I teach voice and dialects at a training center called Acting Studio Chicago. They recently asked me to turn my blog post Kick “stage fright” to the curb in three simple steps into a 1 minute teacher tip video.
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Does the sound of your voice make you cringe?
I certainly hope your answer is “no”, but if you don’t like the sound of your voice you are not alone. And there’s a reason for that.
As a voice coach and therapist, making audio recordings of clients is a common tool. The vast majority of people, upon hearing their voice played back, have a negative response.
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How to allergy-proof your voice
Pollen or dust, cats or mold. Allergies can make you hoarse for a number of reasons:
Allergens irritate the vocal cords (just like they do the nose or eyes), impairing their function.
Allergy medications like antihistamines dry out the vocal cords, irritating them further.
Post nasal drip can irritate the vocal cords even more, and obviously make it harder to breathe easily.
But wait! There’s hope!
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Is your speaking voice too high?
The short answer is: probably not.
When people say they want their voice to sound lower, what they typically mean is that they want their voice to feel more resonant, warm, rich, and potent. Read on to learn how depth and richness are not necessarily related to a lower pitch, even though that’s how it might appear on the surface.
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Why you need to keep your voice moist (That’s right, I said “moist”!)
Sometimes the most important things in life are also the simplest. Being well hydrated is one of the most meaningful things we can do to care for our vocal cords and voice, and yet it is so easy to let it slide.
Your voice requires hydration to work optimally. Here’s why and how.
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