Vocal improvement is a natural desire for most professional people. Your voice is like a signature and we have all seen some illegible signatures, haven't we? So it's important that our first impression when meeting somebody new, a client perhaps, is indeed a positive occasion. Having worked in voice coaching for many years, I realise just how important that first spoken interaction is with a client, especially when it has a strong and memorable impact. So what is the formula for an effective voice coaching or elocution lesson? My initial consideration is breathing. A good quality voice starts with diaphragmatic breathing. Effectively, breathing from the bottom of the lungs. Breath control is essential to maintain vocal energy. Those who do not breathe well when speaking often come across as breathy, tired and uncomfortable. It's neither a pleasant experience for the speaker nor the audience, indeed it is a major distraction. If you look at the girth of an average waistline to the girth of an average neck, you can imagine the benefit of breath control delivered from the inordinately stronger and wider abdominal region. Secondly, I look at relaxation. It's all very well telling people to relax and take it easy, but lots of people find it hard to relax, so you have to demonstrate how to do it effectively. Tension in the rib-cage, shoulders, neck and jaw have a profound impact on the quality of the voice. So I introduce the client to a number of gentle exercises that will help to reduce tension in those vital areas. When the body is relaxed and the vocal apparatus is not constricted, the building blocks of good vocal technique can be developed. Thirdly, I look at tone where I'm aiming to develop warmth and colour in the voice using specific exercises. We concentrate primarily here on vowel sounds and generally play with these natural sounds and then construct other vowel sounding exercises preceded by consonants. This is great fun and has the added benefit of building vocal confidence and variety. Fourthly, I look at clear articulation. If you are from abroad and have an accent, or indeed from Britain and have a regional accent, we work on the clarity of the spoken word and identify areas for improvement. The individual and their voice are quite unique. I would never ask a student to lose their accent and in so doing, lose their authenticity. I ask them to work on the clarity of their words and so improve their ability to communicate effectively by sounding all the consonants and vowels in every word. We then look at pause, pitch, projection and pace as well as rhythm. Basically, we examine methods of making the voice more interesting. We work with poems, texts and often projects that clients are currently working on professionally. It's a thorough and rigorous session and a rather intense experience. Speaking and feeling the joy of words is a cathartic experience which adds value to the life of the client as well as their audience. Copyright (c) 2010 The College Of Public Speaking
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