Vocal Projection
Vocal projection is simple: we simply speak with the intention to include everyone and adjust our voice to the space between us and others, as needed. When we speak with an intention that is for and includes the audience, our voice will carry effortlessly and appropriately to fill the space. Forcing our voices to be louder or softer just sounds…louder and softer. And can even hurt our vocal cords—yes, forcing a whisper can be painful.
I am reminded of an exercise we did in acting school. We were told to hold up one arm, straight out from our shoulder, while another student tried to push it down. Our only direction was to hold it up as strongly as possible. We struggled against the pressure for a few seconds until our arm folded. Next, we were told to imagine there was a strong current of water flowing up from the earth, through our legs, and powerfully shooting from our outstretched arm. Miraculously, this simple act of imagination, made our arms much stronger with almost no physical effort! We felt like superheroes! At the time, I thought this was just some kind of magic trick, but now I realize the professor was teaching us about the power of intention. There is a big distinction between muscling through something and recruiting our sense of purpose.
In vocal projection, we can use this same technique. Rather than speaking loudly or softly, we use an intention.
Try this:
First, just speak LOUDLY. SHOUT! “Hey! Watch out!”
Check in to see how that feels in our bodies—throat, chest, face.
Now, imagine that we see our neighbor across the street. He opens his car door just as a car careens towards him. “Hey! Watch out!”
The intention is clear: “to save them.”
How does the physical sensation change?
Notice the difference, how one feels effortful and one feels free.
Next, we lower our voice and speak softly: “Hi. How are you doing?”
Now, imagine we are talking to a beloved one just waking up after an operation: “Hi. How are you doing?”
Notice the difference in the body and in the meaning of the words when the purpose changes.
An intention that is true to our purpose for communicating, is easy on our throats, and the volume rises and lowers naturally, effortlessly.
If we are told to be louder or softer, rather than focusing on forcing our voices artificially, which can be painful and sound strained, we instead include our audience vocally, wherever they are. Basically, the rule of thumb is that we adjust to wherever the furthest person is or to the camera lens.
The camera lens is the eye of the audience and if it is only 18 inches away, we adjust as if there were a person right there. Imagine speaking to someone just inches from our face! Everything, not only our volume, would get quieter and smaller.
In a theater, our voices would rise to include the last row. In a board room, the end of the table. If I am talking to a friend in a cafe, my volume may be mid-range. If the table is in a nightclub with a live band, my volume will adjust naturally to be louder. If I am talking to a neighbor from my porch as they walk back to their house across the street, my voice will naturally rise in volume.
When we are using a microphone, we take that amplification into account.
In acting class with Seth Barrish, he asked that we start rehearsing at an intimate volume. Just talking. Then, later when we move out of the rehearsal studio and into the theater, we adjust naturally to include others. He said that starting a rehearsal process with projection was putting the cart before the horse; rather than starting the process by connecting and exploring, we were forcing and performing. He trusted that when we had that relationship and fluency embodied, we could easily adapt our vocal volume to the appropriate space and move seamlessly from performing the scene on camera or on stage.
When I was coaching for our TEDx Charlottesville, I reminded the speakers that the entire 8th grade from the city schools would be way up in the darkened balcony! “Include those kids! Make sure to share your beautiful face and voice!”
This week, when preparing for a talk or presentation, rather than focusing on raising or lowering our volume, simply imagine how far away the audience is. Get into the space early and sit in the farthest corner of the space. Walk the length of the space to get a sense of the distance. If possible, have a friend go up on the stage and speak so you can truly get a sense of how big or small the communication can be to reach us waaaay in the back. If we are in a large space, speak with the intention to include everyone in the last row. If we are convening a meeting on-line, rest in the intimacy of the close range.