Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [46]
A good voice coach will have certain characteristics. He or she might:
• Be sensitive to any embarrassment you may have about your problem and put you at ease;
• Listen to what you have to say about your accent or high-pitched voice or whatever speech problem you have, and not just didactically inform you of what he thinks about it;
• Be patient, so that if your progress is slow, you will not become too impatient with your sessions together;
• Encourage you so that you will continue the sessions as needed;
• Set concrete and attainable goals by which to mark your progress;
• Praise your advances while continuing to point out old faults that you may still be exhibiting;
• Give you simple-to-remember and easy-to-do exercises that you can practice on your own at home;
• Give you homework assignments involving your tape recorder;
• Suggest any books, pamphlets, or other reading material that might effectively supplement your sessions together;
• Tell you frankly if he or she (1) cannot help you in the first place; or (2) can no longer help you to make any more progress.
Stuttering
Stuttering need not be a deterrent for the public person. I understand from experts in the field of voice therapy that new techniques have been developed which enable the stutterer to become a successful public speaker. These days, the stutterer can be visible and vocal. Stuttering does not need to be a handicap in your private or professional life.
Practicing with a Tape Recorder
From reading the previous parts of this chapter, you are already aware that the tape recorder can be your best friend and your most brutal critic.
As you work to improve your voice, the tape recorder will faithfully indicate the inevitable distortions common to all amplifying devices. It will show you the progress you are making as you compare your original efforts with small successes. It will save your pride, since you and it are the only witnesses to your efforts. And it will show you true evidence of achievement, as a result of your hard work.
After several takes, you will hear something that pleases you. That progress is encouraging. When you finally achieve a recording with which you find no fault, that faithful companion will exhibit indisputable evidence. You will listen to that tape and wonder if it is really you. You can send the tape to your mother!
The first time your mother calls and says, “May I speak to Mary?” and you say, “This is Mary!” you know you are on your way.
You can record an entire speech, your latest presentation during the monthly sales meeting, or your classroom report to your fellow students, and play it back repeatedly—in private, on the plane, or in your car. You can stop and start the recorder anywhere you choose, using it as a learning tool or a memory refresher. You can improve your own techniques, or change the text to make it sound better.
If you wish to record your speeches or informal remarks, you can purchase a very small pocket recorder that runs on batteries. Before your speech, insert the little tape, slip it into an inner pocket, and turn it on just before you approach the podium. Later, at your leisure, you can critique the speech, noting the parts where you did well and the things you want to change or improve.
CARE OF YOUR VOICE
Your vocal apparatus is fragile and precious. There are a number of ways for you to protect and preserve that delicate instrument.
Avoid fatigue and strain by keeping the throat completely relaxed. Only a relaxed body can house a relaxed voice. A tense body tightens the vocal cords, raising the pitch of the voice and destroying resonance and carrying power.
Using the voice for extended periods under stress requires downtime of total silence. For example, the political candidate who makes five speeches in one day must save the voice in between speeches, lest he or she lose the voice entirely. A harsh and hoarse voice accompanied by a scratchy,