In July 2015 we had the wonderful Anna Madeleine providing free voice coaching workshops. Here are her notes from those sessions.


Warm Ups
(every morning after a big glass of water but before doing much speaking)

• Belly Massage - nice a soft and squidgy!

Diaphragm and Articulators (focus on the ‘out’ breath only) 4 or 5 reps of each

• Sh! - big short sharp sound - try looking far away while making the sound
• SssssssssT
• Ff - just one on its own
• Ff … Ff … - 2 but big gaps between
• Ff.Ff.Ff.Ff. - 4 fast ones!

Larynx

• Nnnngggg - long smooth, all through the voice up and down slowly like a siren*
• Ng Ng Ng Ng - whiny dog! Small sound - try putting your thumb a few inches away from your nose and look at it while making the sound

Articulators

• Tongue Rolls - stick your tongue between your teeth and your lips and roll it slowly clockwise 5 times and then anti-clockwise 5 times
• Tongue Twisters - share your favourites!

Lower Voices only

• Vvvvvvvv - motorbike - long and low**
• Mwahahahahaaaaaa - evil laugh - make it fill the room (yes even behind you!) - it’s best to just do 4 or 5 of these really really well, too many of these can put strain on the voice or make you feel giddy!

Higher Voices only

• Raspberry Hum - up and down in the voice - high and playful!**
• Big Boo - build the air up in your cheeks and realease on a high screechy boo- it’s best to just do 4 or 5 of these really really well, too many of these can put strain on the voice or make you feel giddy!
  

Notes
*thi is like a massage for your vocal folds, it can be done at any time and as much as you like (it won’t cause any damage at all to your voice). This is also a really nice thing to do if you feel your voice getting tired or sore from over-use.

**these are your ‘tricks up your sleeve’, sounds to gently pull the larynx up or down and to reposition the resonance throughout the day. You might want to do a few of these safely on occasion if you feel your voice is shifting because of tiredness, emotional strain or before using the phone.


Vocal Health
Drink lots of water! If you do things that are hydrating then drink extra lots of water.
I say “wee clear, speak/sing clear”

Be kind to yourself and careful with your voice. You don’t need to put strain on any of the muscles in order to achieve results.

Play with your voice and enjoy all the sounds you can make. A free voice will do what you want it to do much more naturally and authentically than one that has been forced.