Comments for Voice Training Blog http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog The Voice Lady Talks Voice Training & Presentation Skills Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:47:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Comment on If Voice Training Doesn’t Cover Volume and Projection, It Isn’t Voice Training by The Voice Lady http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=331#comment-51 The Voice Lady Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:47:03 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=331#comment-51 Good to hear from you DLM. I think you need to learn to breathe and relax your throat and vocal folds. I find (as well as the men with whom I work) that if you can use your chest to move your sound, you will feel very little in your throat and voice box. You seem to be relying most heavily on your vocal folds and I wonder if you pushed your voice too low in the past. This was a big problem for DJs years ago because they wanted a deep, bass voice. Regarding your optimum range? You must relax your mouth, thoat, jaw, and voice box first. Then, you probably need to raise your pitch but I hesitate making this type of assessment until I hear you. Why don’t you phone me? I’d love to talk to you. Call 1-888-627-2824. If you are outside of the States, email me with your phone number and I’ll call you. daniels@voicedynamic.com By the way, it also might be an idea to see a voice therapist. Good to hear from you DLM. I think you need to learn to breathe and relax your throat and vocal folds. I find (as well as the men with whom I work) that if you can use your chest to move your sound, you will feel very little in your throat and voice box. You seem to be relying most heavily on your vocal folds and I wonder if you pushed your voice too low in the past. This was a big problem for DJs years ago because they wanted a deep, bass voice.
Regarding your optimum range? You must relax your mouth, thoat, jaw, and voice box first. Then, you probably need to raise your pitch but I hesitate making this type of assessment until I hear you. Why don’t you phone me? I’d love to talk to you. Call 1-888-627-2824. If you are outside of the States, email me with your phone number and I’ll call you. daniels@voicedynamic.com
By the way, it also might be an idea to see a voice therapist.

]]> Comment on If Voice Training Doesn’t Cover Volume and Projection, It Isn’t Voice Training by DLM http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=331#comment-49 DLM Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:35:47 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=331#comment-49 I'm curious as to how you'd help someone with a voice that is too deep (in a vocal fry range with very slack and compressed vocal cords). It's very confusing as far as trying to find a center or optimal pitch in my voice because my vocal cords are too spread apart. Many men have this problem and can't get power out of their voices because of it. I believe it's a lot easier for many women to speak with more resonance because they can simply drop their pitch to a center range or a speech inflection range. I find I have very little observable facial movement when I speak (probably due to the fact that I have to close my vocal cords with a lot of muscular effort). I don't think modifying a vowel will help with a range that is too low. A lot of men are guilty of a "laid back" style of speaking where they speak from their throat and chest. I'm wondering - what have you done for a client who has a voice range that is habitually to deep for their voice type? Many pathologists say the "m" sound is a good way to identify resonance and neutralize the position of the larynx, but there's more to healthy vocal cord closure than that. A lot of it is a fine science, and I don't think a simple desire to change the sound of one's voice on their own will suffice. I’m curious as to how you’d help someone with a voice that is too deep (in a vocal fry range with very slack and compressed vocal cords). It’s very confusing as far as trying to find a center or optimal pitch in my voice because my vocal cords are too spread apart. Many men have this problem and can’t get power out of their voices because of it. I believe it’s a lot easier for many women to speak with more resonance because they can simply drop their pitch to a center range or a speech inflection range. I find I have very little observable facial movement when I speak (probably due to the fact that I have to close my vocal cords with a lot of muscular effort). I don’t think modifying a vowel will help with a range that is too low. A lot of men are guilty of a “laid back” style of speaking where they speak from their throat and chest. I’m wondering – what have you done for a client who has a voice range that is habitually to deep for their voice type? Many pathologists say the “m” sound is a good way to identify resonance and neutralize the position of the larynx, but there’s more to healthy vocal cord closure than that. A lot of it is a fine science, and I don’t think a simple desire to change the sound of one’s voice on their own will suffice.

]]> Comment on Do Others Ask You to Tone It Down or to Speak More Softly? by Edwin http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=311#comment-48 Edwin Sun, 18 Mar 2012 08:23:10 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=311#comment-48 Hello Nancy, First of all, I would just like to say that this is such an insightful blog. I have recently begun the process of determining my true voice, but am having trouble sensing that resonance in my chest of which you speak of in your Voicing It manual. Occasionally, I do feel some slight vibrations, but for the most part, I still feel greater vibration coming from my throat region instead (and worse, sometimes I feel the strain in my throat). Would you be able to provide some tips on how I could possibly work on pinpointing my optimum pitch? And I am a soft-spoken individual so I am guessing that would make it harder for me to feel the resonance as well. Hello Nancy,
First of all, I would just like to say that this is such an insightful blog. I have recently begun the process of determining my true voice, but am having trouble sensing that resonance in my chest of which you speak of in your Voicing It manual. Occasionally, I do feel some slight vibrations, but for the most part, I still feel greater vibration coming from my throat region instead (and worse, sometimes I feel the strain in my throat).

Would you be able to provide some tips on how I could possibly work on pinpointing my optimum pitch? And I am a soft-spoken individual so I am guessing that would make it harder for me to feel the resonance as well.

]]> Comment on How Voice Training Can Improve Your Life As Well As Your Voice by The Voice Lady http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=281#comment-47 The Voice Lady Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:06:28 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=281#comment-47 Lucinablue, (I just posted an article that I wrote several months ago, 'Do Others Ask You to Tone it Down or to Speak More Softly?') From what you have written, I think that you probably speak with more volume when you are surrounded by those with whom you are comfortable at work -- coworkers for example. When you are on the phone, you pull back your volume. If you are being told, however, that you sound young, then I am confident you are pushing your voice from your throat. Voices that are being powered by the chest cavity never sound too young. They sound mature. Not too old; not too young. I am concerned about the medications you take and what they are doing to you. There is no doubt that my training can help because it will regulate your volume and take the pressure off your throat and vocal folds (cords); however, you will need to breathe with the support of your diaphragm to do this. (You will discover that supported breathing will help your asthma.) You may also find that the breathing helps your fibromyalgia which in turn might decrease some of your medication. Nancy Lucinablue,

(I just posted an article that I wrote several months ago, ‘Do Others Ask You to Tone it Down or to Speak More Softly?’)

From what you have written, I think that you probably speak with more volume when you are surrounded by those with whom you are comfortable at work — coworkers for example. When you are on the phone, you pull back your volume.

If you are being told, however, that you sound young, then I am confident you are pushing your voice from your throat. Voices that are being powered by the chest cavity never sound too young. They sound mature. Not too old; not too young.

I am concerned about the medications you take and what they are doing to you. There is no doubt that my training can help because it will regulate your volume and take the pressure off your throat and vocal folds (cords); however, you will need to breathe with the support of your diaphragm to do this. (You will discover that supported breathing will help your asthma.) You may also find that the breathing helps your fibromyalgia which in turn might decrease some of your medication.

Nancy

]]> Comment on How Voice Training Can Improve Your Life As Well As Your Voice by lucinablue http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=281#comment-46 lucinablue Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:00:02 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=281#comment-46 I'm looking all over the place for help with my voice. I have some big medical challenges, and I get constant conflicting feedback about my voice. I haven't bought your program yet, because I'm not sure it will help. Here's the issue: My co-workers find that I speak too loudly; my clients find that my voice is rather soft and soothing, and sounds young. These are pieces of feedback given about the same words spoken at the same time. The clients are hearing me on the phone, and the co-workers in person. My friends find my voice neither loud nor soft. I am being driven mad by the inconsistency. I don't know what to try to improve, and I don't know what I can expect or even hope to change that might please the most people. I am a telephone counselor by profession, and I have been doing this work for 35 years. I also do public speaking about counseling work with suicidal, depressed and anxious people. I am neither nervous about speaking nor uncomfortable with it. Over the past five years, I have developed a set of symptoms that finally have been diagnosed as fibromyalgia. This affects my voice partly because there is pain in the tissues between my ribs, and I can't expand my chest as well as I used to do; partly because I take not one, but five medications that are drying to the mouth and throat and make my voice positively creaky. I try to drink lots of fluids and I use Biotene to moisten my mouth and throat, with mixed results. I also have asthma, at varying levels of control at various times. You speak much more about voices that are too soft than voices that are too loud, and I don't see anything about voices that are too loud, too soft, and just right all at the same time in the same place. Is your program something that's likely to help? In fact, does anybody who writes on this blog have ANY suggestions? I'm open to hearing them... I’m looking all over the place for help with my voice. I have some big medical challenges, and I get constant conflicting feedback about my voice. I haven’t bought your program yet, because I’m not sure it will help.

Here’s the issue: My co-workers find that I speak too loudly; my clients find that my voice is rather soft and soothing, and sounds young. These are pieces of feedback given about the same words spoken at the same time. The clients are hearing me on the phone, and the co-workers in person. My friends find my voice neither loud nor soft. I am being driven mad by the inconsistency. I don’t know what to try to improve, and I don’t know what I can expect or even hope to change that might please the most people.

I am a telephone counselor by profession, and I have been doing this work for 35 years. I also do public speaking about counseling work with suicidal, depressed and anxious people. I am neither nervous about speaking nor uncomfortable with it.

Over the past five years, I have developed a set of symptoms that finally have been diagnosed as fibromyalgia. This affects my voice partly because there is pain in the tissues between my ribs, and I can’t expand my chest as well as I used to do; partly because I take not one, but five medications that are drying to the mouth and throat and make my voice positively creaky. I try to drink lots of fluids and I use Biotene to moisten my mouth and throat, with mixed results. I also have asthma, at varying levels of control at various times.

You speak much more about voices that are too soft than voices that are too loud, and I don’t see anything about voices that are too loud, too soft, and just right all at the same time in the same place. Is your program something that’s likely to help? In fact, does anybody who writes on this blog have ANY suggestions? I’m open to hearing them…

]]> Comment on Why You Cannot Find Your ‘Real’ Voice with a Book or CD by The Voice Lady http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=227#comment-44 The Voice Lady Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:46:32 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=227#comment-44 Oh, I forgot. I like Kevin James voice. Comedians often speak in a higher pitch for effect. James doesn't. A good example is Jane Curtin. As the comedian, her voice is nasal and high. When she is interviewed, however, she has a lot of warmth and depth to her voice. Oh, I forgot. I like Kevin James voice. Comedians often speak in a higher pitch for effect. James doesn’t. A good example is Jane Curtin. As the comedian, her voice is nasal and high. When she is interviewed, however, she has a lot of warmth and depth to her voice.

]]> Comment on Why You Cannot Find Your ‘Real’ Voice with a Book or CD by The Voice Lady http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=227#comment-43 The Voice Lady Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:43:40 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=227#comment-43 Wow, DLM. You've got quite a comment. And I apologize for not responding sooner; however, you have too many side issues to discuss in one reply. As far as shedding some light on the singing aspect, I keep away from talking about singing. It is definitely not my area of expertise. I'm really not concerned about people not understanding the term 'placement,' however, because I do not feel anyone should try to find their 'real' voice without coaching in some fashion. This is why so many radio DJs have done damage to their voice -- primarily because they try to force their pitch too deep. By the way, a true 'deep' or bass voice can be well understood, however, as long as the diction is good as well as the volume. If one is speaking below his optimum range, however, it will be more difficulty to understand. Again, my apologies for not getting back to you sooner. Wow, DLM. You’ve got quite a comment. And I apologize for not responding sooner; however, you have too many side issues to discuss in one reply. As far as shedding some light on the singing aspect, I keep away from talking about singing. It is definitely not my area of expertise.
I’m really not concerned about people not understanding the term ‘placement,’ however, because I do not feel anyone should try to find their ‘real’ voice without coaching in some fashion. This is why so many radio DJs have done damage to their voice — primarily because they try to force their pitch too deep.
By the way, a true ‘deep’ or bass voice can be well understood, however, as long as the diction is good as well as the volume. If one is speaking below his optimum range, however, it will be more difficulty to understand.
Again, my apologies for not getting back to you sooner.

]]> Comment on Why You Cannot Find Your ‘Real’ Voice with a Book or CD by DLM http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=227#comment-42 DLM Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:03:32 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=227#comment-42 I think when people hear the term "placement" (especially without knowledge of the voice) it creates some confusion. "Placing" the voice or "speaking from the diaphragm" causes some people to tense up or speak to deeply thereby not being heard in a "loud environment". I find even a simple "mmm-hmm" as in agreement several times a few notes above vocal fry places the voice very effectively for correct vocal cord function. My dad does this at the dinner time very often and he has a very "warm" and large voice. Also, I'm wondering if you can tell me how you aim a high head voice note? I understand there may not be a general answer for this, but I'm wondering what correct laryngeal function would be for someone at a higher range. I hear a lot of rock and heavy metal singers take their chest voice far too high and aim the note at the soft palate. I understand from your previous articles that you took some singing lessons, so I'm hoping you can shed some light on this. Lastly, I'm wondering if you know of an actor Kevin James and wondering what you think of his voice quality. I apologize if this is too wordy and unrelated to your article. I think what you're doing for people's self esteem is great. It's nice to find someone who finally knows what they're talking about in terms of voice. Thanks in advance. I think when people hear the term “placement” (especially without knowledge of the voice) it creates some confusion. “Placing” the voice or “speaking from the diaphragm” causes some people to tense up or speak to deeply thereby not being heard in a “loud environment”. I find even a simple “mmm-hmm” as in agreement several times a few notes above vocal fry places the voice very effectively for correct vocal cord function. My dad does this at the dinner time very often and he has a very “warm” and large voice. Also, I’m wondering if you can tell me how you aim a high head voice note? I understand there may not be a general answer for this, but I’m wondering what correct laryngeal function would be for someone at a higher range. I hear a lot of rock and heavy metal singers take their chest voice far too high and aim the note at the soft palate. I understand from your previous articles that you took some singing lessons, so I’m hoping you can shed some light on this. Lastly, I’m wondering if you know of an actor Kevin James and wondering what you think of his voice quality. I apologize if this is too wordy and unrelated to your article. I think what you’re doing for people’s self esteem is great. It’s nice to find someone who finally knows what they’re talking about in terms of voice. Thanks in advance.

]]> Comment on Why the Soft-Spoken Voice Does Not Sell by The Voice Lady http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=82#comment-41 The Voice Lady Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:20:06 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=82#comment-41 No, Erica, I doubt your soft-spoken voice is a medical condition. It sounds to me like you are pushing your voice from your throat. This is why it is sore. You need to learn to use your chest cavity to power your sound. That is the only way you will be able to eliminate the sore throat (vocal abuse) and that is what my training encompasses. No, Erica, I doubt your soft-spoken voice is a medical condition. It sounds to me like you are pushing your voice from your throat. This is why it is sore. You need to learn to use your chest cavity to power your sound. That is the only way you will be able to eliminate the sore throat (vocal abuse) and that is what my training encompasses.

]]> Comment on Why the Soft-Spoken Voice Does Not Sell by ericapeppers http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=82#comment-40 ericapeppers Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:09:12 +0000 http://www.voicedynamic.com/blog/?p=82#comment-40 I have been trying this method and I have experience my throat hurting. I have always spoken soft. I get tired of repeating myself so most of the time I don't say anything or very little. When I o speak louder than my normal tone I experience a sore throat. And no I don't yell (well it sounds like yelling to me but it is normal tone). Can soft speech also be a medical condition? I just don't understand why I get a sore throat as well if it is a normal tone. I have been trying this method and I have experience my throat hurting. I have always spoken soft. I get tired of repeating myself so most of the time I don’t say anything or very little. When I o speak louder than my normal tone I experience a sore throat. And no I don’t yell (well it sounds like yelling to me but it is normal tone). Can soft speech also be a medical condition? I just don’t understand why I get a sore throat as well if it is a normal tone.

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