Yesterday was my third voice lesson and the first since still battling a throat cold.
Fortunately, I was able to battle my way through and get another good session out of the way. In fact now, I have a sheet of whole sentences to practice on. So, in three sessions, I have gone from making sounds to trying full sentences. Now, it gets tougher.
For example, I encountered the receptionist who called me "Mr. Hart" the day before, when she called to remind me of the appointment. With my speech therapist listening I told her "There is no Mr. Hart." I immediately then wondered if I had said it correctly with the proper intonation. At that point, I just wanted to get my point across and didn't much care.
However, I want to be perceived as more as just a good mimic and actually am learning. I think I am and the last dinner Liz and and I went to was a turning point. It was the first time in my life I actually felt my voice was beginning to sync up with the rest of me. Even though, I still have a problem using the phone. Because I still need to call Connie and check in.
Today may have been a good day since here in Cincinnati it was our turn it seems to have a active shooter situation downtown which resulted in approximately three dead. Obviously, I am OK and wasn't even close to the situation.
Selfishly, the problem I am having with developing a new voice, is learning how to use it in any situation. It is very much like a new toy.
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The first phrases I worked on with my feminine voice were salutational in nature: "Hello, how are you?", "I am fine, thank you, how are you?", "Thank you", "You're welcome", "Have a nice day!" etc.. First impressions of our voices are just as, if not more than, important as our physical presentations. I also made up affirmations that I would speak aloud either in the mirror or in front of a video camera. I would say something like: "I am Connie. Connie is a woman. The woman you see before you is Connie." I don't need those words to convince myself that they are the truth anymore, but the way I say them out loud does make a lot of difference, especially when reviewed on a video recording.
ReplyDeleteI'm not the best at doing foreign accents, but I have found that practicing my feminine voice with an accent forces me to think more outside the box. I mean this both figuratively and literally, as I get away from the comfort of my acquired normal (masculine) way of speaking, and I also must pay attention to how my own voice box is working. (So, yes, yet another intended pun)
A phone, especially a cell phone, creates a terrible representation of anyone's voice. Have you ever listened to music and/or someone singing over a phone? The sound frequencies picked up and transmitted are not full-range at all. I much prefer using an old-fashioned landline phone, because I can, at least, hear myself through the receiver when I talk into it. As a musician and singer, I can tell you that it's the immediate feedback (not the screechy kind when the microphone gets too close to the speakers) that helps one to keep on pitch; as much about listening as actually creating the music. Anyway, in developing a more-feminine voice, constant monitoring with your own ear is what will help keep you on track with your voice. A cell phone, with all of its digital compression, is more of a distraction toward that goal than anything else.
So, when (and if) you call me and leave a message, I will take all of the above into account. I will also return your call from my landline, because I want to sound better than you do. :-) (only kidding - this is not a competition....unless you want to Skype, and then I'd have to get all dolled-up) LOL
I was wondering if you were OK...so thankful that you are! Good luck with the voice lessons. I probably will never get to that stage!
ReplyDeleteMandy
Thanks Mandy!
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