To Let it In or Let it Out.
The obvious place for tension to go when we are stressed about speech is the muscle groups directly involved. I think of these muscles as the “gates”; sometimes we don’t want to let what’s out IN (usually someone or something that we don’t like). There are also times when we don’t want to let what’s in OUT (on those occasions when it’s better to hold back).
Of course, we need our “gates” to maintain civility, but throat / tongue / jaw / lip tension can harden into habit; making rich natural sound production difficult to achieve in stressful situations – especially ones where our voice matters.
PROBLEM: Your voice sounds tense, hard, not yourself
REMEDY: Have the tongue drop, let the jaw relax, widen and soften the throat and the lips
VOLUME
PROBLEM: Your voice is either too quiet or too loud
REMEDY: Breath = volume. Eye Contact = Appropriate Volume
It really is that simple. Air flow equals volume. To push the vocal mechanism to create volume, without the fuel of air flow coming up below the larynx, creates a nasty sound – one that will not endear you to your audience.
The solution is to look at where you want your voice to go — your lungs will inflate sufficiently to create the appropriate volume for your word to get there. Amazing. Look, don’t push.
Speaking in a Large Space: The Honey Spots
When you are going to be speaking in a new or large space, if possible, go into the room beforehand when it is empty. Go in with a friend and have them sit in various places in the auditorium as you practise your speech. This way you can get to know the best place for the audience to hear you. Find the vocal honey spot – where your voice sounds best – and use this spot as a place to start and to go back to if you need reassurance in your delivery, like when someone randomly questions you.
Ceiling height can make a profound difference to the sound you make. The honey spot is often under a lower part of the ceiling.
Speaking towards wood is going to sound better than speaking to glass. Humans make the best sounding boards, so speak to them.
Avoid using a mic unless absolutely necessary – it alienates you from your audience. Those who run large halls often insist on giving mics out to speakers when there is no need of them. Obviously there are situations when a mic is necessary, but if you can do without a mic it’s better for your connection with the audience.
So, sound the space out beforehand with your friend right at the back, and if they can hear you when the place is empty you will sound even better with people in.
Another favour your friend can do for you when you go in to sound out the room, is to have them tell you where you are best lit as you walk about. This is very important because you can easily lose an audience if you are standing in a pool of relative darkness.
In conclusion, find your light and sound honey spots.
The Learner’s Journey P.1 Reconnecting with Your True Voice
Be patient and be kind to yourself on your journey to reconnect with your true voice as, one by one, you get rid of old habits that were getting in the way of your ability to voice your thoughts. Letting go of habits of hold (tension), isn’t always as easy as you might imagine. Sometimes it is. But what I have encountered in my own practice, as well as with learners, is that some habits of tension and hold don’t want to let us go. I have realised that letting go has a much deeper meaning for some than for others. But, without exception, the ‘letting go’ and the reconnecting with our true voice is a transformative and positive process. Take it slow. Take one step at a time – you will get there. I did.
The Learner’s Journey P.2 Reconnecting with Your True Voice
The paths we take in life sometimes take us away from our true voice; as the artist might struggle to speak because they have chosen to communicate visually rather than vocally, so the tech entrepreneur might find the pressure to clearly articulate an idea difficult because their background has been more solitary than social. Becoming an expert can sometimes lead us away from our inborn abilities to communicate. But there is a way to reconnect with your true voice….
The learner’s Journey Part 3. True You is the Toddler – Not Your Habits of Defence
The brain, body and voice are an interconnected system of communication; negative thought creates tension in the body that has the potential to block the natural communication flow. Each of us form habits of defence, possibly unaware of how ingrained these habits can become. Sometimes we can think that we are defined by these habits of defence; ‘I am the guy with the folded arms’, ‘I am the lady that clamps her thighs together’. You are not your habits – to be frank. Those are habits of your defence; not your character. True you is the relaxed, physically and mentally open toddler who has no problem communicating very clearly – even before the acquisition of language!
-2nd April 2024
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If you can, take a minute or two to be on your own in the space in which you’re about to present. Own it. See it. Breathe it.
Breath- The Key
Key to not only strong clear voice, but to clearer thoughts (thanks to enhanced oxygen flow) and to opening the link (by using the lower lung lobes) to the parasympathetic nervous system which slows the heart rate and helps calm and focus you. You’d be crazy not to.
