Vocal presence 2: listen deeper…
Last week, I asked you to simply listen to the voices of announcers on the radio. Just listen for the sounds of the voices.
This week, I want you to listen deeper. What can you tell about the person from their voice?
Can you sense if they are tense? Check their speed of delivery.
Do they seem rushed? Indifferent? Connected? Passionate?
Can you sense any emotion at all?
Does the speaker seem at ease?
Does the speaker engage you?
Isn’t it amazing just how much information we get from just a voice? So now I ask, what, exactly do you hear in these voices that you would like to emulate? What would you like to avoid?
I invite you to PLAY with vocal quality this week. Just over dinner, with close family and friends.
Breathe and pause instead of filling the space with ums, uhs, sos.
Engage your lower register.
Engage your higher register.
Speak while smiling and see if that changes how you sound.
Does it change how you feel?
If you want to listen to a some voices I love:
Michel Martin of NPR. Listen to the timbre, the warmth, the strength, the clarity and congruence of voice and purpose.
Dan Carlin of Hardcore History. I have no idea how he can sound so immediate, conversational, and yet must be planned meticulously. Start with the first 5 minutes of this podcast on Japan. He also uses a great device when reading quotes. Take note!
The podcast Broken Ground’s producer/writer/narrator, Claudine Ebeid McElwain, has the ability to read a script word for word, and do what I call, “take it off the page,” bring the words to life without sounding either sing-songy-forced or fall-to-sleep-bland. Notice that she has a vocal range of color, sound, volume, pitch.