Voice Study Week Work

Introduction

After putting together my CV I have noticed some faults in my vocal skills. I feel that improving these skills would open me to more employment in this tough industry. Therefore I will reflect upon different plays and performances I have been in recently and Feedback from these projects.

My Voice: 

What kind of Tone is my voice?: Baritone

How Fast or Slow do they Speak?: Quite fast

Do I pause a lot?: No

Do I find it difficult to project?: No

Do I articulate my words?: Yes, but I find the Th sound difficult

What is my Pitch like?: I have quite a deep voice

Do I emphasise certain words?: Normally after I take a pause or I think I start the first word with emphasis

Do I speak in one tone?: No 

Do I have specific difficulties when pronouncing certain words?: Yes, when pronouncing an R sound

Do I like my voice and why?: I don't like my voice because of my posh accent, I also wish my voice was a bit higher as it sounds quite deep and I don't like how at points I can sound monotone.

Is my voice loud?: Yes

Is my voice quiet?: No

Is my voice deep?: Yes

Is it high or low?: Low

Is is strong or weak?: Strong

Is it shaky?: No

Is it husky?: No

Is it crisp?: No

Is it clipped?: Sometimes

Is it drowning?: No

Is it nasal?: A little

Is it squeaky?: No

Is it crackly?: No

Is it raspy?: No

Is it distorted?: No

What are the characteristics of your voice? (describe and explain - use feedback from previous performances, your voice in general and your own analysis)

I would say I have quite a posh sounding voice. I think is due to the fact that I was brought up in quite an upper class town in England. I would say I speak quite quickly at times but I am usually still able to articulate. However, sometimes my 'th' sounds get lost and I have a very difficult time when pronouncing words that either start or have the letter 'r' in them, saying Ferrero Rocher is a nightmare. From previous performances I have been given feedback such as good intention and good support however my articulation could be better. I feel I excel when supporting and I think my breath control will on stage is good. My adaptation to a scene is also good as I can recognize how my character would talk with different people. For example when I played Stephen Crossley in '13', the level of volume would change considering who he was with and which environment he was in, for example when he was talking to his friend Ruth he would speak in a soft voice that was reassuring to show how he was her friend. However, when Stephen is doing a lecture he would use a voice that would be more empowering and louder to persuade the students that came to his lecture. A hindrance in my voice is emphasis. I find it difficult to emphasise the right words but I know how to use the skill of emphasis. I find myself putting emphasis on the wrong words. 

In what ways do these vocal qualities benefit or hinder you as a stage performer?

As said before I think I have quite a lot of work to do on my articulation and I think if not worked on it could hinder my performance as an actor on stage as 'th' sounds may sound like 'f' and will become an annoyance for the audience to watch and may find it difficult to get lost in the story when the actor can't articulate properly. When performing plays done by playwrights like Shakespeare the articulation needs to be to an even greater standard as the words are difficult to the audience and so with them being said wrongly it would make it even harder for the message to be portrayed. Another hindrance as said before is my emphasis on certain words, I tend to put the emphasis on the wrong words and when an audience member is asked to talk about the scene it is easier for them to get the message portrayed if the right words are being emphasised, for example if I am trying to portray that I hate the actor Tom Hanks, and I say 'I hate the actor Tom Hanks', I should emphasise the word hate to get the feeling across to the audience and to help provoke a reaction from the other actor on stage, whereas if I emphasis the word actor, the message would be lost.

What vocal exercises (at least 3) might be suitable for building on your strengths and to address the issues mentioned? Please explain the exercise (use words and images)

Considering I find articulation difficult I will do exercises that will increase my articulation as they will help my vocal muscles. 

Finger between teeth exercise:

The first exercise which is great for articulation is the finger between teeth exercise, you first start off by placing your finger in between your teeth and putting your tongue on your hard palette which is located at the roof of your mouth. By saying a line your mouth will try to move more as you want to make words that make sense instead of sounding stupid. After this you take your tongue off your palette and keep your finger in the same place, you'll make more sounds this time as you have your tongue and your lips will still move as much. After this you take away your finger and you will start to articulate as your lips are a muscle and will remember how much they moved and will move like this, muscle memory. 

Tongue Twisters:

There are many tongue twisters, that can help articulation. Saying tongue twisters can help the movement of your mouth and most importantly your tongue which is a key component in Articulation. Different tongue twisters are based on alliteration around certain letters, for example 'Sister Susie sewing shirts for soldiers' is based around the S sound. 'Peter Pepper picked a pack of pickled peppers', is based around the P sound. I feel that my articulation is weakest when pronouncing 'th' sounds so I will use a tongue twister like 'He threw three free throws', this tongue twister helps me immensely as I find the fr and the th sound difficult to differentiate. 

Jaw warming exercise:

Another exercise that will help my voice would be to loosen my jaw by warming it up, if my jaw is stiff it is difficult to articulate properly. The way to do it is to take where your thumb and your hand meet and to place it at the side of your eye and to bring your hand down to where your mouth is while your mouth is open in a comfortable position. This will help warm the jaw up as its a big component in the vocal system.