There is a very simple answer to that question. Your voice is priceless and unique, but if it is delivered in a monotone way - that is people's perception of you. You may well be confident and energetic, but first impressions really count. Perception often outweighs reality. People like people who are vibrant and energetic and our voice is the gateway to their hearts and minds in creating a positive perception. If you feel that your voice is holding you back either socially or professionally there are things that can be done to build a voice of strength, quality and interest. The most important aspect of vocal development comes in supportive breathing. Simply by taking a few deep breaths in now and again, the added oxygen circulating your body will produce a sense of increased relaxation. For the following exercises, ensure that you are wearing loose clothing and that you are in a space where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Breath in deeply, hold for 5 seconds and then slowly breath out through the mouth. Concentrating only on the sound of your breath, put all other thoughts to one side. It's the diaphragm in the lower abdomen that works involuntarily to support the lungs. Think of the waist area and think of the circumference of the neck. Which is the greater in size? Yes, the waist is much wider than the neck and offers considerable support. The key factor here is that all of that waist area in conjunction with supportive breathing will help to produce a voice of sustained quality and interest. Take a deep breath in and try this simple exercise, holding each individual sound for three seconds: Mah, May, Me, Mo, Moo! That's fifteen seconds in all. Quite a long time to sing, especially if you are not used to it. Recognize each sound as a wave. Was the wave even or did it oscillate? When the oscillation is poor it is not a good listening experience. The objective of the exercise, again through good diaphragmatic breathing is to support the breath control so that the sound is delivered as a consistent wave of sound. So it wasn't great first time. But if you were to ask any professional singer, if they are honest, they will be the first to tell you that their first attempts were less than great. In all honesty, breath control is the key to being a great singer. Singing supports the budding public speaker's voice too and there'll be more vocal variety exercises in subsequent articles. Copyright (c) 2009 The College Of Public Speaking
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