Nutritional No-No's a Good Voice by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (March 2011)
Many of my Voice Updates tell you what you should consume for a
healthier throat like water and protein, but I haven't talked too much about what to avoid.
Let's take a look at five landmines out there that can wreck your
delivery.
1) Dairy Products. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing
against the American Dairy Association! I consume lots of dairy
myself. I do make a point of avoiding it, however, when I know I need a
good vocal delivery. Dairy tends to create mucous in the body, and for
some people, like me, it results in throat clearing shortly after
consuming it. The extra mucous can be around as long as an hour or
two--not what you want when you need a clear voice. I suggest clients
avoid dairy for an hour or so before voicing.
2) Excessive Caffeine. It's hard to use your voice well when
your mind is racing and your hands are shaking. Too much caffeine can
cause both these things to happen. It's a fine line to walk with
caffeine, however, because a little caffeine can increase your focus and
your energy. Get too much, though, and you're in trouble. The general
guideline I suggest is to have no more than around 200 mg. of caffeine a
day. A tall Starbuck's has 240 mg.
3) Too Much Sugar. This can affect your ability to stay
focused just like caffeine can. A bigger problem with sugar, however,
is that consuming a lot will make your energy drop. What happens is
that sugar intake raises blood sugar as soon as you consume it and you
feel great. After about 20 minutes, however, the downside of sugar
happens and your blood sugar drops lower than it was before you had the
sugar. In other words, a sugar rush can take your energy away and make
you feel more fatigued.
4) Too Much Alcohol. I'm not a party pooper, but drinking a bit
too much the night before can dehydrate your body and your throat the next day. You
know how hangovers make you crave gallons of water? That's because of
the diuretic effect of the alcohol. If you want a healthy throat, keep
your drinking to a minimum.
5) Nuts, Peanut Butter, and Crackers. I love these foods, but
I find that they tend to cling to my throat making me clear my throat
after eating them. As with dairy, this doesn't mean you shouldn't eat
them. Quite the contrary! Nuts and peanut butter are healthy sources
of protein. Just avoid them around air time. Eat them other times of
the day so that you won't need to clear your throat or cough while on
the air.
Want to know more about taking care of your voice? Ck out the new, fifth edition of BROADCAST VOICE HANDBOOK.You'll learn about vocal health and lots more!
Voice Coaching Goes Hollywood by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (February 2011)
If you've seen The King's Speech you know that the main plot involves
a voice coach working with King George VI to eliminate his stammer.
(Watch the trailer if you haven't seen The King's Speech - Official Site.)
It's a moving story that has appealed to everyone I know who has seen
it. The film has won Golden Globe awards and now has 12 Oscar nominations. But for a voice coach like me, it's more than just appealing.
It's a look back in time to observe what coaches were doing eighty years
ago. And much to my surprise, what I saw Geoffrey Rush (Lionel Logue,
the voice coach) doing were many of the same exercises I do with clients
today. I'll give you three examples.
He begins by having the King work on breathing exercises. That, for
me, is the place any voice work should begin. Breathing is the
foundation for speech. I often say, if there's any thing wrong with
your breathing every aspect of your voice will suffer. Watch my videos below ("Breathing for Broadcast" and "Help! I Sound Like I'm Gasping for Air") to learn more of what I tell clients about breathing.
Next, I give almost every client articulation warm-ups to do before
voicing. Rush's were pretty difficult with lots of "th" sounds. I try
and make it a bit easier by using simple phrases like, "Put a Cup" or "Fat
Lazy Cat." These phrases should be repeated rapidly for a minute or so
before voicing. What these do is move the articulators to bring blood
into the muscles of speech: the tongue, lips, and jaw.
Finally, almost every day I use the phrase that Rush used in one of
the most meaningful scenes in the movie. That phrase is, "Just say it
to me-as a friend." Talking to a real person is one of the best ways to
sound relaxed, comfortable and connected to the listener.
And I can't end this without commenting on the prophetic line in the
film that is also a mantra of mine. Rush tells the King simply, "Don't
smoke. It'll kill you." That is perhaps the best advice any voice
coach can give.
Want to hear the real King George VI after doing voice work? Check it out here.
Listen Up for Better Interviews by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (January 2011)
I read a recent blog post entitled, "Are You Listening or Just
Reloading?" which got me thinking about the way some hosts and
reporters conduct interviews. They go into interviews knowing what they
want to hear and use their interview questions to get to that response as quickly as
they can. They run the interview like a horse racer trying to get to the
finish line as fast as possible without looking to the left or right. Little regard is given to tangents or
new ideas that might come up in the interview.
Reporters who aren't good listeners fail to realize that the most important information in an interview often comes up when a second-level question
is asked. By second-level I mean the question that is spurred by
something the interviewee says. These are the questions that result in original things being said. They happen when the interviewee gets off his
or her text and ventures into new territory.
How
do you know how to ask second-level questions? You know because you're
listening and not thinking about what your next question will be. The
article cited above quotes a Buddhist saying, "Are you listening, or
just preparing to speak." By really listening you are able to use the
answer the interviewee is giving as a springboard to your second-level
question that probes deeper or picks up on a new direction to follow.
And if you follow this path, you just might break some news.
15-Second Fix:Next time you're listening to an interview show think of second-level questions you would ask if you had the chance. Also listen to the interviewer to see if you can tell when a second-level question is asked.
Announcing:
The new, 5th edition of BROADCAST VOICE HANDBOOK! Check it out on the Book Page.
Holiday Stress?
Bah-Humbug!
by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (December 2010)
Did you know that this time of year may actually be
hazardous to your job? There is no
profession more stressful than being a broadcaster. The chronic stress of the business can wear you down during
an ordinary month, but with the pressures of the holiday season upon us, stress
can overtake you. If it does, your
delivery and your health will suffer.
For example, when stress increases, your on-air rate may speed up causing
you to stumble more. Your pitch
might go up as well. And stress
can cause trouble sleeping and even make you more susceptible to
illness. Why not try these stress busters to help balance the demands of this busy month?
10 Quick Stress Busters To Use Today
1. Stand up and stretch
slowly several times during your workday today.
2. Exercise for at least 20 minutes
today. A brisk walk will do it.
Even 20-minutes of light exercise ups your energy 20%.
3. Eat 3 meals
today or graze on 5 small meals with an emphasis on protein.
4. Drink more
water and less caffeine. Aim for one-half your body weight in ounces of water a day.
5. Avoid the
urge to grab something sweet when you're stressed. Go for protein instead
(e.g., nuts, lo-fat cheese, soy
products).
6. Get up and
take a break when you're at your desk for more than an hour. Walk around and do the stretching as recommended above.
7. Close your
eyes and take 3 slow abdominal breaths once or twice today.
8. Daydream for a few minutes about your
last pleasant vacation or anything that makes you feel relaxed.
9. Pause and take a deep inhalation before you
answer the phone.
10.Concentrate on slowly breathing in and
breathing out before you go to sleep tonight.
Happy Holidays!!!!
Developing a More Commanding Broadcast Voice by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (November 2010)
If you're like most broadcasters, you want to have a voice that commands attention even in the noisiest of locations. You want a voice that pulls the listener into your package, but you don't want to sound like you're shouting at the audience. One often overlooked way to achieve all these things is by improving the projection of your voice.
Take a look at this short video that I made with the International Journalists' Network. In 3+ minutes you'll learn how to develop a commanding voice without using an increase in volume.
And, no, I'm not poised to scratch someones eyes out below :)
Write The Way You Talk: Advice from Mervin Block
by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (October 2010)
I have worked with several
clients in the last few weeks who thought they had voice problems, but their
delivery problems were caused by poor writing.One client thought she had breathing problems.She was shocked when I told her any
broadcaster would have breathing problems reading her long, complicated
sentences!Another sounded choppy,
but, again, it was the fault of the writing. This motivated me to re-run this post on writing. You can never hear it too often....
No matter what good intentions
you may have about sounding conversational in your broadcasts, if your writing isn't
conversational, forget it. Good conversational
delivery starts with good writing.
The best writing expert I know,
Mervin Block, points out many ways to improve in his book, WRITING BROADCAST NEWS
(coming out in a third edition next month by CQ
Press).If you want to write the
way you talk, try these ten tips of Merv's. For conversational writing,
DON'T:
1. Start a story with a participial
phrase or a dependent clause. 2. Use long, complicated sentence
construction. Stick to a subject-verb-object
pattern. 3. Start a story with a quotation
or a question. 4. Start a story with "There
is," "There are," or "It is." 5. Write a first sentence in
which the main verb is any form of "to be": "is," "was," "were," and "will
be." 6. Start a story with the name
of an unknown or unfamiliar person. 7. Start a story with a personal
pronoun. 8. Use big words, odd words,
wasted words, fancy words or cliches. 9. Tell "what" before
you tell "who." 10. Forget to rehearse your copy
out loud.
Block, a newswriting coach,
is the author of WRITING BROADCAST NEWS--SHORTER, SHARPER, STRONGER: A PROFESSIONAL HANDBOOK. He holds newswriting workshops and writes
about newswriting at http://www.mervinblock.com
Help! I Sound Like I'm Gasping For Air. by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (September 2010)
When
I'm asked what is the most important aspect of speech, I always
answer, "Breathing!" The breath is the energy for speech, and if there
is anything wrong with your breathing, every aspect of your voice will
suffer. In some of my earlier posts, I discuss proper breathing for broadcasting in detail. If you scroll down, you'll be able to read these as
well as watch a video on breathing exercises.
In this post I want to talk about a particular
problem that plagues broadcasters at every level of the business. I'm
talking about audible intakes of air. Recently I had the pleasure of
doing a video for the International
Journalists' Network. This short video covers audible intakes of air and
how to get rid of them. In just 3+ minutes you will learn how to
breathe silently. It's a simple process once you know a little about
what makes breathing audible. Take a minute to watch....
Technology Tips to Help Your Voice and Delivery By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (August 2010)
In many of the posts below (see especially, It's Time to Drink Up!), you will read about the importance of staying hydrated as a way to protect your throat and vocal folds (cords). There's now a cool iPhone app to help you do this. You use it to calculate how much you should be drinking, and then every tme you drink water you input the amount you consumed. It tracks your daily intake and gives you a graph (see below) of how much you've taken in throughout the day. This app is getting high ratings. Check it out at the iTunes store. There's certainly never been an easier and more convenient way to track your fluid intake.
And speaking of apps,
there is now one that may help you speak more comfortably in your
stand-ups or long live shots. It's an app that turns your iPhone or
iPad into a prompter. You can see below that it recreates the exact
look of a prompter and can be scrolled. There is also a gadget to
attach it to your camera.
To learn more about these and lots of
other cool new technology toys that can improve your on-air delivery
and help you do your job better go to a new blog at
http://Multimediating101.com. It offers a great way to stay up to date
with all the new stuff!
Stories That Haunt You
By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (July 2010)
I was talking with a friend who's not in the business this week, and she reacted with surprise when I told her how stressful the news business is day in and day out. Of course she knew big events like 9/11 would be stressful, but she didn't realize that crises
don't have to be the top story to have an emotional effect on a news person. The routine stories like
fatal traffic accidents, shootings, domestic or sexual abuse, and fires, all
hold the potential to become stories that haunt you with their graphic details.
And it never stops in the news business. As novelist, Michael Connelly, says of
police work, "Every case is a battle in a war that never ends." Crises may happen every day and they present
circumstances that you can't change.
The hurricane will hit, wars will happen, terrorists do exist in the
world. What you can change is the
way that you deal with these events.
In order to continue to cover these crises both big and
small, you have to realize that this business is a marathon and not a sprint. Even in a major catastrophe, you have to take care of
yourself so that you can avoid burnout.
I often tell clients that you have to stay in training to do this job well. Just like an athlete, you have to think
about all the ways that you can stay healthy and emotionally balanced like eating well, getting enough sleep, and finding time to relax. These things aren't luxuries for you. They're necessities if you want to sound and look like a professional in the stress-filled world of broadcasting.
15-Second Fix:If you read this blog often, you know that coping with stress is a common topic covered. Take some time to scroll down and read the tips in the other blog posts that will help you handle stress. To read a longer article on handling crisis stress, check out my article at the International Journalists' Network site.
Not So Loud, Please!
By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (June 2010)
We've all heard reporters shouting their way through live shots. This may have even happened to you. There are several reasons why this happens so often. First, if you have extra adrenaline surging
through your body because of the live event, you may feel that the urgency of
the situation requires a loud voice. Your extra adrenaline may be fueling your voice.
There might also be lots of noise at the location, and you may think you have to shout over it. This is not the case. Even
in a noisy live location, your microphone is only about three to six inches
away from your mouth, which means the listener's ear is the same distance away
from your mouth as well. It may be
difficult to hear yourself over all the noise at a convention, a sports
event, or a disaster scene but don't let any of this cause you to talk too loudly.
Try to position yourself for your live shot away from excessive
noise and speak at a conversational volume. If there are no quiet locations, move your microphone closer
to your mouth and project your voice directly into the microphone. The viewer will understand the altered microphone position, and you'll sound more conversational and comfortable.
15-Second Fix:To practice projecting your voice, say, "No," as if you're telling a puppy not to jump up on someone. The sound should be firm and directed,
but not higher in volume. This is
the way too project your voice into the microphone to be heard in noisy live
locations.
10 Recommendations for a Healthy Voice During May Sweeps by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (May 2010)
Here is a summary of what you can do to have a healthy, effective voice for May sweeps and beyond. These recommendations are important to observe daily and are especially important if you have an allergy attack or a cold.
1. Practice abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing to decrease tension in the laryngeal area. (Scroll down to watch my video on proper breathing in a previous blog entry.)
2. Keep your vocal tract moist by drinking half your body weight in ounces of fluid a day.
3. Do not smoke or expose yourself to the smoke of others.
4. Limit throat clearing and coughing.
5. Avoid milk products two hours before on-air work. Stop eating at least two hours before you go to bed.
6. Do not talk loudly or yell in noisy environments such as sporting or music events.
7. Avoid mouth breathing except for speech.
8. If you do become hoarse, limit your talking and use a breathy voice not a whisper.
9. Use a pitch that is comfortable and does not cause vocal fatigue.
10. See a physician if hoarseness, pain, or odd sensations in the throat last for more than two weeks. Take hoarseness seriously. Click on the icon below to hear how serious hoarseness can be.
Backpack Journalism Can Break Your Back and Your Voice
by Ann S. Utterback,
Ph.D. (April 2010)
The growth
in the number of backpack journalists has been met with boos by many and
welcomed by some. I am not here to
weigh in on that argument. There
are plenty of professionals voicing opinions from Howard
Kurtz of The Washington Post to Deborah Potter
of Newslab.
As a voice
coach I want to speak to the added stresses that come from one-man-banding it,
and tell you how to make your vocal delivery the best it can be.
The one
thing journalists tell me when they are taking on multiple roles is that they are
rushed all the time. Live shots
and stand-ups seem to suffer the most.
Having to set up the camera to shoot yourself takes extra time and
creates even more stress. One way
to combat this stress is to develop a mental green room for yourself (see
15-Second Fix below). You can also practice relaxation throughout your day by focusing your attention on your
breathing. The simple act of
taking three slow breaths can reduce stress anytime.
The other
area that can help you with the stresses of working alone is to be sure
you have enough food to last through the day. When you had a camera person with you, there was probably
time to go to a drive-through and pick up lunch. Now time is too valuable. But do not make the mistake of not eating. Low blood sugar will only add to your
stress. Instead, pack a sandwich
or at the very least a protein bar and water so that you do not have to run on
empty. Include snacks as well like
nuts, cheese sticks, and fruit.
You will be less stressed, and we will hear it in your voice.
15-Second
Fix:Before shooting your
stand-up, imagine you are in a Green Room like guests wait in before going on an
interview show. You might want to
close your eyes and take a deep breath.
Imagine sitting comfortably on a couch with no pressures at all. Take another deep breath and open your
eyes. This short escape will help
you focus your thoughts and relax your body so your stand-up will not sound
rushed or frantic.
Don't Get Snowed
Under:Handling Stress Under
Pressure
by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (March 2010)
This has been a
record-breaking snowfall year for Washington, D.C., and I have watched my clients
who are anchors and reporters struggle through it.From getting stuck in a live truck for a double shift to
anchoring ten straight hours, they have all worked harder than ever before.
What I have tried to impress
on them is what I learned from Elliot Wiser, Corporate Vice President of Local
Programming for Bright House Networks, "Remaining calm in the eye of the storm
is essential."You have to remain
calm for the viewer's sake and for your own.
First, the viewer is in the
middle of the weather crisis just like you, and your job is to avoid alarming
them even more.Wiser puts it this
way: "An emotional anchor does the audience a great disservice during a severe
storm."I call it the "Chicken
Little" syndrome when an anchor or reporter adds to the crisis with the way
they report it.
Secondly, you should remain
calm for your own sake.If you
have to anchor for ten straight hours, for example, you need to pace yourself
and conserve your energy.How do
you do that?Here are some of the
tips I give clients:Stay hydrated
by drinking water regularly during the day (consume at least 64 ounces).Eat five or six small, high protein meals about three hours
apart all day long.Stand up and
stretch at every opportunity.Develop a way to calm yourself down like closing your eyes and taking a
deep breath.For more ideas, check
out Newslab.org.
15 Second Fix:None of us would begin
hurricane-proofing our house in the middle of a hurricane.Begin to integrate one of the above
suggestions into your day today.By doing this, you will be ready when the next blizzard or tornado hits.
Join
the Frequent Yawning Club by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (February 2010)
Yawning has been used for
centuries as a technique to relax the throat.A good yawn relaxes the larynx and throat and promotes deep
breathing.
Many times I hear a client
producing vocal sounds that seem to be caught in the throat.The sound is tense, muffled, and does
not project well.What this client
needs to learn is that the voice does not begin at the vocal folds in the
throat but with the breath, which is the energy that produces the movement of
the folds.
Ideally this breath should be produced using the diaphragm and
abdominal muscles, which are a long way from the throat (scroll down to check out my You Tube video and other Voice Updates on Breathing).And this breath stream should come up
through an open, relaxed throat such as you get when you yawn.
Gaining a sense of this
body involvement in vocal production can be helpful in eliminating tension and
producing the healthiest voice possible.
15-Second Fix:Practice
yawning to gain a sense of body involvement in speech.Drop the jaw and think of what a good
yawn feels like. At the end of your yawn, add a sigh and get the feeling of
your relaxed, open throat.After
yawning, say this phrase with the same open throat, "How many hats does
Henry have?"Say this several
times trying to preserve the open feeling.
Exercise Your Way to a
Better Voice
by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (January 2010)
If you are like over 50% of
Americans, your New Year's resolution is to exercise more.You only have to look at the increase
in gym memberships in January to see that exercise is something we know we
should be doing.Weight loss
motivates many of us to exercise, but did you know that lack of exercise might
be hurting your on-air performance?Here are just a few ways doing moderate aerobic exercise can help you on
the air:
Your breathing
improves.Your body becomes a better
oxygen-burning machine.
You get fewer colds and
respiratory infections because exercise bolsters your immune system.A half hour of exercise five days a
week has been shown to reduce the risk of colds by 50%.
Your vocal energy
improves.As little as 20 minutes of exercise
gives you a 20% increase in energy.
You will sleep deeper and longer. This is important because if you sleep less than 7 hours a night you triple your risk of getting a cold versus someone who sleeps 8 or more hours.
You are less stressed and
have a more positive outlook.Just
20 minutes of exercise raises your mood for up to 12 hours.Regular exercise cuts symptoms of
moderate depression in half.
So why not join all those
people who vow to get more exercise in 2010?It might just make you better at your job, and, who knows,
you could lose a few pounds as well!
Holiday Stress?Bah-Humbug!
by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (December 2009)
Did you know that this time of year may actually be
hazardous to your job?There is no
profession more stressful than being a broadcaster.The chronic stress of the business can wear you down during
an ordinary month, but with the pressures of the holiday season upon us, stress
can overtake you.If it does, your
delivery and your health may suffer.For example, when stress increases, your on-air rate might speed up or
you could stumble more.Your pitch
might go up as well.And stress
can give you trouble sleeping and even make you more susceptible to
illness.Why not try these stress
busters to help balance the demands of this busy month?
10 Quick Stress Busters To Use Today
1. Stretch
slowly several times during your workday today.
2.Exercise for at least 20 minutes
today. A brisk walk will do it.Even 20-minutes of light exercise ups your energy 20%.
3. Eat 3 meals
today or graze on 5 small meals with an emphasis on protein.
4. Drink more
water and less caffeine.
5. Avoid the
urge to grab something sweet when you're stressed.Go for protein instead
(e.g., nuts, lo-fat cheese, dairy
products).
6. Get up and
take a break when you're at your desk for more thanan hour.
7. Close your
eyes and take 3 slow abdominal breaths once or twice today.
8.Daydream for a few minutes about your
last pleasant vacation.
9.Take a deep inhalation before you
answer the phone.
10.Concentrate on breathing in and
breathing out before you go to sleep tonight.
Happy Holidays!!!!
The Cold War
by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (November 2009)
We've all heard what to do
for the H1N1 virus, but there's another health battle going on right now in
newsrooms.It's one most of us
face every winter:The battle with
the common cold.If you're an
anchor or reporter or if you're putting together your resume tape, a cold can
stop you in your tracks.Your
first thought may be to take everything in the medicine cabinet.But do your voice a favor and don't do
that.This shotgun approach may
set you up for more vocal damage than the cold.
A cold virus produces
symptoms in a sequential manner.First you get a sore throat, and then you might get congestion in your
nose.Treat each of these symptoms
with a single symptom over-the-counter medication as they occur.Use lozenges for your throat and only
add a single symptom decongestant when your head begins to be congested.Avoid those multi-action pills and
liquids because they contain medications you don't need, like a cough medicine
before you're coughing.They also
don't contain enough of any one medication to be really helpful.
And like your mom told you,
drink lots of liquids.Stick with
decaffeinated fluids and think of them as the best protection you can provide
for your throat.Stay away from
antihistamines unless a doctor has prescribed them for allergies.They have a drying effect on your vocal
tract and do more harm than good when you have a cold.Remember, too, that colds and the
flu are caused by viruses, and antibiotics only help with bacterial
infections.Let your doctor make
that diagnosis.And the best thing
you can do to escape both the H1N1 and a cold is to WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN!
Scroll down to read this month's second Voice Update on stand-ups. ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Where Are
You Going?
By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (November 2009)
If you're a television reporter, you have
probably been told by someone in the business to include an active stand-up
or live shot in your package.But
do you ever ask yourself, Where am I going?Few things irritate me more than watching a reporter walking
toward a camera or moving for some unknown reason.Movement for movement's sake adds nothing to a package.
My mantra
about movement is: Only Move for Meaning.If you start with that premise you can actually have a
better stand-up overall.When you
begin to think of how you want to do your stand-up, look around and think about
what you could reveal in the shot.Perhaps you could take a few steps to reveal an important sign on a
building or indicate the distance between two points.Or you could pick up an object to show how large or small it is.There are limitless ways to move for meaning.
If you
think of stand-ups this way, they will not be an interruption in your package as
they can be if you are moving for no reason.Done properly stand-ups can achieve their two goals:to introduce you visually to the viewer,
and to enhance your story.
15-Second
Fix:When you are at any location
look around and find at least two things you could use movement to reveal.Write the copy (on paper or in your
mind) for a stand-up using each one.
Is That Really You????
By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (October 2009)
Having a goodbroadcast voice means using your voice in a relaxed and conversational
style that adds energy and intimacy to your newscast.
Vocal delivery contributes a great deal to how a broadcaster is
perceived by the viewer.An overly
loud voice can make a broadcaster appear insecure and uncomfortable.When covering a crisis, a loud
voice may also contribute to the crisis instead of simply reporting on it.In addition, speaking loudly is harmful
to your vocal folds because it may cause them to become irritated and swollen
or develop nodules, ulcers or polyps.Conversely, a soft, weak voice will not hold the viewers attention, and may
make the viewer question the speaker's credibility.
Remember that your job is to give the viewer information in a
conversational style. You do not have to makeyour listener pay attention by raising
your volume, and you do not want to lose their attention by having a weak
delivery.
15-Second Fix:Tape record yourself talking on the
phone to hear the natural volume and projection of your voice. Record yourself
reading some copy using the same voice.Compare the two.See if you
can bring a natural, conversational voice into your on-air work.
→ Check out the new MP3
download on the Bookstore page: Improving Your Voice With Dr. Ann Utterback: Breathing.In
this 15-minute recording, Dr.
Utterback gives you an explanation of good breathing techniques for
speech and leads you through over a dozen vocal exercises taken from her book.
These exercises will improve your breathing and can become part of your
daily routine.
Maintaining a Healthy Voice for Broadcast You Tube
Video with Dr. Ann S. Utterback
(Sept.
2009)
Keeping voices healthy has always been one of my primary
goals as a consultant.I had the
pleasure of doing an interview with Jessica Weiss from the International
Journalists' Network, a division of the International Center for Journalists
(see Helpful Links) on this topic.This is the video that Jessica put together is to help journalists all
over the world who visit the IJNet web site.In this video I explain the dangers of smoking and the
importance of hydration for a healthy voice.
Scroll down ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ to watch Dr. Utterback talking about good breathing for broadcast!
It Is Not Too Warm to Warm Up by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (August 2009)
It may be warm outside
right now, but it is a good time to think about warming up even more.Most of us would warm up our muscles
before doing physical exercise, but we often forget to warm up before voicing a package or going on air live.The vocal mechanism is almost all
muscle, especially the articulators, which include the lips, the tongue, the
jaw, and the teeth (okay, the teeth are not muscle).In the same way we stretch and warm up our leg muscles
before running, we should warm up our vocal muscles before voicing.
15-Second Fix:Repeat these phrases ten times each
before you voice to warm up your articulators.Be sure to explode the /t/ /d/ and /p/ /b/ ending
consonants.
"Put a cup" "Fat
lazy cat" "Hot
and cold"
→ Check out the new MP3
download on the Bookstore page: Improving Your Voice With Dr. Ann Utterback: Breathing.In
this 15-minute recording, Dr.
Utterback gives you an explanation of good breathing techniques for
speech and leads you through over a dozen vocal exercises taken from her book.
These exercises will improve your breathing and can become part of your
daily routine.
Delivery for the New Media By Dave Cupp, M.A. & Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (July 2009)
Much has been written about the new and varied media platforms journalists are now asked to master, but one area that has not been explored is what delivery style works best on these new devices. This question is an important one because history shows us that new media platforms have triggered profound change in television news including delivery styles....
It's Time to Drink Up! By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (June 2009)
Water
is the magic elixir for your voice! (Actually, any
decaffeinated, unsweetened, nonalcoholic fluid counts.) Moisture
cushions the vocal folds as they open and close for speech. It works
much like oil in a car to protect this delicate tissue. Gargling or
just taking a quick swallow of water is not enough. We have to keep
drinking fluid all day long for it to be effective.
But the sad fact is, most of us pay more
attention to watering our lawns and houseplants than we do our bodies.
This is despite the fact that even a small amount of dehydration
(around 1% of body weight) can affect our physiological state and our
performance. The 4 p.m. fatigue we often feel may be simple
dehydration.
Calculating how much water to drink is simple
if you use the ratio devised by the International Sportsmedicine
Institute. Their formula has been used for over three decades. On the
days you do not work out, you need one-half ounce of water per pound of
body weight. If you exercise, you need two-thirds of an ounce per pound of
body weight. Simply divide your body weight by one-half or two-thirds
to gauge your daily water needs.
Drinking enough water is one of the best ways to keep your throat healthy in the hot months ahead. But do not stop when the weather cools. Your body and your throat need water all year long. 15-Second Fix: Buy
a refillable water bottle, and keep it with you. Staying more hydrated
will help your voice, your energy level, your digestion, your skin, and
almost every one of your internal organs. So drink up!
Scroll down ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ to watch Dr. Utterback talking about good breathing for broadcast!
Breathing for Broadcast You Tube Video with Dr. Ann S. Utterback (May, 2009)
Recently I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Jessica Weiss from the International Journalists' Network,
a division of the International Center for Journalists (see Helpful Links). This is the
video that Jessica put together on breathing to help journalists all
over the world who visit the IJNet web site. In the video I explain the basic
principles of breathing for broadcast and demonstrate three simple exercises.
Mental Preparation By Deborah Potter (April 2009)
As you prepare to record narration or go live on the air, try not to think about the fact that there's a microphone between you and the audience. In fact, try not to think about the audience at all. Your goal is to communicate as if you're having a conversation with just one person.
To put yourself in the right frame of mind to tell your story, think about what you've learned that you're now ready to share. You know something your audience doesn't. Keeping that in mind should help you sound like you're interested in telling your story; if you don't, no one will be particularly interested in listening to it.
You're not acting and this isn't a performance, but the way you tell the story should match the content. "The criticism I got early on was that all my stories sounded the same," says reporter Boyd Huppert of KARE-TV in Minneapolis, Minn. "Now when I sit in the booth the first thing I do is think, 'What's this about? Is this happy or sad?' You can go overboard, but over time you find what's comfortable for you."
Deborah Potter, a journalism trainer, is co-author of ADVANCING THE STORY: BROADCAST JOURNALISM IN A MULTIMEDIA WORLD. She runs NewsLab (http://www.newslab.org) and holds workshops all over the world.
Becoming a "Comfortable Communicator" on the Air By Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (April 2009)
Just as Deborah Potter says above, the most important thing to remember in broadcast delivery is that you are always talking with one person. Your on-air delivery should sound like a conversation with a good friend. I call it "enlarged conversation" because you should be a bit more careful with your articulation, but the general feeling should be one of conversation.
Begin the process by imagining a person. This person should not be a vague, nebulous image. Pick a real person with whom you are comfortable talking and can imagine very vividly--a sister, friend, cousin, or next door neighbor. Vividly creating this person in your mind promotes a sense of comfortable communication.
The most important aspect of this exercise is for you to imagine the feedback the person gives you when you talk to them. Do they nod? Do they look interested? It's this feedback that allows us to adjust our delivery to sound conversational. When the listener's feedback is missing, we forget some of the essentials about how to sound conversational.
15-Second Fix:The next time you're out with a friend, mentally observe their feedback as you're talking to them. If you can, make this an encounter with the person you plan to imagine when you're in front of the microphone. By mentally observing this person, you'll be able to play the encounter back in your mind and imagine them reacting to your broadcast when you're on the air.
Write The Way You Talk: Advice from Mervin Block by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (March 2009)
No matter what good intentions you may have about sounding conversational in your broadcasts, if your writing isn't conversational, forget it. Good conversational delivery starts with good writing.
The best writing expert I know, Mervin Block, points out many ways to improve in his book, WRITING BROADCAST NEWS. I tell clients about them all the time.
If you want to write the way you talk, try these ten tips of Merv's. For conversational writing,
DON'T:
1. Start a story with a participial phrase or a dependent clause. 2. Use long, complicated sentence construction. Stick to a subject-verb-object pattern. 3. Start a story with a quotation or a question. 4. Start a story with "There is," "There are," or "It is." 5. Write a first sentence in which the main verb is any form of "to be": "is," "was," "were," and "will be." 6. Start a story with the name of an unknown or unfamiliar person. 7. Start a story with a personal pronoun. 8. Use big words, odd words, wasted words, fancy words or clichés. 9. Tell "what" before you tell "who." 10.Forget to rehearse your copy out loud.
Block, a newswriting coach, is the author of WRITING BROADCAST NEWS--SHORTER, SHARPER, STRONGER. He holds newswriting workshops and writes about newswriting at http://www.mervinblock.com
Simple Ways to Keep Your Broadcast Voice Healthy By Dr. Sadhana Nayak M.S, D.O.R.L (March 2009) Vocal Arts Medicine Specialist & Voice Performance Consultant
Did you know that some simple vocal activities might put undue strain on your voice? Throat clearing, coughing, loud sneezing, grunting while exercising, yelling, shouting over background noise are vocal habits that fall in this category. In these situations, there can be overly forceful contact of the vocal folds. Sometimes, even a single episode like cheering at a sports event or screaming at a rock concert can cause significant damage to vocal folds. Keep your volume at a conversational level to avoid vocal fold injury.
15-Second Fix--When you feel the urge to clear your throat, take a few sips of water. Also try to cough silently, using your abdominal muscles as if producing an 'H' sound. Humming gently and softly can work as well to help avoid throat clearing or coughing.
Breathing is the most important aspect of a broadcast voice because breathing is the energy for speech. If there's anything wrong with your energy source, you know that everything will suffer. Imagine trying to make a call on your cell phone when the battery is dead. No way, right? Well the same is true for speech. Without the energy of the breath, nothing performs as it should.
Proper breathing should begin low in the torso around your waist. You should feel your stomach expand as you inhale and contract as you exhale. One way to feel this breathing is by lying on the floor on your back with a book on your stomach. If you breathe comfortably, you will see the book rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale.
Once you have the feeling of proper abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing, try it standing. Place your right hand on your chest and your left hand at your waistline. Breathe so that you feel your left hand moving while your right hand remains still. This breathing will give you the best breath support for your broadcast voice and will reduce tension in your throat.
15-Second Fix--Practice this every day by taking a deep inhalation before you answer your phone or while you're at a stoplight in your car.
Focus on Success in Live Shots by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D. (February 2009)
Nothing is more important in a live shot than focus. Focus will affect how fluid your delivery is and how smoothly you can talk about the most important points in your live situation.
So what is Focus? In sports they often call it being in the "zone." It involves focusing your energy and your thoughts and screening out all distractions. Live shots always happen in places that are full of distractions. You may be reporting from a county fair, a rally, or a busy street corner. Or you may be at an accident, a fire, or a shoot-out. The locations are endless and so are the distractions. The goal is to stay focused in live shots no matter what's going on around you.
15-Second Fix--To get better at focusing your energy and thoughts, go to a busy place like a shopping mall or the lobby of a movie theater. Lock your focus on one thing such as a plant or a poster and see if you can stay totally focused on that object. If your mind wanders, keep bringing your focus back to your object. Focus is the key to success in live shots.
