gregory McPeat

Gregory is one of our incredible Dwell voices, we’re so blessed to have him. As our resident storyteller his dramatized reads bring the Scriptures to life and really engage the listener. We asked him a few questions so you can get to know him a little better. 

 

1. Tell us about your audition with Dwell; how you heard about it and the process of becoming a voice.

My audition with Dwell was a very pleasant experience. Jon and Josh are very direct in their focus and vision, and have a heart for making listening to the Bible easy to understand. Of course in today’s world convenience is everything, so making the Bible easily accessible is now possible.

As a former radio guy, it is a pleasure to work with them to lend sort of a different storytelling voice to the exceptional list of narrators that are currently listed with Dwell.

2. Do you have something you do before you begin recording to get into a certain mindset?
Before I begin reading, I practice the text the night before to add a bit of passion and enhance the listening experience, and give the listener a closer, more personal listen. I try to read as if the listener were right there experiencing the situation firsthand.

“God used regular, ordinary people to do extraordinary things and I think that is just how God works.”

3. What is the biggest challenge of reading the entire Bible?

The biggest challenge to me is to paint a picture or create an impact on the listener as he or she follows along. So much of the Bible is a story within a story. The triumphs and failures of regular people, like you and me, who simply by trusting God’s word, can be victorious through Jesus Christ. God used regular, ordinary people to do extraordinary things and I think that is just how God works. He chooses those that come to Him with a humble and contrite spirit.

4. What do you do aside from one of the voices of Dwell?

I have my hobbies and everything… They’re mostly voice and communication related. I’m trying to get into other types of things like getting more into the engineering side of producing. I’m also trying to improve my writing skills.

More than that, I’m trying to get better with narration and voiceover. That’s the main thing. I’m doing that by studying on my craft, following the Holy Spirit as it leads, and to be a more impactful, influential narrator. 

Also, I really want to expand the use of voice for the sake of experience. Different dialects, publishing/narrating/writing faith-based children’s books are some things I’d like to get into eventually. I think thats what’s next for me.

5. Have you ever done voice work before?

Well, I was a howling, screaming, top 40 radio voice back in the mid-to-late 80’s. Then transitioned into a smooth Jazz RnB voice. I even did Country music as well at one point and that was a lot of fun. There was always something radio-oriented. Radio has changed a lot since then, though.

6. What is your favorite Bible story?

My mom used to read the story of David and Goliath to me when I was about 4 years old. Back in those days you could go to a store and get all of your favorite Bible stories. That’s still my favorite story. It kind of lit up a young boy, so unlikely and so unassuming, but with his steadfast and unwavering faith, he killed Goliath the giant and became the champion and king of Israel. Of course as I grew older I learned of David’s frailties and how, even though he fell short so many times, he learned to quickly acknowledge his guilt, understood that he could do nothing without the Lord’s help, and repented and received God’s grace and mercy, just as you and I would today.

In fact, to me, its the whole premise of why Jesus Christ came and died for us.

7. Has being involved with this project changed your outlook of the Bible?

Being involved with Dwell has helped bring all of the stories of the Bible together for me, full circle. We all have our favorite Scriptures and stories. Now its easier for me to tie all of those stories together because I sort of narrate the Bible in a storytelling form. It helped me tie them all together, full circle. I realized that the Bible is the greatest story, rather the collection of stories, ever told.