Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Voice Coach Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000 Why You Need The Voice Coach Podcast | 24 Jan 2021 | 00:13:04 | |
Welcome to The Voice Coach Podcast! This podcast is for anyone interested in improving their spoken voice. I’m Nic Redman, a voiceover artist, speaker, podcaster and coach. I’ll be sharing with you vocal health tips, vocal technique exercises, interviews with other voice geeks, and voice training advice. Why do we need a podcast about spoken voice? Most of us have a voice, and we use it every day without even thinking about it, until we wake up one day and find our voice sounding croaky or getting tired really quickly. Or sometimes people say they don’t understand what we are saying. Or we're suddenly asked to speak in a room full of people at a networking event, and find that nothing comes out of our mouth. As a working voice professional, I understand how important the voice is when you rely on it for your job. All voices are brilliant and valid, but all voices can be even better, and that’s why I’m here. I want this podcast to inspire you to explore what your voice is capable of. Whether you are a podcaster, a voiceover artist, an actor, public speaker, teacher, business professional or athlete, join me each episode as I guide you through raising your vocal awareness and understanding. Let's have fun with our voices and remember, stay hydrated! P.S. Big thanks to Jack Evans for creating the music for The Voice Coach Podcast. Let’s connect:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 001 How to Structure Your Voice Warm Up | 24 Jan 2021 | 00:16:59 | |
In this episode, I talk about a proper voice warm-up, and I cover the bases of how to do it, when to do it, and for how long. We also talk about the difference between a warm-up and a workout of the voice and the five stages to correctly perform a voice warm-up. What You Will Learn In This Episode:
Warming up the voice is not just doing loads of random tongue twisters for no reason. It's also about finding out what your voice needs, and concentrating on it. Lastly, it is crucial to keep your warm-up routine nice and playful anytime you can. Thanks to Jack Evans for creating the music for The Voice Coach Podcast! Resources:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 010 What To Do If You Lose Your Voice | 22 Feb 2021 | 00:11:17 | |
This episode is a practical guide to deal with a common, yet dramatic situation - losing our voice. We will go through the possible reasons that cause it, the importance of resting our voice, release exercises that can help us, and what to beware of when we lose our voice. What You Will Learn In This Episode:
Even when we have a balanced diet, we keep ourselves hydrated, and we meticulously perform voice warm-ups and cool-downs, we can get ill or be stressed out, and lose our voice as a result. However, if this happens, we must keep calm, take some rest, start upping our fluids, and perhaps do some gentle exercises to smooth voice rehab. Resources:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 011 How to Reduce Sibilance | 01 Mar 2021 | 00:16:28 | |
In this episode, we talk about sibilance, what it is, why some people sound more sibilant than others, and why it gets people annoyed. We will also focus on a few practical ways of controlling our voice's features, so we can reduce sibilance. What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Next time when someone tells us we sound sibilant, we have two choices - we either ignore them, or we can observe which part of our tongue we use to make the "s" sound, we pay attention to the airflow we produce, and work on it. The only rule is to keep our voice exploration fun, curious, and free of judgement. Resources:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 012 How To Do A Spine Roll and Prepare the Body for Voice Work | 08 Mar 2021 | 00:17:59 | |
Today, I will walk you through a preparatory physical bodywork that will help you release tension. Learning how to loosen any tightness in our bodies is essential before starting with the fundamentals of voice training. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Alignment and posture - mandatory step #1 - Spine roll - secrets and techniques - From spine roll to crouch transition - The shoulder clock movement - From curious dog to ‘what are you looking at’ position - Drawing the infinity symbol with our nose Awareness of alignment and tension is a must before any voice training. As voicing is a holistic experience, any isolated tension in our bodies might lead us to low-quality performance and perhaps even voice damage in the long term. While doing these tension release exercises, it is vital to allow the breath to keep flowing and to go through this bodywork with a curious mind, observing the body's response. Resources: - Vocal Rehabilitation/Primal Voice - Dane Chalfin https://www.vocalrehabilitation.com/primal-voice - Spine roll and release routine video https://youtu.be/D6A9pixcaLU Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 013 How to Use Your Breath Part 1: Breath Awareness | 15 Mar 2021 | 00:13:50 | |
Today, we are taking the first step on our journey into breathing for voice work. We will explore how to improve unnecessary patterns in our breathing and why we tend to use more breath than we need. This episode will help you become more aware of the intuitive nature of inhalation, and the importance of breathing rhythm in a resting position. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The benefits of proper breathing - The most common breathing issues in voice work - A simple exercise to identify our breathing patterns - The scientific understanding of our breathing - The importance of the in-breath for getting a free, responsive, and supportive breath for voice work When we have a better understanding of how breathing works, it impacts not only our voice work performance, but also our mental and overall health. Although breathing is an automatic function of our bodies, having an awareness of our breathing patterns will enhance our voicing performance. Resources: - Article on breathing from Voice Science Works https://www.voicescienceworks.org/breath.html - Breath by James Nestor https://amzn.to/2NSG2tU - And Breath Podcast https://breathingtree.co.uk/welcome-to-the-and-breathe-podcast/ - Vocal Rehabilitation/Primal Voice - Dane Chalfin https://www.vocalrehabilitation.com/primal-voice - This is a Voice - Gillyanne Keys & Jeremy Fisher https://amzn.to/3b9MGVw - The Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 014 How to Reduce Ums, Ahs and Filler Words when Speaking | 22 Mar 2021 | 00:11:40 | |
Today we are talking about filler sounds and words when speaking, why they show up in our speech, and whether we need to eliminate all of them. I’m also sharing a few techniques we can use to reduce or replace filler sounds. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Hesitation signs and filler words as a natural part of speaking - Why we use filler words - How to use pauses as a powerful tool when speaking - How to replace a filler sound with an out-breath - How our mind and speech can flow smoothly in a perfectly aligned body Unless we are writing every speech word by word,, we must accept filler words as a natural part of speaking. What we can do is focus on our body alignment, be aware of our breathing, pay attention to our speech tempo, and use pauses to give us time to think and plan our next words. Resources: - How to Improve your breath awareness https://pod.fo/e/bd7ac - How to release the body for voice work https://pod.fo/e/bbe13 - Why posture is important for voice work https://pod.fo/e/b70e5 - The Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 015 How to Use Your Breath Part 2: Focusing on the Out-Breath | 29 Mar 2021 | 00:15:42 | |
In this episode, we are analysing the importance of in- and out-breathing. Understanding the in-breathing as the fuel for voicing, and out-breathing as the mechanism responsible for producing sound, we will go through a simple exercise to gain awareness of the pause between breathings, or to notice any tendencies to hold air unnecessarily. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The adverse effects of holding our breath - The origin of the word inspiration, and how our thoughts are connected to in-breathing - Why the exhale is the most potent process of using our voice - The importance of finding the balance between breathing in and breathing out - A simple exercise to gain awareness of our out-breath Speaking is a holistic experience, and breathing affects the quality of the voice we produce and our vocal freedom. The tension created by holding our breath will affect the power of our voice to connect and communicate our message with clarity. By being fully aware of our out-breath, we will ensure that the body is naturally dropping as much air as it needs to. Resources: - Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristin Linklater https://amzn.to/3fatYj7 - Autonomic nervous system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomic_nervous_system - The psychology of exhaling https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/body-sense/201009/waiting-exhale - Etemology of the word 'inspire' https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-origins-of-inspire - The Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 016 How to Use Your Breath Part 3: What is Breath Support | 05 Apr 2021 | 00:15:56 | |
In this episode we will go through the meaning of common terms in voice training like voice support and breath support. We will talk about the three crucial elements of voice support, and we will do a simple yet powerful breathing exercise. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - How getting support is not a simple one-step fix - Why voice production works somewhat like a guitar - The role of diaphragm in speaking, and why it is so hard to be aware of it A common misconception when speaking is believing that we are using the diaphragm when we activate our abdominals. In fact, we are making our core more rigid and making the in-breath much harder to take. Ideally, you should release the belly completely on the inhale, making space for the diaphragm to expand freely and draw down as the air comes in. Resources: - Find You Voice by Caroline Goyder https://amzn.to/3whj4yf - Finding You Voice by Barbara Houseman https://amzn.to/3rz3VEF - This is a Voice by Jeremy Fisher & Guillyanne Kayes https://amzn.to/3m9qm25 - Freeing the Natural Voice - Kristen Linklater https://amzn.to/3nDZwyp - Joanna Cazden - Everyday Voice Care https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1458443183/ - Christina Shewell - Voicework; art and science in changing voices https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470019921/ - The Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 017 How To Use Your Breath Part 4: Connecting With Breath Support For Speaking | 12 Apr 2021 | 00:12:58 | |
In this episode we are continuing with our breathing for voice journey. Today we will talk about connecting breath support with speaking, and we will perform a few exercises to explore and understand which body parts participate in breath support. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Is it hard to implement breath support? - How to avoid creating tension when we practice breath support - The parts of our body that react first when we need vocal support - How to connect our voice with a support action through popping vocal fold vibrations We are using vocal support all the time while we speak, even if we are not aware of it. But working too much on generating support might create unnecessary tension. The more we practice an easy release of the air in the out-breath, the more we develop flexibility in the muscular system, required to keep the voicing support with low effort. Resources: - Finding You Voice by Barbara Houseman https://amzn.to/3rz3VEF - This is a Voice by Jeremy Fisher & Guillyanne Kayes https://amzn.to/3m9qm25 - Voicework by Christina Shewell https://amzn.to/3d2oGot - The Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 018 How to Deal with Nerves for Speaking in Public | 19 Apr 2021 | 00:15:53 | |
In this episode, we will talk about getting nervous when speaking in public. We will dive deep into why this happens to us, how it affects our voice performance, and how to deal with it. I'll share four simple tips that you can apply before speaking to an audience, to help you handle the anxiety and prevent it from affecting your voicing. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Why we feel nervous before and while we speak in front of an audience - How the awareness that feeling nervous is something normal can help us - What happens to our voice when we feel like we have no control over our bodies - What we can do in the days before public speaking to avoid getting nervous Feeling nervous and anxious before speaking in front of an audience is entirely normal, and even the most experienced speakers feel it. The tension that affects our voice is a natural response of our bodies to a frightening situation. Using the tips I’ve shared, you will be able to better deal with nerves when speaking in public. Resources: - Article - What is the Fight or Flight Response https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-fight-or-flight-response-2795194 - Article - Grounding Techniques https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/grounding-techniques/ - Book - Stage Fright and the Actor by Linda Brennan https://amzn.to/3uQJpBK - Book - Find Your Voice by Caroline Goyder https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1785042831/ - Book - How to Own the room by Viv Groskop https://amzn.to/3wXzzzw Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 019 Why Do I Need Voice Coaching? | 26 Apr 2021 | 00:11:08 | |
Today I want to discuss a question that came up after a coaching session with one of my coachees: is voice coaching needed after we understand the techniques to voice efficiently and safely? I will share with you three reasons why it is a fantastic idea to explore voice training, even when we feel like we don't need it. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What is a voice coach's role and ultimate goal - The benefits of working with a voice coach to prevent rather than to cure voicing issues - Three reasons to keep exploring our voice training There are top voice performers who never did a warmup or a tension release exercise in their lives, and their voices are perfect. Still, there is no harm in trying some voice coaching. The beauty of consistently doing voice training is that it focuses on awareness and mindfulness, which is incredibly useful for day-to-day life. Resources: - Book coaching with Nic https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coaching - British Voice Association http://www.britishvoiceassociation.org.uk - Barbara Houseman https://www.barbarahouseman.com - Matt Dudley https://www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org/find-teachers/2017/11/27/matthew-dudley - Yvonne Morley - Joanna Ousten Weir https://www.thelinklatercenter.com/joanna-weir-ouston - The Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 002 How to Have Good Vocal Health - Part 1 | 24 Jan 2021 | 00:17:16 | |
This is the first part of a series of two episodes about vocal health. What should we do to have an excellent vocal health? In Part 1, we talk about how our lifestyle affects our voice's shape. We analyse how our diet influences our voice's performance and stress the importance of keeping ourselves hydrated. What You Will Learn In This Episode:
The term vocal health is often associated with healing or repairing damage, rather than preventing wounds. But it doesn't have to be like that. We can incorporate simple habits and change our routines towards a balanced and voice health-friendly lifestyle. Thanks to Jack Evans for creating the music for The Voice Coach Podcast! Resources:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 020 How to Use Your Breath Part 5: Connecting the Voice to Breath Support | 03 May 2021 | 00:13:34 | |
In this episode, we will go back to breathe land. We will go through a set of exercises to bring awareness of how voice support can help us use our voice more efficiently and reduce voice fatigue. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Why breath and support are essential for our voice - How to do a short and effective warm-up - How voice fricatives can help us with voice support - Why we must release our belly on each end breath These exercises are of great help if you experience vocal fatigue issues or discomfort; they will help you coordinate the voice and the support, get vocal fold closure and airflow coordination. Resources: - Send me your questions for the mailbag episode here https://nicolaredman.com/contact-accent-voice-coach - Link to The VAH https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 - The Primal Voice - Dane Chalfin https://www.vocalrehabilitation.com - 5 Minute vocal warm up https://youtu.be/SX6LSr8qJp8 - Finding Your Voice by Barbara Houseman https://amzn.to/3nEeQwN - Accent method breathing https://www.isingmag.com/the-accent-method-how-does-it-help-singers/ - Accent method breathing book https://amzn.to/3tZujtD
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 021 A Daily 5 Minute Breath for Voice Work Routine | 10 May 2021 | 00:13:42 | |
Today, we will condense all the breathing work we've been doing into a simple 5 minute routine to use either as a warm-up or as a tiny voice workout. I'll guide you through every step of this routine to make voicing a little easier. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The importance of being aware of our breathing - Why we must check our alignment before starting any breathing exercises - A short, 5 minute breathing routine - The importance of keeping an exploring mindset while doing this routine This 5 minute routine can be added to our voice prep; it can also reset our voice or cool it down. The more we can prolong these exercises, the better. What we want to achieve is to turn breathwork into daily practice. Resources: - The Ultimate Voice Getaway Retreat with Nic in the UK https://nicolaredman.com/spoken-voice-training-retreat-uk-ultimate-voice-getaway - To submit a question for the mail bag episode https://nicolaredman.com/contact-accent-voice-coach - Episode 0011 - Voice Warm Up V Voice Work Out Chat https://pod.fo/e/b48fb - Accent method breathing https://www.isingmag.com/the-accent-method-how-does-it-help-singers/ -If in Doubt, Breathe Out!: Breathing and support for singing based on the Accent Method, a book by Ron Morris and Linda Hutchison https://amzn.to/3tZujtD - Linklater Voice https://www.linklatervoice.com - Fitzmaurice Institute https://www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 022 Tips for Fitting Voice Practice Into Your Day | 17 May 2021 | 00:14:22 | |
A few clients recently have mentioned how they feel like they struggle to find the time to do their voice work in the day. So I wanted to offer some tips for how to fit voice training into your routine without it hanging over you. Tips for Fitting Voice Practice Into Your Day: - Tip 1 - Aim for consistency. It doesn't matter how tiny the practice, it just has to be consistent, and to become a habit. - Tip 2 - Add your voice practice habit onto another habit. Check in on your habits and see what you could co-ordinate. - Tip 3 - Little and often is more useful in many cases. Do what many pros do: split your practice time into smaller, super-concentrated chunks, working multiple times a day. - Tip 4 - Set an achievable practice goal. - Tip 5 - Just do it. If you don't want to do it, reflect on why, what's holding you back? - Tip 6 - Make it fun! We do the things we enjoy more readily and voice work can, and should be fun. Okay, now I'm off to take my own advice and spend one minute lip trilling whilst I boil the kettle. I hope this inspires you to fit some voice work into your day. Resources: - Article from NPR on effective practice https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2017/03/06/518777865/the-most-practical-tips-for-practicing-according-to-science?t=1620725823672 - Deliberate Practice by James Clear https://jamesclear.com/beginners-guide-deliberate-practice - Send me your questions https://nicolaredman.com/contact-accent-voice-coach - The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 - 5 Minute Vocal Warm Up https://youtu.be/SX6LSr8qJp8 - Episode 1 - Voice Warm Up v Voice Work Out Chat https://pod.fo/e/b48fb
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 023 What is SOVT Work and How to Use It In Your Vocal Warm Up | 24 May 2021 | 00:09:14 | |
In this episode, we will talk about SOVT - Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract. We will dive deep into what SOVT work is, and how you can use it in your daily voice work to improve your voicing. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What is SOVT, and what it is used for - How SOVT can help us improve our voicing - A couple of techniques to use SOVT in vocal warmup, voice reset, and vocal cooldown Although SOVT has been used in voice training since the '60s, it was almost 30 years later that a study highlighted SOVT's scientific benefits. Understanding the importance of SOVT is essential for day-to-day voice users, because its entire purpose is to make voicing easier. Resources: - Sign up for info on The Ultimate Accent Toolkit Online Course https://nic-redman.mykajabi.com/ultimate-accent-toolkit-2-0 - The science behind SOVT https://www.isingmag.com/semi-occluded-vocal-tract-exercises/ - Abstract from research into the efficacy of SOVT, both with FRT (flow resistant tube eg straws) and VFE (vocal function exercises, eg exercises that utilise the SOVT position) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4610291/ - Article on SOVT https://www.voicescienceworks.org/sovt-exercises.html - Paper on VFE, 2017 https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=honprog - Paper on SOVT, 2014 https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/vvd24.2.71 - The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 024 Using Straw Phonation to Enhance Your Vocal Warm Up | 31 May 2021 | 00:15:19 | |
Today, we will have a prop-related episode - we will talk about straw phonation. I'll share three techniques to start practicing straw phonation in two different ways, doing straw work in water and doing straw work out of water. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What is straw phonation, and how it can help us in our voicing - The simple techniques to practice straw phonation in and out of water - What are the differences and different effects in the type of straw we choose to do our phonation Straw phonation can improve the connection to lower abdominal support. It can encourage vocal fold alignment or closure, and it can promote an efficient, unregulated, subglottic air pressure, which will eventually help reduce vocal fatigue. Resources: - Book on to Ultimate Accent Toolkit https://nic-redman.mykajabi.com/course-ultimateaccenttoolkit - Another podcast on SOVT & singing https://www.thenakedvocalist.com/podcast/42/ - Buy an SOVT straw https://www.rayvox.co.uk/?ref=NICREDMAN - The Voice Straw https://voicestraw.com - Research paper on WRT (water resistance therapy) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32302246/ - The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 025 Exercises for Increasing Breath Capacity When Speaking | 07 Jun 2021 | 00:12:17 | |
In this episode, we will talk about breath capacity for voicing, and understand it from a holistic perspective, rather than from a mechanical aspect. I will also share some simple exercises to increase our breath capacity that we can easily incorporate into our daily routines. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Why breath capacity is part of a more extensive conversation than just increasing our breath range - The things we should consider before starting breath capacity training - Three simple exercises to improve breath capacity Understanding that breath capacity is much more than the need to have bigger loads of air coming in or out is crucial. We must consider things like breathing habits, familiarising with the length of the words, being aware of the air necessary to voice those phrases or words, and paying attention to the out-breath before the in-breath. Resources mentioned: - Voice & Accent Hub FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Voicework: Art & Science in Changing Voices https://amzn.to/3uVyRAZ - Breath support episodes 15, 16, 17, and 20 https://pod.fo/e/c147a https://pod.fo/e/c2c37 https://pod.fo/e/c45ac Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 026 Resonance 001 - What Is Vocal Resonance | 14 Jun 2021 | 00:16:04 | |
In today's episode, we will define and understand what vocal resonance is, and how we can improve it. I'll also share some simple exercises to increase resonance awareness and feel the vibrations in our bodies. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What resonance is, and how it affects our voicing - How resonance affects the tonal quality of our voice - How different tensions in the vocal tract can affect the resonance - Why it is crucial to increase awareness around resonance - Some exercises to build up our resonance awareness Understanding vocal resonance and exploring our resonance potential can help us better grasp our tonal quality. We can also play with other options within our voice, like using resonance to give the most of our voice with a minimum effort. Resources: - Voice & Accent Hub FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Voicework: Art & Science in CHanging Voices by Christina Shewell https://amzn.to/3uVyRAZ - The Right to Speak by Patsy Rodenburgh https://amzn.to/3zhz70f - Ep 01 How to structure a voice warm up https://pod.fo/e/b48fb - Ep 012 Physical release prep for resonance https://pod.fo/e/bbe13 - Episode of The Naked Vocalist on resonance http://www.thenakedvocalist.com/nasal-resonance/ - Voice Science Works article on Resonance https://www.voicescienceworks.org/resonance.html Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 027 Resonance 002 - How to Encourage Vocal Resonance Through Tension Release | 21 Jun 2021 | 00:14:56 | |
In this episode, we will continue talking about resonance. We will break down Barbara Houseman's definition of resonance, and I will share some exercises to encourage awareness of the spaces that affect our resonance potential. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What resonance can offer to our voicing - How we can explore our resonance potential - A few soft palate, pharyngeal, and tongue release exercises When it comes to our voicing and the message we have to share, it is really not about what we are trying to communicate, or who we are trying to communicate to. It is about having an accessible and responsive voice to the emotions of our message. That is why resonance is so important, because it grants that our voice and body are fully awake and connected. Resources: - The Voice and Accent Hub https://facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 - Vocal Arts Workbook by David & Rebecca Carey https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/david-carey-jr/vocal-arts/9780713688245?gclid=CjwKCAjwwqaGBhBKEiwAMk-FtL65pbqlTwPMz_9yINTagyBiuxmXE-kpaWt0hBIekkhrcYR3z_KdDRoCEEEQAvD_BwE - Finding Your Voice by Barbara Houseman https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/barbara-houseman/finding-your-voice/9781854596598?gclid=CjwKCAjwwqaGBhBKEiwAMk-FtEkQhGczybl1AAYpqFSgTw_RYpdXzp3GV8-TqlpYfqqPUOiT0rxZ1hoCCwQQAvD_BwE - Nic's Quick Voice Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8E63vup6aA&t=140s - The Whispered Ah https://www.alexander-technique-online.com/articles/defining-the-alexander-technique/the-whispered-ah/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 028 What to Do When Hay Fever Affects Your Voice | 28 Jun 2021 | 00:11:12 | |
We will pause our resonance training to talk about allergies, more specifically about hay fever. In this episode, I will share seven tips that might help mitigate the effects of this stational affection. We will go through the medications' side effects we need to be careful of, and some exercises to help us keep things on track. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The importance of letting the doctor know we work with our voice before he prescribes any medicine - How staying hydrated can help us with hay fever - What kind of medicine components we should avoid - How vocal naps and avoiding clearing our throats can help us in our recovery - How consuming local honey can help us build immunity to the particular pollen in our area - Why wine is not our best friend if we struggle with allergies In general, a healthy lifestyle is the best preventive method for any disease of affection, and hay fever is not the exception. Resources: - Episode 005 How to Keep Your Voice Hydrated Efficiently https://pod.fo/e/b545d - Baylor College of Medicine blog post https://blogs.bcm.edu/2015/04/22/its-spring-time-but-why-am-i-hoarse/ - What is hay fever? https://patient.info/allergies-blood-immune/hay-fever-leaflet - Allergies and the Voice https://www.ohniww.org/allergies-and-voice/ - The Voice and Accent Hub https://facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 029 Resonance 003 - How to Find Vocal Variety and Expression in Your Speaking Voice | 05 Jul 2021 | 00:20:01 | |
After a slight digression on dealing with hay fever, we are continuing with our resonance training. In this episode, we will work on increasing our resonance awareness in order to find vocal variety and expression in our speaking voice. We will talk about primary and secondary resonance spaces, and we will practice some exploration exercises to identify the areas of our vocal tract we can use to manipulate resonance. What You Will Learn in This Episode: - What are the elements involved in resonance, according to Michael McCallion - Exploration exercises to increase resonance awareness - What are the three spaces where primary resonance happens - What is the difference between primary and secondary resonance spaces The primary resonance spaces are ideal for exploring a variety of tonal qualities in the voice, for accessing different emotional vibes, and taking listeners on an inspirational journey through our voices. Secondary resonance spaces are more controversial, as some people feel they help change our voice tone, some people don't. In any case, resonance awareness is a powerful tool and a valuable asset to improve our voicing. Resources: - 008 Why Posture is Important for Reducing Vocal Fatigue https://pod.fo/e/b70e5 - The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 - The Voice Book by Michael McCallion https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/michael-mccallion/voice-book/9780571195251?gclid=CjwKCAjwieuGBhAsEiwA1Ly_naI4cgTvq4nua_6-jkgvaY1UV97IgIB0JvNfvwO207Dzpmq1DHKBJxoCeE4QAvD_BwE - The Voiceover Social Podcast podkite.link/thevosocial - Resonance article on Voice Science Works https://www.voicescienceworks.org/resonance.html Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 003 How to Have Good Vocal Health - Part 2 | 03 Feb 2021 | 00:15:59 | |
This is Part 2 of how to have good vocal health, and we will talk about the other side of vocal health: the preparation for using our voice. We can control several factors that affect our voice's performance, like alignment, breathing, mid-season resets, exercises as yawning and articulation stretches, and more. We need to remember that using our voice is a holistic practice between the mind, the body and the voice. What You Will Learn In This Episode:
Having a healthy voice requires commitment and constant monitoring of our habits, reflecting on our vocal health routines and adopting consistent, reliable, and vocally healthy practices. Big thanks to Jack Evans for creating music especially for this podcast! Resources:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 030 Resonance 004 - Balancing Resonance for an Expressive and Interesting Speaking Voice | 12 Jul 2021 | 00:15:54 | |
Celebrating our 30th episode, we will learn about balancing the resonance. We will start with a quick voice warmup, and then we will perform some explorative exercises that will help us access resonance qualities and learn to balance them. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What balancing the resonance means and how it can help us develop our voicing - How to perform a five-minute voice warmup - Why it is essential to increase our resonance potential - Practicing simple yet effective exercises to balance our resonance Our ultimate goal as voice users is to keep our audience engaged. Therefore, learning to properly balance our resonance, and having access to our resonance potential will give us the tools to bring variety and expressive potential to our voice. Resources: - Ultimate Voice Getaway information https://nic-redman.mykajabi.com/uk-ultimate-voice-retreat - Linklater voice work https://www.linklatervoice.com - Ep 27 - How to encourage resonance through tension release https://pod.fo/e/d44ce - Ep 26 - WHat is vocal resonance https://pod.fo/e/d2d86 - The Voice and Accent Hub https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 031 How to Sound Conversational When Youre Reading from a Script | 19 Jul 2021 | 00:09:38 | |
This week, I'm answering a question I've seen asked a lot on the voice forums I regularly visit: how to make reading a script sound conversational. To answer this, I'll share my four top tips to make reading a script sound not only conversational, but authentic and natural as well. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The importance of practising sight-reading - How write-as-we-speak can help us to sound more natural - How we can modify our script to make it sound more natural - Why a perfect speech sounds artificial and forced Podcasters and presenters may feel safer reading a script, however, there are several ways of making it sound casual and conversational. Trying to clean our accent, or sounding too perfect can sound artificial. Our hearing is used to lumpy, flawed, and bumpy conversations, and adding those details will give our speech a more authentic tone. Resources: - The Voice & Accent Hub Facebook group https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 - Ultimate Voice Getaway Retreat https://nic-redman.mykajabi.com/uk-ultimate-voice-retreat Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 032 Articulation 001: What is Articulation in Voice Training | 26 Jul 2021 | 00:12:38 | |
Today we will start the next stage of our voice prep journey. We've already worked on physical release, breath, resonance, bringing the voice in, and now we will start with articulation. As a first step, we will define what articulation is, how it can improve our voicing, and present every element involved in it to get familiar with the articulation terminology. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What articulation is about, and its relationship with accents - What the articulators are, and the difference between passive and active articulators - The difference between voiced and unvoiced consonants - What plosive consonants are, and what a fricative is There is a misconception about articulation and accents. As long as the message is understood, there is no need for making any adjustments to our accent. For us, articulation is about getting our articulators released and toned to produce the sounds we need to make. Resources: - Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Articulation - Merriam Webster definition https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/articulation Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 033 Articulation 002: Getting to Know Your Articulators and How They Make Sounds | 02 Aug 2021 | 00:13:12 | |
Today's episode is about articulators and how they make sound. We will explore each one of our mouth's articulators, their location, function, and the sounds associated with them. This episode is about raising awareness of the articulators, so we can make better use of them. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The relevance of articulation awareness for our voicing - The difference between movable and non-movable articulators - What are the different sounds produced in the hard and the soft palate - What is the uvula, and what kind of sounds it helps produce As already mentioned, articulation isn't only about the sounds themselves, it is also about the effects of our phonatory anatomy on the voice, about the stress patterns and the emphasis. That is why it is crucial that we know and understand the articulators from the bottom of the vocal tract up to the top of the mouth. Resources: - Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Pictures of the articulators https://developingvoices.blog/tag/articulators/ https://slidetodoc.com/histology-of-tongue-by-dr-sobia-ibrahim-assistant/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 034 Articulation 003: How to Improve Vocal Clarity through Releasing and Toning the Articulators | 09 Aug 2021 | 00:12:16 | |
In this episode, continuing with our articulation series, we will talk about the two steps we need to take to warm up and get our articulators ready - releasing and toning. As usual, we will perform some exercises to explore different ways to release and tone our articulators. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The importance of releasing and toning our articulators - How gurning can help us release and stretch the articulators - What is the drawstring bag face, and how it allows us to release and tone the articulators Releasing our whole face is beneficial not only for articulators but also for resonance, because it removes tension and stretches the muscles involved in articulation. The more we understand and perfect releasing and toning exercises, the more we will get from our articulation in our voice warmup, which will save us a lot of time. Resources: - Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Knight Thompson Speechwork https://ktspeechwork.org Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 035 Articulation 004: Jaw Release and Improving Your Speaking Voice | 16 Aug 2021 | 00:13:56 | |
In today's episode, we talk about jaw tension, the different reasons that might cause it, and how to release it. Then, as an intro to jaw release, I will share some exploratory exercises to help relax the jaw, which is one of our main articulators. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The possible reasons why you are experiencing jaw tension, and the benefits of learning to release it - The link between jaw tension and how we've been conditioned throughout our lives - The role of awareness in releasing jaw tension - How we can massage the tension out of our jaw Releasing jaw tension will help us reach higher volume, extra vocal variety, and clearer speech with minimal effort. It also helps with anxiety, as it gives us a sense of mental release. In some cases, it can also help to stop teeth grinding and jaw clicking. Resources: - Jaw Release Week - Downloadable Course https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/downloadable-courses/jaw-release-week-downloadable/ - The Voice & Accent Hub Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristin Linklater https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/kristin-linklater/freeing-the-natural-voice/9781854599711?keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAjwruSHBhAtEiwA_qCppmOSvZS5EFAyAVP5wldnvXyhp7HqiCl_QC- Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 036 Articulation 005: How to Release the Tongue for Extra Vocal Clarity | 23 Aug 2021 | 00:07:42 | |
Today, we will work on the release of another movable articulator - the tongue. We will explore the tongue, analyse its connection with resonance and the quality of our voicing, and perform a tongue release exercise. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The effects of tongue tension on our voicing and resonance - A simple yet effective exercise to release tongue tension As the tongue is crucial in shaping consonants and vowels, it can accumulate unhelpful tension. Excessive tongue tension can cause speaking difficulties, also known as tripping over our own tongue. That is one of the main reasons why tongue release is so important. Resources: - Jaw Release Week downloadable course https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/downloadable-courses/jaw-release-week-downloadable/ - The Voice & Accent Hub Facebook group https://facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 - Voice Work by Christina Shewell https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Voice+Work:+Art+and+Science+in+Changing+Voices-p-9780470019924 Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 037 Articulation 006: Lip Release for Improving Vocal Clarity | 30 Aug 2021 | 00:06:56 | |
This episode is another instalment of our movable articulator release journey. We will learn how to release the lips to help us improve our vocal clarity and communication. We will talk about the benefits of lips release, and we will go through a simple yet effective lip release exercise. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The benefits of lip release - The importance of awareness of the lips - What sounds our lips helps produce - How to do the Martian speak exercise The lips have a central role in many of the sounds we produce, like bilabial plosives, bilabial nasals, bilabial approximants, and labiodental sounds. Releasing the lips is very important for articulation, but it is also crucial for volume and vocal quality. Resources: - Vocal Arts Workbook by David & Rebecca Carey - The Voice & Accent Hub Facebook group https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 038 Articulation 007: Yawning and How It Can Help Your Voice and Articulation | 06 Sep 2021 | 00:06:05 | |
Today, in the shortest episode of the history of this podcast, we will learn to release and stretch the soft palate. We will go through the benefits of stretching and releasing this movable articulator, and then we will perform a cheeky voice exercise to stretch and release the tension of the naughty kid in the back, the soft palate. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Why it is useful to release and stretch the soft palate - The role of the soft palate in our voicing - How to stretch and release the soft palate The soft palate is exclusively responsible for a couple of sounds and serves as the back door of the nasal cavity. Raising awareness of our soft palate will help us increase and decrease nasality in our vocal tone, encourage oral resonance, and help us with the volume when speaking. Resources: - Yawning - A Critical View http://baillement.com/voice/voice.html - Yawning to exercise the face, throat diaphragm and voice https://parkinsonsdisease.net/living/the-power-of-a-good-yawn-exercise - The Voice & Accent Hub Facebook group https://m.facebook.com/groups/160080935058642 Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 039 Getting Your Voice Back in Shape After Summer | 13 Sep 2021 | 00:08:42 | |
This week, I've decided to remind you of the main three things you need to check with your voice before autumn continues. We will go through a few things that you can ask yourself and that you can do to make sure you are in the right place for the rest of the year's lessons. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The importance of constantly checking our hydration levels - Why checking our alignment before voicing is crucial to have a nice and smooth performance - How to avoid trivialising warmup and prevent lots of headaches The first days of September are the ideal time to take a step back, breathe, and get ready to crack into the last quarter of the year. After a tough year full of anxiety and uncertainty, take a moment to check your voice, go through the fundamentals and the principles learned so far, tweak, and adjust what needs to be corrected. Resources: - Sign up to Back to (Voice) School Weekhttps://nicolaredman.com/instagram-links/ - The Voice & Accent Hubhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 004 How to Warm Up Your Voice in 5 Minutes | 04 Feb 2021 | 00:16:52 | |
Today we discuss why you should find time to do a voice warm-up and why it's important for those who work with their voices. I will also walk you through a small, focused and applicable five-minutes warm-up routine. A short and precise voice warm-up will not only prepare your voice to work, but will also help you to set your nerves before speaking in front of the mic. What You Will Learn In This Episode:
Voice warm-ups should ideally last more than five minutes and less than fifteen. Those voice users that have their schedules flooded can try the warm-up example from this episode, pick and cut parts and replace them with different exercises. You can also use it as a preparation ritual before performing. Big thanks to Jack Evans for creating the music for this podcast! Resources:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 040 Where to Find Some Free Taster Voice Lessons | 20 Sep 2021 | 00:08:58 | |
I'm recording today’s episode on my birthday! We are also coming to the end of Back To Voice School Week, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the participants, talk a bit about what we have done and what resources are still available for those who missed it. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What we've done in the Back To Voice School Week - Where you can find videos and extra resources if you missed this one - The power hour one-off sessions available in the Voice & Accent Hub, and how you can get access to them - The Ultimate Voice Getaway #2 is coming up from the 14th to the 17th of October! The Ultimate Voice Getaway is a perfect place to do big, long, gorgeous days of voice work, eating excellent local home-cooked food, lots of walks, and if you want to, doing some cheeky little singsong around the piano. You will also find time and space to give yourself a moment to breathe and exist and nothing else. Resources: - Find the free voice lessons here https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Book a call to discuss coming to my voice training retreat https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/courses-and-retreats/ultimate-voice-getaway-retreat/ - Snaffle one of the limited Power Hour Sessions https://nic-redman.mykajabi.com/power-hour-session?cid=cf280c83-67d5-40aa-88cc-300b99899070 - Downloadable courses to study in your own time https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/#download
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 041 Articulation 008: Gaining Control of the Tongue for Vocal Clarity | 04 Oct 2021 | 00:07:05 | |
In the last few weeks, we covered all we needed to cover on awareness and releasing the articulators. Now it's time to move on, and today we will start learning about toning the articulators. We will begin with the tongue, and we will perform some explorative exercises to master the control of the tongue. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Why it is crucial to tone our articulators for vocal clarity - A simple and effective routine to tone our tongue When we tone our articulators, we train them to basically be capable of jumping into any kind of voice job we need to do. Once they go through a conscious awareness and release work, toned articulators are easier to manipulate and adapt to any kind of voice work. Resources: - Download Tongue Training Week https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/ - Join the Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 042 Articulation 009: Lip Exercises for Clarity of Speech | 11 Oct 2021 | 00:08:32 | |
This week we are continuing with our toning exercises for the articulators. We will focus on the lips, and I will share one of the most loved exercises I've ever known, the “Pout-Nana Cat's bum-Clown”. We will go through these four exercises to help us gain responsiveness and clarity in the sounds we produce. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - How toning our lips help us improve our voicing - The benefits of the “Pout-Nana-Cat's bum-Clown” exercise and how to perform it correctly Once we've mastered the articulators release exercises, focusing on toning them is crucial to enhancing the movement of the muscle groups around them. Working on these specific groups of muscles will help us activate them quicker and more precisely when we need them. Resources: - Join the Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Lip Excersise in Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8E63vup6aA&t=93s - Book: Speaking with Skill by Dudley Knight lhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Speaking-Skill-Introduction-Knight-Thompson-Performance-ebook/dp/B00BHNS5J2 - Join the Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 043 Articulation 010: Exploring and Energising the Soft Palate for Extra Vocal Clarity | 18 Oct 2021 | 00:13:25 | |
This week, it’s time to shake our soft palate a wee bit. We will perform a couple of exploratory exercises to help the soft palate stay flexible and responsive. We will base these exercises on two sounds, focusing on what we feel when we go through them. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What and where is the soft palate, and what is its function in our voicing - What exercises we should do to ensure our soft palate is awake and ready - The link between high oral resonance and a soft palate that is up Working on the soft palate is excellent for those who feel their voice is a bit nasal and those who think their voice is adenoidal. Having a responsive and elastic soft palate will also make vocal tone and variety sound better and this is gold, especially for those who do character work. Resources: - Episode 033 Articulation 002: Getting to Know Your Articulators and How They Make Sounds https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/033-articulation-002-getting-to-know-your-articulators/id1551530536 - Episode 038 Articulation 007: Yawning and How it Can Help Your Voice and Articulation https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/038-articulation-007-yawning-and-how-it-can-help-your/id1551530536 - MRI scan of k sound https://www.seeingspeech.ac.uk/ipa-charts/#location=107 - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 044 Tongue Twisters Do’s and Don’ts | 25 Oct 2021 | 00:08:57 | |
Today, we will talk about the glorious, joyous, and crowd-pleaser tongue twister. We will go through my tongue twister do’s and don'ts, we will learn what kind of tongue twisters we should pick, which ones to avoid, how often we should change them, and much more. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Why tongue twisters might feel irrelevant with time - Why we must take time to do our tongue twisters exercises - What kind of tongue twisters we should pick to obtain better results - Why we should avoid doing the same tongue twister for ages Tongue twisters are great to help with the clarity of articulation, and they are another fundamental part of the warmup process. We use tongue twisters to energise the sound of our voice, which is helpful when we need to emphasise emotions in the message we are communicating to our listeners. Resources: - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Follow me on Instagram and share your twister attempt https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 045 How Taking a Break is Good for Your Voice | 01 Nov 2021 | 00:05:51 | |
Today's episode is a special one because I'm recording it directly from my holidays. Our last Ultimate Voice Getaway Retreat helped me realise how important it is to spare some time to stay away from our everyday lives, relax, and focus only on one thing. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - How important it is for our mental, physical, and vocal health to get away and have a break Having a break doesn't necessarily mean travelling or taking a week off. We can do it by simply going to a quiet place and just sitting there, enjoying the company of silence and our breathing. Resources: - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Follow me on Instagram and share your twister attempt https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 046 How to Keep Your Voice Healthy During Cold and Flu Season | 08 Nov 2021 | 00:12:06 | |
A cold caught me by surprise during my holidays! So as I'm on the edge of coming back to total health, I decided to dedicate this episode to how to look after your voice during cold and flu season. We will go through some helpful tips to look after your voice and prevent getting ill during the winter season, which has already started here in the U.K. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - How important it is to keep our vocal folds properly hydrated - Keep in mind the importance of a balanced diet and proper rest - The benefits of keeping our throat warm and breathing through the nose - Why certain types of home heating systems and medicines can dry our voice It is common to get a cold during the cold season. Still, we can do things to prevent getting sick, and if we get sick anyway, to help us recover faster. A proper warm-up routine, hydration, eating healthy, adequate rest and wearing warm clothes are excellent for preventing a cold. Resources: - Episode 005 How to stay hydrated https://pod.fo/e/b545d - Episode 001 How to structure your warm up https://pod.fo/e/b48fb - Downloadable courses to help with your warm up https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/#download - Join the Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Breath by James Nestor https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath - Book a call to discuss coming to my voice training retreat https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/courses-and-retreats/ultimate-voice-getaway-retreat/ - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Follow me on Instagram and share your twister attempt https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 047 What are Plosives and Fricatives? | 15 Nov 2021 | 00:14:07 | |
This week, we will go through some necessary and exciting theories about sounds. After working with the basics of articulation, release and toning, the next natural step is learning about the sounds of words. In this show, we will divide our speaking sounds into two large groups, vowels and consonants, and we will dive into the mechanics of how these sounds are produced. Hop on and join me in today's entertaining technical interlude. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The difference between obstructed and unobstructed sounds - What are short, long, and sliding vowels, and how we can identify them - What are plosive and fricative sounds, and what is the difference between them - What are voiced and unvoiced fricatives The main goal of learning to identify the elements of our voicing is to use this information to our advantage and produce lovely, expressing and engaging sounds. This way, we can avoid making annoying sounds on the mic, like extreme explosions from our plosives, which distort our words' sounds. Resources: - Join the Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - The Vocal Arts Workbook by David and Rebecca Carey https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780713688245?gC=5a105e8b&gclid=CjwKCAiA1aiMBhAUEiwACw25MQoCQN-Bbilj94XuIM6AGBN7LONglde46HhBT_Y-34153484FgIsiBoCm9YQAvD_BwE - Seeing Speech - MRI scans of speech sounds https://www.seeingspeech.ac.uk/ipa-charts/ - Downloadable courses to study in your own time https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/#download - Book a call to discuss coming to my voice training retreat https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/courses-and-retreats/ultimate-voice-getaway-retreat/ - Follow me on Instagram and share your twister attempt https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 048 How Practising Consonant Exercises Can Save You Money | 22 Nov 2021 | 00:13:11 | |
Now that we know the difference between obstructed and unobstructed sounds and voiced and unvoiced consonants, we'll jump back into the practical side of articulation. This articulation training will make our voice sound clearer. Therefore, we'll be asked to repeat ourselves less often, and we'll save editing time. In other words, this training will save us money. Happy days! What You Will Learn In This Episode: - What are consonant clusters and how can they help our voicing - The different ways of working with consonant clusters - The benefits of overtraining our articulators By adding these exercises to our warmup routine, we'll reduce our pickups while recording, reduce the time we spend in the booth, which in turn will save us money, energy and make our lives easier. The clear voice we always wanted will be waiting just around the corner if we keep our articulators working and responsive. Resources: - More on consonant clusters in the Tongue Training course. https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/tongue-training-course-downloadable/ - Join the Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Downloadable courses to study in your own time https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/#download - Book a call to discuss coming to my voice training retreat https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/courses-and-retreats/ultimate-voice-getaway-retreat/ - Follow me on Instagram and share your twister attempt https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 049 How to Keep Your Voice Healthy During Panto Season | 29 Nov 2021 | 00:15:03 | |
This episode comes on the back of a request from a lovely client who's headed off to panto-land for the festive season. Don’t know what panto is? Then listen to this episode. Know what panto is, but you’re not doing it? Still listen in, because a lot of the tips I’m sharing today are relatable and usable, whether you are batch recording loads of podcasts, or you're doing character voicing for an audiobook, or you've got lots of Christmasy type speaking in your diary for the next few weeks. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Five tips for vocal warmups and cooldowns during the festive season - How to maintain your vocal health over this intense period of rehearsing and shows - How to take care of your voice while your are on stage speaking or performing It feels like I am prepping you for some battle, but it is a sort of a battle to go through this intense period for performers and speakers. So if you've ever done panto or if you're going to see panto this year, just think about how much effort those performers are putting in and give them a big clap at the end of it. Resources: - What the heck is panto anyway... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantomime - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Send me your questions to be answered in the podcast https://nicolaredman.com/contact/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 005 How to Keep Your Voice Hydrated Efficiently | 05 Feb 2021 | 00:16:54 | |
Today I want to talk about hydration - why it is so important, how to hydrate our voice, how we know we are dehydrated, and what should we do if we are? I'm offering you solid tips to ensure you are adequately hydrated and enjoy optimum vocal health. What You Will Learn In This Episode:
Keeping ourselves hydrated is a complex, but not a complicated process. With a proper diet, awareness of our vocal mechanism, knowing the fluids that count, and keeping in mind the relevance of superficial and systemic hydration, we can keep our voice healthy and optimally hydrated. Thanks goes to Jack Evans for creating the music for The Voice Coach Podcast! Resources:
Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 050 Vocal Health Tips for Festive Season - Part 1 | 06 Dec 2021 | 00:10:02 | |
Invaded by the Christmas spirit, I've decided to share with you 12 tips that will help you take care of your voice before, during, and after this holiday season that might get noisy and force us to eat, drink and speak more than we usually do. Today, we'll go through the first six of these vocal health tips. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Remember that you have more body after the larynx - What kind of beverages are the best to keep our body and voice hydrated - How to avoid pushing your voice harder than you need to - What it means to watch your diet closely in order to maintain vocal health - How focusing on out-breath and flooring down helps you take care of your voice These tips are handy to close a solid year of voice training on a high note. There is no reason to not celebrate during holidays, but there is also no reason not to take care of your voice. Resources: - Sign Up for my Free Voice Training Week https://nicolaredman.com/new-year-new-voice/ - Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 051 Vocal Health Tips for Festive Season - Part 2 | 13 Dec 2021 | 00:10:17 | |
This week, we'll go through the second part of the Twelve Days of Tips-mas. We will debunk some myths about breathing, we'll learn the proper position for our chin while speaking, and remember to be mindful of releasing unnecessary tension. This also serves as a reminder to keep things playful, to stay curious, explore our body responses, and be aware of the importance of feedback to improve. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - Where our chin should be when we are in front of the mic - Why speaking or breathing with our diaphragm makes no sense - Why we must never forget to release tension - How keeping things playful makes everything easier - What we should focus on at the beginning of every warm-up - Why it is essential to get a voice pal to receive feedback from Whether from a professional coach or from a sincere friend, feedback is an essential part of evolving our voicing. Accountability is a powerful ally of improvement, and partnering with someone we love, respect, admire or learn from is perhaps the best choice to improve our voicing abilities. Resources: - Sign Up for my Free Voice Training Week https://nicolaredman.com/new-year-new-voice/ - Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 052 3 Fun Games to Help Fit Your Voice Training in Over Christmas | 20 Dec 2021 | 00:05:54 | |
Christmas is almost here, a time to celebrate and spend time with our loved ones. Still, that shouldn't be a reason to stop taking care of our voices. To keep things playful while caring for our voices during the holidays, I came up with three fun festive-themed voice games. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - The Lip Trill Olympics - Three Festive-themed Tongue Twisters - The Hydration Station These exercises shouldn't take you away from your family. You can drop them right there while you celebrate. Remember that although we might be on time off from our voicing work, Christmas is a time when we do lots of talking, so being careful is something our voice will thank us for. Resources: - Sign Up for my Free Voice Training Week https://nicolaredman.com/new-year-new-voice/ - Nic on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ - Downloadable Courses https://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/ - Join the Voice & Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||
| 053 Body & Breath Meditation Reset | 27 Dec 2021 | 00:11:08 | |
Today, in 2021's last episode, we will slow down a little bit. After whatever kind of celebration you had during Christmas, I thought it was a good idea to take a pause and have a moment of holistic awareness. So take a moment to check in with your body, your breath and make some space into your mind so it can also breathe. You only need to find a comfortable position, lean back, relax, and follow my voice. What You Will Learn In This Episode: - A simple relaxation method to check in with your body and breath It was a fantastic journey so far, and it was a pleasure to share some nuggets of helpful information in voice training. While I'm putting together more fun things for next year, take care of your voice, be safe and enjoy your holidays! Resources: - Sign up for New Year New Voice Free January Sessions https://nicolaredman.com/new-year-new-voice/ - Download some Short courses to kick start your voice traininghttps://nicolaredman.com/voice-coach/#download - Join the Voice and Accent Hub https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthub - Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nicredvoice/ Mentioned in this episode: Buy Nic's Book Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now | |||