Set Your Voice Free: How to Get the Singing or Speaking Voice You Want

by Roger Love

you’re like most people, and nerves are the big problem that throws you into unwanted overdrive, the first thing I’d like you to do is go back to the basics of diaphragmatic breathing, which will slow your body down with its gentle, regular pattern. Focusing on your breath is a well-known and effective technique for pulling you back to the present and grounding you in your body when you’ve been caught up in racing, worried thoughts. If you establish correct breathing, you lay the foundation for proper sound production and allow your body to remember and make the sounds it’s learned in your singing exercises. I’d also like you to play with your pacing when you talk. You might start by recording yourself as you read the newspaper or a book aloud. Read a sentence or two at your normal speed, then change the pace. Slow down for a sentence or two, then speed up. What speed gives you the best sound? What makes you sound energetic or authoritative or loving? You might notice that different content seems to be more effective at different speeds. Play with this. If you’re a fast talker normally, try slowing your pace on every other phone call at work. How do people respond to you? When you’re face-to-face with a friend, watch for cues. Are you connecting better when you slow down? Or does a certain amount of speed buff up your message? If you’re delivering a speech, you might want to play with speed for emphasis. Slowing down at difficult or key points might draw attention to place...