Play With Your Voice. Go Ahead.

Being playful with our voice is not something we get to do too often as adults.  Why?  Certainly we all have close friends, family, and loved ones we can "let go" with, no? When a four year old wants to stay outside a little longer, we have no problem hearing it in their voice.  When an infant is hungry, there is no question that their scream stems from a deep connection to their need.  As we become more social and tied to the mores of our culture and community, most of us lose our connection to our voice.  Yet, the voice is one of the most telling signs of how we truly perceive and feel.  Have you ever noticed that man who is very tall and commanding in stature yet has a puny, disconnected voice? (Sorry Mike Bloomberg, but that's you.) How about that woman who is about five feet two with a minnie mouse quality to her voice? Sure, maybe you expect that on some level from her, but most likely it isn't what we call her optimal pitch.  It is her habitual pitch.  When the voice is not aligned with the look of the person or the words they choose in their message, it is hard to get others to believe in us.  I think one of the keys to gaining a wider range and richer connection to our vocal presence is to play with our voice.  Make siren noises.  Let your voice glide up and down a scale even if it isn't pitch perfect.  Let the sound vibrate in your cheeks, or noise, your lips.  Just have plain old fun and watch the variety of voice change.  After years of personal development and vocal classes that have focused on vocal impact, I can tell you, it's worth it.  For you and your communication.  To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week (a separate weekly message), please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.