This is a problem when running a course of more than one day as my voice often gets croaky. A fellow Trainer also experiences the same. Of course adding activities helps give my voice a break but is not always suitable, and I do get the delegates to discuss topics but still need to facilitate that.
Does anyone have any tips around this? Are there any techniques you know to avoid voice loss? What cures do you know of? I have tried drinking lots of water but then need frequent natural breaks which is not convenient!
Zoe Horwood
12 Responses
Are you using your voice correctly?
I have had a similar problem for the last year and for me I know it is because I use my voice incorrectly. The way you breathe and position your vocal cords is very important. If you do it correctly then speaking should be almost effortless. Straining them will gradually wear out the voice.
I’ve just started to use Set Your Voice Free by R. Love to see if I can improve. It’s a bit too early to tell yet, but having read the theory it seems very sound and backs up a lot of what I learned previously in singing classes. The other thing is to see what classes are offered by local drama schools etc. A lot of these do voice for business courses that are often inexpensive. Good luck!
Voice
Zoe
Here are a couple of web sites with tips:
http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/voice_tips.htm
http://kerrymccall.com/tips.html
You might also like to consider finding out more about the Alexander technique – developed by an Australian actor who kept losing his voice. As a start try:
http://www.stat.org.uk/pages/historypage.htm
My main tip is to talk less – listen more, use fewer words, speak more slowly and design in more group work. I appreciate that some training requires a fair degree of input and instruction. And, as you say, even facilitation requires some words. However, if you can get the group doing more that usually has benefits for the learning as well as your voice.
One final tip, go to a good pharmasist and ask for some (liquorice) imps. Actors use these to revive their tired voices – they really do work.
Hope this helps
Graham
Voice
Zoe,
I often suffer with the same problem, I have found a drink of warm lemon water, with a slice of ginger and a spoonful of brown sugar really helps to keep my throat and voice from becoming sore and dry, which then leads to me sounding like a croaky duck!!
I tend to mix up a bottle of the drink first thing in the morning and drink it throughout the day, it’s also nice when it’s cooled down.
happy training!!
Buffy Sparks
I use
Try Vocalzone from any good chemist. No drugs, just natural ingredients. They work for me
no ice
Don’t drink water with ice in it – it tightens up the vocal chords. Agree about the breathing from previous posts – you’re probably using your throat rather than your diaphragm.
It’s all in the breath!
I agree with Jane. Abdominal breathing is the key to keeping your voice in top condition.
I strongly recommend reading ‘Your Voice’ by Andrew Armitage. It is a nice slim volume which I have found has helped a number of my clients.
Personally I find drinking sparkling mineral water helps my voice more than still or tap.
Steer clear of orange juice… it makes you salivate!
voice loss
Another great recommendation from a singing tutor is pineapple juice to keep throat clear
regards
Steph
Sounds daft but…
I know that this might sound daft but… stop talking! I am actually quite serious. A great facilitator should be doing only about 10 – 20% of the talking max. It’s the students who should, in my humble opinion, be doing most of the talking.
Dave
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don’t talk less (necessarily…)
…Breathe more!
One of the biggest strains on the voice is when you continue talking when you feel you have ‘run out of breath’. Often this happens when people are talking too fast and literally don’t take time to breathe. This can make the voice sound croaky and feel quite sore. If you slow down and take more time to breathe, the added benefit will be that you will be easier to understand and follow.
Your voice naturally should work all day long with no pain as long as it is used correctly. As a singing teacher and a trainer, I would recommend doing some sessions with a voice coach or singing teacher. There won’t be a magic fix as your vocal habits are probably quite ingrained, but with some practice, you should find there is a distinct improvement.
Additionally, all the other advice about drinking lots will help, as would trying to ensure that you don’t spend time in dry or smokey environments – the vocal folds (chords) have a high water content, and if you get dehydrated, you are more likely to feel croaky.
The only other tip I would give is to warm up your voice before a day’s training. Like any muscle, the voice functions best when it has been warmed up. Again, a vocal coach or singing teacher should be able to give you some simple techniques to help in that direction.
Hope that helps! Good luck!
Sybil
Watch what you drink, check how you use your voice and check yo
‘Not Speaking’ is a very good tip. Let the delegates do the talking for a time and give your voice a rest.
I tend to avoid drinking fizzy drinks (they tend to contain too much acid) and that makes my throat sore. I also look carefully at fruit juices, some contain preservatives and some (such as grapefruit, orange or pineapple) can be simply too acidic.
Drinking water is always a good idea.
I have sometimes found that I use my voice wrongly (surprising as I used to be a teacher)and have found myself talking from my throat, rather than from my stomach (sounds disgusting, I know, but if you want to project your voice you need to talk from your stomach to project your voice). This is often the case when I am nervous about the training. The more nervous I am, the more I misuse my voice, possibly as I get tense. So always check your nerves before a session.
Loss of Voice
Hi there from Australia.
All the other advice is good providing it works for you.
Drinking is good but YOU have find your beverage.
All in All Nreves are part & Parcel of training, if you gtto the stage and you dont get Nerves that is the time to give it away.
A colleague of mine Alan Piese says he swears by the Raw Egg beforehand works for him.
Good Luck
I really appreciate this