subject: Why Are Voice Coaching And Vocal Variety Integral To Success? [print this page] This is a very simple question to answerThis is a very simple question to answer. You are your voice. If your voice is delivered as dull and flat - that is people's perception of you. And that is a pretty harsh reality, especially if you have an energetic and vibrant personality. It's all about perception.
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. Try and put all other thoughts to one side and concentrate only on the sound of your breath.
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? Well, it's the waist by some considerable way. 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. So think of each sound as a wave. Was the wave even or did it oscillate? When it oscillates badly it can be a quite unpleasant sound. 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. They will also tell you that to be a great singer breathing control is the key. Singing supports the budding public speaker's voice too and there'll be more vocal variety exercises in subsequent articles.
