Voice Exercise

This is a short follow up to yesterday's post regarding Set Your Voice Free: How to Get the Singing or Speaking Voice You Want by Roger Love. I neglected to say that the book does include sections on how to care for your voice and exercises specifically for speaking. It was written for both singers and speakers. He has several other books out and one is specifically for the speaking voice. I went with Set Your Voice Free because of a recommendation. I am pleased with the results I got and may check out his other book for speakers. (Anybody out there a little wiser in the ways of the voice have any recommendations. Maybe my music teacher friends....Steve?....Chuck?)

One fun exercise I might recommend from the book for those presenters who speak in a monotone voice with no inflection or passion. The author suggests you write your lecture out and then sing it. Not to the kids but in the privacy of your own home, while hiding in the basement if you want. (Note...Roger Love doesn't actually say to hide in the basement, that's my own spin on places to practice.) It helps build some different phrasings and inflection that will then be reflected when speaking the lecture. I've had young teachers ask me for advice on this in the past and I was at a loss as to what to tell them. Now I'll suggest they sing their lecture to the melody of "Happy Birthday" or "Old Macdonald" or possibly Madonnas, "Like a Virgin". Or maybe I'll just suggest the book.

[Image: "Sing"; Flickr: Uploaded on April 6, 2008 by ktylerconk: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ktylerconk/2394470300/]