Kristen Murphy, Endeavor Air Pilot Talent Acquisition Recruiter, talks about her experience becoming one of the “Voices of MSP.”

“Welcome to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. You have arrived at Terminal 2. Ground Transportation Services, including rental cars, taxis, app-based ride services, hotel shuttles and buses are all located across the street in the Ground Transport Center.”

As passengers arrive at MSP Terminal 2, the voice they hear welcoming them to Minneapolis is one of Endeavor’s own, Kristen Murphy.

Kristen, a Pilot Talent Acquisition Representative, auditioned for the ‘Voices of MSP’ program last year. Organized by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), the casting call is open to airport or airline employees each year, providing an opportunity to record the public address announcements that play throughout both terminals of the MSP airport.

“I didn’t even know it was a thing until I heard about the program from one of my coworkers,” Kristen said. “I decided to submit an application for the fun of it and see how it goes.”

About a month later, Kristen received an invitation to an audition over Zoom. Kristen read several different airport announcements, and a couple of weeks later, she received an email saying she was selected.

“I was able to practice my script ahead of time, and when it was time for my audition, I went to a recording studio in Terminal 1,” Kristen said. “I did three different takes for each announcement, and we would then play them back so the committee could pick the one they liked the best. They really wanted your personality and friendliness to shine through the recordings, instead of it sounding robotic.”

After the recording, Kristen was invited to a gathering in the MAC Chambers and was able to meet the other ‘Voices of MSP.’ Employees selected this year represent five companies or organizations: Delta Air Lines, Endeavor Air, Sun Country Airlines, Airport Foundation MSP and the MAC.

The MSP Airport has been named the Best Airport in North America five out of the last six years in its size category, recognized by the Airports Council International annual ASQ Awards. The announcements contribute to that success, bringing a unique, personal voice to the airport.

Kristen finally ventured out to Terminal 2 to hear her recorded announcements, and she acknowledges that it still does not feel real to her.

“We waited around for a couple of minutes to hear the recording, and when it finally played, it was surreal,” said Kristen. “It was a super strange yet rewarding experience – I didn’t even recognize myself at first!”

Kristen joked about being a ‘One Hit Wonder,’ as this may be her only time working as a voice actor.

“I think I’ll stick to pilot recruiting,” Kristen said, laughing. “Voice acting isn’t my calling, but I have loved this awesome opportunity.”

She also encourages other employees to apply to lend their voice in the future.

“Other airports usually use celebrities or the governor for their announcements, but for MSP, they really want to keep it within their hometown,” said Murphy. “They’re saying, ‘These are our people, and they’re here to support you.’”