Acting Tips .Voice Work..

Why won't my voice carry? On stage your voice must resonate in the facial mask. Your voice carries via sound wave resonance, not volume, and you posses natural resonators in the sinus, thorax and chest cavities. Use these properly and your voice will fill the room. To exercise your voice get into the daily habit of alternate humming and speaking. Say mmmm until you feel your lips and nose really buzz. Then blend the "mmm" into the number one. MMM-one. Count to ten, mmm-one, mmm-two, mmm-three, etc. Now speak and enjoy the difference!

Why has my jaw gone tight and my voice shaking? When we're nervous, we produce the hormones adrenaline and noradrenalin. These hormones cause our muscles to contract, causing the famous “fight or flight” response. Your jaw willache and your voice become shaky because during stress, the diaphragm muscles contract, breathing becomes shallow, the heart beats faster and we can’t get enough breath.

Find Your Diaphragm : Place one hand on the upper portion of the stomach just a few inches above the navel but below the breast bone. Sniff in several small inhalations per breath through the nose. The movement in that area is the diaphragm working at its best. If you're breathing correctly (diaphragmatically) your stomach should feel as if it is filling up, expanding. But if your chest is rising you are breathing superficially.

How To Breathe From The Diaphragm : Place one hand just above your stomach and the other on your upper chest. Purse lips slightly as if you're going to whistle. Exhale slowly through pursed lips while slightly contracting the stomach muscles. Its not necessary to force all the air out. Inhale slowly through the nose. Pause slightly to allow for better oxygen exchange in the lungs. Repeat. Exhalation should be slightly longer than inhalation.

The diaphragm should do at least 80% of the work of breathing. In order for you to get the most out of this magnificent muscle, you should practice regularly several times a day to ensure that you are not breathing superficially from your upper chest.

  Tip Read aloud to yourself every day, beautifully.

The Actor Speaks: Voice and the Performer
As an actor, you have a tool for communication-- your voice. This is a practical book from the acclaimed Patsy Rodenburg, follow the guides and exercises to fully release your voice

Change your Voice ; Change your Life
If you aren't using your voice properly, vocal fatigue (typified by soreness of the throat after speaking before a large group of people.) could be the nasty result.