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. 

1. Lengthen the vowel sounds of stressed syllables.
2. Speak slowly!
3. Add pitch variation to convey interest and enthusiasm.
4. 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!

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

Thinking about finally getting around to writing that book? How about speaking it instead! Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking software allows you to use your voice to write via computer. It sounds cool and apparently is rather easy to learn. It comes with about fifteen minutes of training, a 300,000 word vocabulary and allows you to control the mouse, search the web and choose browser links in addition to the obvious word processing applications. The software recognizes eight different regional U.S. accents as well as a few foreign ones.

Depending on which version you use (Standard, Preferred or Professional) you can listen to what you’ve dictated either in your own voice or computer synthesized. Not only does this help you review what you’ve written, but could also serve as a useful tool to critique your speaking voice.

So whether you’re looking to take advantage of a faster method than the old hunt and peck or maybe you just burnt all your fingertips on the pizza pan, Dragon Naturally Speaking sounds like it’s worth a closer look.

Joshua Brockman’s review of Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking:

http://tiny.cc/ITJkx

Official site for Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking software:

http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/

Have you tried this software? What has your experience been?

The Bristish government has issued some new rules for the old rule “I before E except after C.”  They contest that there are too many exceptions to this rule (think about veil, their, weigh and sufficient) and that it is too confusing to young learners.  (See http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090621/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_spelling_shake_up for for the full article.)  But isn’t there a slogan that adjusts for the inconsistencies that says something like “Sounds like A as in neighbor and weigh.”  If you are familiar with this saying, please tell me about it.  I only vaguely remember it and can’t find it anywhere.

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 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.

Have you ever hesitated to address someone because you were afraid you might mispronounce their name?  A friend of mine once saw a name that was spelled Orangello.  She thought it was a bit unique and pronounced it like she saw it, orange jello.  However, the person was quick to point out that the name was pronounced oRANGelo and her friend LeMONgelo was frequently mispronounced, too. 

With our increasingly diverse society, we find ourselves trying to pronounce foreign names that are spelled very differently than American English rules would govern.  For example, some names begin with a /q/ but do not sit beside a /u/.   Names that begin with /kn/ are pronounced with a “silent” /k/  in America but the /k/ is often pronounced in other cultures–Knut is KNOOT.  The name Michel may look like “Michael” but is actually pronounced, mee-SHELL or Simon is pronounced see-MONE in some cultures.  How do you know which syllable to stress when you see this name: Bloduedd (BLODweth or BLODwed).  If you couldn’t see or hear the person, would you guess that the person is male or female? 

Next time you are introduced  to someone who has a foreign sounding name, respectively ask them to repeat or spell it.  Then ask them to teach you how to pronounce it.  Practice the name out loud and invite the person to correct you.  The ice will be broken and you can both relax.  You’ll feel  much more comfortable using the person’s name.

Sarcasm in the workplace exists at every level of management.  Americans sometimes make comments that aren’t sincere or are meant to be a little degrading.  In order to be sarcastic, we adjust our vocal tone and perhaps our facial expression.  Try saying, “great” sarcastically.  Notice what you do with your pitch to sound sarcastic.  For non-native English (and often native) listeners, sarcasm may not be evident because the cues are too subtle.  The sarcastic comment leaves the listener confused or wondering about the intention.  Watch for sarcasm in your speech to avoid misunderstanding and degrading remarks.  Try saying the same word “great” in a motivating and inspiring way.

Can you listen without judging? It may seem easy but it requires total concentration and letting go of previous history/knowledge with the speaker and the topic. Good listeners accept others point of view even if they don’t accept what a person says. It is just listening and leaving the person who is speaking feeling like he or she has been heard. By focusing on the person’s words and determining what the speaker is telling or asking for, then summarizing or asking for clarification, you become a listener who isn’t judgmental.

But what about listening while you are under personal attack?  It’s even harder to listen without judging under these circumstances but staying calm and following the guidelines above are very important.  Sometimes the speaker who is giving feedback is just venting their own frustrations so instead of hitting back, allow the person to get rid of all the negativity.  Asking clarifying questions will only help your attacker feel like he or she is understood, too. 

Do you have a success story when keeping your cool under personal attack was a positive experience?