Kate'sVoice

I am often surprised by the lack of research in the area of voice as a barometer for the psyche, but we all know it is.  I got a voice mail from my daughter the other day.  All she said was, “Hi, Mom.  Call me,” but I knew something was wrong.  Fortunately, it was not a big problem, but how did I know there was a problem at all?  It wasn’t what she said; it was how she said it.  Politicians can deliver eloquent, powerful phrases in response to accusations, and we think we know they are lying, no matter what they actually say.

A study done in Geneva has shown that emotions can be “heard” in the voice.  An emotion is what happens when many interconnected processes of interpretation, bodily reaction and expression happen in response to a situation, either external or internal.  Emotion is physical.  Therefore, since the voice IS also physical, it is no wonder that we can “hear” emotions in the voice.  It happens through changes in the muscles, the breath and the brain which in turn affect the pitch, cadence, and inflection of the voice.  Coupled with the ability for the voice to show emotion is the ability for the ear to pick up minute differences in the sound the voice produces.  The ear can perceive 1400 different pitches and 280 different levels of volume for each pitch it can hear! So if you feel an emotion, you can be assured that no matter how hard you try to disguise it, someone will pick it up!

But what about intention?  Can we pick up intentions in a person’s voice or because of their relation to emotions, or is there something else going on?  Intention is what one has in mind to do or bring about, and I mean literally “in mind,” as was shown by two studies of intention.  In the first, it was revealed by New York researchers that infants as young as six months old can understand our intentions, and respond to them.  Another study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show that the mirror neuron system tracks not only the actions, but also the intentions, of others.  This mirror neuron system has been identified as being very important in guiding our social interactions, especially in survival and keeping us safe. Therefore, intention is a component of “trustworthiness” in social interaction and it is definitely picked up by others, which is why you need to be clear about your intention as a speaker.

Aligning your intention with others’

Public speaking often feels like a solo act.  Conversation can feel that way too!  In personal expression, you will almost always communicate the representation of your personal perspective.  You seek to persuade others, to inform others, or to entertain others.  However, if you truly need or want to communicate something, you need to consider the perspective of others. You can think of intention in public speaking as something akin to good marketing:  you need to know who you are, what you do and why anyone should care.  In an article called “The Power of the Ask,” Market Like a Chick blogger,  Coree Silvera, says “You build your solutions based on their needs and demonstrate how your unique product or service can help them achieve their goals.”  Likewise, when speaking with others, you do the same.  You are not looking for their intention to be the same as yours, but you must understand how their intention for being there intersects with or conflicts with yours.

Let’s look at some obvious examples.

• A political comedian may be hysterically funny to the Democrats and offensive to the Republicans, or vice versa.
• No matter how persuasive, a pharmaceutical rep may have a hard time convincing a convention of naturopaths that his product is viable.
• The most eloquent teacher in the world will not necessarily persuade a group of restless teenagers to sit and listen to him for hours.
• If you know that you have a solution to sell and they need your solution, that doesn’t mean that their intention is to buy from you.

Speech coach, Lisa Braithwaite has a recent article on her blog, Speak Schmeak, which addresses intentions in a broader picture.  She stresses that your words have to align with your actions, and in her examples, the actions have intentionalitiy behind them.  Though not in these words, she asks you to consider this:  what is the intention behind your actions?

It is safe to say that there are those who have persuaded others to listen when it was against the odds.  One fine example is that of a ten-year-old boy, Dalton Sherman, who has captured the hearts of over 500,000 viewers on YouTube.  Dalton is a passionate speaker who makes us believe in him because he obviously believes in himself.  Dalton’s voice is strong.  His words are strong, and he intends that we move together to make a strong difference in education.

Discovering Intention

How can you be more like Dalton?  How can you better align your intention with your voice and your content?  The first step is often to get very honest with yourself and to take inventory of what’s going on in your mind and the minds of your listeners.  Make it a part of what you do in preparation for a talk or a conversation.  And consider that circumstances may interfere with your intention.  A sound system fails, a heckler interrupts your talk, an unexpected emotional response affects you deeply, and changes your mind.  Still, an awareness of intention in yourself and others is key to more clear communication.  Here are some ways to discover yours and use it well.

• Ask yourself why you are there?  Are you there to convince the audience to do something?  Are you there to entertain?  Are you speaking to educate? Are you giving something away in order to get them to buy something else? Are you speaking on behalf of a cause? Are you using this as an opportunity to do something you weren’t actually asked to do? Did you agree to have lunch with someone because you would then be able to corner them with a topic they are not expecting? Are you apologizing? Are you wanting them to hear a grievance? There are many possibilities.  Write them down and be aware of them as you craft your speech or conversation.
• It may be more difficult to clarify intention when you are asked to speak on the spur of the moment.  In that situation, take a moment to consider the audience and who and why they are there.  Your intention is the intersection of why YOU are there, what you have been asked to do, and why the audience should care.
• Create a personal statement of intention for each project or product you need to represent.  Let that statement shape your intention in your communication with others.
• Research the purpose of the organizations and businesses for whom you speak.  Find ways in which their purpose and your intention intersect and use that as a filter in your communication with them.
• You have a unique perspective and personality to bring to whatever you do.  You have a voice that is unlike any other, both a physical one and a “voice” as an authentic presence in the world.  Your intention is always to bring that voice to the table so you can be heard.  And even though Dalton impresses us because he isn’t like most ten-year-olds, just like Dalton, you can bring your unique self to us and do so with confidence and clarity if you honestly believe in who you are what you have to say.

You are just about to make your point, bringing your dynamic and well-prepared speech to its exciting climax, when you open your mouth to speak and hear a horrible croak instead of your usual voice.  Frustrated, you clear your throat, and try again, but you sound like you are speaking underwater this time!  Again you clear your throat, loudly and aggressively.  Now, your voice is more clear, but you can still feel the crud rolling around in there, and sure enough, a few words later, there it is again.  Croak!  Someone from the audience rushes up with a glass of water. You guzzle it down in relief,  but you know the moment has passed.  The audience is now feeling a bit sorry for you…not what you had intended at all!

Well, it happens.  In other articles, we have talked about how to keep your voice healthy, how to deal with laryngitis and acid reflux, but there are minor issues that come up that cause problems that are NOT long-lasting.  Here are 3 things you can do , on the spot, to get rid of a frog in the throat, and also to deal with a couple of other vocal horrors: the “tickle,” and “the tremor.”

1. If your voice croaks like a frog:  Immediately, stop, lift up your hand to tell your audience “just a minute”, turn away from the mic, and create a little compression in your throat (like the beginning of clearing your throat, but without all the noise.) It’s a little graveley sound you want to create, and you can do this very quietly two or three times.  If it doesn’t clear up, stop, let the audience know you need a minute, and drink several large sips of water.  Wait another few seconds, use that little compression sound to clear your cords, and speak.  If you still get some croaking, drink some more water.  In fact, over the next few minutes drink the entire glass by sipping between ideas. Water thins out the mucous and creates a nice lubrication usually eliminating the globs that are causing the problem.
2. If your voice shakes : Sometimes your voice is unsteady because of nerves.  If you suspect this is the case for you, stop,  and take a breath.  Calm yourself down with low, expansive breathing.  Then speak again.  For some, starting each talk with a resounding, confident “Hello!” may be the cure for a shaky voice.  It gets the air moving, which is what you really need.  For more tips on handling nervousness, please read this post by Sandra Zimmer on Six Minutes.
3. If you get a tickle: Your first  response is probably to take a sip of water, which may work just fine.  But the tickle is in the larynx, usually, not the esophagus, so if the tickle doesn’t go away, a slight cough can help to clear the larynx of phlegm.  A tickle may also be caused by dry air on the vocal folds.  In this case, breathing in through the nose will help warm and moisten the air; take a low breath, letting the abdominal muscles expand and your throat relax.  Then be sure to actively use the air in the sound when you speak.

While there are potentially many aspects of a presentation that can take away from your presentation if not addressed (please read Joan Curtis’ Blog post on Communication Culprits), there is no doubt that a voice malfunction can make you feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.  Don’t let it.  Learn these tricks for dealing with it physically because sooner or later, you will need this information.  But when it happens,  know that it’s just part of the deal.  Your voice is your greatest asset as a speaker or singer, but it is part of your body and it has its good days and its bad days, just like your hair.

What other vocal issues come up for you as a speaker? Write a comment about it and let’s see what we can do to solve it or give you a quick remedy.  And if you stump me, I’ll do the research and get back to you.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Update:  Great recent post on another problem for speakers: stuttering.  Please read  Eloquent Woman

Investing in Your Vocal Image: A Tale of Two Strategies

Recently, a female executive, we’ll call her Joann, came to me, complaining that too often at the end of a long day she left the office with a hoarse voice and a feeling of utter exhaustion. All she wanted to do was to go home, curl up with a good book and tune everyone nearby out.

Joann admitted that things at work were more stressful than usual. While she was intensely focused on trying to secure additional funding for her growing company, her voice giving out at the end of the day was a new and troublesome problem.

Strategy 1: Getting back in shape

We spent some time getting her voice back in shape by raising her pitch to a more natural level and developing some resonance so that she didn’t need to work so hard at being heard. She was surprised at how easy it was to lift the strain from her voice, even though it took a bit of time to become comfortable speaking in this new way, especially on the phone.

Now, let me say Joann is gregarious by nature. She loves to spin a good story and she always has plenty of color and detail to make any subject she talks about come to life. She is also clear, compelling and strong. She uses humor well and can really draw people into a conversation: All ingredients of a great public speaker. (For more information on presentations skills for executives , please read this recent post from Kathy Reiffenstein on  Professionally Speaking.) I suspected, however, that her vocal choices might be getting in the way of her efforts to raise money for her company.

Strategy 2:  Presenting a deal-maker voice

Taking a chance, I asked whether she was having success with her funding efforts, particularly with her presentations. Joann confessed that although she was not scaring potential investors off, she wasn’t closing any deals either. I asked her if she would make her presentation to me. Just as I presumed, her content was clear and compelling, but her vocal image, specifically the cadence of her voice, was not aligned with her message or intent.

One of the things that makes Joanne sound so friendly is a habitual upward pitch, or open cadence, at the end of her sentences that invites people into the conversation. The problem is she uses this cadence even when she is making a declaration. The upward cadence causes her to seem indecisive and, even worse, wishy-washy. Not exactly the impression you want to give a potential investor. *

She was game to try a different approach since she was determined to get support for her company.  We worked on her cadence and other aspects of her vocal image. Within a short time she began to see a difference. She landed the investments she needed, and she started to go home feeling fulfilled rather than exhausted.

Summary

Today, people see Joanne as both authoritative and open. She makes conscious vocal choices to close a deal or make a friend—two situations which require two different vocal strategies.

P.S. I feel great to have been able to help Joanne learn to manage her vocal image in support of her social life as well as her work. I love my job!

*The Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation posts a daily blog that will be of  great interest to executives, and includes information on communication styles and gender differences in the workplace and as individuals,  as well as conflict resolution.  Its authors are some of the foremost authorities on negotiating today.

Just as your physical appearance, your voice can represent you either effectively or ineffectively. The question is, how do you make the switch from creating your voice through reaction and imitation to creating your voice through thoughtful application of knowledge? The answer is: you start by listening objectively. Here are 10 ways to become more aware of what you have created so you can start to make changes:

1. Sing often, even if you don’t feel that you have a good voice. The act of singing will strengthen your vocal muscles.
2. Give talks. Join a public speaking class or club.  Toastmasters is such a place, of course.  Volunteer to be an advocate for your business or church.
3. Respond to what you hear. Express your thoughts when there is an opportunity. Jump in when you have a chance to share your perspective.
4. Practice saying hello to people in different ways. Try “Good morning,” “Hi, there,” “Hello. How are you today?” Pay attention to the different responses you get from others.
5. Practice a talk you are preparing using many different inflections and pitch variations in your delivery. Listen to yourself as you do this and then try something else.
6. Listen to yourself as you speak and analyze what you are doing. Record yourself talking to someone else or while speaking extemporaneously on a topic. Then listen to the recording and analyze how it sounds and what impression the delivery gives you.
7. Listen to the voices of others to compare your voice with theirs. Do you speak higher or lower? What expressions do others use that you don’t?
8. Work with a voice professional. If you want to improve or heal your voice, it’s always helpful to work with a vocal professional. Be sure that you feel comfortable with them and that they have solid credentials as a technician. Degrees in speech therapy or applied voice are such credentials.
9. Imitate your favorite actor, singer, politician, teacher, etc. Try to determine if your voice feels different from your normal vocal delivery and if so how.
10. Keep a voice journal daily.  Of course, I love Moleskines for this.  But you can use any journal (or my book   Write down your observations on how you use your voice.  This will help develop awareness. Awareness, in turn, will help you make changes that can last a lifetime. Without awareness, you will probably continue to make the same choices that you do today.

I am proud to see my blog on 6-Minutes’ Definitive List of public speaking blogs, and I am also proud to be addressing the use and care of one of the most important assets to a speaker (or anyone, for that matter!), the human voice.  So, I’m starting the New Year off with a bit of a rant about the importance of training your voice.

Many CEO’s, public statesmen, and great conversationalists have learned the value of training their voices.  When it comes to public speaking, having the latest technology is not a good substitute for a poor voice.  I know many people will tell you that, but here is my take on it: People are always more interesting to other people than  slides.  Along these lines, I love the post by Olivia Mitchell that tells you how to use the beam of your projector like a spotlight…well that’s not exactly what she said, but as an actor, I’ve always believed that was a much over-looked opportunity! Anyway, Mitchell is someone who gives great advice on the appropriate use of technology in your talks, while also talking about finding your strengths as a speaker with human skills such as eye contact and gesturing.

Yet even with all the human elements of eye contact and gestures,  there really is a direct correlation between “voice” and being a speaker.   Since people come to “hear” you, they expect to hear something they want to listen to. I know that I am a voice teacher, but  your voice is your most valuable asset and the way it sounds may be much more important than you think. In fact,  the remarkable Julian Treasure affirms this when he says, “The human voice is the most powerful sound on the planet.”   To find out why, I encourage you to visit his website, Sound Business.

How studying voice will improve your impact as a speaker

The truth is that you are already making an impact on others with your voice, but the impact you are making with your voice may not be the one you want to make.  In order to create the sound you want, and make sure it is a healthy sound that will optimize your most valuable asset, you must

1. be aware of how you sound and what you like and don’t like about your voice
2. become aware of the sound you are creating and the effect it has on others
3. know how to make a sound that brings out the best in your voice, but also one that won’t hurt you

To accomplish this, you have to listen to yourself and others, but you really need someone else to listen to you and give you feedback, too, and preferably someone who knows what they are doing.

Aligning your voice with your intentions
One of my clients, who is a Fortune 100 CEO, was finding himself hoarse at the end of the day even on days when he was presenting at a conference.   He talked all day long and  found that when he got home, he had to stay quiet in order to save his voice for his work.  This then took a toll on his communication with his wife and kids.  In addition, he started to have difficulty being understood when he got up in front of people, and his publicist started complaining that his image wasn’t as strong as it used to be.  His voice problems were effecting his personal life as well as his business communicatiion by the time he started working with me.  We made some changes that helped tremendously, but the truth is that he could have avoided those issues altogether if he had had training earlier.

You can choose to have your voice more fully support your sense of who you are and what you want to do with your life, and you can have a healthy, vibrant sound. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune.  It doesn’t have to take years to accomplish.  But think of it this way.  Your voice is part of your body and it is the only one you get.  If you depend on it in your job, it’s a good idea to understand it and take care of it so that you don’t abuse it or even lose it.

It’s like having a great tool in your tool kit and the more you know about it the better you can utilize its strengths.  People who train their voices  have learn that aligning their sound and vocal image with their sense of purpose and intention often results in impact beyond their expectations.

According to the Daily World Buzz, the top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2010 are listed below.  I am not sure where they get their list, but I can’t argue that these things are probably on many lists, and if you Google  New Year’s Resolutions, most of these come up year after year!

The Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2010 are:

Get into shape, Save money, Lose weight, Give up smoking, Assess work/life balance,  Learn a new skill, Be kinder to myself, Give up/ cut alcohol intake, Give up / eat less chocolate,  and Clean out closets.

All of these resolutions are about making changes for the better.  Now, wouldn’t it be great if you could make just one commitment, make one change, or take on one new activity in the new year that would satisfy of all of them?  Well, I humbly submit that you can.  Studying voice will do all this and more.  How?  Let’s take a look at the resolutions and see how.

1 Get into shape. Singing is a very physical activity.  Breathing for singing alone can be very demanding if done correctly.  Little known fact: It’s quite possible to get a “six-pack” from practicing proper breathing!  (My partner will validate mine   Plus, most teachers will require that you stand in front of a mirror during lessons or to practice, and there is nothing quite like mirror-time to convince you to get in shape!!

2 Save money. Well, I can’t help you here because you usually have to pay for lessons.  But I suppose your desire to improve yourself may be motivation to sock away the dollars needed for the lessons, and if you can save for one desire, perhaps you can save money for other things too.

3 Lose weight. The increased activity from learning to stand and breath properly will help you drop pounds and inches, especially if you also eat less (not most singer’s strong suit, but….), and since you have to fit lessons into your life, you will probably have less time to eat than you did before.  And then of course, you will have to stand up in front of your fans to show them your progress, so you will need to look good in your rock star outfit!

4 Give up smoking. Smoking makes your vocal folds dry and irritated, and compromises the process of singing or even speaking well.  Progress is very slow and can be frustrating.  You will probably have to quit smoking in order to study voice  or it may be a waste of your time and money.  Besides, no voice teacher worth her salt will work with someone who is a smoker.  It just doesn’t make sense.

5 Assess work/life balance. Although studying voice may add another activity to your already-busy life, the thought of taking it on can force you to assess your work/life balance.  And humming at work is a great way to keep things in perspective.

5 Learn a new skill. If you have never studied voice before, you will obviously be learning a new skill.  But if you  already sing or are a public speaker, you will still learn new skills.  In fact, when it comes to voices, even professionals need trained ears to hear them from time to time and advise them on their technique and improve their skill. In addition, learning to use your voice more effectively will help all of your communication.

7 Be kinder to myself. Singing is very enjoyable.  Often, when I tell people what I do, they tell me that they have always wanted to be able to sing.  Certainly, doing something that is fun and that you have always wanted to do is being kind to yourself, even if you think your singing in public is not kind to anyone else!  So what?!  Take the lessons for yourself.  By the way, less than 1% of the population is actually tone deaf.  Everyone else can sing to one degree or another.

8 Give up/ cut alcohol intake. With all of your practicing and lesson time, you will have less time to drink.  In fact you may want to drink less because you will be happier.  Research by Dr. Alfred Tomatis tells us that singing massages the brain and calms us down.  Very cool!  This being the case, there is much less need to drink if you already feel good.

9 Give up / eat less chocolate. OK.  This is one resolution to which I take exception.  Since we all know chocolate is good for you, let’s not be stupid!  In fact, I think you should take a piece of dark chocolate with you to each lesson and share it with your voice coach!

10 Clean out closets. The motivation to do this last one can easily be derived from learning to sing.  First of all, you need to have a place to practice where no one else will interfere.  Closets are good for that, so you will need to clean out your closet in order to find that space.  Secondly, because creative activity makes you feel more energized, you will find that after a lesson you are pumped up and it will be easy to take on your closet.

In short,  New Year’s resolutions require goal setting, dedication, and patience to see through.  If you wish to make changes and are looking for a way to make them stick, there is nothing like a new discipline to help you.  Studying voice requires dedication, patience, and a willingness to do things differently; in other words, it’s  just the kind of activity that can change your life for the better.

You can tell she is lying by the sound of her voice!!! lol

There it was.  A sound in his voice that indicated to the experts on Cal Lightman’s team that the suspect was lying.  It was a change in his sound at the end of the sentence.  Dr. Gillian Foster could tell easily that the man was smiling, even though she couldn’t see him.  She described his voice thinning out and getting a little higher.  In this case, this led her to conclude that the man was lying.

Now, let me ask you this.  Did YOU hear the change in his voice?  I did.  In fact, I’d be surprised if you didn’t.  We can “hear” facial expressions and attitudes reflected in a person’s voice.  That’s because of physiological changes in the way we make sounds based on how we feel.

However, we can also “hear” a person’s intentions.  The voice is incredibly revealing.  This is why it’s so important to prepare for a speech or a presentation, to identify your intentions or purpose and keep them in mind.  Actors and performers are well aware of this.  Method acting was born of this phenomena.  But even dancers know about it.  In an article in Dance Magazine, I read this:

“I dance better when I have a reason to do the steps,” says Kimberly Cowen of Kansas City Ballet.

Good communication requires clarity;  clarity requires clear intention.  Too often we go into a presentation or a discussion without a clear intention for our communication.  We are then surprised that our message comes across confusing and ineffective.  A recent series on one person’s blog discusses the effect of intention and tone of voice in parenting.  In fact,  this topic is so important to Amblin that she is dedicated to discussing it through January of 2010!

Unclear intentions result in unclear communication. Conversely,  you don’t have to be a Cal Lightman to hear where a speaker is coming from.  It’s written all over their voice!

P.S. You can replay that episode of Lie to Me on the Fox website and check it out for yourself.  By the way, I think the web site is pretty cool.  Play the video that shows you tips and techniques for uncovering lies.  Not only is it fun, but I think it’s very helpful for speakers and performers.

As I’ve said before, your voice is a powerful tool. Using it with awareness and skill is essential to your credibility and persuasiveness as a speaker. The sound of your voice—your “vocal image”—can imply such things as friendliness or hostility, tolerance or prejudice, and weakness or strength. Many people fail in their communication simply because their vocal image does not align with their message.

Practical Application:  If you want to discover the nature of your vocal image, make a recording of yourself. Record yourself talking naturally in a normal conversation. If possible, also record yourself giving a short presentation.  Listen to the recording and consider the following three components of your vocal image.

Pitch:

Pitch is not determined by your volume, but rather by the notes you use when you speak.  Yes, we use notes when speaking just as we do when singing.  If you use a lot of variety in the pitch of your voice, people are likely to perceive you as friendly.  A variety of pitch also suggests flexibility and openness to others’ ideas. A voice with less pitch variance comes across as more demanding and authoritative.  Listen to your recording and determine if you have a varied pitch. Does it align with your intended message? Experiment with increasing and decreasing your pitch until it aligns with your message.

By the way, don’t take my word for it!  As a speaker, you can really benefit by reading Six Minutes, and the post on Vocal Variety, where Pitch is a big component of success for Toastmasters!!

Speed or Pace:

Listen to your recording and think about the speed of your delivery. If you speak quickly, you may be seen as assertive.  If you speak too quickly, you may seem nervous.  On the other hand, a slow delivery can be perceived as boring.  If you find that you speak too fast, force yourself to slow down and breathe more often.  If you speak too slowly, try to walk with purpose and energy while practicing your speech. A technique that many experienced speakers use is to accent their normal speed with slow speech. In doing this, the words which are spoken slowly are emphasized.  Consider how your speed of delivery aligns with the message you want to deliver.

Cadence:

Cadence is the way that you end your sentences.  Generally, a “feminine cadence” goes up in pitch at the end of a sentence. When pitch goes down at the end of a sentence, it’s a “masculine cadence.”  A feminine cadence invites a response and seems open to others’ ideas.  A masculine cadence makes a demand or a point and may sound less open to others’ ideas.  Effective speakers use both appropriately.  If people often interrupt you, you may want to add a more masculine cadence to your speech.  Similarly, if others seldom contribute to your discussions, you may be overusing the masculine cadence. Try introducing a female cadence when you would like input from others.

By the way, I really enjoy reading “The Eloquent Woman,” a blog for women on public speaking.  The author, Denise Graveline, often discusses gender differences in communication from a speaker’s perspective.  Check it out!

Record and study the natural qualities of your vocal image. Consider your pitch, speed, and cadence. Don’t forget to ask others to give you feedback so you can learn how your voice affects them. Once you become aware of your vocal image, you can begin to better align it with your message and become a more credible and persuasive speaker.

When I have a health issue, the first place I go anymore is online.  You are probably the same way, and we can all make our doctors crazy,  just like that episode of House where the patient kept going online to ask for help when he didn’t get the answer he wanted from the staff at the hospital.  OR perhaps we can actually help ourselves.  But sometimes, the internet seems like a wild land of uncharted territory.  Where do you go?  Who do you trust?   So this post is about where to go online to find out more about your voice and what to do if you have problems with it.

First of all, of course, I suggest you search the archives of my blog, read my book,  or just contact me by commenting here.  I know.  I know.  Those would be my first choice, but it would helpful to find out about others. So here you go with some of my favorite online resources for vocal health and vocal power:

1.  This website has a lot of great information on how the voice works and what problems you may encounter.     http://www.voiceproblem.org/

2.  If you don’t live in Southern California, so you can’t study with me, look for a teacher who teaches Speech Level Singing.  My own former teacher, Seth Riggs is the genius behind this technique and you will find someone good if you start there.

3.  The National Institute of Health has some great information for people with communication disorders, including voice and hearing problems.  You might want to check this out if you simply have a tendency to sing out of tune.  The interdependency of the ears and voice is quite important. The NIH also has important statistics on vocal health.

4.  And speaking of that interdependency, to learn more about the fascinating work of Alfred Tomatis, a pioneer on the effect of sound on the brain and a huge proponent of humming (we like that!!), there is a website focused on his work.  In addition, the Rocky Mountain Learning Center offers a program to help you use his methods for your own well-being.  Very cool!

5.  If you want to learn more about how others sing, one of the best places to go these days is YouTube.  You can watch pros, amateurs, singing lessons, and even a discussion using a model of a larynx.  There are also surgery videos, so go for it and if you find something interesting, please let us all know about it!!

Eating late?  You may awaken with laryngitis.  Too much spaghetti?  Tomorrow you may pay with a hoarse voice.  The perils of eating the wrong food at the wrong time do not threaten the waistline alone.  Perhaps you have heard of reflux laryngitis, or acid reflux.  This is a condition caused by stomach acids crawling back up the esophagus instead of staying in your stomach where they belong…and it can be uncomfortable, fattening, and  also hazardous to the health of your voice.

Singers and actors who go out with the cast after a show often experience hoarseness due to acid reflux.  But so do many others who simply eat too much or who eat foods that create indigestion.  Such foods may be spicy,  fatty, or acidic.  You may experience gaseous feelings after eating cucumbers. For others it may be wheat products that make them burp.  In any event, acid reflux is no fun to begin with, but the fact that it is a vocal problem as well is additional food for thought…no pun intended…especially if you are a professional voice user, such as a teacher or lawyer or sales person.

Acid reflux symptoms are the following: heartburn, chronic throat clearing and or coughing, burning at the back of the throat after eating, and hoarseness/sore throat in the morning or after lying down.

Acid reflux can be controlled or eliminated by doing the following:

1. Avoid eating within two hours of your bedtime and avoid going to bed on a full stomach.
2. Avoid foods that make you feel “gassy” or cause you to burp, especially before going to sleep.  Healthy eating creates a healthy voice.
3. If you do need to go to sleep on a full stomach,  sleep sitting up for a couple of hours and then lie down.

If you do end up with laryngitis due to acid reflux, be sure to rest your voice and drink plenty of warm fluids.  This is a common voice problem that can be controlled with some awareness and altered behavior.  For more info on several  common voice problems and what causes them click here.