Voice Synergy News
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Ditch the dull monotone! Wake up your voice!
The Greek word for “one tone” is monotonia, which is the root for both monotone and the closely-related word monotonous, which means “dull and tedious.” A continuous sound, especially someone’s voice, that doesn’t rise and fall in pitch, is a monotone. Know someone in your office that sounds that way? Could it be you? Wouldn’t…
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Warm up your articulators and celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday!
Did you know that it was Shakespeare’s birthday on 23 April? The Bard, as he is known, was responsible for introducing hundreds of new words into the English language back in the 1600s, many of which we still use today. Manager, Ladybird, Inaudible, Swagger and Laughable are among those first penned by Shakespeare. Less common…
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Speech Habits – get the best from your voice
What do you want from your voice? To inspire others..? To lead your team…? To convey your ideas with enthusiasm and clarity…? How can you achieve that and what is stopping you? Over time we all develop poor habits and the way we routinely use our voice is no exception. Unchallenged, we will go on…
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Mumbling? Or has the cat just got your tongue?
The new big budget drama from the BBC, ‘SS Great Britain’, has been slammed for poor sound quality – in particular actors’ mumbling. More than 1.5million of the 7m viewers switched off before the end of the first episode. Like the BBC’s ‘Jamaica Inn’, viewers struggled to interpret what characters were saying and, frustrated at failing…
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New Year, New Career… New Interview Voice!
FIDGET fidget; knee bouncing… Check papers, check notes… Mentally rehearse opening lines of interview… Think of an example of a time where I demonstrated leadership/innovation/inspiration…? It’s the interview season, the time of New Year’s resolutions, the time to make the most of your potential. You challenge yourself to progress your career and carefully modify your…
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HO HO HO…the benefits of laughing
The benefits of laughing on our bodies and voice It’s the season of goodwill and Father Christmas is soon to arrive with his sleigh full of special treats. But why does he say ‘Ho, ho, ho!’? Perhaps it’s about his general air of relaxation and happiness… and it’s Santa’s relaxed state that we should adopt…
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Is your accent holding you back?
Is English your second language? If so, your accent can be a barrier to promotion and according to the Financial Times (3.11.16), heavily accented voices can struggle to be heard in the workplace. According to the Journal of Applied Psychology, “non-native speakers of English are common in the workforce throughout the world, but those studying…
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Different Voices
This week I heard a very interesting story on Radio 4 about voices. What interested me in particular was the different voices that author, Nikesh Shukla, identified that he uses to suit different occasions. Nikesh uses ‘the voice for his family and friends’: “Cursive glottal stopping, syllable swapping, rhythmic beats of anarchic remixed English.” He…
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Voices from New York City
Inspired by a recent trip to the Big Apple, and a great conversation with Billy – actor and native New Yorker – this month’s voice tips are about confidence. New Yorkers are raised on confidence.
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A change can do you good!
Have you ever thought something was a certain way, forever, until one day a light-bulb moment happened and you realised you had completely misinterpreted that something for a long, long time?