If the body is the instrument, the music is the voice Who would have thought that something as basic as your everyday speaking voice could be a powerful force to be reckoned with? Why is this so? Your speaking voice literally defines who you are. It is your individual calling card that you consciously and subconsciously use to place your energetic stamp on every minute of your lifes ups and downs. From the moment you entered into this existence, the individual and unique sound of your speaking voice has been one of the best ways to communicate what lies deep within.
Your voice is also one of the first impressions someone gets when they meet you for the first time. Think of someone you know or a teacher that was special to you in your past. What are the first impressions of this person that immediately come to you? One of the things that often comes to mind when thinking of someone is the memory of their particular voice coloring and how they tended to use it.
Unfortunately, its interesting to note that so many of us dont really know how to use our voices effectively, particularly those of us who find ourselves in public situations. But those who have control over their voices are often able to make their vocal imprint on various situations and we definitely know that they have spoken. Throughout the course of history, many have used their voices to create peace or to wage war. Others have used their vocal power to create positive and uplifting situations while others have used the same to create negativity. When your voice is free to express itself naturally without any physical or psychological blockages, it can be truly amazing to see what results occur. We can often be our own worst enemy when it comes to the comfort and ease of using our voice any situation.
Do you like the way your voice sounds? What do you feel your voice says about you? When you hear your voice played back on tape, are you comfortable with what you hear? What is the one thing you would like to change about your voice? Believe it or not, there are many simple ways to make your voice more powerful and effective in any and every situation. Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect speaking voice. We are, however, able to work with and develop what we have.
One of the best ways to strengthen the voice we have is to breathe. Proper breath placement in the lower abdomen area insures that we will have the power to send our voice up and out of our bodies without any of the blockages that so often hamper free and natural vocal expression. Blockages are often due to posture, incorrect or shallow breathing, physical issues (something as basic as locked knees can often hamper free vocal expression), psychological issues as well as tension in the neck and shoulders. By breathing from the lower abdomen, the voice now has a base of operations so to speak and the breath ads new vibrancy and power to what you already have.
Lubricating our vocal chords with water is one of the best ways to clear out and maintain an open channel within our bodies for better vocal expression. The usually recommended eight glasses of water a day would be perfect here. If you cant drink that much everyday, do make sure you are properly hydrated before you need to use your voice in a big way. Wouldnt it be wonderful not to worry about losing your voice during a day of teaching class after class after class? Five minutes a day utilizing proper breathing and voice exercises that are easy to do can give us the vocal results we need to communicate in any public speaking situation.
Having a clear and powerful speaking voice is something that can be vital to making ourselves heard in everyday life. Whether you want to use your voice to communicate effectively to one person to maintain a stronger presence in your relationship, or you wish to move a large group of people with the sound and energy of your voice, feel confident that you have already been given what it takes to more than accomplish the task. Your superior speaking voice lies within just waiting to take the world by storm. You have the vocal power, and its as close as your breath and a glass of water!
Robert Landau teaches his popular Developing a Superior Speaking Voice seminar nationwide and is pleased to have the opportunity to offer this seminar at the upcoming Dance Teacher Web Conference at Lake Las Vegas. Landau also facilitates over 50 specialized presentations for groups and organizations nationwide. He can be reached at 303-909-2491 or visit www.landaupresentations.com.
