It’s widely accepted that a specific written goal is a great motivator. What would you like your voice to do for you that it isn’t delivering at the moment?
Realistically, you may not achieve your goal for some time. Keep motivated by focusing on what small things you can do today towards your goal. A regular written record of small achievements and how your voice is improving will also be encouraging.
‘In the official assessment after my first teaching practice the volume and range of my voice was identified as a significant area for development. I had great difficulty in projecting my voice and I suffered from sore throats. This was causing me to feel tense, which in turn reduced the effectiveness of my voice even further. After practising White’s Technique regularly, I have just completed a six-week teaching practice in which my voice was assessed as centred and pleasant to listen to, and no longer a target for improvement. My projection and volume have improved, as has the clarity of my voice. I have also learnt good posture and breathing, and acquired more confidence in myself. I would recommend White’s Technique to anyone needing to develop their voice for public speaking.’ (Milena A., teacher)
Colleagues or friends doing the course can also help motivate you. Remember, though, that no two people will improve at the same speed, so don’t get disheartened if others seem to be progressing faster than you.
Perseverance
Today’s world increasingly expects everything to happen instantly, but getting good at anything needs practice. Developing your Better Voice is no exception. Have a growth mindset, and believe that you can improve.
Especially early on you may feel you’re not achieving change fast enough, but the programme of voice exercises will work for you if you persevere.
A quiet space where you can sit upright and practise undisturbed
You might have to be a bit creative in finding a suitable quiet space. If it is not easy to practise at home you might be able to go round to a friend’s. Alternatively, there’s the bathroom (which usually comes with a built-in seat and a good acoustic) or the car parked somewhere quiet (again with a built-in seat but a poor acoustic). Or you might find a spot at work out of hours.
In your quiet space you will need:
An upright chair
A chair or seat you can sit upright on is important, because sitting allows you to be more physically and mentally relaxed while you practise.
A mirror
It’s useful to watch yourself as you do the exercises. Hand-held mirrors can cause muscle tensions that transmit to your voice production, so use one you can stand on a surface. The larger the better, but you should at least be able to see your mouth, tongue and facial expression. And a three-mirror arrangement from an old-fashioned dressing table (or while you’re in the changing room of a clothes shop) will allow you to monitor yourself from all sides.
Water
Regular sips will be helpful during your practice to keep your vocal folds and mouth lubricated.
And don’t forget to switch your phone off before you start!
Time slots for regular practice
Plan ahead and identify a daily time slot each day (not necessarily the same time each day) for practice. Fifteen minutes would be ideal. As life is rarely ideal you may not always manage that. But do practise every day, even if it’s only for a very few minutes. Little and often is the best approach to reprogramming your voice. A single weekly catch-up session will not achieve the same amount of progress.
Apparently if you do something 14 times consecutively it becomes a habit – bad news for the doughnut with morning coffee, but it does mean it’s possible to establish a regular practice habit in a couple of weeks.
You are probably chronically time-poor. But even a small amount of daily practice will produce results – though obviously not as quickly as if you were practising for longer. You may want to consider replacing a little of an existing activity with practice time: it’s your decision which is the more important.
Although you should always use your quiet space when you start a new exercise, so that you can concentrate better, you can also top-up your formal exercise sessions with practice while you’re doing something else. Try building automatic associations between voice exercises and, for example, making a hot drink, having a shower, or sitting in a traffic jam. Five 3-minute slots a day could at least double your daily practice time.
If you are a singer
If you sing regularly, in any genre, it’s best to take a break until your Better Voice is established. Slipping back into your old ways in a familiar environment – especially a choir where it’s difficult to hear your own voice – will slow your progress.
If a break isn’t possible, do try to stay aware when singing of how you are using your voice.
If you enjoy singing to yourself around the house, for now hum the songs (in the way you will be learning) instead of singing them.
Note: Better Voice is not a medical treatment. If there is a possibility you have voice problems with a medical cause (such as a physical abnormality of the vocal tract or a psychogenic voice disorder), always consult your doctor first.
It’s widely accepted that a specific written goal is a great motivator. What would you like your voice to do for you that it isn’t delivering at the moment?
Realistically, you may not achieve your goal for some time. Keep motivated by focusing on what small things you can do today towards your goal. A regular written record of small achievements and how your voice is improving will also be encouraging.
‘In the official assessment after my first teaching practice the volume and range of my voice was identified as a significant area for development. I had great difficulty in projecting my voice and I suffered from sore throats. This was causing me to feel tense, which in turn reduced the effectiveness of my voice even further. After practising White’s Technique regularly, I have just completed a six-week teaching practice in which my voice was assessed as centred and pleasant to listen to, and no longer a target for improvement. My projection and volume have improved, as has the clarity of my voice. I have also learnt good posture and breathing, and acquired more confidence in myself. I would recommend White’s Technique to anyone needing to develop their voice for public speaking.’ (Milena A., teacher)
Colleagues or friends doing the course can also help motivate you. Remember, though, that no two people will improve at the same speed, so don’t get disheartened if others seem to be progressing faster than you.
Perseverance
Today’s world increasingly expects everything to happen instantly, but getting good at anything needs practice. Developing your Better Voice is no exception. Have a growth mindset, and believe that you can improve.
Especially early on you may feel you’re not achieving change fast enough, but the programme of voice exercises will work for you if you persevere.
A quiet space where you can sit upright and practise undisturbed
You might have to be a bit creative in finding a suitable quiet space. If it is not easy to practise at home you might be able to go round to a friend’s. Alternatively, there’s the bathroom (which usually comes with a built-in seat and a good acoustic) or the car parked somewhere quiet (again with a built-in seat but a poor acoustic). Or you might find a spot at work out of hours.
In your quiet space you will need:
An upright chair
A chair or seat you can sit upright on is important, because sitting allows you to be more physically and mentally relaxed while you practise.
A mirror
It’s useful to watch yourself as you do the exercises. Hand-held mirrors can cause muscle tensions that transmit to your voice production, so use one you can stand on a surface. The larger the better, but you should at least be able to see your mouth, tongue and facial expression. And a three-mirror arrangement from an old-fashioned dressing table (or while you’re in the changing room of a clothes shop) will allow you to monitor yourself from all sides.
Water
Regular sips will be helpful during your practice to keep your vocal folds and mouth lubricated.
And don’t forget to switch your phone off before you start!
Time slots for regular practice
Plan ahead and identify a daily time slot each day (not necessarily the same time each day) for practice. Fifteen minutes would be ideal. As life is rarely ideal you may not always manage that. But do practise every day, even if it’s only for a very few minutes. Little and often is the best approach to reprogramming your voice. A single weekly catch-up session will not achieve the same amount of progress.
Apparently if you do something 14 times consecutively it becomes a habit – bad news for the doughnut with morning coffee, but it does mean it’s possible to establish a regular practice habit in a couple of weeks.
You are probably chronically time-poor. But even a small amount of daily practice will produce results – though obviously not as quickly as if you were practising for longer. You may want to consider replacing a little of an existing activity with practice time: it’s your decision which is the more important.
Although you should always use your quiet space when you start a new exercise, so that you can concentrate better, you can also top-up your formal exercise sessions with practice while you’re doing something else. Try building automatic associations between voice exercises and, for example, making a hot drink, having a shower, or sitting in a traffic jam. Five 3-minute slots a day could at least double your daily practice time.
If you are a singer
If you sing regularly, in any genre, it’s best to take a break until your Better Voice is established. Slipping back into your old ways in a familiar environment – especially a choir where it’s difficult to hear your own voice – will slow your progress.
If a break isn’t possible, do try to stay aware when singing of how you are using your voice.
If you enjoy singing to yourself around the house, for now hum the songs (in the way you will be learning) instead of singing them.
Note: Better Voice is not a medical treatment. If there is a possibility you have voice problems with a medical cause (such as a physical abnormality of the vocal tract or a psychogenic voice disorder), always consult your doctor first.
