Clients often tell me they talk too fast. They either notice this themselves, or a supervisor gives them that feedback, or they observe people often ask them to repeat themselves. When we get into the details, though, their rate is often not the problem.
continue readingReading a speech? Here’s one vital tip
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 readingDo you have a weak vocal cord?
Vocal fold weakness (technically called paresis) is a surprisingly common problem, and it can go untreated because it can be difficult to diagnose.
continue readingExamining habits
“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 readingEveryone has an accent (including you!)
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 readingFifty blog posts on voice, speech, accents, and presence
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:
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