about your voice

Voice Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 04:01:00 +0000

Over the years of publishing this blog, I have written several times about voice care and voice loss. Yet, the same questions keep coming my way.

If you have lost your voice due to illness, listen to your medical professional and:

stop speaking if that is the recommendation
do not whisper while the voice is healing; write what you want to say
avoid forcing your voice to work, you will do more damage
do not sing (yes, it seems obvious, yet some singers insist on singing 'through' their voices)

In addition:

rest
drink room-temperature water
avoid alcohol, coffee, tea and soft drinks
take time off work (again, obvious, but seldom done)

If the recuperation period is expected to be lengthy:

take up some form of relaxation and meditation
find a hobby that helps you achieve 'flow'
care for yourself as you heal

Are you interesting?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:01:00 +0000

How does your voice show that you are interesting - as a leader, a manager, a speaker, a contributor at work?

What does it do to show that there is a spark about you?

How does it respond when your interest is raised?

What moves your voice to be interesting?

Get feed back on your vocal interest today.

Be interested and thus hold interest

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 07:57:00 +0000

It is very challenging to hold the interest of people these days.

There is so much on, too much to do, lots of information and constantly changing expectations at work.

If you are asked to speak to a group, make sure that you are able to demonstrate in your voice, your stance and your vocal story that you are interested in the topic.

'That's fine', you say, 'but what if I have little to no interest in the topic?'

Find an angle, a point of view, an alternate focus on the topic that will bring your voice to life for you and your audience.

This resourcefulness, inventiveness, spark of creativity, will engage your mind as you are speaking. And that engagement will transfer to your audience provided you sustain it.

Listen to what sustains your voice when you speak.

Use voice with interest

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 07:48:00 +0000

There is a voice skill that is relatively easy to develop provided that you listen with generosity to your voice.

When you speak, if you record yourself, if you happen to hear a play-back of an interview or a presentation listen out for what worked well.

Find the places where your voice did an excellent job in transmitting the purpose and spirit of the message with congruency to the audience.

You'll know this 'sweet spot' when you hear it, because the voice sounds 'good to' and 'accurate on' the ear. The words, the style, the vocal are working seamlessly together.

Listen to this small segment again and again to identify just exactly what it is that the voice did so well.

Learn how to replicate it.

For more information and insight, get help here.

Listen with generosity

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:39:00 +0000

Few people like the sound of their own voices. Do a quick survey to confirm this.

Ask people what their responses are when listening back to their own 'phone messages. Grimaces and negative comments fly.

It's natural to listen critically to oneself.

One of the best actions you can take is to listen generously to yourself.

Find one aspect that you like about your voice or the way you have said something.

Consider what it is that you did to generate a kind and generous comment.

Explore where else you could do this in your spoken piece.

Get feedback on how to listen to yourself in future!

Spend time with your voice

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:04:00 +0000

How often do you spend time with the person or the people who matter most to you?

Does the time fly because you are having so much fun?

Do you wish for more opportunities to meet?

It is the same for your voice and its relationship with you.

It longs to be present when you speak. When you rush through what you are saying, it feels short-changed because it was not enabled to give full life to your thoughts as you expressed them.

Your voice wants to sound and feel good each time it is used by you. When you are distracted by the context, the content or the intention of your spoken piece, your voice is robbed of the ability to put its best self forward. It comes across as bland, flat and bored.

Your voice wants to contribute to what you say and how you say it When you are disconnected from what you are saying, disinterested in the message, then your voice reduces its enthusiasm and energy. It gets through and gets by. It reflects exactly how you are thinking and feeling each time you speak.

You can spend quality time with your voice. Find out how.

Stretch to relax. Stretch to release your voice.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

It's intuitive behaviour and common knowledge. When we stretch and then release that stretch, we feel muscles relaxing. We benefit from improved energy flowing in our bodies.

Physical stretches in the upper body, across the spine, down the breast bone and up into the shoulders, neck and head are useful to release extraneous tension in the muscles that support the vocal mechanism.

It is not possible to stretch the tiny muscles that manipulate the fine movements of the vocal folds, the ligaments and the supporting cartilage structure. By working on the large, surrounding muscles, the release gently travels through the body to the mechanism itself.

Stretch regularly. Stretch often. Gently increase the length of each stretch and develop your muscular endurance for the stretch.

You'll notice that you sleep better, manage your emotive responses more effectively and become more resilient to stress, change and workplace demands.

Open this link for more information on a set of generic stretching exercises that advance your well-being and release your capacity for vocal strength and endurance.

Running fast?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:21:00 +0000

Are you flat out in life and at work? It seems that most people are, these days.

Most of us have a reasonable capacity to go, go, go ... and then comes a time when we, our energy and our ability to cope dries up.

Look out for these warning signs:

Increased muscular tension - try some stretches

Increased mental tension - perhaps this can help you

Constant physical tiredness - explore how to boost your energy

If you are taking short-cuts on your health and wellbeing - not eating well, not drinking sufficient water, not exercising and not taking breaks away from work - expect to see the following results in your voice and across your spoken word contexts:

Poor delivery manifested in flat, fast and dull voices
Reduced intake of breath resulting in no power behind the voice
A limited vocal range - monotone
Limited vocal variety - no light, shade and interest in the voice

All of these lead to a significant drop in attention to what you are saying. When people don't 'get' your message, take this as an important warning sign.

Apart from the drop in attention to the message, it is vital to know that when you rush your speech, you send a range of mixed and negative messages to your audience, your listeners, colleagues, clients and peers.

Some implications of a rushed manner include but are not limited to lack of care in professional relationships; poor representation of the speaker, confusion in the message, lack of respect and regard for audiences and distracted leadership.

Get feedback on your vocal impact, now.

Voice in Meetings - Get Value from your Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:40:00 +0000

As everyday business tools, meetings and their management contribute significantly to strained, stressful relationships.

Many executives and entrepreneurs confirm that meetings are unproductive disturbances in their day.

Also, they cite examples of strident, dominant contributors who hold the floor excessively, repeat their position or case and take participants off track.

As the manager of a meeting, it is essential that you take control. Be sure to use your voice in three significant ways to achieve outcomes. Communicate your authority,credibility and skills of engagement via your voice.

As a meeting manager, it is vital that you identify and know:

What you want to achieve through the meeting
What you expect from the participants
How you will communicate this at all times
How you will deal with distracting behaviour

There are two immediate actions you can take ro make a difference to your meeting outcomes:

Receive feedback on your voice and its impact
Reduce your anxiety and plan for an effective, efficient meeting

How are you doing with keeping your voice free?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:39:00 +0000

In December, I wrote about 'Letting your voice GO' over the holiday break.

I hope you managed to do the exercise I proposed.

If you've not yet done it, don't despair.

Here is something quick, short and entertaining for you to keep your voice relaxed and free.

Voice in Story

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:43:00 +0000

We all have stories to tell; personal and professional ones. We speak about how we reached this point. What we've learnt from particular circumstances. Where we've been and how it has influenced our thoughts and actions.

Putting your voice, its reach, presence and expression into story is central to bringing that story to life, making it meaningful, giving it resonance, providing value to your listeners and gaining outcomes.

When leaders of organisations and entrepreneurs learn how to put their voices into story they increase the capacity of their venture. The story becomes compelling through the way it is told. People take notice.

The tellers of the story have the confidence and trust of their people. They know that they come across as genuine, approachable, experienced leaders who offer value to their colleagues, clients and greater public.

Your voice is the most flexible, enduring communication mechanism that you have. Learn about its strengths and untapped potential. Use it well, with positive intent and it will advance your success.

Combine your voice, it's vibrancy and dexterity with your unique requirement to narrate at work. You are certain to engage, influence and generate action.

Voice and identity

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Your voice tells people around you more about who you are, how you are and what is important to you. Consider, for a moment, the people that you come across in transit, as you go about your daily activities.

There's the neighbour, whose booming voice is heard from three houses away. There's the bus driver you know; you can tell how she's feeling from the way she sounds. The same is true for your house mates, or family, or friends.

You can pick up information about your colleagues from the tone, intensity and pace of their voice and speech. And in some of the meetings you go to, you can fall asleep, listening to people droning on...

What has your voice revealed to the people around you this week, yesterday, today?

How would you like them to describe you as they listen to and interpret your voice and the messages it transmits?

What have you noticed about your voice? How would you like it to become a more accurate reflection of you tomorrow? Explore one option here.

Your body and your voice

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Because it is housed by your body, your voice will manifest, in its own way, any excessive strain, tension and tightness that your body carries when it is under pressure.

By becoming more actively aware of where your body carries strain, you will be able to better release this strain and free up your voice for clear, confident speech.

Find your voice

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:32:00 +0000

Over the years, I've worked with a proportion of people who expressed the need to discover their voices.

For many personal and individual reasons they felt that the voices that emerged when they spoke were not the voices that they experienced or heard within themselves.

Their voice explorations were challenging, illuminating and, without exception, personally and professionally liberating. Without realising it, they had shut their true voices off, taken on alternative placement, projection and sound qualities that did not resonate with them.

Finding one's voice, identifying it and releasing it to its full strength and purpose is a uniquely satisfying experience.

Begin the journey here.

Over the holidays, let your voice GO!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:16:00 +0000

2011 is drawing to a close. It's time to consolidate what you've learnt and set your sights on the year ahead.

It is also a time of letting go and that includes letting go of the restrictions, strains and obstructions that have got in the way of your natural voice.

Pick up a child's picture book, a fairy tale, a book of simple rhymes and enjoy the activity of speaking the words aloud.

Hear how the voice supports the words; how it gives them light, life and vitality.

Speak for the sheer enjoyment of feeling and hearing how voice and the spoken word combine in purpose and meaning.

Breathe to relax. Breathe for voice.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:40:00 +0000

Via a regular subscription, a link to a video arrived in my inbox today. Hanuman Goleman and Mike Sjostedt of More than Sound were interviewed on Mass Appeal by Seth Stutman. The topic is apt for this time of year when 'Overcoming Holiday Stress' can become mandatory. Watch the video; it is worth your while.

What interested me is that speakers use a similar breath management strategy as the one taught by voice coaches across the globe. There is something significant in that. Conversations with teachers of yoga, pilates, meditation and the Alexander Method apply similar breath and breathing techniques.

When you view the video, please notice:

Around the 00.20 second mark - the difference in each man's posture - Goleman giving the full weight of his body to the couch, Sjostedt more upright yet supported and Stutman, upright on the couch and then leaning forward to engage, as is necessary for his role as interviewer. It is important to be aware of how you are sitting (standing or lying on the floor) as you do the exercise
See how Sjostedt uses his left leg to anchor himself comfortably. Notice the right leg up on the couch - this because he needs to sit at an angle to be taken into wider shots. Ideally, when seated, have both feet on the floor for the duration of the exercise
Do you remember my reminder to release the neck, and allow the chin to drop when doing your breathing for voice? You'll see the forward and upward thrust of the chin at roughly the 3.45 minute mark in Stutman. Notice how the neck thrust affects the muscles of the upper chest and shoulders and works counter to the exercise in its initial stages. This is a natural inclination - to sit up 'to perform' rather than to 'relax into' the exercise. You will see the difference in posture clearly here and the tightening in the upper chest as a result. What a wonderful example
And then, from the 4 minute mark onwards, Stutman relaxes. His lips open naturally and his body eases into the exercise within the 30 second timeline that Goleman and Sjostedt speak about. Magic!

Do take on board the life relaxation tips provided in this video. Note the daily 10-15 minute break Goleman and Sjostedt refer to; this is all you need for your voice warmups and voice release exercises.

And, consider the short breath pause when chaos surrounds you!

Open the link to view the video and find more on Relax Facebook

Voice Projection - What is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:22:00 +0000

The ability to project one's voice involves a number of physical skills and techniques that include, but are not limited to:

being sufficiently at ease to release the voice into the mouth and related resonance chambers
being able to hold, shape and enrich the vocal sound
being able to control the exhaled breath that carries the voice beyond the vocal apertures
being able to sustain the voice throughout the speaking event

In addition, effective vocal projection is influenced by the context and intent of the speaker, their relationships with their audiences and their desire and motivation to speak.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I lack confidence in myself ?
Do I lack confidence in my ability to speak in front of a group?
Do I lack confidence in my my ability to deliver the message?
Do I lack confidence in the topic itself?
Do I lack confidence in my audience/s and their possible responses to the topic?
What else is stopping me from projecting my voice?

Your response (or responses) will illuminate the areas you may need to work upon in order to give yourself permission to better project your voice.

With self-permission in hand, you will be able to develop the physical skills and techniques that will give your voice the support it needs when projection is required.

Find out more

Frequently Confused?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Regularly, I send clients and readers to an excellent resource known as Daily Writing Tips. You will find it here.

I receive regular updates from them. Often, there is excellent detail and the capacity to build vocabulary from their material.

Today, I am inviting you to explore the link below and have a go at the pronunciation of some commonly confused adjectives.

You can use use the list to expand your use of language. Of course, you can also submit to me your audio version of the list of words. If you supply your email address, I will get back to you with free feedback.

Here is the link to the page that holds the document.

Your Voice in Story

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:58:00 +0000

Where would we be without 'story'?

Executives, strategic leaders, entrepreneurs and technical experts draw on practical examples and case studies to illustrate what is required from the various business units within an organisation. They use same techniques to explain to their public how the business delivers results to its clients.

Language indicators that show that a story is coming up include: 'for instance'; 'as an example'; 'this reminds me of'; 'when we ....', 'one of the challenges was...'

As listeners, we look out for these indicators of story. We know that, through story, we will expand our understanding and increase the relevance to us of the services and goods being provided.

When a business offers complex solutions, innovative ideas, something different to others, it is essential that senior players in the organisation have their story clear, uncomplicated and ready to deliver at a moment's notice.

Using your voice to engage, intrigue, influence and convince is an essential strategic skill within the story and narrative process.

Find out how to leverage your voice and its impact via a global, custom-made program, 'Your Voice in Strategic Story'. Test it out today.

Clarity - at the ends of the words

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:01:00 +0000

Is that singular or plural? Past or present?

Clarity at the ends of words is as important as clarity at the beginning of them.

There is a strong tendency to drop off the ends of words among speakers who have English as their second or subsequent language.

In these instances, confusion abounds.

Here are some examples.

Say the following sentence out loud and deliberately drop off the final s in each word to hear how plurals and verbal agreement is lost:

She owns two dogs and cares for three horses on her property.

Repeat this exercise dropping off the ed in the words below:

Anthony examined and tested the result last Friday.

Now, put them together in this one:

I liked the way the chef tried out the recipes and adjusted the ingredients to demonstrate versatility.

If this is what you hear when you speak; if this is what you hear at work; if this is what you notice among colleagues, it is time to polish your spoken English impact.

Explore more.

Clarity - the details at the start of words

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 04:01:00 +0000

How do you begin?

I'm thinking here of how audibly, clearly, well-structured the beginnings of your words are as they are released from your mouth. Pedantic? Perhaps. Realistic? Absolutely!

The way you form your words informs your listeners, your colleagues, your team about you. Your style. Your focus. Your attention and attentiveness. How you approach your work. And a whole lot more...

All of these clues operate in the background of what you are saying and how you say it. Inaccuracies can (and do) take people off track when they are listening to you.

Therefore, attend to consonant clusters.

There's one: 'cl'. You'll also find it in cleft, clamber, cliff, clobber and clutter.

Look out for these seemingly submerged traps where two consonants immediately follow one another.

Identify the clusters that trip you up.

Make a list.

Practise them. And submit an audio snapshot to me via + 61 3 8610 0193.

Explore more about clear speech in spoken word contexts here and here.

Clarity combined with voice communicates picture, sound and sensation

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Articles on food, flavour, colour and sensation are excellent for testing and practising your clear speech impact.

Why is this so? Because food writers have learnt to write short, smart pieces that attract readers, hold their attention and keep them reading to the very last word.

Food writers and restaurant critics must present on paper, words that hold tangible, vivid experiences for all the senses: sight, sound, scent, taste and feel in the mouth.

When you speak, it is your clarity that holds attention, keeps the mind, ear and eye focused on what you are saying. Being crisp, clear and precise in the way you start, shape and finish your words will help you achieve this focused attention.

I have heard people label 'crisp, clear and precise' as being 'cold'. Not so. Because your voice, its warmth and energy brightens up the crispness and gives it a unique, memorable life.

Does your voice entice? Does your speech sparkle, sizzle and spice up attention? Learn how to use both to advance your spoken word impact.

Select any one of these small articles from The Age, Epicure, 6 August and test your clear speech impact.

You can record your audio via +61 3 8610 0193 and include your best contact number (Australia) or skype name (International). Then, we can talk through your unique impact.

Your Voice in Property Sales and Service

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Do you work in the Real Estate industry?

If so, you know that your voice and its expressiveness is essential to your success.

You use your voice and expression each time you:

connect with a prospective buyer, seller or renter
describe the advantages of a property, a piece of land and a suburb location
explain and expand upon the sales and rental process

To keep your voice primed, regularly give it a gentle workout.

Just type ‘Property’ into your browser. Select any real estate website that comes up and follow their prompts. Within one or two clicks you will reach a piece of text that describes, in vivid terms, a desirable property.

Have a go at reading and speaking that aloud. And then, feel free to submit your audio snapshot to me via +61 3 8610 0193. Remember to supply your name, skype id or contact number in Australia. We can then speak through the text you have provided me.

Enjoy the exercise and benefit from the workout it gives your voice and speech.

Clarity - What drops out?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:42:00 +0000

We all have them. Little slips of attention. Distractions. Speech and sound inefficiencies.

Do you know where, when and why yours arise?

If we don’t pay due attention to the finish of our words, then the endings of the words drop away and meaning can be lost.

Plurals become singular and make no sense. Tenses are confused and the past becomes the present.

Credibility is dented.

If you’re inclined to take short cuts and lose attention, get feedback today and never repeat the same errors in clarity and finish.

Voice and Vitality – Do you vary your pitch?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandra Baigel) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:43:00 +0000

What are you thinking and feeling when you speak up and interact at work?

There are some naturally reserved people who describe themselves as feeling ‘exposed’, ‘under scrutiny’, ‘being reviewed’, ‘in examination mode’. It is an awkward sensation.

Some people respond to ‘scrutiny’ by adopting a monotone and speaking as rapidly as possible. It is ‘as if’ they want to get the conversation, meeting or presentation over and done with, fast, so that they can ‘get out of there’!

From observation and client experience, I can confirm that, by using the voice in its entirety, with variety, richness and expression, you will direct attention away from yourself and towards the content, the material, the information.

Get feedback from me on your vocal vitality, explore more about voice and read about presence and persona in the July and August updates. You can also listen to recent SoundBytes from this page.