Thank you so much for an incredible session last evening.I felt heard for the right reasons, for the first time in a long time. You had a huge effect on me Dianne, I appreciate it. Niidi March, 2024
My MP3 Audio workouts now available
Thank you for the feedback on my audio workouts. There are more coming – the next one will be a 10 min quickie voice warm up. The kind of voice work I offer you promises you more than just a hardy voice: it promises you a personal boost; it reminds you that the much quoted saying you are enough must be heard and applied. Truly, if you say it and mean it, a metaphorical load lifts off your shoulders as your nervous system responds. Then your diaphragm will rise and fall as it will, your throat will open, and therefore your tone will sound more connected. All this because you are showing generosity to yourself by believing that you are enough. Your heart, mind and emotions will be as one in your voice. I know I sound a bit hippy-dippy but I have been teaching this work for a very long time and know that it works. I am not a bit hippy-dippy really. I am a experienced professional coach. I do love the work though. Enough about me – what about you?
Testimonial from Chloe
Hi Dianne!
Thank you for your thoughtful words. I so appreciate your wisdom, time and honesty!
And thank you for all of the documents you’ve sent through.
It’s been a pleasure to learn from you – and I do hope I get to continue that!!
Chloe xxx
Testimonial from Nikki
I just want to say thank you so much, for everything you’ve taught me not just with my voice but with life too, you really made me change my perspective on ways I view myself, that probably wouldn’t of changed for a long time, and for that I’m grateful. Thank you also for making my voice sound absolutely fab and alive.
Thankkkkk youuuuu sooooo muchhhhh
From Nikki
Vocal Warms up and Workouts Coming Soon
Any moment now this site will offer various work outs and warm ups for your voice. You can download them and play them at your convenience. It’s hard to motivate yourself (I’ve never done any of the exercises any Physio has given me for more than a few days!) so now you can use me for motivation. Or, if you don’t know my work, you can do a Zoom session with me and I will design a bespoke work out for you. Make no mistake, the most communicable and easy to listen to voices always get the role, get the job etc. Directors don’t like to take risks. You know yourself you become very tired of voices eg “Kardashian throat sound”, or voices that drone on in a nasal way. Or, voices that are not emotionally accessible enough to bring a script to life.
So my friends, I hope this new little enterprise of mine is going to be useful to you. I do hope so. Let me know.
The V Voice Secret
What is the V Voice secret? Flight or Flight or Rest and Digest ?
Your Vagal system sends messages to your brain. If your Vagal nerve transmits a message that you are under threat, you will feel performance anxiety: the fight or flight or freeze response.
Your diaphragm is the big breathing muscle that is hooked into this Vagal system. The way to send the message to rest and digest (and therefore, decreasing anxiety), is to allow your diaphragm to move the way it wants to move. It wants to move downwards towards your pelvic floor. Diaphragmatic breathing sends the right message. The brain believes what the body tells it is true!
Test: Place your hand on your collar bone. If it moves when you breathe, you are breathing shallowly and you run the risk of sending the fight or flight spark to your brain.
I love this system – it means you can decide how you want your voice to be – connected and real or tense and forced.
NEW WORLD FOR ME
Personal Trainers – you are opening a new world for me. I’m an age where I think I have the field of study pretty well covered and yet, here I am finding a new kind of language to use : Gym talk. Love it. New lexicon for this voice coach. I feel at the bottom of another mountain. So I am beginning another hike upwards. It’s fun – freeing the voice from such fabulous bodies – bodies which already, can isolate, find alignment easily, understand bones and muscle energies. The challenge is to find the balance between support and push and release and communicate: to work from the inside out for a voice class.
Are you a bit nasal?
Can’t help this post. I’m obsessed with all things voice. Listen to yourself – if you even suspect you might be a bit nasal – you will be! If you don’t care, I certainly don’t, but if you do care, then you can stop being nasal. Here is how to check if you are. Make a long, sustained, “eeeeeeeeeee” sound on any note that is comfortable and while you are doing that, squeeze and release both of your nostrils. If you sound like a siren, then you are nasal. Just thought I’d mention it.
Zoom/Skype is working for me now. I have learned to keep my hands from reaching into the screen to adjust an alignment or to soften a tense jaw.
It seems strange but there is an especially nice freedom/focus at being able to look at you with a sustained intimacy that isn’t threatening. My voice work operates just as well which has amazed me. What’s more, it’s a nice challenge for me as an educator because I have to be super clear in my instructions to you.
Here’s an exercise for you The Wallow in Vibrations Experience…….. 1) Hum on a a long, indulgent “m” sound with your lips gently closed. Feel where the vibrations fall. (You might like to touch your face lightly with your finger tips to increase the tactile nature of the sounds.) 2)Then….. without opening or moving your lips, allow your lower jaw bone to drop just a little inside your mouth. 3)Keep humming and you will feel the vibrations more intensely. 4) Release your belly for breath to replace whenever you need to and 4)enjoy the sensation.