Voicetrainer Blog

Does Hillary need voice lessons?

Posted on November 25, 2013 in Body and Voice

Comedian Sarah Silverman in the NY Times http://goo.gl/548dBq advised Hillary Clinton to take a voice class. Sarah said about Hillary: “She’s so smart and has so much to say and can change the world but she’s –TALKING LIKE SHE’S YELLING AT YOU. She sounds like a mom that's yelling at you.  And it triggers a response.”

Listen to Hillary’s voice in this video where she talks about women’s reproductive rights  http://goo.gl/qXCcl7 .  Her voice remains calm, clear and effective. Hillary has a good voice.  Her voice like many other men’s and women’s voice can rise in pitch and become shrill and nasal when excited – listen to Ted Cruz! 

There is a trick to maintaining a lower pitched pleasant sound at louder intensity levels without shrieking.  You must generate breath from your lower rib cage, not your upper chest, and open or relax your throat, not tighten or push the sound out from your vocal folds.

An easy way to practice speaking louder is to sit against a wall and project your voice to a target across the room.  Sitting against a wall keeps you from raising your shoulders when you inhale, and air comes from lower in your rib cage almost automatically.  (This exercise can also strengthen your quadriceps for your next ski trip!)  Be sure to open your throat as if yawning as you count from 1 to 100 replenishing your breath when you need to, sing a song or recite a poem that you know. Practice rote speech drills such as counting so that you don’t have to think about what you are saying just how to generate sound.

All speakers, especially those in the limelight, must learn how to modulate their vocal tone whether speaking quietly or projecting to a group when passionate. Practice the above exercise and seek help from a qualified voice pathologist if you need help.  Vocal training should take only a few sessions.

Contact us at Voicetrainer, LLC if you want to learn to use your voice to your advantage.  www.voicetrainer.com or 202-580-6646.

SM

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