2
Using Your Instrument

In This Chapter

You’ll find more information about voice acting at AOVA.VoiceActing.com.

All about Breathing

Your voice is a wind instrument. As with any musical instrument, in order to achieve the proper sound, it is essential that you know how to play your vocal instrument properly. In other words, you need to know how to breathe. Proper breathing provides support for your voice and allows for emotional expression. It allows you to speak softly or with power, and to switch between the two styles instantly. Proper breathing is what makes the subtleties and nuance of communicating a broad range of information and emotion through the spoken word possible.

Breathing comes naturally, and it is something you should not be thinking about while performing. From the moment we are born, we are breathing. However, during our formative years, many of us were either taught to breathe incorrectly, or experienced something in our environment that left us with an improper breathing pattern. It may be that we learned to breathe from our chest, using only our lungs. Or perhaps, we adapted to our shyness or other insecurities and created a mental block that inhibits our ability to breathe properly.

Your Vocal Presentation

Arthur Joseph, a voice specialist and creator of the Vocal Awareness Technique (vocalawareness.com), describes vocal presentation as the way in which others hear and respond to you. The way you are perceived by others is directly related to your perception of yourself. If you perceive yourself to be outgoing, strong, forceful, and intelligent, your voice reflects these attitudes and perceptions with a certain loudness and assertiveness. By the same token, if you perceive yourself to be weak, helpless, and always making mistakes, your voice reflects your internal beliefs with qualities of softness and insecurity. How you breathe is an important factor in your individual vocal presentation because breath control is directly related to the loudness, tonality, and power behind your voice.

Your perception is your reality. So, if you want to change how you are perceived by others, you must first change how you perceive yourself—and that requires awareness. In most cases, a problem with vocal presentation is a habit directly related to a lack of vocal awareness—and habits can be changed. Changing a habit requires understanding the process, discipline, conscious diligence, and constant awareness. A number of vocal presentation problems, and exercises for correcting them, are discussed later in this chapter.

Many of the exercises in this book will help you discover things about yourself and your voice, of which you might not have been aware. They will also help you improve or change your breathing technique and vocal presentation, and maintain the new qualities you acquire. The lessons you learn about your voice from this and other books, and personalized coaching, will give you awareness of your voice and will be of tremendous value as you proceed on your voice-acting journey. From this new awareness, you will be able to adapt and modify your vocal presentation to create believable, compelling characters.

Breath Control for the Voice Actor

The first lesson you must learn before you can begin mastering the skills of voice acting is how to breathe properly. Take a moment to observe yourself breathing. Is your breathing rapid and shallow? Or do you inhale with long, slow, deep breaths? Is your chest expanding as you breathe? Or does your stomach expand? Observe how you breathe when you are under stress or in a hurry, and listen to your voice under these conditions. Does the pitch of your voice rise? Or does your breathing become more controlled when under stress? When you are comfortable and relaxed, is the pitch of your voice lower and softer? Or louder and projected? Feel what your body is doing as you breathe. Do your shoulders rise when you take a deep breath? Do you feel tension in your shoulders, body, or face? Your observations will give you an idea of how you handle the physical process of breathing that we all take for granted.

Of course, the lungs are the organ we use for breathing, but in and of themselves, they cannot provide adequate support for the column of air that passes across your vocal cords. Your lungs are really nothing more than a container for air. It is the diaphragm, a muscle situated below the rib cage and lungs, that is the real source of support for proper breathing.

Allowing your diaphragm to expand when inhaling allows your lungs to expand more completely and fill with a larger quantity of air than if a breath is taken by simply expanding your chest. When you relax your mind and body, and allow a slow, deep, cleansing breath, your diaphragm expands automatically. Contracting your diaphragm as you speak, gives a constant means of support for a column of air across your vocal cords. For a performer, correct breathing is from the diaphragm, not from the chest.

Good breath control begins with a relaxed body. Tense muscles in the neck, tongue, jaw and throat, usually caused by stress, constrict your vocal cords and cause the pitch of your voice to rise. Tension in other parts of your body also has an effect on the quality of your voice and your ability to perform. Relaxation exercises reduce tension throughout your body and have the additional benefit of improving your mental focus and acuity by providing increased oxygen to your brain. Later in this chapter, you’ll find several exercises for relaxing your body and improving your breathing.

Good breath control and support can make the difference between a voice actor successfully transcending an especially unruly piece of copy or ending up exhausted on the studio floor. A voice actor must be able to deal with complex copy and sentences that seem to never end, and to make it all sound natural and comfortable.

Check your breathing technique by standing in front of a mirror. Place your fingers just below your rib cage, with thumbs toward the back and watch as you take a slow, deep breath. You should see and feel your stomach expand and your shoulders should not move. If your hands don’t move and your shoulders rise, you are breathing from your chest.

As the diaphragm expands, it opens the body cavity, allowing the rib cage to open and the lungs to expand downward as they fill with air. If you breathe with your chest, you will only partially fill your lungs. It is not necessary for the shoulders to rise in order to obtain a good breath. In fact, rising shoulders is a sign of shallow breathing, indicating that the breath is getting caught in the chest or throat. Tension, fear, stress, and anxiety can all result in shallow breathing, causing the voice to appear weak and shaky and words to sound unnatural.

Shallow breathing will require frequent breaths when working a script, while breathing from your diaphragm gives you greater power behind your voice and can allow you to speak longer before taking another breath. This is important when you have to read a lot of copy in a short period of time, or when the copy is written in long, complicated sentences.

The following piece of copy must be read in a single breath in order to come in at: 10, or “on-time.” Even though the words will go by quickly, it should not sound rushed. It should sound effortless and comfortable, not strained or forced. It should be delivered in a conversational manner, as though you are speaking to a good friend. Allow a good supporting breath and read the following copy out loud.

How did you do? If you made it all the way through without running out of air, congratulations! If you had to take a breath, or ran out of air near the end, you may need to increase your lung capacity and breath support. Long lists and wordy copy are commonplace in voiceover copy and performing them requires a relaxed body, focus, concentration, and breath support. You need to start with a good breath that fills the lungs with fresh air.

Do the following exercise, then go back and read the copy again. You should find it easier to read it in one breath.

• Begin by inhaling a very slow, deep, cleansing breath. Allow your diaphragm to expand and your lungs to completely fill with air. Now exhale completely, making sure not to let your breath get caught in your chest or throat. Rid your body of any remaining stale air by tightening your abdominal muscles after you have exhaled. You may be surprised at how much air is left in your lungs.
• Place your hands below your rib cage, lower your jaw, and allow two very slow preparatory breaths, exhaling completely after each one. Feel your diaphragm and rib cage expand as you breathe in and contract as you exhale. Your shoulders should not move. If they do, you are breathing from your chest for only a “shallow” breath.
• Allow a third deep breath and hold it for just a second or two before beginning to read. Holding your breath before starting gives stability to your performance by allowing you to lock your diaphragm so you can get a solid start with the first word.

A slow, deep, cleansing breath is a terrific way to relax and prepare for a voice-acting performance (see Exercise 1 on page 33). It will help center you and give you focus and balance. However, working from a script requires a somewhat different sort of breathing. You will need to find places in the copy where you can take a breath.

For some scripts you may need to take a silent catch breath. At other times you might choose to vocalize a breath for dramatic impact, or take a completely silent breath so as not to not create an audible distraction.

If you naturally breathe primarily from your chest, you will find that breathing from your diaphragm will make a difference in the sound of your voice. Your diaphragm is a muscle and, just as you tone other muscles in your body, you may need to tone your diaphragm.

Breathe Conversationally

In normal conversation, we instinctively only take in enough air for what we need to say. Listen to how you and others speak in conversation. You’ll notice that no one takes a deep breath before they speak, and no one waits until someone else finishes talking before they take a breath. In conversation, we breathe in a natural and comfortable manner—even when others are speaking. When we speak, we only take in enough air for the words we say, and we breathe at natural breaks in our delivery without thinking about what we are doing.

You do need to breathe, and you will sometimes be working a script with extremely long, complicated sentences. Breath points in most copy usually occur after a portion of a thought has been stated or a question has been asked. Listings provide natural break points at the comma between each item. You normally won’t want to breathe between each item of a list, but the punctuation of a list will usually provide an opportunity if you need it.

Of course, when we are performing from a script, the words aren’t ours, but as voice actors we must make the words sound conversational and believable as if they are ours. Many people just starting in voiceover become too focused on the words or feel like they may not be able to “get through” the script, especially if the sentences are long. The result is that they tend to either take a deep breath and read as much as they can until they begin to run out of air, somehow thinking that reading the copy without breathing will help, or they break the phrasing into small chunks, taking an audible breath between each chunk. Although some may be able to deliver the words with a reasonable interpretation for short bursts, most will sound rushed and detached from the meaning of the words. In this case, there is no acting or performance taking place and no connection with the intended audience. The voice talent is merely struggling through a highly stressful situation as they work through the words.

The remedy for this common ailment is to realize that the words are just words on a piece of paper, and that our job is to simply speak those words in an appropriate manner. The stress of the moment is completely self-imposed and need not exist. Nowhere is it written that a voice actor must read, or “get through,” a script without breathing or that it is necessary to breath a lot. The truth is that breathing is an essential part of communicating the meaning of those words. It’s part of the natural flow of conversational phrasing.

The challenge is in learning how to breath naturally while reading from a script, allowing the breath to happen at appropriate places. In order to find the natural breath points in a script, you need to understand the story, your character, and a myriad other details in the script. When you play the role of a character you create, the stress of working with a script can be completely eliminated because the character already knows how—and where—to breathe.

When you understand how to properly use your diaphragm to provide breath support and you stop thinking about your breathing, you will eliminate the need for frequent audible deep breaths, rapid catch breaths and choppy phrasing.

Joni Wilson

3dimensionalvoice.com

Joni Wilson has written an excellent series of books for improving and maintaining your voice. Her first book, The 3-Dimensional Voice¹ (available at amazon.com) is the much-needed owner’s manual for the human voice and introduces her ideas and techniques. Through years of performing professionally, Joni developed some bad habits that seriously damaged her voice. Her doctors told her she would never sing again, but she refused to accept their diagnosis. After many years of research, Joni developed a variety of techniques that ultimately restored her singing voice.

20 Facts You Must Know about Your Voice

© Joni Wilson. All rights reserved.

1. The voice has no brain of its own. It only believes what you believe.
2. A powerful voice must be able to go in three directions (or dimensions) at the same time: Down for depth; Wide for fullness and emotion; and Out for length (your breath).
3. No quick vocal fix is ever a substitute for good technique.
4. With good voice technique and a healthy body, your voice only improves with age.
5. Never whisper if you’re losing your voice. The whispering affect will further damage your vocal cords. Write notes.
6. Excessive heat and air conditioning affect the voice by dehydrating the vocal cords.
7. Vocal nodules on the cords are calluses and are caused by one thing only... bad voice technique. Surgery cannot cure bad technique.
8. If anyone tells you “voice rest” will solve your vocal problems, don’t believe them. Vocal problems are caused by overuse and abuse of the vocal cords. If you do not know how to use your voice correctly, the problem will always return.
9. If you catch a cold and have to use your voice, do not take any decongestants. Their job is to dry up mucus everywhere in the body. Your vocal cords live on mucus. If you dry it all up, your voice will sound rough and scratchy.
10. Don’t clear your voice with a vengeance. Excessive throat clearing is a very bad habit. The more mucus you try to clear out, the more will be created to try to protect your vocal cords. Your vocal cords are mucus membranes. It is a never ending battle and you cannot win it. Try sipping water to move the larynx into a lower, relaxed position. Yawn sighs also work.
11. Smoking is the worst thing you can do for your voice. Period!
12. Verbal abuse can cause severe stress and damage in the vocal cords. Try to keep your relationships stress free for the sake of your voice, not to mention the rest of your body.
13. Never use any cough drops with menthol in them if you’re going to speak or sing. The cooling factor of the menthol will freeze the vocal cords. You want them warm and plumped, not cold and shrunk.
14. A big chunk of your emotional stress accumulates in the jaw, causing TMJ and other tight jaw problems. Becoming the master of your jaw is vital to good vocal projection.
15. A weak voice is only an affect. To strengthen it, you must find the cause.
16. Vocal cords work like valves and need a strong supply of compressed air to perform their magic. So just keep pumping that air.
17. No matter what size your mouth is, for your words to be heard in the back of the room or strong in that microphone, it must be open. Don’t be afraid to open your mouth.
18. To create the warm, lower tones, the throat must be completely open and relaxed. Think yawn.
19. If your voice is your livelihood, avoid situations that cause stress and excessive vocal abuse, even if it means a career or relationship change.
20. Whether speaking or singing, you and you alone are the master of your instrument. Take the time to learn to play it correctly and your voice will be a delight to every ear that it reaches.

Here’s a quick exercise from Joni Wilson that will help you develop strong diaphragmatic breathing. You’ll find other exercises in her book The 3-Dimensional Voice:

• Put the fingers of both hands on the abdominal diaphragm and open the mouth in a yawn position. Inhale the air, then say as you exhale the air, “haaaaaaaaaaaaaa,” manually pushing the diaphragm with your fingers in toward the spine for as long as air comes out of the mouth.
• When there is no more air, and what comes out begins to resemble a “death rattle,” slowly relax the pushing and allow the diaphragm to drop back down and suck the air back into the lungs. If you experience any dizziness. Stop for a moment, and let it pass before you do the exercise again. You can do this throughout the day to strengthen the diaphragm.

Correcting Speech Problems and Habits

As you exercise your voice, awareness of what is happening physically is vital to improving your ability to experience yourself as you work on changing a habit. Observe what is happening with your voice, diaphragm, body, and facial muscles. Self-awareness helps you discover and correct problems with your speech. Without it, you will not be able to recognize the characteristics you need to work on. Your recordings will be a good start to developing self-awareness skills, but you will eventually need to be aware of how you speak in real-time. As you develop self-awareness skills, you will also be developing instincts for delivery and interpretation that will be of tremendous benefit during a performance.

It is often helpful to have another set of ears listening to you as you work on correcting a problem or speaking habit. A speech therapist, voice coach, or a local voiceover professional can be invaluable to improving your speaking voice. You can also get constructive criticism designed to improve your communication skills from acting classes and workshops.

There are many common speech problems and habits that can be corrected by simple exercise and technique. However, all these problems have an underlying cause that requires self-awareness to correct them. In her book Voice and the Actor (1973),² Cicely Berry discusses the human voice and methods to improve a vocal performance in great detail. She also explains some of the following common speech problems and how to correct them.

Unclear Diction or Lack of Speech Clarity

Usually, unclear diction or lack of speech clarity is the result of not carrying a thought through into words. A lack of focus on the part of the performer or an incomplete character development can affect diction. This problem can be heard in the voice as a lack of clarity or understanding, often communicated through inappropriate inflection or attitude. An indicator of this problem in conversational speech is starting a new thought without first completing the original thought.

To correct this, you’ll need a clear understanding of each thought before you speak. Then, speak more slowly than what might feel comfortable to you. Speaking slowly forces you to focus on what you are saying and improves intelligibility. In some cases, a speech therapist is recommended to help overcome the problem.

Stuttering can be classified in this problem area. Although the actual cause of stuttering is still not known, research has shown that it may have different causes in different people and is generally a developmental disorder. Stuttering can also be a side effect of stroke, traumatic brain injury or other neurologic episodes. Even though research has found three genes that appear to cause stuttering, there is no evidence that all stutterers have these genes or that stuttering is an inherited trait.

There are two traditional therapies to correct stuttering. The first is stuttering modification therapy, focusing on reducing fears and anxieties about talking. It can be done with a self-therapy book or with a speech pathologist. The second is fluency shaping, normally done at a speech clinic.³ This therapy teaches the stutterer to talk all over again by beginning with extremely slow, fluent speech and gradually increasing the speaking rate until speech sounds normal.

Over-Emphasis, Explosive Consonants, and Over-Enunciation

The source of over-emphasis or over-enunciation usually derives from the actor’s insecurity or lack of trust in his or her ability to communicate. As a result, the tendency is to push too hard to make sense and start to explain. Typical over-emphasis is vocalized as excessive weight placed on certain words. Over-enunciation or over-articulation appears as the precise pronunciation of words. The result of both of these problems is that sentences tend to lose their natural flow. Both are often the result of trying too hard or over-thinking the thought. The moment you begin to over-emphasize, you lose the sense.

The simplest, although often challenging, solution is to stop worrying about the listener understanding what you are saying. Stay focused on your thought and just tell the story. Don’t explain it, just tell it. It may help to soften the tone of your voice, lower your volume, slow down, or simply focus on talking to a single person. If you find yourself over-emphasizing, you may be trying too hard to achieve good articulation.

Sibilance, the over-emphasis of the “s” sound, is often caused by not differentiating between the “s,” “sh,” and “z” sounds. It can also be the result of a clenched or tight jaw, dental problems, loose dentures, or missing teeth. Minor sibilance problems can be corrected in the studio with a “de-esser,” but serious problems can only be corrected with the help of a speech therapist or perhaps a good dentist.

Some individuals may tend to speak consonants with excessive clarity. This is an aspect of over-articulation and frequently appears as an overly crisp sound of consonants in mid-word or at the end of the word. This form of articulation may be useful for some voiceover styles or characters, but used incorrectly, crunchy or explosive consonants can be a problem worthy of being addressed.

Losing, or Dropping, the Ends of Words

This is the direct opposite of explosive consonants or over-enunciation. In some circles, this is simply referred to as “lazy mouth,” which is simply another way of saying poor articulation. A habit common to many people who are just starting in voiceover and acting is to simply not pronounce the ends of words. Words ending in “b,” “d,” “g,” “p,” “t,” and “ing” are especially vulnerable.

One source of this problem can be learning to speak with a cultural or regional dialect. Or it may be simply not thinking through to the end of a thought. The brain is rushing from one thought to another without allowing any thought to be completed. This is usually due to a lack of trust in one’s abilities, but can also be the result of a lack of focus or concentration, or simply speaking too fast.

Awareness of this problem is critical to being able to correct it. This problem can be corrected by forcing yourself to slow down— speaking each word clearly and concisely as you talk. Think each thought through completely before speaking, then speak slowly and clearly, making sure that the end of each word is spoken clearly. You may find this difficult at first, but stick with it and results will come. Correcting a cultural or regional dialect may be considerably more challenging and the assistance of a speech therapist or accent reduction coach may be in order. Exercise #9, The Cork, on page 36 addresses this problem.

Lack of Mobility in the Face, Jaw, and Lips

A person speaking with lack of mobility is one who speaks with only minimal movement of the mouth and face. This can be useful for certain types of characterizations, but is generally viewed as a performance problem. Lack of mobility can be due in part to insecurity or a reluctance to communicate; however, it can also be a habit.

To correct this problem, work on the facial stretching exercises described later. Practice reading out loud in front of a mirror. Watch your face as you speak and notice how much movement there is in your jaw, lips, forehead, and face. It may help to incorporate other body movement into your exercises. Body movement and gestures can help you discover the emotions associated with facial expressions, which will in turn, help you to be more expressive. Work on exaggerating facial expressions as you speak. Raise your eyebrows, furrow your brow, put a smile on your face, or frown. Stretch your facial muscles. Go beyond what feels comfortable.

Clipped Vowels

This is yet another common speaking problem with a solution similar to other articulation issues. Many people think in a very logical sequence. Logical thinking can result in a speech pattern in which all parts of a word are treated equally. This often results in a monotone delivery with vowels being dropped or a rapid delivery in which vowels are truncated or clipped. In either case, there is little emotion attached to the words being spoken even though an emotional concept may be the subject.

Vowels add character, emotion, and life to words. To correct the problem of monotony, search for the emotion in the words being spoken and commit to the feeling you get. Find the place in your body where you feel that emotion and speak from that center. Listen to your voice as you speak and strive to include emotional content and a variety of inflections in every sentence. Working with someone who can bring continued awareness to the problem may be helpful. For someone who is in the habit of speaking rapidly or in a monotone, this problem can be a challenge to overcome, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Once again, slowing down as you speak can help you overcome this problem.

Breathiness and Devoicing Consonants

Breathiness is the result of exhaling too quickly while speaking, or exhaling before starting to speak. Improper breath control, resulting from nervousness or an anxiety to please, is the ultimate cause. This is similar to other articulation problems, but is directly related to breath support and personal confidence. Consonants and ends of words are often dropped, or unspoken, and breaths are taken at awkward or inappropriate places within a sentence.

To correct this problem, work on breathing from your diaphragm. Take a good breath before speaking and maintain a supporting column of air as you speak. Also, be careful not to rush, and think each thought through completely. As your breath support and delivery improve, you will become a more confident performer.

Excessive Resonance or an Overemotional Quality

This problem arises from an internal involvement with an emotion. It is usually the result of becoming more wrapped up in the emotion than understanding the reason for the emotion. Actors trained in Shakespearian theater or whose performing background is primarily theatrical will sometimes fall into an overly dramatic delivery in an attempt to reveal the emotion of the scene.

To correct this, you may need to learn how to look at things a bit more objectively. People who exhibit this problem are generally reactive and live life from an emotional center. For them life is drama. Work on looking at situations from a different angle. Try to be more objective and less reactive. When you feel yourself beginning to react, acknowledge the feeling and remind yourself to step back a bit from your emotional response.

Accent Reduction or Minimization

Many people feel their natural accent or dialect is a problem when doing voiceover. This can certainly be true if you are unable to adapt your style of vocal delivery. In some cases, an accent or dialect can be used to your advantage to create a distinctive style, when you create a character, or when you are working in only a certain region. However, if you want to be well-received on a broad geographic level, you will need to develop the skill to modify your delivery style to one that is expected, and accepted, by the general population of your region. But even though there may be a generally accepted “standard,” people in different regions of a country may respond better when hearing a message in their regional accent.

Many famous actors have learned how to either use their accent to enhance their performance image, or have learned how to adapt their voice to create uniquely believable characters: Sean Connery, Mel Gibson, Patrick Stewart, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Tracy Ullman to mention only a few. Mel Gibson has a thick native Australian accent as does Nicole Kidman, yet both can play a very believable American. Tracy Ullman has a native British accent, yet she creates dozens of characters from around the world. And Meryl Streep has developed a reputation for creating incredibly authentic and believable foreign accents, even though she is American.

In the United States, most voiceover talent perform with the standard non-accented American English. Regional inflections, dialects, and other tonalities are, for the most part, absent unless required for a character in the script, or unless the production is intended for a regional audience. Although this has become the generally accepted sound for American voiceover, it does not mean that someone who speaks with an accent or dialect cannot be successful. The most successful voice actors are those who are versatile with their speaking voice and who possess the ability to create a variety of believable characters. If you have an accent (foreign or domestic) there are several things you can do to make yourself more marketable as a voice actor:

1. Refine your accent and learn how to use it to your advantage. Although you may be able to create a unique performing style, you may find that you are limited in the types of projects you can do if you focus only on improving your native accent.
2. Learn how to adapt your speaking voice to mimic other accents for the purpose of creating believable characters. Learn to do this well and you can develop the ability to create any character on demand.
3. Work with a diction coach or study methods of modifying your speech patterns. All of these will require some time and effort on your part, but the results will be well worth it.

Accent reduction, modification, or minimization is, in essence, a process of learning or acquiring new habit patterns for speaking. The process of retraining your speaking habits can be lengthy and, for most adults, it is impossible to completely eliminate their native or regional accent. However, reducing the accent or modifying the way words are formed is certainly possible. There are many good books and audio programs designed to help people speak with a more “natural” American, regional, or foreign accent. An Internet search for “accent reduction” will result in a wealth of resources. Contact your local University’s speech department for recommendations of a licensed speech pathologist, or look into an English as a Second Language (ESL) program in your area. You can even acquire a basic level of accent reduction or modification simply by listening to someone with the desired accent. Study the sound of their speech, mimic the sound of their words, and practice the speaking pattern until it feels comfortable. This is essentially how actors do it.

Voice and Body Exercises

Exercising Your Voice

Two things are essential when exercising your voice: (1) a deep breath with good breath control and (2) making a sound. Your vocal cords are muscles, and as with all other muscles in your body, proper exercise and maintenance will provide greater endurance and stronger performance. The vocal cord muscles are little more than flaps that vibrate as air passes over them. Sound is created by a conscious thought that tightens the vocal folds, enabling them to resonate as air passes by. Overexertion and stress can cause the vocal cords to tighten too much, resulting in hoarseness and an impaired speaking ability. A sore throat, cold, flu, or other illness can also injure these muscles. If injured, your vocal cords will heal more rapidly if they are allowed to stay relaxed. However, if you don’t correct the source of the vocal injury, the problem will reoccur.

The manner in which we speak, breathe, and use our vocal and facial muscles, can often be traced to our childhood. Cultural and regional speech patterns influence the way we speak, as do family attitudes and speaking habits. From the time we first begin to talk, we develop speaking habits and attitudes by mimicking those around us. By the time we are two or three years old, our speech patterns have become set and will remain with us for the rest of our life. We become comfortable with these habits because we are mimicking those around us, and they work for us as we learn to communicate with others. Some of these habits might include a regional accent, rapid speech, slurred speech, not thinking thoughts through before speaking, a lack of confidence in our ability to communicate, and shallow or poor breathing.

Changing a habit will take approximately 21 days and at least 200 or more repetitions. For most people, it takes about seven days of consistent repetition of a new behavior pattern before the subconscious mind begins to accept the change. It takes another 14 days, more or less, for a new habit pattern to become established in the mind. This time frame is true for changing just about any habit and will vary from person to person. As much as we might wish otherwise, achieving the desired results of a changed habit will take a concentrated effort and constant awareness.

Later in this chapter are numerous exercises designed to help you modify old habits or strengthen new habits. Discover which of the exercises in this chapter are most helpful and do them on a regular basis, setting aside a specific time each day for your voice exercises. A daily workout is especially important if you are correcting breath control or a specific speaking habit.

Warm up to Save Your Voice

Would you begin running a marathon or heavy exercise without warming up? Of course not! If you strain your muscles, you’ll feel it for days. Warming up prepares your muscles for the stress to come. You should be careful to take the same care by warming up your voice before performing.

Your vocal cords are muscles that can be strained just like any other muscles in your body. If you don’t warm up your voice, an extreme performance can literally blow out your vocal cords resulting in laryngitis that can put you out of work for several days.

But warming up has other benefits in addition to preparing your vocal muscles for work. As you will soon discover, warming up your voice can also prepare your body and mind for your performance. It can help you to discover aspects of a performance that might otherwise be overlooked. It can help you establish believability from the very first word of the script.

You will find it much easier to get into the flow of a script and concentrate on your performance if you are warmed-up and in a relaxed and alert state of mind. It’s a good idea to establish a regimen of vocal warm-ups and exercises to start each day and revisit before stepping into the voiceover booth.

When doing breathing or relaxation exercises, it is important for you to breathe correctly. Most of us were never taught how to breathe as children—we just did it. As a result, many of us have developed poor breathing habits. Techniques for correcting poor breathing habits are covered earlier in this chapter.

The exercises that follow will help you relax and serve to redirect your nervous energy to productive energy that you can use effectively as you perform. Breathe slowly and deeply, and take your time as you allow yourself to feel and experience the changes that take place within your body. Try to spend at least a few minutes a day with each of these exercises. It’s best if you can do these in a quite place where you won’t be disturbed.

Exercise 1: Relax Your Mind

This exercise is a basic meditation technique best done while sitting in a quiet place. Begin by allowing a very slow, deep breath through your nose. Expand your diaphragm to bring in as much air as you can, then expand your chest to completely fill your lungs. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then slowly exhale through your mouth—breathe out all the air. As you do this, think calm thoughts, or simply repeat the word “relax” silently to yourself. Take your time. Do this about 10 times and you will find that your body becomes quite relaxed, and your mind will be much sharper and focused. You may even find yourself becoming slightly dizzy. This is normal and is a result of the increased oxygen going to your brain.

This exercise is an excellent way to convert nervous energy into productive energy. Do this in your car before an audition or session—but not while driving.

Exercise 2: Relax Your Body

Deep breathing to relax your mind will also help to relax your body. Even after some basic relaxation, you may still experience some tension in certain parts of your body. An excellent way to release tension is to combine breathing with stretching. There are several steps to this stretching exercise, so take it slow and if you feel any pain, stop immediately.

Stand with your feet about shoulder width. Close your eyes and breathe deeply from your diaphragm, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Extend your arms over your head, stretching to reach the ceiling. Stretch all the way through the fingers. Now, slowly bend forward at the waist, lowering your arms as you stretch your back. Try to touch the floor if you can. If you need to bend you knees, go ahead. The idea here is to stretch the muscles in your arms, shoulders, back, and legs. When you feel a good stretch, begin to slowly straighten your body, allowing each vertebra to straighten one at a time as you go. Don’t forget to keep breathing.

Now that you are once again standing, with your arms still over your head, slowly bend at the waist, leaning to the left, reaching for a distant object with both arms. You should feel a stretch along the right side of your body. Slowly straighten and repeat with a lean to the right, then straighten.

Next, lower your arms so they are directly in front of you. Rotate your body to the left, turning at the waist and keeping your feet pointing forward. Allow your hips to follow. Slowly bend at the waist as you stretch your arms out in front of you. Keep your head up and your back as straight as you can. Now, rotate forward and repeat the stretch as you reach in front of you. Finally, repeat to the other side before returning to an upright position.

Exercise 3: Relax Your Neck

A relaxed neck helps keep the vocal cords and throat relaxed. Begin by relaxing your mind and body with the techniques described in Exercises 1 and 2. If you want to close your eyes for this one, feel free.

This exercise should be done very slowly and it can be done sitting or standing. If you begin to feel any pain in your neck, stop immediately. There may be a neck injury present that your doctor should know about. Begin by sitting or standing up straight. Slowly tilt your head forward until your chin is almost resting on your chest. Allow your head to fall forward, slightly stretching your neck muscles. Slowly rotate your head to the left until your left ear is over your left shoulder; then move your head back and to the right. Continue to breathe slowly as you move your head around until your chin returns to its starting point. Now rotate your head in the opposite direction. This exercise will help release tension in your neck and throat.

Exercise 4: Relax Your Arms

This exercise helps remind you to keep your body moving and converts locked-up nervous energy into productive energy you can use. When you are in a session, it often can be helpful to simply loosen up your body, especially if you have been standing in front of the mic for a long time. Remember that moving your body is a very important part of getting into the flow of the script. Loosen your arms and upper body by letting your arms hang loosely at your side and gently shake them out. This relaxation technique works quickly and can be done inconspicuously. You can also expand your shake out to include your entire upper body.

Exercise 5: Relax Your Face

A relaxed face allows you to be more flexible in creating a character and can help improve articulation. You can use your facial muscles to add sparkle and depth to your delivery. Your face is one of the best tools you have as a voice actor.

Begin by relaxing your body. Then, scrunch up your face as tight as you can and hold it that way for a count of 10. Relax and stretch your face by opening your eyes as wide as you can. Open your mouth wide and stretch your cheeks and lips by moving them while opening and closing your jaw. The process of stretching increases blood flow to your face and gives a feeling of invigoration.

Exercise 6: Horse Lips

Take a long deep breath and slowly release air through your lips to relax them. Let your lips “flutter” as your breath passes over them. This is a good exercise to do alone in your car on your way to a session. By forcing the air out of one side of your mouth or the other, you can also include your cheeks as part of this exercise. As with the face stretch, this exercise will help you in creating character voices and aid in improving articulation.

Exercise 7: Relax Your Tongue

This may sound odd, but your tongue can get tense too. A simple stretching exercise can relax your tongue, and also helps relax the muscles at the back of your mouth. You may want to do this exercise in private.

Begin by sticking out your tongue as far as you can, stretching it toward your chin. Hold for a count of five, then stretch toward your right cheek. Do the same toward your left cheek and finally up toward your nose.

Another tongue stretch that also helps open up the throat is to gently grasp your extended tongue with your fingers using a tissue or towel. Begin with a deep breath and gently stretch your tongue forward as you slowly exhale and vocalize a “HAAA” sound, much like the sigh you make when yawning. In fact, if this exercise makes you feel like yawning, good, that helps open your throat.

Exercise 8: Yawning

As you do these exercises, you may feel like yawning. If that happens, enjoy it. Yawning is a good thing. It stretches your throat, relaxing it and opening it up. More important, yawning helps you take in more air, increasing the flow of oxygen to your brain, improving your mental acuity. It also helps lower the pitch of your voice and improves resonance.

To increase the feeling of relaxation, vocalize your yawn with a low pitch “HAAA” sound, concentrating on opening the back of your throat. It is also important that you allow yourself to experience what happens to your body as you yawn.

Exercise 9: The Cork Exercise

You may find this exercise a little odd at first, but the results will most likely amaze you. Although a pencil is a suitable substitute, using a cork will give you quicker results simply because it forces you to work your muscles harder.

Get a wine bottle cork—save the wine for later, or have it first (your choice). Now, find a few good paragraphs in a book or newspaper. Before doing anything with the cork, begin by recording yourself reading the copy out loud. Stop the recorder.

Now place the cork in your mouth horizontally so that it is about one-quarter inch behind your front teeth—as though biting on a stubby cigar. If you use a pencil, place it lengthwise between your teeth so you are gently biting it in two places. Don’t bite hard enough to break the pencil, and don’t place the pencil too far back—it should be positioned near the front of your mouth.

Now, read the same paragraphs out loud several times as you speak very slowly and distinctly, emphasizing every vowel, consonant, and syllable of each word. Don’t cheat and be careful not to drop the ends of words or rush through the little words. In a very short time your jaw and tongue will begin to get tired.

After you have spent a few minutes exercising your mouth, remove the cork, turn the recorder back on, and read the copy one more time. Now, play back both recordings. You will notice a remarkable difference in the sound of your voice. The after version will be much clearer and easier to listen to.

The cork is an excellent warm-up exercise for any time you feel the need to work on your articulation or enunciation. You can even do this in your car, singing to the radio, or reading street signs aloud as you drive to an audition or session.

Exercise 10: The Sweep

Vocal range is important for achieving emotional attitudes and dynamics in your performance. By vocal range, I am referring to the range from your lowest note to your highest note. Start this exercise by taking a deep breath, holding it in, and releasing slowly with a vocalized yawn. This will help to relax you. Now fill your lungs with another deep breath and release it slowly, this time making the lowest note you can with a “HAAAA” sound. Gradually increase the pitch of your voice, sweeping from low to high. It may help to start by holding your hands near your stomach and gradually raise your hands as you raise the pitch of your voice.

You will quite likely find one or two spots where your voice breaks or “cracks.” This is normal and simply reveals those parts of your voice range that are not often used. Over time, as you practice this exercise, your vocal range will improve and as your vocal cords strengthen, the “voice cracking” will become less or may even go away entirely. This is also a good breathing exercise to help you with breath control. If your recordings reveal that you take breaths in midsentence or that the volume (overall loudness) of your voice fluctuates, this exercise will help. Practicing regularly will improve your lung capacity and speaking power, as well as vocal range.

Exercise 11: Enunciation Exercises

The following phrases are from a small but excellent book titled Broadcast Voice Exercises by Jon Beaupré (1994).⁴

To improve diction and enunciation, repeat the phrases that follow. Do this exercise slowly and deliberately making sure that each consonant and vowel is spoken clearly and distinctly, stretching your lips and cheeks as you read. Don’t cheat on the ends of words. Watch yourself in a mirror, listen to yourself carefully, and be aware of what you are feeling physically and emotionally. Remember that consistent repetition is necessary to achieve any lasting change. For an extra challenge, try these with the cork.

Specific Letter Sounds—do each four times, then reverse for four more. Make a clear distinction between the sounds of each letter.

• Gudda-Budda (Budda-Gudda)
  • [Emphasize the “B” and “G” sounds.]
• Peachy-Weachy (Weachy-Peachy)
  • [Emphasize the “P” and “W” sounds.]
• Peachy-Neachy (Neachy-Peachy)
  • [Emphasize the “P” and “N” sounds.]
• Peachy-Leachy (Leachy-Peachy)
  • [Emphasize the “P” and “L” sounds.]
• Fea-Sma (Sma-Fea) [pronounce as FEH-SMA]
  • [Emphasize the difference between the “EH” and “AH” sounds.]
• Lip-Sips (Sip-Lips)
  • [Make the “P” sound clear and don’t drop the “S” after lips or sips.]
• TTT-DDD (Tee Tee Tee, Dee Dee Dee)
  • [Emphasize the difference between the “T” sound and the “D” sound.]
• PPP-BBB (Puh Puh Puh, Buh Buh Buh)
  • [The “PUH” sound should be more breathy and have less vocalizing than the “BUH” sound.]
• KKK-GGG (Kuh Kuh Kuh, Guh Guh Guh)
  • [Emphasize the difference between the “K” and “G.”
  • Notice where the sounds originate in your mouth and throat.]

Short Phrases—make sure every syllable is spoken clearly and that the ends of words are crisp and clear.

Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters are a great way to loosen up the muscles in your face and mouth. Go for proper enunciation first, making sure all letters are heard and each word is clear. Begin slowly at first, then pick up speed. Don’t cheat on the end of words. For an extra challenge, practice these using your cork. With repeated practice, they will be a bit easier to do.

Most Dr. Seuss books can provide additional tongue twisters, and can be lots of fun to read out loud in a variety of styles. Some excellent tongue twisters can be found in Fox in Sox and Oh, Say Can You Say (1979). Another good book of tongue twisters is You Said a Mouthful by Roger Karshner (1993). Most retail and online booksellers can help you find a variety of other tongue twister books.

In 1984, while at a dinner party with people from 12 countries representing more than 15 languages, Michael Reck, of Germany, began collecting tongue twisters. Since then, he has compiled the largest collection of tongue twisters to be found anywhere—“The 1st International Collection of Tongue Twisters.” There are more than 3560 entries in 118 languages at tongue-twister.net. If you think the English tongue twisters are challenging, try some of the other languages (assuming, of course, you can read them!).

Physical Attitudes to Help Delivery

M.O.V.E.

The degree of physical energy you use when performing will have a direct relation to the effectiveness and believability of your performance. Most beginning voice actors assume, falsely, that all they need to do is stand in front of the microphone and talk. They seem to believe that if they “think” the attitude or emotion in their head, it will come out of their mouth. The truth is that it takes much more than just thinking about it to convey a feeling, emotion, or attitude through only the sound of the voice.

Don’t be afraid to be physical when you are in front of the microphone. Allow more than just your lips to move. You do need to keep your head at a consistent distance from the mic without moving it too much. But from the neck down, it’s anything goes—as long as there is no clothing noise and you don’t make any unwanted sounds.

Body movement is an expression of emotion, and your expression of emotions or feelings is the result of the thoughts you hold in your mind. When you verbalize those thoughts the meaning of the words will communicate through the tone of your voice. Move your body in whatever manner works for you to effectively get to the core emotion of the message. Your Movement Orchestrates your Vocal Expression! M.O.V.E.

Try the following using this phrase: “You want me to do what?” Begin by standing straight and stiff, feet together, arms at your sides, head up, looking straight ahead with an expressionless face. Now, say the phrase out loud—without moving your body, arms, or face—and listen to the sound of your voice. Listen to the lack of expression in your voice. Listen to how totally boring you sound.

While keeping the same physical attitude—and still without moving, say the same phrase again and try to put some emotion into your reading. You will find it extremely difficult to put any emotion or drama into those words without moving. When you begin to communicate emotions, your body instinctively wants to move.

Now, relax your body, separate your feet slightly, bring your arms away from your sides, and loosen up. Think of something in your past that you can relate to the phrase and recall the physical tension or feeling you originally felt. Say the phrase again—this time moving your arms and body appropriately for that original feeling. Observe how your physical attitude and facial expression change the sound of your voice. Try this with different physical positions and expressions and you may be amazed at the range of voices you will find. A smile will add brightness and happiness to the sound of your voice. A furrowed brow will give your voice a more serious tone. Tension in your face and body will communicate stress through your voice.

It’s a mistake to stand in front of the microphone with your hands hanging limp at your sides or stuffed in your pockets—unless that physical attitude is consistent with your character in the copy. Start your hands at about chest level and your elbows bent. This allows you the freedom to move your hands as you speak.

The way you stand can also affect your voice performance. Although body stance primarily communicates information visually, it can also be very important when creating a character. Body language, just as facial expression, translates through the voice. For example, to make a character of a self-conscious person more believable, you might roll your shoulders forward and bring your arms in close to the body, perhaps crossing the arms at certain points in the copy. To create a sense of pride and accomplishment in the voice, simply stand straighter, puff your chest, lift your chin and speak in an assertive, positive tone of voice.

Your body posture and physical movement assist in framing the attitude and personality of the character. The following are some typical body postures that will help you understand how body stance can affect your performance. If used unconsciously, these postures can have an adverse affect on your performance because they will have a direct impact on your speaking voice. However, when consciously applied to a character or attitude, these and other body postures can be used to enhance any voice performance:

• Arms behind back (“at-ease” stance)—This body posture reflects nervousness and implies that the speaker doesn’t know what to do with his or her hands or is uncomfortable in the current situation. Clasping the hands behind or in front of the body tends to minimize other body movement and can block the flow of energy through your body. This in turn may result in a “stiffer” sound with a restricted range of inflection and character.
• Straight, stiff body with hands at the side (“attention” stance)—Standing straight and tall, with chest out, head held high and shoulders back implies authority, control, and command of a situation. This projection of power and authority can be real or feigned. This stance is sometimes used as a bluff to create an outward image of authority to cover for an inward feeling of insecurity. This body stance can be useful for a character who must project power, authority, or dominance over a situation.
• Arms crossed in front of the body (“show me” stance)—Crossed arms often represent an unconscious feeling of self-consciousness and insecurity, creating an attitude of defiance or being defensive or stubborn. Crossed arms can also imply a certain level of dishonesty.
• Hands crossed in front of the body (“Adam and Eve” stance)—As with the at-ease stance, this posture implies that the speaker doesn’t know what to do with his or her hands. This stance, with the hands crossed like a fig leaf, is commonly perceived as an indication that the speaker has something to hide. This stance can be useful in helping create a character who projects suspicion.
• Hands on the hips (“mannequin” stance)—This posture makes the speaker appear inexperienced or unqualified. Hands on the hips also blocks the flow of energy through the body and limits the performer’s ability to inject emotion and drama into a performance. This stance can be used to create an attitude of arrogance.

A simple adjustment of your physical energy can make a huge change in your performance. You change your physical energy instinctively, in many ways, on a daily basis. If someone is asleep in the room, you’ll whisper. If you’re excited, you may tend to speak a bit louder. If you’re upset, your anger or frustration will be reflected in your tone of voice.

I have seen voiceover performers do some of the strangest things to get into character. The basic rule is “whatever works—do it.” I once worked with a voice actor who arrived at the studio wearing a tennis outfit and carrying a tennis racket. Throughout the session, he used that tennis racket as a prop to help with his character and delivery. I’ve seen other voice actors go through a series of contortions and exercises to set the physical attitude for the character they are playing. A friend of mine was working a dialogue script that required a very intimate delivery and her male dialogue partner was having trouble getting into the right tone of voice. To get into the proper attitude, the booth lights were dimmed, the mics were adjusted, and the two of them actually laid down on the studio floor as they delivered their lines.

Your analysis of the copy can give you a starting point for your physical attitude. Let the words, the story, and your interpretation of how you will tell it guide you to your physical energy. When you’ve decided on your physical attitude, commit to it and use your body to express yourself.

An Exercise to Explore Physical Energy

The purpose of this exercise is for you to personally experience the power and variety of vocal expression that can be achieved with a simple adjustment of physical energy.

Randomly select a line of copy from the following list.

As you do the exercise, speak your line of copy at least six different ways. There will actually be many more possibilities, but these six will give you an excellent start at exploring your range of physical expression.

Begin by delivering your line of copy out loud by using each of the following five basic body postures in sequence. Allow the physical tension in your body and face, created by each posture to inspire your delivery. Maintain that tension throughout:

• “At-ease” - arms behind your back
• “Attention” - stand straight, stiff back
• “Show me” - arms crossed
• “Adam and Eve” - hands crossed in front of body
• “Mannequin” - hands on hips

For the sixth delivery, allow your body to move in any way you feel might be appropriate for the line of copy. Your movement might be a shrug of your shoulders, arms flailing wildly, strong gestures, or even minimal movement. Don’t forget to allow your face to move as part of your physical expression.

Do this for as many lines as you like. Explore the many options available for each line. Also experiment with pauses, emotions, or changing the punctuation mark to arrive at different interpretations.

• You can't do this to me!
• Why are you crying?
• Are you out of your mind?
• Hey, let's go to the movies.
• I am not going to tell you again.
• Did you hear about Suzie?
• What's for dinner?
• Did you pay the electric bill?
• Today is my birthday.
• Have you seen the cat?
• Lillies make me feel sad.
• Who's on the telephone?
• What's the problem, officer?
• I hate you! Call me at 6.
• Peel me a grape—right now!
• What in the world is that?
• Have you ever been on a cruise?
• I love you.
• I hate you more than you can imagine.
• I feel like I'm going to faint.
• You're not the boss of me.
• Whoa! Get a load of her hair!
• Did you come alone?
• I want you to leave me alone.
• Who are you?
• I need a long, hot, relaxing bath.
• Dude
• I can't believe you ate the whole thing.
• Get a grip on reality.
• Does the baby look like her mom or her dad?
• Hold my hand—I'm scared.
• I told you not to take her with you.
• Can I help you?
• Thank you so much.
• It's impossible for you to know how I feel.
• Eating that gives me gas
• Blue! You dyed your hair blue.
• How dare you talk to me in that tone of voice.
• Are you aware you are being a jerk?
• It would be fun to see you do that again,
• I think that lunch box just might be full of cookies.
• Go ahead... open the package... it's for you.
• Promise you'll never let me do that again.
• Do you want toast with beans, or just toast, or just beans?
• Where on Earth do you think you're going?
• The circus is coming to town.
• How could you do that to me?
• No lights after 11—you'll go to sleep in the dark.
• I love roses... do you love roses?
• What color shall we paint the wall?
• I think I'll have scrambled eggs for dinner.
• Turn that inside out, it will work better.
• If it's Tuesday, we must be in Boise.
• This is the last time I ever let you do that.

27 Tips for Maintaining Your Voice and Improving Your Performance

Keeping your voice in good condition is vital to maintaining peak performing abilities. Some of the tips here were taken from the private files of top voiceover professionals. None of them is intended to be a recommendation or endorsement of any product, and as with any remedy, if you are unsure please consult your doctor.

Tip 1: Seek Good Training

A good performer never stops learning. Continued training in acting, improvisation, voiceover, singing, and even classes in marketing and business management can be helpful. Learn the skills you need to become the best performer and business person you can be. Study other voiceover artists. Watch, listen, and learn from television and radio commercials. Observe the trends. Practice what you learn to become an expert on the techniques. Rehearse regularly to polish your performing skills. Take more classes. Learn everything you can about your home studio equipment so you can provide the best possible recordings of your work. Master marketing techniques, develop strong negotiating skills, and learn how to run your business. You can get a lot of this information from books, but the best way to learn will be to study one-on-one with professionals who can teach you the skills you need to know.

Tip 2: No Coffee, Soft Drinks, Smoking, Alcohol, or Drugs

Coffee may be a great “pick-me-up,” but it contains ingredients that tend to impair voice performance. Although the heat from the coffee might feel good, and you might get that “needed” energy boost, the caffeine can cause constriction of your sinuses or throat. Coffee is also a diuretic. The same is true for most soft drinks. Soft drinks also contain sugar that can cause your mouth to dry out.

Smoking is a sure-fire way to dry out your mouth quickly. Smoking over a long period of time will have the effect of lowering your voice by damaging your vocal cords, and presents potentially serious health risks.

Alcohol and drugs both can have a serious effect on your performance. You cannot present yourself as a professional if you are under their influence. Using alcohol and drugs can have a serious negative influence on your career as a voice actor. Word can spread quickly among talent agents, studios, and producers affecting your future bookings. Jobs have been lost because the talent arrived at the studio “under the influence.”

Tip 3: Keep Water Nearby

Water is great for keeping the mouth moist and keeping you hydrated. But cold liquids can constrict your throat, so it’s a good idea to keep your water at room temperature when doing voice work.

Here are some interesting statistics about water, hydration, and the human body:

• It is estimated that up to 50% of the world population is chronically dehydrated.
• It is estimated that in 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
• Mild dehydration can slow the human metabolism up to 3%.
• One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
• Research indicates that drinking 10 glasses of water a day may significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• A drop of 2% in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on a computer screen or a printed page.
• Drinking five or more glasses of water daily may decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, slash the risk of breast cancer by 79% and reduce the likelihood of bladder cancer by up to 50%.
• According to a 2013 study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research^5,6, it takes about 45 minutes after drinking 600ml of water to achieve full hydration. You may want to start drinking water well before you leave for a session.

TIP 4: DEALING WITH MOUTH NOISE (a.k.a. DRY MOUTH)

Every voice actor dreads the inevitable dry mouth. There are many causes of mouth noise including stress, illness, smoking, dairy products, foods containing sugar, antihistamines, decongestants, pain relievers, and other medications. But mouth noise resulting from dry mouth is most often simply the result of lack of hydration.

As your mouth dries out, tiny saliva bubbles begin to form, and pop as you speak, creating audible clicks. Well-known voice coach Bettye Pierce Zoller recommends keeping a squirt top bottle of water handy. When dry mouth is noticed, squirt all areas of the mouth wetting the cheeks, teeth, and tongue—even underneath it. Then, do not swallow right away, but instead swish for about five seconds or more to get all mouth tissues wet. This will help reduce dry mouth temporarily, but only hydration will correct the cause.

Sooner or later you will experience dry mouth. Some of the hundreds of solutions voice actors have come up with to deal with this common problem include: distilled water with Emergen-C (emergenc.com) (one packet per quart); no dairy for two days prior to a VO session; or a swish of carbonated water.

Allowing a throat lozenge or cough drop to dissolve slowly in your mouth can help keep your throat and mouth moist. However, most lozenges are like hard candy and contain sugar that can actually dry your mouth. A few exceptions are Fisherman’s Friend lozenges (fishermansfriend.com), Grether’s Redcurrant or Blackcurrant Pastilles (grethers-pastiles.ch/en), and Ricola Pearls natural mountain herbal sugar-free throat lozenges and breath mints (ricola.com). The best time to use a lozenge is about 30 minutes before a session. Be aware that holding a lozenge in your mouth as you speak can cause unwanted clicks or adversely affect your articulation. Dissolving a lozenge or two in a bottle of water is another option. The lozenge-treated water will not only give you the benefits of the lozenge, but will also help keep you hydrated.

Some throat sprays and over-the-counter remedies will work nicely to control dry mouth, such as Thayer’s Dry Mouth Spray (thayers.com), Biotene (biotene.com), Singer’s Saving Grace (herbsetc.com), Entertainer’s Secret (entertainers-secret.com), and lubricating sprays can be used at any time.

Tip 5: Swish Virgin Olive Oil

Swish a small amount of virgin olive oil to reduce or kill mouth noise and clicks. About a capful will do nicely. Work the olive oil into every corner of your mouth. The olive oil has a mild taste and serves as a humectant, leaving a coating on the inside of the mouth that holds moisture in. This clever trick came from one of our students who is also an opera singer—and it really does work!

Tip 6: Eat Greasy Potato Chips

Here’s another insider secret that might sound a bit weird. During a session a singer asked if I had any potato chips handy. This, of course, raised my curiosity. She then explained that a trick opera singers will use is to eat greasy food, like potato chips, before a session or performance to lubricate their mouth and throat. Odd as it may sound, it does seem to work.

Tip 7: Have Some Juice

Some juices can help keep your mouth moist and your throat clear. Any of the Ocean Spray brand juices do a good job of cleansing your mouth. A slice of lemon in a glass of water can also help. Grapefruit juice, lemonade, or any other acidic fruit juice without pulp or added sugar, can help strip away mucus and cleanse the mouth. Be careful of fruit juices that leave your throat “cloudy” or that leave a residue in your mouth. Orange juice, grape juice, carrot juice, and a few others can be a problem for many people.

Tip 8: The Green Apple Theory

This is a good trick for helping reduce “dry mouth.” Taking a bite of a Granny Smith or Pippin green apple tends to help cut through mucous buildup in the mouth and clear the throat. It appears that it is the pectin in green apples that makes this work. Red apples may taste good, but they don’t produce the same effect.

Tip 9: Avoid Dairy Products

Dairy products, such as milk and cheese, can cause the sinuses to congest. Milk will also coat the inside of the mouth, affecting your ability to speak clearly. Stay away from milk and cheese products when you know you are going to be doing voiceover work.

Tip 10: Clearing Your Throat

One of the worst things you can do to your vocal cords is to clear your throat. When you need to clear your throat, do it gently with a mild cough. A hard, raspy throat clearing, can actually hurt your vocal cords. Try humming from your throat, gradually progressing into a cough. The vibration from humming often helps break up phlegm in your throat. Always be sure to vocalize and put air across your vocal cords whenever you cough. Building up saliva in your mouth and swallowing before a mild cough is also beneficial. Be careful of loud yelling or screaming and even speaking in a harsh, throaty whisper. These can also hurt your vocal cords.

Tip 11: Don't Cover up Throat Pain

Covering up throat pain will not improve your performance and may result in serious damage to your vocal cords. If you feel you cannot perform effectively, the proper thing to do would be to advise your agent or client as soon as possible so that alternative plans can be made. The worst thing you can do is to go to a session when you are ill. If you must attend a session when your voice is not in top form, be careful not to overexert or do anything that might injure your vocal cords.

Tip 12: Be Aware of Yourself and Your Environment

Get plenty of rest and stay in good physical condition. If you are on medication (especially antihistamines), be sure to increase your intake of fluids. If you suspect any problems with your voice, see your doctor immediately. Be aware of dust, smoke, fumes, pollen, and anything environmental that may affect your voice. Be aware of any allergies or reactions to food, how they might affect your voice, and what you can do about them. An Internet search for “allergies” will reveal resources with lots of information you can use.

Tip 13: Avoid Anything That Can Dry out Your Throat

Air conditioning can be very drying for your throat. Be careful not to let cold, dry air be drawn directly over your vocal cords. Smoke and dust can also dry out your throat.

Tip 14: Avoid Eating before a Session

Eating a full meal before a session can leave you feeling sluggish and may leave your mouth in a less-than-ideal condition for performing. If you do need to eat, have something light and rinse your mouth with water before performing. Avoid foods that you know will cause digestive problems or produce excessive saliva.

Tip 15: Keep Your Sinuses Clear

Clogged or stuffy sinuses can seriously affect your performance. The resulting de-nasal sound (no, or limited, air moving through your nose) may be appropriate if it is consistent with a character, or if it is part of a style that becomes something identified with you. Usually, however, stuffy sinuses are a problem.

Clearing the sinuses with a nasal spray tends to work more quickly than tablets or capsules. Be careful when using medications to clear your sinuses. Although they will do the job, they can also dry your mouth and can have other side effects. Even over-the-counter decongestants are drugs and should be used in moderation.

When used over a period of time, the body can build up a tolerance to the active ingredient in decongestants, making it necessary to use more to achieve the desired results. Once the medication is stopped, sinus congestion can return and may actually be worse than before. Some decongestants can make you drowsy, which can create other problems.

An alternative to decongestants is a saline nasal rinse, technically known as Buffered Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation. That’s a technical phrase that simply refers to rinsing the nasal passage with a mixture of warm saline solution. This is a proven method for treating sinus problems, colds, allergies, post-nasal drip, and for counteracting the effects of environmental pollution.

There are a variety of ways to administer the nasal wash, including a syringe; bulb; water pik; and a Neti™ Pot, a small pot with a spout on one end. Other nasal rinse systems include premeasured saline packets and specially designed bottles for applying the rinse. Many of these methods are cumbersome and messy, but they do get the job done. Several new nasal rinse products have come on the market recently that are easier to use and more efficient, including Navage (navage.com), a self-contained system with gentle suction.

Although the nasal wash can be done using only a saline solution, some studies have shown that the addition of baking soda (bicarbonate) helps move mucus out of the nose faster and helps the nose membrane work better. An Internet search for nasal rinse or nasal irrigation will bring up numerous resources and recipes.

Tip 16: If You Have a Cold

You know what a cold can do to your voice! If you feel a cold coming on, you should do whatever you can to minimize its effects. Different precautions work for different people. For some, Alka Seltzer changes the blood chemistry and helps to minimize the effects of a cold. For others, decongestants and nasal sprays at the first signs of a cold help ease its onset. Lozenges and cough drops can ease cold symptoms or a sore throat, but be aware that covering up the soreness may give you a false sense of security and your vocal cords may actually be more easily injured in this condition.

The common cold is a viral infection characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the upper respiratory passages. Coughing, sneezing, headache, and a general feeling of “being drained” are often symptoms of the common cold. In theory, there are more than 200 strains of rhinovirus that can enter the nasal cavity through the nose, mouth, or eyes. Once in the nasal cavity, the virus replicates and attacks the body. Most cold remedies rely on treating the symptoms of a cold to help you “feel better” while your body’s immune system attempts to repair the damage.

Zicam® is a homeopathic cold remedy that has been shown in clinical studies to reduce the duration and severity of the common cold. According to Gel Tech, LLC (zicam.com), Zicam’s active ingredients are Zincum Aceticum and Zincum Gluconicum. I’m not quite sure what they are, but I do know it works for me, and many people to whom I’ve recommended Zicam®.

Other OTC remedies that claim to reduce a cold’s severity and duration include Airborne® (airbornehealth.com), developed by second-grade teacher Victoria Knight-McDowell; Cold-Eeze® lozenges, oral spray and quick-melts manufactured by Quigley Pharma, Inc. (coldeeze.com); and Emergen-C®, a vitamin drink mix manufactured by Alacer Corp. (emergenc.com).

Health food and online specialty stores are a good source for herbal remedies. Many voice actors recommend special teas from online stores like traditionalmedicinals.com (Throat Coat products and Breathe Easy Tea), yogiproducts.com (Breathe Deep Tea), and Chinese cold remedies from yinchiao.com, and others. As with OTC remedies, some herbal remedies may work better for some people than others.

Many people swear by Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) as a means of boosting the immune system to either head-off or minimize the effects of a cold and other ailments. GSE is available at health food stores.

Tip 17: Some Cold Remedy Recipies

There are literally dozens of herbal remedies that reportedly reduce the symptoms of a cold.

One cold and sore throat remedy that seems to do the job for many people is this rather tasty recipe: 1 can of regular Dr. Pepper (not diet), 1 fresh lemon, 1 cinnamon stick. Pour Dr. Pepper into a mug, add 1 slice (circle) of lemon and heat in the microwave. Remove and add 1 cinnamon stick. Relax and sip slowly.

For the more adventurous, here’s a recipe for Cold Killer Tea given to us by one of our workshop students. To 1 cup of tea (Green Tea is an excellent choice) add 1 tsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, and a dash of cayenne pepper. The key ingredients are the vinegar and the cayenne pepper. Ingredients can be adjusted for taste.

For many, the effects of a cold can be temporarily offset by drinking hot tea with honey and lemon. The heat soothes the throat and helps loosen things up. Honey is a natural sweetener as well as a natural anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory, and does not tend to dry the mouth as sugar does. Lemon juice cuts through the mucus, thus helping clear the throat. The only problem is that some tea contains caffeine, which may constrict or dry the throat.

Bill Smith of The Acting Studio in Denver, CO recommends this mixture of Tabasco sauce and water:

According to Bill, at this solution level, you may taste the Tabasco sauce but you won’t “experience” its hotness. You’ll notice that most of the phlegm has been cleared from the back of the soft palate and all the way down past the vocal cords to the esophagus.

One of the key benefits of this mixture is that the key ingredient in Tabasco sauce is Capsaicin. Although this ingredient is what gives Tabasco sauce its hotness, Capsaicin is also used in pain neuropathy to reduce inflammation of damaged tissues and nerve endings. As a result of gargling this mixture, the tendency to cough or clear the throat is reduced.

Carolynn Mincin (carolynnmincin.com), a professional actress and voice actor suggests the following remedies, depending on the severity of the cold and if it includes coughing:

• 1) Gargle with warm water and Himalayan salt and use the mixture to irrigate the sinuses.
• 2) A teaspoon of Wasabi on your tongue clears the sinuses for about five minutes.
• 3) Put 4 chopped garlic cloves in a cup of honey (let it stay over night before using for better results) and then take two teaspoons twice a day.
• 4) Add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the mixture for even better results.
• 5) Vicks on your chest and Vicks on the soles of your feet covered with socks will also help.

Here’s another remedy for a severe cold with cough that is simply known as “Maggie’s Cough Remedy.” This one burns like crazy for a few seconds, but it will stop a throat tickle dead in its tracks! Intended for adults only, this concoction will take about 10 minutes to prepare. Warning: Extremely potent!

• Ingredients:
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper,
  • 1/4 tsp ginger,
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar (organic preferred),
  • 2 Tbsp water,
  • 1 Tbsp honey (locally produced raw - if possible).
• Directions:
  • Dissolve cayenne and ginger in cider vinegar and water.
  • Add honey and shake well. Take 1 Tablespoon as needed for cough.

It should be noted that this is a potent albeit watery syrup. It doesn't dissolve perfectly. Always shake well before using. If you make this in small batches as the recipe is written, there is no need to refrigerate. If you prefer, you may refrigerate this. It keeps as long as you need it.

Another interesting way to control coughs and colds is through acupressure. One pressure point is the high spot on the muscle on the hand at the point where the thumb and index finger meet. Use your thumb and index finger of the opposite hand to firmly press on this spot for 10 seconds or longer to control coughing.

You may not be able to prevent a cold, but if you can find a way to minimize its affects, you will be able to perform better when you do have a cold. If you have a cold and need to perform, it will be up to you to decide if you are fit for the job.

Tip 18: Sore Throat

Make Jello®, but instead of chilling it, heat it in a microwave for 30 seconds, then add a tablespoon of honey. According to experts, warm Jello will coat and soothe your throat, and the honey’s antimicrobial properties will kill bacteria.

Tip 19: Laryngitis

There can be many causes of laryngitis, but the end result is that you temporarily lose your voice. This may be the result of a cold or flu infection that has moved into the throat and settled in your larynx, or you might strain your vocal cords by screaming or overexertion.

When this happens to a voice actor, it usually means a few days out of work. The best thing to do when you have laryngitis is nothing.

Your vocal cords have become inflamed and need to heal. They will heal faster if they are not used. Don’t talk... don’t even whisper... just get lots of sleep and let your vocal cords heal. Although not a cure for laryngitis, hot tea with honey and lemon juice will often make you feel better.

A classic remedy is a mix of hot water, Collins mix, and fine bar sugar. This is similar to hot tea, lemon juice, and honey with the benefit of no caffeine. It’s sort of a hot lemonade that can be sipped slowly. Many performers claim this mixture helps restore their voice.

Another remedy that is said to be effective is to create a mixture of honey, ground garlic cloves, and fresh lemon juice. This doesn’t taste very good, but many have reported a quicker recovery after taking this remedy. Garlic and honey are both known to strengthen the immune system, which may be a factor in its effectiveness.

Similar to hot tea with honey and lemon is a remedy popular in the eastern United States. This was given to me by one of my students and seems to work quite well. Boil some water and pour the boiling water into a coffee cup. Add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. The mixture tastes like lemon tea, but with the benefit of having no caffeine. Slowly sip the drink allowing it to warm and soothe your throat.

Tip 20: Illness

The best thing you can do if you have a cold, laryngitis, or just feel ill is to rest and take care of yourself. If you become ill, you should let your agent, client, or whoever cast you, know immediately and try to reschedule. Talent agents, clients, and producers are generally very understanding in cases of illness.

However, there are times when you must perform to the best of your abilities, even when ill. These can be difficult sessions, and the sound of your voice may not be up to your usual standards. In situations such as this, be careful not to force yourself to the point of causing pain or undue stress on your voice. Use your good judgment to decide if you are capable of performing. You may cause permanent damage to your vocal cords.

Tip 21: Dealing with Gerd

Most people will experience Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (technically known as laryngopharyngeal Reflux) at one time or another. For some it is an ongoing condition that must be dealt with on a daily basis. It is a condition in which stomach acid backs up from the stomach into the swallowing tube or esophagus. For a voiceover talent, this condition can present a serious problem. It’s not that GERD will directly affect the sound of the voice, but the physical discomfort of the condition, and some of its symptoms, can get in the way of an effective performance.

Many of the tips in this section will have a direct effect on GERD, and there are several over-the-counter and prescription remedies that address the problem. Basically, all digestive processes will produce stomach acid which can result in GERD. Some recommendations for dealing with the condition are: 1) avoid acidic foods, 2) avoid eating anything within two hours of bed, and 3) avoid alcohol for at least two hours before bed. Any digestive disorder lasting more than a few days should be checked by consulting a physician.

Tip 22: Be Prepared

Sooner or later you may find yourself at a session recording in a very strange environment, or the studio may be out of pencils or not have a pencil sharpener, the water may be turned off, or any number of other situations might occur. It’s a good plan to arrive prepared.

Enter the Voiceover Survival Kit! You can purchase a small bag or pouch to hold your essential session items like your cork, pencils, lozenges, throat spray, note pad, glasses, and anything else you might need. Keep it with you whenever you go to an audition or session.

Tip 23: Practice Creating Visual Mental Pictures

Visual images will help you express different emotional attitudes through your voice. Close your eyes and visualize the scene or visualize what your character might look like. Lock the image in your imagination and use it as a tool to help you feel and experience whatever it is that you need to express in the copy. Visualization will also help create a sense of believability. Don’t worry if you can’t visualize in “pictures.” However you use your imagination is how you visualize: colors, sounds, or images. Use whatever works for you.

Tip 24: Talk “To” Someone

If you’re not talking to someone, you’re just reading the words. Imagine the perfect person who needs to hear the message in the script and talk to them, as if you were having a conversation. This simple shift of focus will make a huge difference in your delivery.

Tip 25: Keep a Positive Attitude

As you develop your performing skills, build your voiceover business and submit a seemingly endless series of auditions, it can be very easy to start feeling a bit frustrated and discouraged. If you let this get to you, your voiceover career will be short-lived, and your investment in training, equipment and marketing will be for naught.

Feelings of discouragement are common in any business and are likely to arise from time to time. If you are going to reach any level of success, it’s important to remember the reasons you entered this business, to understand that what you’re going through is only temporary, and to keep a positive outlook for the future.

There are many ways to keep a positive attitude including motivational websites, books, and a variety of techniques you can use to help get through those “slumps,” including meditation and listening to uplifting music. Whatever method you use, it’s important to acknowledge what’s going on, and to keep moving forward toward your goals with a positive attitude.

Tip 26: When You Make a Mistake

Professionalism demands that we do the best job we possibly can. But mistakes will happen. We’ll flub a word, get stuck on a phrase or just not be happy with our performance. When this happens, it’s easy to get upset with ourselves, our equipment, or just the situation in general.

But getting angry, yelling at our gear—or the script—is counterproductive. Not only does this perpetuate the situation, but it can also have a detrimental effect on our performance from that point forward.

So, what’s the solution?

One of the simplest ways to deal with mistakes is to simply stay calm, take a deep breath, acknowledge what has happened and correct the error. Focusing on the mistake will only make things worse. Instead of thinking about how bad the mistake was, change the way you think to be more like how you can do better next time. This subtle change in your thought process will allow you to remain focused and be less distracted when mistakes occur.

When mistakes happen, choose to use them as opportunities to improve your craft and hone your skills.

Tip 27: Have Fun

Voiceover work can be like getting paid to play. Whether you’re working from your home studio or at a recording studio, your auditions and sessions will go more smoothly when you are relaxed, prepared, and ready to perform.

When you approach your voiceover business from an attitude of having fun and enjoying what you do, your marketing and every new session or audition, and your dealings with clients will be easier and more productive. If you look at your voiceover work as a struggle... it will be. It’s as simple as that.

Be Easy on Yourself

As you begin your study of voiceover, I would highly recommend that you record yourself reading copy every chance you get. What you hear as you listen to your recorded voice may surprise you—and for good reason. When you speak, you are not actually hearing your own voice in the same way others do. Much of what you hear is actually resonance of vibrations from your vocal cords traveling through your body and bones to your inner ear. When other people hear you, they don’t get the advantage of that nice resonance. The way your voice sounds to other people is what you hear when your voice is played back from a recording.

Recording yourself is easy. At this stage, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on building a home studio. The time for that will come later. For now, your cell phone or a computer with a webcam and microphone, and a basic recording app or software will do the job.

Practice reading out loud—the newspaper, magazine articles, pages from a novel—anything that tells a story. Record yourself reading a few short paragraphs. Begin by reading as if you were simply reading out loud to someone. Observe how you breathe as you read. Listen to yourself to hear if you read with a monotone or if you tell the story with vocal variety.

Now change your interpretation of the story. Pretend you are a different person with a different attitude. If your first read-through was up-beat and friendly, this time go for the opposite—serious and dramatic. If your first read-through was fast, this time slow down.

Again, observe how you breathe and listen for changes in the vocal variety of your delivery. When you change the component parts of your delivery, you should hear noticeable differences with each read-through.

Each time you read the story, make some adjustments. Change the pitch of your voice, speak louder or softer, and vary the dynamics of pacing, rhythm, and emotion. Practice looking for important elements of the story and explore different ways of making those parts interesting. As you work on this, you will begin to discover many things about yourself as a performer and you will be scratching the surface of what it takes to create interesting and compelling characters.

One of the best ways to learn this craft is to study voiceover work at every opportunity. Observe how VO professionals delivery their lines. Don’t try to be the other performer, but rather imitate their tone of voice, attitude, vocal placement, pacing and phrasing. Notice what feels right and what doesn't seem to work for you. This process will help you to discover how various performing techniques work and will ultimately help you to develop your personal style.

Listen to your recordings to evaluate what you are doing. Don’t be concerned about what your voice sounds like or getting the words exactly right. Remember, it’s not about your voice... it’s about what you can do with your voice. At this stage of developing your performing skills, it’s more important to focus on what it feels like as you work on your reading. The rest will come in time.

Recording and listening to yourself can be an enjoyable process and a great learning experience that helps give you an awareness of what you are doing with your voice.

Be as objective as you can. Make notes about the things you would like to improve and practice the exercises and techniques in this book. Most of all, don’t be in a hurry. If you give yourself the time to master this craft, the results will be well worth the effort.

¹ Wilson, J. (2000). The 3-Dimensional Voice. San Diego: Blue Loon Press.

² Berry, C. (1973). Voice and the Actor. New York: Macmillan.

³ Kehoe, T D. (1997). Stuttering: Science, Therapy and Practice. Boulder: Casa Futura Technologies.

⁴ Beaupré, J. (1994). Broadcast Voice Exercises. Los Angeles: Broadcast Voice Books.

⁵ Barnett, Jeff. How Long Does it Take to Get Hydrated? https://breakingmuscle.com/healthy-eating/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-hydrated

⁶ Heather Logan-Sprenger and Lawrence Spriet. The Acute Effects of Fluid Intake on Urine Specific Gravity and Fluid Retention in a Mildly Dehydrated State. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: April 2013. Vol 27. Issue 4. p1002–1008. doi: 10.1519/JSC.