Voice of the Family Member
For this task, I'll be using my step mum, Jenny, as my subject.
What kind of tone is the voice: She has quite an extensive range of tone in her voice.
How fast or slow do they speak: Slow, clear, and concise. Get's faster the angrier, or agitated she gets.
Do they pause a lot: No, she's often told "Take a breath"
Do they find it hard to project: Professionally, No. Personally, Yes. She's a lot more shy and quieter.
Do they articulate their words: Yes
What is their pitch like: She's definitely not monotonous, she has a varied pitch depending on person/animal circumstance.
Do they emphasise certain words: No
Do they speak in one tone: No
Do they have specific difficulties when pronouncing certain words: No, she has a large vocabulary in several languages.
Do I like their voice: Yes, it's powerful, it's empathic, and very articulate.
Do I dislike their voice: No, I find myself more likely to talk to her, she's always passionate with what she talks about, and her tone of voice matches the mood of the conversation.
Is her voice loud/voluminous: Yes, more times than often, she's been told "Stop shouting" even when she's not.
Is the voice quiet: At times.
Is the voice deep: No.
Is it high/low: It's kind of in-between, but with more feminine traits opposed to masculine.
Is it strong: Yes.
Is it weak: No.
Is it shaky: No.
Is it husky: No.
Is it crisp: Yes.
Is it clipped: No.
Is it drowning: It can be, she can be overpowering.
Is it nasal: No.
Is it squeaky: No.
Is it crackly: No.
Is it raspy: No.
Is it distorted: Only by accents.
Voice of the Famous Person
For this task, I'll be using Nicole Kidman as my subject.
What kind of tone is her voice: Same as my step mum, She has quite an extensive range of tone in her voice.
How fast or slow do they speak: Same again, Slow, clear, and concise.
Do they pause a lot: Yes.
Do they find it hard to project: Sometimes.
Do they articulate their words: Yes.
What is their pitch like: She's quite clear.
Do they emphasise certain words: Yes.
Do they speak in one tone: No
Do they have specific difficulties when pronouncing certain words: No.
Do I like their voice: Yes, I find it calm, passionate, and articulate.
Do I dislike their voice: No, it has a soft and gentle tone which I find very relaxing and assuring. Even if she read the phone book, it would sound the same.
Is her voice loud/voluminous: Sometimes.
Is the voice quiet: At times.
Is the voice deep: No.
Is it high/low: Like my step-mum, it's kind of in-between, but with more feminine traits opposed to masculine.
Is it strong: Yes.
Is it weak: No.
Is it shaky: No.
Is it husky: No.
Is it crisp: Yes.
Is it clipped: No.
Is it drowning: Yes.
Is it nasal: No.
Is it squeaky: No.
Is it crackly: No.
Is it raspy: No.
Is it distorted: No.
Tuesday 1 December 2015
Voice and the Actor Assignment 1 - Entry 2: Personal Voice Assessment
How do I rate my Voice?
The rating system for this task started with 1 being the lowest or labelled 'Strongly Disagree', and 5 being the highest or labelled 'Strongly Agree'.
Question one asked if I have a good, clear voice production. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 5 out of 5, so I strongly agreed with myself that I have the ability to produce a good, clear voice.
Question two asked if I think I have good articulation. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 4 out of 5, so I agreed with myself that I can correctly pronounce words.
Question three asked if I think I have a good pace with my voice. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 4 out of 5, so I agree that I can produce a voice with a fast or slow tempo with control and fluency.
Question four asked if I think I have a good variety of tone and pitch with my voice. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 5 out of 5, so I strongly agree that I can produce and create a strong, powerful, loud voice with control and I can also create a good tone of voice alongside.
Question five asked if I think I have a good breath control. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 5 out of 5, so I strongly agree that I can have a large amount of breath control when speaking so that there are no pauses in my dialogue unintentionally.
Why did I rate myself with these results?
For all of these questions that I have answered, I gave myself very honest high ratings. I did this because I do have a very strong, clear and understandable voice. I think that my hard work in terms of fitness also helps, but more so within the breath control. By going to gym and building on my muscles, specifically on my back, it makes my overall posture much better than others. This allows me to breathe properly whilst performing, have very good projection, and also to physically stand tall and have a stronger stage presence when among others.
The rating system for this task started with 1 being the lowest or labelled 'Strongly Disagree', and 5 being the highest or labelled 'Strongly Agree'.
Question one asked if I have a good, clear voice production. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 5 out of 5, so I strongly agreed with myself that I have the ability to produce a good, clear voice.
Question two asked if I think I have good articulation. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 4 out of 5, so I agreed with myself that I can correctly pronounce words.
Question three asked if I think I have a good pace with my voice. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 4 out of 5, so I agree that I can produce a voice with a fast or slow tempo with control and fluency.
Question four asked if I think I have a good variety of tone and pitch with my voice. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 5 out of 5, so I strongly agree that I can produce and create a strong, powerful, loud voice with control and I can also create a good tone of voice alongside.
Question five asked if I think I have a good breath control. To this, I answered and rated myself with a 5 out of 5, so I strongly agree that I can have a large amount of breath control when speaking so that there are no pauses in my dialogue unintentionally.
Why did I rate myself with these results?
For all of these questions that I have answered, I gave myself very honest high ratings. I did this because I do have a very strong, clear and understandable voice. I think that my hard work in terms of fitness also helps, but more so within the breath control. By going to gym and building on my muscles, specifically on my back, it makes my overall posture much better than others. This allows me to breathe properly whilst performing, have very good projection, and also to physically stand tall and have a stronger stage presence when among others.
Voice and the Actor Assignment 1 - Entry 1: Analysis of the Voice
What are the characteristics of my voice?
I think that I'm very well spoken, I portray a typical British accent. I'm very precise in my wording, I have the ability to enhance my voice with emotion. I have a good command of the English language. My tone is good and my diction is clear. I am quite articulate. I have good posture - which contributes towards my breathing, which originates mainly from my fitness level. My vocal 'colour' is focussed. My weakness is articulating the tones of sadness, and upset etc.
I have a habit of, when being chastised, muttering under my own breath comebacks towards what the other person is saying. I speak at a medium pace, but, when placed in a scenario where I'm upset or angry, my pace is accelerated. I think I vary my rhythm, I speak at the same pace as my peers, depending on the situation, circumstance, and topic of conversation. My pitch is strong and precise because of how well I hold myself - due to the fact of my fitness levels, which ensures correct posture. My fitness levels also enables me to breathe correctly, which in turn, ensures me to complete my sentences without sounding rushed and/or short of breath. Where required, I can display dramatic pauses - an example for me, was when I performed the monologue by Skin-Lad in our performance of Jim Cartwright's play named 'Road'.
Unless I'm 100% dedicated to I'm saying, my confidence can falter, leaving my voice quieter and unsure in tone. In articulation, I have a weakness sounding the letter 'r'. I am able to project my own voice depending on the environment of the performance taking place. At times, I can sound monotonous. Because of my current home environment, I have been exposed to a larger vocabulary, more adult interactions, which, in turn, has increased my confidence in front of any audience. Although both of my biological parents are from the north of the UK, I don't in fact possess any of the vocal mannerisms that they would use. I do have a weakness with some accents, a strong example would be the Northern accent in-particular.
In what ways do these vocal qualities benefit and/or hinder me as a stage performer?
I guess all of these vocal qualities benefit my own performance(s) in a way, since it portrays my own vocal stage persona. However, it also hinders me since, because of my weakness with accents and sometimes sounding monotonous, I feel that it reduces my overall presence on stage when compared to other actors who can do accents and not sound monotonous.
What vocal exercises might be suitable for building on my strengths and weaknesses?
Exercise 1: Producing A Humming Sound
By performing a humming sound through the use of, primarily, my throat, it would allow my vocal folds to warm up, resulting in any preparation for my vocalisation performance to enhance.
Evaluation For Exercise
Performing this exercise does definitely make your throat feel a lot clearer, this along with having a drink of water is a great combination. Projecting words also left my voice less strained than if I had said them without having done the exercise.
Exercise 2: Stretching The Muscles
This isn't necessarily a vocal exercise, but it contributes to the delivery of the voice and gives you more focus.
Doing some simple bodily stretches increased the overall movement within my body, since it released any unwanted tensions within it. It had also given me much more energy and had also increased my overall focus towards both my physical posture and the vocal folds, for better articulation both physically and vocally.
Evaluation For Exercise
Since I go to the gym and exercise quite often throughout the week, I do feel a bit of tension and stress within my muscles around my body. After having done quite a few stretches all around, I felt much more active for any later activities I'd performed, since my body had felt free of movement with no obstacles, such as the stress and tension.
Exercise 3: The Spinal Role
Through doing this, I can maintain a more steady physical body posture and also keep a strong breathing pattern. To start off the exercise, you have to bend your upper body down towards the ground, with knees bent. After doing this, you can choose to flop around your arms, and then after you slowly rise up to correct posture with your head being the final thing to be correctly aligned/balanced.
Evaluation For Exercise:
It had made me become much more energetic in what we were going to be achieveing in this process. My body had felt a lot more relaxed post spinal role compared to before. My body also felt a lot more warmer than before, maybe to do with the spinal role and letting all of the blood go through all of the areas in my body.
What other Vocal exercises will improve your technique? Why?
Exercising your voice every day
It's a common misconception that taking voice lessons will automatically improve your vocal ability. One time, you may hear Simon Cowell on Britain's Got Talent/American Idol, or even your teacher at school, recommend vocal lessons. There is definitely validity in this, however, you have to put forth the effort to make this worthwhile, even singing along to your favourite song won't do it.
I ask myself one question during this analysis: "How can I improve my voice?"
The answer to this question is: Exercise, regularly!
If someone wants to become a stronger vocalist in performance, by having increased vocal range and able to control it with ease, they have to exercise their voice daily. The Vocal Cords are a muscle in the Human Body. Like every other muscle in the Human Body, you will not gain any strength and/or stamina by not working them out regularly.
The Vocal Cords are a unique instrument to use, especially as an actor in a performance. If someone doesn't exercise their Vocal Cords regularly, they will have trouble projecting their voice more than if they had done exercises for it, which inevitably improves that actors performance in vocal terms.
You should work out your voice at least 20 minutes daily (at minimum). As time goes by, and the voice seems to be improving, extend the exercise to 40 minutes or an hour daily.
Alexander Technique
To achieve good posture, a person must remain focused and draw all of their attention to their mind where the building point of good posture begins. With this being said, there is a good posture building technique used frequently for actors in the Performing Arts Industry called the Alexander Technique.
The Alexander Technique is a way of learning how to move mindfully through life. The Alexander process shines a light on inefficient habits of movement and patterns of accumulated tension, which interferes with the body's innate ability to move easily and according to how it was designed. It's a simple, yet powerful approach that offers the opportunity to take charge of one's own learning and healing process, because it's not a series of passive treatments, but an active exploration that changes the way one thinks and responds in activity. It produces a skill set that can be applied in every situation. Lessons using this technique leaves one feeling lighter, freer and more grounded.
Excess tension in the body can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms and it can interfere with the body's ability to perform activities well. Therefore it is not surprising that actors use the Alexander Technique because they are in physical pain (backaches, sore neck/shoulders etc.) and/or because they are performers, much like myself, who want to increase the quality of their singing, playing, acting or dancing.
This technique is along the lines similar to doing meditation exercises, they both relieved my body of unwanted stress and tension, but doing the 'Alexander Technique' had made my body and voice feel much lighter in terms of weight.
This was more obvious to me compared to my voice overall, since I have quite a deep voice, and whenever I spoke, to me, it just felt a lot more lighter and easier to talk than it did prior to performing the 'Alexander Technique'. I think the reason that my overall voice production is a lot easier to develop is because my body is in a full relaxed state, much like when I'm sleeping. To further evidence this point, in the past, there have been occasions where I've heard one of my family members talking in their sleep, and when listening to their voice, it had sounded much more lighter and well developed than normal, when they are fully awake. This may have been the same possible effect that I've experienced after having done the Alexander Technique and it makes me realise that if I do this more often in the future, my voice overall will improve.
Perhaps the main challenge facing actors and performers, in general, is stage fright. As the fear increases, the breathing of the individual becomes shallow, and the body also becomes tense and fixed. The Alexander Technique is a form of stress management that generates an inner calm, and a capacity for coping with performance anxiety without freezing. The technique also heightens the ability to incorporate character roles, and enhances stage presence.
The Alexander Technique originated as a practical method to sort out Alexanders personal voice problems. Today, the same technique is still used to eradicate breathing difficulties, avoid vocal strain, generate resonance and improve tonal quality. Vocalists often overexert themselves in an effort to achieve results. Through the Alexander Technique, they learn that less effort brings better results.
Humming a Still Tone
For this exercise, I was required to hum a random still tone which was both best suited for my vocal cords and for me to be able to execute for the longest time.
For the purpose of this exercise, I had chosen to do a deep sounding still tone, since this is the register of voice that I have, resulting in me to be able to go the longest due to being used to that pitch of voice. I had performed this exercise twice with the second time doing a different still tone that wasn't suited to my vocal production. For this, I had chosen to do a high pitched still tone, which had cracked at some points, resulting in the air that I'd inhaled to be wasted since I didn't expect it to happen. Doing this did give me a weird feeling in my throat also after I had performed it, which could mean that my vocal cords either didn't like me doing it or it was trying to get used to that pitch, and due to it vibrating much more, it started to give a weird sensation.
“Why fly so high?”
With this exercise, you to project your voice by performing with different tones and pitches of voice using both your Nasal and Oral Cavity.
The lines you have to say are:
"Why fly so high? Said Naughty Nora, whilst eating an apple, with Zoe the Zebra in the Zoo"
I think that I'm very well spoken, I portray a typical British accent. I'm very precise in my wording, I have the ability to enhance my voice with emotion. I have a good command of the English language. My tone is good and my diction is clear. I am quite articulate. I have good posture - which contributes towards my breathing, which originates mainly from my fitness level. My vocal 'colour' is focussed. My weakness is articulating the tones of sadness, and upset etc.
I have a habit of, when being chastised, muttering under my own breath comebacks towards what the other person is saying. I speak at a medium pace, but, when placed in a scenario where I'm upset or angry, my pace is accelerated. I think I vary my rhythm, I speak at the same pace as my peers, depending on the situation, circumstance, and topic of conversation. My pitch is strong and precise because of how well I hold myself - due to the fact of my fitness levels, which ensures correct posture. My fitness levels also enables me to breathe correctly, which in turn, ensures me to complete my sentences without sounding rushed and/or short of breath. Where required, I can display dramatic pauses - an example for me, was when I performed the monologue by Skin-Lad in our performance of Jim Cartwright's play named 'Road'.
Unless I'm 100% dedicated to I'm saying, my confidence can falter, leaving my voice quieter and unsure in tone. In articulation, I have a weakness sounding the letter 'r'. I am able to project my own voice depending on the environment of the performance taking place. At times, I can sound monotonous. Because of my current home environment, I have been exposed to a larger vocabulary, more adult interactions, which, in turn, has increased my confidence in front of any audience. Although both of my biological parents are from the north of the UK, I don't in fact possess any of the vocal mannerisms that they would use. I do have a weakness with some accents, a strong example would be the Northern accent in-particular.
In what ways do these vocal qualities benefit and/or hinder me as a stage performer?
I guess all of these vocal qualities benefit my own performance(s) in a way, since it portrays my own vocal stage persona. However, it also hinders me since, because of my weakness with accents and sometimes sounding monotonous, I feel that it reduces my overall presence on stage when compared to other actors who can do accents and not sound monotonous.
What vocal exercises might be suitable for building on my strengths and weaknesses?
Exercise 1: Producing A Humming Sound
By performing a humming sound through the use of, primarily, my throat, it would allow my vocal folds to warm up, resulting in any preparation for my vocalisation performance to enhance.
Evaluation For Exercise
Performing this exercise does definitely make your throat feel a lot clearer, this along with having a drink of water is a great combination. Projecting words also left my voice less strained than if I had said them without having done the exercise.
Exercise 2: Stretching The Muscles
This isn't necessarily a vocal exercise, but it contributes to the delivery of the voice and gives you more focus.
Doing some simple bodily stretches increased the overall movement within my body, since it released any unwanted tensions within it. It had also given me much more energy and had also increased my overall focus towards both my physical posture and the vocal folds, for better articulation both physically and vocally.
Evaluation For Exercise
Since I go to the gym and exercise quite often throughout the week, I do feel a bit of tension and stress within my muscles around my body. After having done quite a few stretches all around, I felt much more active for any later activities I'd performed, since my body had felt free of movement with no obstacles, such as the stress and tension.
Exercise 3: The Spinal Role
Through doing this, I can maintain a more steady physical body posture and also keep a strong breathing pattern. To start off the exercise, you have to bend your upper body down towards the ground, with knees bent. After doing this, you can choose to flop around your arms, and then after you slowly rise up to correct posture with your head being the final thing to be correctly aligned/balanced.
Evaluation For Exercise:
It had made me become much more energetic in what we were going to be achieveing in this process. My body had felt a lot more relaxed post spinal role compared to before. My body also felt a lot more warmer than before, maybe to do with the spinal role and letting all of the blood go through all of the areas in my body.
What other Vocal exercises will improve your technique? Why?
Exercising your voice every day
It's a common misconception that taking voice lessons will automatically improve your vocal ability. One time, you may hear Simon Cowell on Britain's Got Talent/American Idol, or even your teacher at school, recommend vocal lessons. There is definitely validity in this, however, you have to put forth the effort to make this worthwhile, even singing along to your favourite song won't do it.
I ask myself one question during this analysis: "How can I improve my voice?"
The answer to this question is: Exercise, regularly!
If someone wants to become a stronger vocalist in performance, by having increased vocal range and able to control it with ease, they have to exercise their voice daily. The Vocal Cords are a muscle in the Human Body. Like every other muscle in the Human Body, you will not gain any strength and/or stamina by not working them out regularly.
The Vocal Cords are a unique instrument to use, especially as an actor in a performance. If someone doesn't exercise their Vocal Cords regularly, they will have trouble projecting their voice more than if they had done exercises for it, which inevitably improves that actors performance in vocal terms.
You should work out your voice at least 20 minutes daily (at minimum). As time goes by, and the voice seems to be improving, extend the exercise to 40 minutes or an hour daily.
Alexander Technique
To achieve good posture, a person must remain focused and draw all of their attention to their mind where the building point of good posture begins. With this being said, there is a good posture building technique used frequently for actors in the Performing Arts Industry called the Alexander Technique.
The Alexander Technique is a way of learning how to move mindfully through life. The Alexander process shines a light on inefficient habits of movement and patterns of accumulated tension, which interferes with the body's innate ability to move easily and according to how it was designed. It's a simple, yet powerful approach that offers the opportunity to take charge of one's own learning and healing process, because it's not a series of passive treatments, but an active exploration that changes the way one thinks and responds in activity. It produces a skill set that can be applied in every situation. Lessons using this technique leaves one feeling lighter, freer and more grounded.
Excess tension in the body can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms and it can interfere with the body's ability to perform activities well. Therefore it is not surprising that actors use the Alexander Technique because they are in physical pain (backaches, sore neck/shoulders etc.) and/or because they are performers, much like myself, who want to increase the quality of their singing, playing, acting or dancing.
This technique is along the lines similar to doing meditation exercises, they both relieved my body of unwanted stress and tension, but doing the 'Alexander Technique' had made my body and voice feel much lighter in terms of weight.
This was more obvious to me compared to my voice overall, since I have quite a deep voice, and whenever I spoke, to me, it just felt a lot more lighter and easier to talk than it did prior to performing the 'Alexander Technique'. I think the reason that my overall voice production is a lot easier to develop is because my body is in a full relaxed state, much like when I'm sleeping. To further evidence this point, in the past, there have been occasions where I've heard one of my family members talking in their sleep, and when listening to their voice, it had sounded much more lighter and well developed than normal, when they are fully awake. This may have been the same possible effect that I've experienced after having done the Alexander Technique and it makes me realise that if I do this more often in the future, my voice overall will improve.
Perhaps the main challenge facing actors and performers, in general, is stage fright. As the fear increases, the breathing of the individual becomes shallow, and the body also becomes tense and fixed. The Alexander Technique is a form of stress management that generates an inner calm, and a capacity for coping with performance anxiety without freezing. The technique also heightens the ability to incorporate character roles, and enhances stage presence.
The Alexander Technique originated as a practical method to sort out Alexanders personal voice problems. Today, the same technique is still used to eradicate breathing difficulties, avoid vocal strain, generate resonance and improve tonal quality. Vocalists often overexert themselves in an effort to achieve results. Through the Alexander Technique, they learn that less effort brings better results.
Humming a Still Tone
For this exercise, I was required to hum a random still tone which was both best suited for my vocal cords and for me to be able to execute for the longest time.
For the purpose of this exercise, I had chosen to do a deep sounding still tone, since this is the register of voice that I have, resulting in me to be able to go the longest due to being used to that pitch of voice. I had performed this exercise twice with the second time doing a different still tone that wasn't suited to my vocal production. For this, I had chosen to do a high pitched still tone, which had cracked at some points, resulting in the air that I'd inhaled to be wasted since I didn't expect it to happen. Doing this did give me a weird feeling in my throat also after I had performed it, which could mean that my vocal cords either didn't like me doing it or it was trying to get used to that pitch, and due to it vibrating much more, it started to give a weird sensation.
“Why fly so high?”
With this exercise, you to project your voice by performing with different tones and pitches of voice using both your Nasal and Oral Cavity.
The lines you have to say are:
"Why fly so high? Said Naughty Nora, whilst eating an apple, with Zoe the Zebra in the Zoo"
(High/Light Voice) (Blocked Nasal) (Open, Deep voice) (Beating the upper chest)
For the "Why fly so high" part of the exercise, when trying to project a high/light voice, it did
feel like my voice was 'braking' since I naturally have a very deep voice, but after having done
the exercise again, I did manage to successfully pull of a high/light voice for the purpose of this
part of the so called song.
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