Total Voice
Express Your Truest Self
by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Accent Modification, Being Heard, Dialects for Stage, Myth Busters, Owning the Room, Professional Speaking, Singing, Voice for Stage, Voice Therapy
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” (Aristotle)
The way we speak is habitual. The concept of habit runs deeply through the work of voice and speech training. This is especially true in theatre, where the idea moves beyond speech into other elements affecting actors’ performance.
In this post, we are simply dipping a toe into the basics of habits: what they are, why we need them, and how to change them if we wish.
continue readingby Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Accent Modification, Dialects for Stage, Myth Busters, Professional Speaking
I have been surprised lately to hear so many people insisting they do not have an accent. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone has an accent!
continue readingby Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Accent Modification, Being Heard, Breath Support, Dialects for Stage, Myth Busters, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Singing, Stage Fright, Vocal health, Vocal Injury, Voice for Stage, Voice Therapy, Voiceover
I just learned that I have made 50 posts on this page over the past few years. These posts cover everything from “diaphragmatic” breathing to allergies to vocal health/injuries to projection to learning accents to hoarseness to owning a room. In case you missed any, here’s a complete list:
continue readingby Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Breath Support, Vocal health, Voice for Stage, Voice Therapy
Sighing is a fairly common tool in voice training. Let’s look at why that’s the case, and how it can help you.
continue readingby Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Myth Busters, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Voice for Stage
The legacy of James Earl Jones as an actor is tremendous, and he was universally beloved as a genuine mensch in real life. From Fences on Broadway to Roots on TV, from the iconic voices of Darth Vader and Mufasa on film to to the respected voice of CNN, one universal truth shone brightly:
That voice.
But what was it about that voice that made it s great? The answer might surprise you.
It’s not just about that deep resonance.
continue readingby Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Breath Support, Powerful Speaking, Vocal health, Voice for Stage
Many people know that the diaphragm is the primary muscle of inhalation. See my post, “Talking from the diaphragm” is BS for more details about this. But have you thought about the role your ribcage plays in breathing?
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