Harnessing the Power of Your Voice

Mar 9, 2025

Lecture Notes: The Power of the Human Voice

Introduction

  • Human voice as a powerful instrument
    • Can start a war or express love
  • Many feel unheard when speaking
    • Importance of speaking powerfully for change

Seven Deadly Sins of Speaking

  1. Gossip
    • Speaking ill of someone not present
    • Leads to distrust
  2. Judging
    • Hard to listen if being judged
  3. Negativity
    • Example: Complaining about simple things (e.g., weather)
    • Spreads misery, not positivity
  4. Excuses
    • Blaming others, not taking responsibility
    • Difficult to listen to those who deflect blame
  5. Embroidery (Exaggeration)
    • Diminishes language's power
    • Can lead to lying
  6. Dogmatism
    • Confusing facts with opinions
    • Hard to engage when opinions are stated as truths

Four Cornerstones of Effective Speaking: "HAIL"

  • H: Honesty
    • Be true and clear in what you say
  • A: Authenticity
    • Be yourself, stand in your own truth
  • I: Integrity
    • Be trustworthy, follow through on your word
  • L: Love
    • Wish well for others, temper honesty with kindness

Tools for Powerful Speaking

  • Register
    • Locate your voice for impact (e.g., chest voice)
  • Timbre
    • The quality of the voice, can be improved with training
  • Prosody
    • Use varied tones to convey meaning, avoid monotony
  • Pace
    • Adjust speed for emphasis, incorporate silence effectively
  • Pitch
    • Use pitch variations to convey emotion and meaning
  • Volume
    • Control volume for emphasis; avoid "sodcasting"

Vocal Warm-Up Exercises

  1. Deep Breathing: Arms up, inhale deeply, sigh out
  2. Lip Trills: Ba, Ba, Ba
  3. Tongue Exercise: Exaggerated "la" sounds
  4. R Rolls: "Rrrrrrr" for tongue agility
  5. Siren Exercise: "Weeeaawww" from high to low

Conclusion

  • Importance of speaking well in a noisy world
  • Vision for a world where we create and consume sound consciously
  • Aim for environments that enhance understanding
  • Idea worth spreading: A world that sounds beautiful and promotes listening
  • Next Steps: Practice vocal warm-up exercises before important speaking events.