Total Voice
Express Your Truest Self
by Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Breath Support, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Stage Fright
While there are many elements to giving a good speech, and several other posts on this site about those elements, today we focus on just one.
How do you write out (and visually format) a speech to make it effortless to read and sound natural?
continue readingby 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, 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: 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, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Professional Speaking, Voice for Stage, Voiceover
They say variety is the spice of life and as usual, “they” know what they are talking about. When it comes to giving talks or lectures, vocal variety is an essential secret ingredient for a compelling presentation.
continue readingby Kate DeVore
Filed Under: Being Heard, Owning the Room, Powerful Speaking, Vocal health
Several people have asked me lately how to avoid hoarseness or voice loss at family gatherings, so I thought I’d share some tips for those who are prone to vocal fatigue or strain in festive situations.
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