breathing

do you struggle with breath support and control? from not getting enough to not using enough, breathing is way more complicated than what we do automatically. making your breath work for you is fundamental in any kind of speaking or singing!

topics we can cover:

• anatomy of the vocal tract

• habits to improve somatic connection

• exercises to increase breath capacity and strengthen breath control

diction and enunciation

mushy. marbles in the mouth. way too fast to be understood. it’s the kind of note we all get at some point in our lives. if you’re struggling to pronounce something, finding there’s particular words and phrases that always trip you up, or just need some fresh exercises to work out the lips, the teeth, and tip of tongue that isn’t “red leather, yellow leather,” let’s talk diction.

topics we can cover:

• specific pronunciations within auditions and client work

• pronouncing words in other languages within an english script

• warmups to get the articulators working efficiently

• exercises to improve articulator control

am i an actor?

i’ll give you this one for free: YES! You, voice over talent, are an actor! The fact that your voice is your primary instrument does not make you any different than other actors! So learn like one. Sure, we might usually be selling a product or explaining a service, but what will set you apart from everyone else reading off the paper is acting. And if you want to work in animation or video games, you need acting skills to build characters and maintain vocal health.

or maybe you just need some public speaking skills, or want to feel more comfortable in front of a group of people, but a more formal education is way too much time and money. just get a dash of the information that’s going to help you the most.

topics we can cover:

• acting methods and theories (there’s more than one!)

• acting exercises that engage your entire body in a read

• warmups to get your entire instrument working at it’s best

• developing a point of view

• exploring character creation

• dialect and accents - both reduction and imitation

• sound effects, tricks, and other cool things we can do without using words!

self-direction

“wait, you’ll teach me how to do this all myself?” indeed i will! like i said - i hope you break up with me one day because you’re such a pro, and we can just be friends and peers! self-direction is a crucial skill that makes your reads better, speeds up the time it takes you to get work done, and builds your confidence as an actor. it’s hard and takes an incredible amount of practice - but without actual exercises and theories to help, what are you supposed to practice?

topics we can cover:

• “unsticking” yourself through all-purpose exercises and activities

• developing a fine-tuned, helpfully critical ear

• creating contrast, range, and diversity in reads

• making fresh, engaging choices we haven’t heard before