Your voice is your instrument - Use it to its full potential!
Your voice is your instrument…use it to its full potential!
The first steps to developing your voice…
Relaxation…
Your voice reflects the emotions you feel and attitudes you believe in. If you are bored, your voice will lose much of its flexibility and range; if you are tired, your voice becomes limited to a few dull notes; and if you are anxious or for any reason on edge, your voice will be strained on to a higher pitch and be hard in tone.
The first steps to developing your best voice is relaxing!
You most likely have your own relaxation rituals before speaking or performing in front of an audience. But I would like to share my relaxation ritual that I always incorporate into every speaking engagement or training session.
Why not see if this process helps you to relax:
1. Stand with your feet slightly apart and your weight evenly distributed 2. Stretch your spine and feel ‘tall’. Do this by pulling out of your waist 3. Make sure that when you do this your shoulders are relaxed 4. Pull you head up, but only by lengthening the back of the neck - do not tip the head back 5. Let the head rest naturally and easily on the spine – do not jut the chin 6. Now relax every muscle which is not needed to support your stance. Leave arms, hands and fingers free so that they are ready to use.
This step by step process is a natural precursor to your breathing, vocalisation and projection exercises. When you are relaxed, you are able to breathe more deeply and focus more readily so that you can stand and speak with more confidence.
In next month’s blog - vocal warm-ups and projections exercise - so stay tuned! Relaxation - Stepping Stones to Success.
