Voice Artist at Work! September 23, 2009
Posted by lyndastucky in Communication, Uncategorized.Tags: don lafontaine, Family Guy voices, james earl jones, seth macfarlane, speech, voice, voice artist, voice over
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I can’t think of a better job! Getting paid to record my voice speaking into a microphone. I can adjust my pitch up to sound like a little girl, use shorter syllables to sound angry and curt, add breathiness to add sex appeal, lower my pitch to add power. So many voices in one small voice box!
Have you ever thought about the sound of your voice? What does it say about you – do you sound powerful, weak, kind, mean? The voice is capable of conveying emotion in a way that words alone cannot. Voiceover artists are experts at changing the resonance, volume, rate and pitch of their voice to accommodate a variety of characters and situations.
This video is a great example of this – watch Seth MacFarlane as he voices several of the characters from ‘Family Guy’.
Nearly one year ago, Don LaFontaine died after a long career of doing voiceovers and being the voice the movie industry doing movie trailers. Instinctively, he was a genius at figuring out the right voice for the part with his deep, powerful voice aiding him.
Not all of us were born with the rich, resonant voice of Don LaFontaine or James Earl Jones but we can learn to alter some of the characteristics of speech and voice to make positive impressions. Here are some tips for having a people-friendly tone of voice.
- Lengthen the vowel sounds of stressed syllables.
- Speak slowly!
- Add pitch variation to convey interest and enthusiasm.
- Smile. (This one act alone can help you sound more engaging and approachable to your listeners.)
Even when you don’t feel friendly, you can act friendly by modifying these speech and voice characteristics. You can change your voice in many ways to reflect a mood or an attitude. Experiment with your voice frequently; you too can be a voice artist—a helpful skill for many situations!
Who will Translate for the G-20 Summit Translators? September 11, 2009
Posted by lyndastucky in Communication, Uncategorized.add a comment
I like Pittsburghese to an extent because it does bring a certain uniqueness to our region. However, there is a perception that Pittsburghese sounds uneducated and gives a “working class” image. There is nothing wrong with this. But if you are a professional and desire a professional image, speaking Pittsburghese will not achieve this goal. Think of the leaders that you know and individuals who are in the public eye. More often than not, they do not have an accent. The way you choose to speak certainly depends on your audience and the goal that you are trying to achieve. Impressions are important and the impression that we make in this city as the dignitaries from around the world arrive here at our doorstep will be a lasting one.
If you believe professionalism is important for your image in light of the upcoming G-20 summit, join me on my site for a FREE evaluation of your skills to get a head start on changing some habits to portray the image you desire.
Perhaps you don’t know if you speak Pittsburghese but would like to find out. Here is an opportunity for you. Go to www.clearly-speaking.com to take an assessment. You call in the evaluation and I will listen to it. Then I’ll send you a personal note about your skills. All this for free!
Meanwhile, as the translators come to town, I will make myself available to them to translate Pittsburghese when they get stuck on yinz, worsh, gumbans, dittent, sahside, and slippy.
Lynda Stucky, the unofficial Pittsburghese Translator for the G-20 Summit!
Would you like to volunteer to clean up Pittsburgh? Go to https://www.pittsburghg20.org. Click on the green-and-purple link at the center of the page, and chose one of the G-20 Cleanup projects listed. (Help is especially needed along Route 51, West Liberty Boulevard and Banksville Road.)
The best source for all the updates and information related to the Pittsburgh Summit, including details on city-wide programming, transportation and security is at this website.
“I Am Not So Dumb Now” August 27, 2009
Posted by lyndastucky in Uncategorized.Tags: communicating, Communication, Helen Keller, speech
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With those words, Helen Keller spoke her first sentence. Overcoming the obstacles of blindness and deafness brought on by childhood illness, Helen miraculously learned to communicate verbally. Most of us might resign ourselves to a dark silent world, but Helen was not content to merely survive, she intended to thrive. And thrive she did, with the aid of Anne Sullivan, her teacher and companion for almost 50 years. They discovered that by placing Helen’s fingers on Anne’s throat, lips, and nose, she was able to feel the vibrations of the spoken word and learn to speak. Helen went on to become a world-renowned author and speaker as well as a women’s rights advocate and war protestor, proving that disabilities need not be a death sentence. Her courage and conviction demonstrated that language could indeed be learned even in the most difficult of circumstances.
This 1930 newsreel provides a discussion of how Anne worked with Helen to form those first words – enjoy! YouTube video
“The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus–the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.” ~ Helen Keller
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month! May 1, 2009
Posted by lyndastucky in Uncategorized.Tags: Better speech and hearing month, diction, executive speech coach, speech language pathologist, voice coach
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May is Better Speech and Hearing Month! Let’s celebrate by learning more about speech in the workplace.
What is the difference between a Speech or Voice coach and a Speech Language Pathologist (or Speech Pathologist).
The biggest difference between the two disciplines is what the professional concentrates on with the client in training. Voice coaching deals with the technique of speaking and using the voice effectively and dynamically. By adjusting the way in which something is said, the meaning of the message can become clearer, more effective and more interesting. Typical training might include diction, foreign accent modification, conciseness, intonation dynamics, etc.
Voice/speech therapy deals with the treatment of a speech or voice disorder like stuttering, vocal nodules, vocal polyps, word finding problems, or language/cognitive deficits due to a head injury stroke, etc.
Both types of training should be done with someone who has an advanced graduate training in speech and/or voice issues like a Speech Language Pathologist. There are many executive coaches with a background in Speech Pathology now coaching individuals in the corporate world with dynamic speaking skills and accent modification.
Speech Rate and the Effect on Listeners May 1, 2009
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Speech rate affects the listener’s perception of the speaker and the relative importance of the message. Imagine “I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King spoken at a fast rate. The length of time that the speech was spoken gave us time to imagine and to process the information. We wouldn’t process the meaningful and complex information had it been spoken more quickly. In fact, we would have lost interest. The slow rate of speech signaled importance and sent the message that the content should be taken seriously.
Now if the content is unimportant and spoken too slowly, the listener may become impatient and bored and consequently lose interest, too. A slow speaker telling a story about a trip to the grocery store or a meeting agenda or something else less important, may find the listener watching and listening with glazed over eyes.
Humor, and light, frivolous messages are best expressed at a faster rate because we process that information a lot quicker. When determining the rate of speech you want to use, analyze the content of your message. No matter what speed you choose, be sure to show enthusiasm through vocal variety and facial expression.
A Talking Dictionary is a Great Resource! March 9, 2009
Posted by lyndastucky in Communication, Uncategorized.add a comment
Are you looking for a portable tool to look up word definitions and hear them being pronounced? If you have a handheld PDA you can look up words at merriam-webster.com and hear the words pronounced wherever you go. This particular dictionary has words for ESL learners, a medical dictionary, a thesaurus and crossword & scrabble games if you love to play or learn new words. You don’t have a palm? You can use this website resource at your desktop or you can buy a “talking dictionary” like this one: http://tinyurl.com/c4yw7q
It’s another cool tool for the professional!
What’s In a Name Like Luke Steelersstahl? January 17, 2009
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Our Pittsburgh mayor, Luke Ravenstahl is changing his name to Luke Steelersstahl, which is kind of funny since Stahl means steel in German. So, essentially he’s changing his name to Luke Steelerssteel (or “Stillerstill”). Now that’s what I call a super Pittsburgh fan! Go Steelers!
Six Holiday Gift Ideas that Develop Language Skills December 5, 2008
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Are you looking for a unique gift this holiday season for the board game lover on your list? How about a game that promotes language skill development or vocabulary building and promises hours of fun and laughter! Here are a few that will really bring joy this holiday season!
• Mad Gab-an excellent game for learning the importance of stress in words.
• Taboo-learn to describe an action, idea, or thing using different words.
• Cranium-develops wordfinding, spelling, unscrambling, and vocabulary skills.
• Scattergories-a game that requires you to express yourself quickly.
• Balderdash-learn to use creative word expression.
• Scrabble-an all time classic that builds vocabulary and spelling.
Working on developing your language skills is fun and entertaining with any of these award winning games for all ages. Whether you are looking for something to do at a party, reunion, or during a vacation, you can’t go wrong with these educational games! Don’t forget to add them to your holiday list this year!
Copycat Speech November 6, 2008
Posted by lyndastucky in Communication, Uncategorized.Tags: NPR, sara palin, speech, tina fey, vocal manmerisms
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Tina Fey did a wonderful job imitating Sara Palin (all in good fun) by evaluating carefully the speech mannerisms and pronunciation of Palin’s speech. She did a great job capturing her dialect and overall facial expressions and vocal mannerisms. She was believable. There is an interview with Tina Fey on NPR where she discusses how she studied Sara Palin to impersonate her.
I tell a lot of my clients who want to improve the way they speak, to listen and watch people they admire and determine what it is about their speech they like. I also insist on listening to the speech of others whose mannerisms are less than desirable, and determine what is it about their speech that portrays poorly. Of course, this takes a good knowledge of the aspects of speech that can be modifiable.
When looking closely at the speech of others, pay attention to pitch, loudness, diction, resonance, pronunciation, vocabulary, vocal quality (e.g. hoarseness), pausing, word fillers, rhythm of speech, intonation, rate of speech etc. These are the areas of speech and voice that can be manipulated to some extent to create a new sound.
You can do this to if you want to make changes in your speech. Watch those around you and take notes about what you hear and see. Then practice it yourself and try it out at your next big presentation.
