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Revision as of 18:28, 14 April 2020

Tamara Levitt
Born (1971-12-02) December 2, 1971 (age 53)
NationalityCanadian
Known forNarrator of the Calm app

Tamara Levitt (born December 2, 1971) [1][2] is a Canadian author, mindfulness instructor, and voice-over artist most widely known as the narrator for the Calm app.[3][4][5][6][7]

Biography

Levitt had a difficult relationship with her father growing up. At an early age, she began singing and writing music, which helped her manage her feelings towards her father. Around the age of twelve, Levitt began a professional career on stage singing and acting. By the time she was fourteen, she had developed anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder,[5][8] and described herself as "an angry punk rocker" whose childhood "wasn't an easy one".[8]

Levitt discovered meditation after taking an eight-week mindfulness and meditation course at an eating disorders centre in Toronto when she was 18.[5][8][9]

Mindfulness helped me deal with stress and anxiety and find some space for myself. Instead of getting swept up in what was going on in my life, I was able to step back and gain some perspective.[5]

— Tamara Levitt

Career

Levitt continued working as a musician and a voice-over actress[6] until she gave up both in her mid-20s, because of the pressure she put on herself.[5]

She began developing meditation and mindfulness sessions for corporations, together with short films, television productions, and books on mindfulness.[5] Her 2017 children's book, The Secret to Clara's Calm, was reviewed by Kirkus, who said "Clara may just be too calm."[10]

In 2014, Levitt reached out via e-mail with a résumé to Calm's co-founders, Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith.[5] She has held the title of Head of Mindfulness at the app since November 2014[5][11] and has undisclosed equity in the company.[8][5] As the Head of Mindfulness, Levitt leads the creative development of content on Calm. "The Daily Calm" is the app's most popular feature, which Levitt writes and then records her narration in a studio in Toronto.[8] According to the New York Times, as of July 2019 she had written and recorded "hundreds" of meditations.[3] That same month CTV news said she was "responsible for the daily meditation practice of more than two million people."[8]

In Levitt's first four years at Calm, subscriptions grew from 2,500 subscribers to one million.[5] Fans of Levitt have described her voice as "marvelous", "hypnotic", and "somehow magic".[6] One stated that if she were to start recording commercials, that they would "probably end up buying three insurance policies and a Snuggie before snapping out of it".[6]


Personal life

Levitt lives in Toronto.[3][12]

Bibliography

  • Happiness Doesn't Come from Headstands, ISBN 1614294054, 2013
  • The Secret to Clara's Calm, ISBN 1614293902, 2017

References

  1. ^ "What joy it was to kick off my birthday with some of my favorite LA friends. Had so much fun at @gratitudekitchenandbar (Thank you!!) Feeling very grateful and inspired as I head into this year!". Instagram. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Tamara Levitt". Facebook. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Hess, Amanda (30 July 2019). "STILL, SMALL VOICE: Desperately seeking sleep, millions use an app that lulls them to oblivion". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  4. ^ King, Jamilah (2 February 2019). "My meditation app is stressing me out. Why is mindfulness so maddening?". NBC News. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Cornell, Camilla (2 September 2018). "Meet Tamara Levitt, the Toronto woman who soothes millions on the Calm app". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Hess, Amanda (17 July 2019). "The App That Tucks Me In at Night". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  7. ^ Rose, Hilary. "Meet Tamara Levitt, the woman who sends people to sleep on the Calm app". The Times of London. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-04-14.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e f Bogart, Nicole (31 July 2019). "'Divine timing': How Canadian Tamara Levitt became the voice of the Calm app". CTVNews.ca. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Tamara Levitt". www.allamericanspeakers.com. Retrieved 2020-04-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ THE SECRET TO CLARA'S CALM | Kirkus Reviews.
  11. ^ Shulman, Robyn D. (25 February 2019). "The Number 1 Meditation App Is Now Free For Teachers And Their Students". Forbes. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Q". Southern California Public Radio. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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