2023.07.29 – 0940 – YOUR ‘GET A BETTER VOICE’ SYMPTOMS AND PRESCRIPTIONS Although requirements for broadcast, presentation and voice-over work has changed over the years, less ‘announcer’ to more ‘natural’, you do still need a certain amount of vocal strength and a versatile, pleasing voice if you are going to communicate effectively with your intended audience. Many of the conditions below may cause the listener to shift their attention from the content, to the delivery [1] , and then your desi...
Jul 28, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 940
2023.07.28 – 0939 – Emotional Stress After Vocal Injury Emotional Stress After Vocal Injury The flip-side of emotion causing changes to the voice, is when vocal damage then affects you psychologically, perhaps because of: · Sadness about the injury and how long recovery may take, if at all · Stress about meeting a deadline, letting people down, loss of income · Awareness that part of your identity is ‘damaged’ · Self-recrimination that the injury may be caused by something you did or didn’t do C...
Jul 27, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 939
2023.07.27 – 0938 – How Emotions And Trauma Affect How You Sound Tears and crying They may be tears of joy, sadness, relief or something else, but tears can create vocal problems: · Crying affects your vocal folds · Snotty sinuses swell · Long sobs (from a particular incident or over a period of time – such as in grief or depression) can lead to vocal damage such as nodes on the folds Rest is imperative: vocal, physical and psychological. How emotions and trauma affect your voice One woman was c...
Jul 26, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 938
2023.07.26 – 0937 – Studio ‘Corpsing’ Corpsing This is when you collapse in uncontrollable fits of laughter, perhaps from a perfectly innocuous remark by a colleague, and you can’t get over your ‘fit of the giggles’. The BBC Radio Four newsreader Charlotte Green tells a great story on the website of the Guardian newspaper:- “The most memorable occasion was during an eight o'clock news bulletin on the Today programme with Sue MacGregor and Jim Naughtie, both of whom have a very good sense of humo...
Jul 25, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 937
2023.07.25 – 0936 – Breaking News Breaking News Stories News readers need to be cool under pressure. There are occasions when a story breaks just before, or while you are on air and it has to be covered immediately. In such circumstances, a news presenter has to tread a difficult line between making the story sound urgent and important - without making it sound overly dramatic and possibly upsetting. A steady slower, more precise pace and more authority and a hint of urgency in the voice is nece...
Jul 24, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 936
2023.07.24 – 0935 – Stopping Silly Script-reading Slip-ups Other mistakes Don’t let yourself get in your own way! Knowing some of these will help you avoid them in the first place. · Slow down if you can, and you’re likely to make fewer mistakes · Consider that you may be going fast because you are thinking of something else. So, leave your troubles at the studio door · Don’t allow distractions to compromise your concentration. If you can control it, control it. If you can’t (a crackling headpho...
Jul 23, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 935
2023.07.23 – 0934 – If It *Does* Go Wrong IF IT DOES GO WRONG The Number One Rule Never swear anywhere near a studio. By keeping to this, the chances of you swearing on air are greatly minimised. It is not just main studios that have microphones and the ability to ‘go live’ - many production booths where producers answer phones can also be put to air, so do not let down your guard. Live-read fluffs Sometimes, you simply get something wrong. It might be your fault because you mis-read the copy, o...
Jul 22, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 934
2023.07.22 – 0933 – Confidence Vs. Cockiness Confidence is being pleased that you have been hired for the gig, proud that someone wants you to be the voice of their product, and certain that you can perform well. It’s the difference between someone who sees the red light go on and thinks “ I know, if I concentrate, and with good direction, I’m prepared and communicate this message ”, and the VO who says “ yeah, baby! Wait til they hear what I can do! I’m going to prove that they were right to hi...
Jul 21, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 933
2023.07.21 – 0932 – Beta Blockers To Help Studio Nerves Beta-blockers Perhaps one of the last resorts to cope with mic fright is the use of drugs. [1] That could be drink, tobacco, (il)legal drugs such as cannabis, or some doctors prescribe beta blockers , which are usually for conditions like high blood pressure, arrhythmia and angina, but these, and tranquillizers, may help reduce your anxiety. You can see your GP to discuss if they are appropriate for you, how they work, the pros and cons inc...
Jul 20, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 932
2023.07.20 – 0931 – Look After Each Other VOICE BOX Look after each other If you see a colleague going through an anxious moment, support them by being positive. Helpful phrases are ones such as: “ I want to help you... ” “ How can I support you?” Less helpful phrases are: “ Don’t worry…” “ You’ll be fine…” Worse are: “ Are you nervous? ” Pointless feedback includes: Empty suggestions: “ you don’t sound quite right ” Negativity: “that wasn’t very good” Nerves may stop you from getting on with ge...
Jul 19, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 931
2023.07.19 – 0930 – Earn Your ‘On Air’ Miles Earn your ‘on-air’ miles Of course, overcoming a fear of failure comes from experience: your miles at the mic. When I was still at university, I’d spend hours on hospital radio and then my local station, sometimes just sitting in a studio, seeing the layout, playing songs and jingles, seeing what happened and why. I became comfortable at the controls. Later I had tricks to help me sight-read such as reading the credits to a tv show out loud, talking o...
Jul 18, 2023•6 min•Season 3Ep. 930
2023.07.18 – 0929 – Gobble Up The Feedback Feedback A constructive debrief is part of the ‘Plan and Prepare, Execute and Reflect and Evaluate’ feedback loop. (More on this in episode #629.) Such a ‘post performance review’ (never use the term ‘post-mortem’ as it has so many negative connotations) is most practically held just after the show or session, but be aware that it could therefore be emotionally-laden in which case postpone it til the next day. Discuss: · What went well and why o How you...
Jul 17, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 929
2023.07.17 – 0928 – Warming Down After The Studio Session Warm Down Exercises Hear episodes from #804 for specific exercises but doing these are part of the process to build confidence for next time. After all, if you don’t warm down and then end up hurt, it won’t inspire you to speak on mic at the next opportunity. They’re really easy to do surreptitiously in the studio when the mic’s gone down, in the toilet, leaving the building after the session or in the car: deep breathing, skeletal relaxa...
Jul 16, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 928
2023.07.16 – 0927 – What To Do In The Moment When The Nerves Feel Real VOICE BOX What to do in-the-moment when the nerves feel very real? STOPP: S – Slow down Pause and look and take it in. T – Take a breath And then in the event, calming breaths, relax your mouth with lip trills and blows, be grounded on your feet. Connect with the ground and wiggle your toes O – Observe how you feel now P – Pull back. Think what a reassuring friend would say to you right now P – Practice some mindfulness and v...
Jul 15, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 927
2023.07.15 – 0926 – ‘Park’ Perfection Think about: · Your single listener across the room: it will help you focus your attention on reassuring realities rather than lurking fears · The fact that the audience can’t harm you. They have turned on to hear what you have to say, to get your opinion and expertise. It’s your job to help them with that · How you are probably more aware of your nerves than they are. What seemed like a dreadful mistake to you probably went completely unnoticed by them. If ...
Jul 14, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 926
2023.07.14 – 0925 – Pause and Breathe, Focus and Relax Pause and Breathe High levels of adrenalin affect the body’s chemistry for violent action which it doesn’t get. Burning off energy by filling your blood with oxygen will help you replace this missing activity. A bout of steady breathing does this. Breathing is the key-thing, as I always say! Take a few minutes to centre yourself. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. It’s not big gulps of breath, it’s ‘mindful breathing’: ...
Jul 13, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 925
2023.07.13 – 0924 – Pre-Performance Routines Pre-performance routines Having a routine reminds the mind of what’s coming next: a live show or a session recording. We’ve spoken about all of these before: A mental warm-up , perhaps on the bus or train on the way to the studio or sitting in the car outside. Release tension and let go. Imagine you are somewhere warm, maybe on a beach or park. Imagine the sun warming your toes. Focus on the image of loosening and softening and the sun shining and mel...
Jul 12, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 924
2023.07.12 – 0923 – Positive Self-Talk During The Studio Session – or pre-performance routines immediately before Positive self-talk Remember that you were chosen for your talents ahead of everyone else. So really, the hardest bit is over! You have to have as much confidence in yourself as the client or producer does. Of course, you’ll be nervous but perhaps try and break any tension with some light conversation, get to know the studio staff, ask them questions and so on. The producers know they...
Jul 11, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 923
2023.07.11 – 0922 – Step By Step Positive Songs Listen to a Positive Song Music is a great emotion-bringer, so when you get up on your ‘big day’ pick one that gives you positive energy and brings a smile to your face. This could be something from your childhood or a recent song that you can’t stop listening to. [Snooker player] Ali Carter suggested that Whitney Houston inspired him to a first ranking title in seven years as he won the German Masters… He revealed that listening to the late Americ...
Jul 10, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 922
2023.07.10 – 0921 – Nutrition and Hydration Nutrition and Hydration Eating gives you the fuel to stay focused and keep going under pressure. Healthy food of a single ingredient (so fruit, vegetables and so on), is preferable to processed additive-ridden ready-meals which can affect your gut and your brain. There’s a huge link between one and the other, and if you eat like a slob, you’re likely to get brain fog … as well as enjoy the knock-on effects of being overweight (and the issues that leads...
Jul 09, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 921
2023.07.09 – 0920 – Rest and Relax Preparation – Your Voice We have covered plenty of exercises to help you have a strong, healthy and agile voice, both in how it sounds and also how it sounds with particular words, scripts, the intonations and emotions. Remember two of my philosophies on this topic: · Breathing is the key thing – belly-breathing will help calm you · Hydrate, mate o And linked with this, steaming, which we looked at before (ep 767). Rest and Relax Part of the reason we get tense...
Jul 08, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 920
2023.07.08 – 0919 – Does Practice Make Perfect? Preparation - The content - Be familiar with the script, the format, the role, the studio tech … If you’re not prepared, you will know it, even deep down. Prepare, and prepare for the unexpected: what to do if there’s breaking news, you have to ‘fill for time’ for a minute, the guest is not who you were expecting, you’ve lost your notes. That script, have you read it through at least once (without over prepping)? Do you know how the link works to t...
Jul 07, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 919
2023.07.07 – 0918 – Counselling For Mic Fright Psychological help and counselling If your jitters are more serious and long term, therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy [1] may help discover the reasons, put things into perspective and suggest long-term coping strategies. If your fears relate back to long-standing difficult psychological events, it will help to identify and work through these with a suitable psychotherapist. If your performance fears include panic attacks, social anxiety or ph...
Jul 06, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 918
2023.07.06 – 0917 – Have a No-Stress Rehearsal Have a Mental Rehearsal Visualise success – Research shows that our brain reacts the same in a real situation as in an imagined one, so do what athletes do and start training your brain into thinking positively and practice seeing yourself performing well. Develop and practice pre- and during- ‘performance’ routines so you feel more familiarity with what’s going to happen, so you settle in more quickly when it starts for real. And as you do this, im...
Jul 05, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 917
2023.07.05 – 0916 – Remind Yourself Why You Care Remind yourself why you care Why is this broadcast, podcast or voice-over opportunity important to you? Tell yourself, out loud, how excited you are about this what it is that you, the product, or your guest are about to share with listeners. From your perspective, you really know that this is what you want to do, and you’ve put yourself in this situation: · You’ve dreamt of having your own radio show · You’ve trained hard to be a VO · You’ve chos...
Jul 04, 2023•3 min•Season 3Ep. 916
2023.07.04 – 0915 – Renaming and Reframing Mic Fright Re-naming and re-framing: Positive self-talk Our physical reactions to different emotions are often similar. Think how you feel when you’re excited and when you’re frightened; both emotions may result in increased muscle tension, tremor and palpitations but we interpret them differently. Excitement is perceived as a positive ‘stress’ while genuine fear or anger is perceived as unpleasant ‘distress’. Here's another example: the situation may n...
Jul 03, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 915
2023.07.03 – 0914 – Be “Channelin’ The Adrenaline”! “ Channelin’ the adrenaline ”! Remember, if you are nervous, it shows you care. You want to perform well, you want to be careful and professional, not slipshod and slapdash. Of course, the presence of some of these chemicals can give you the edge. Some arousal leads to better performance: you may feel sharper and wittier, have rapier-like questions, Seiko-like timing, a voice of a god and more presence than Santa. Too much adrenaline and you’re...
Jul 02, 2023•2 min•Season 3Ep. 914
2023.07.02 – 0913 – Know Your Nervous Triggers OVERCOMING MIC FRIGHT BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER YOUR STUDIO SESSION BEFORE Pre-performance routines the weeks and days beforehand Those ‘butterflies’ in your stomach? They’re normal. But you have to teach them to fly in formation, like a squadron of drones, and harness their combined energies to give you wings and allow you to fly! Here’s how to do just that. Know Your Nervous Triggers First realise what it is that you are feeling. Go back to the pre...
Jul 01, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 913
2023.07.01 – 0912 – Your Mindset At The Mic INTRODUCTION Performance anxiety is rarely researched and so we understand very little about the specifics of this complex condition. We know some hacks… but we also know that long term mental health is very serious. Again, consult a medical professional for more long-term treatment for what may be underlying issues. Millenia ago our caveman ancestors would have sat around a camp fire, telling stories of spirits and sabre-toothed tigers. Their fellow c...
Jun 30, 2023•5 min•Season 3Ep. 912
2023.06.30 – 0911 – Your Guests’ Nerves Don’t forget the guests They get nervous too. The presence of a microphone can cause some people to panic. Perhaps that’s not surprising in some situations: pouncing on an unsuspecting member of the public in the street, shoving a microphone in their face and asking them intricate questions about the international monetary fund is sure to make someone clam up and run off! Studio or podcast guests may suffer similar anxiety, either a member of the public or...
Jun 29, 2023•4 min•Season 3Ep. 911
