***Is a Voice Improvement Workshop Something You Should Consider?

Today there are numerous ways you can improve the sound of your speaking voice. There are books, CDs, DVDs, webinars, private sessions, group sessions and even Skype. I find that one of the most effective means of discovering your ‘real’ voice is the 2-day workshop. While voice training is very successful by means of video, I seriously doubt that you can improve the sound of your speaking voice with a book or a CD because you must both see and hear how to do it and how not to do it. A good video program will cover both of those prerequisites. If your learning style is best in a personal training situation, however, then I would recommend the 2-day workshop. I do not recommend a 1-day workshop because you really need a night to ‘sleep’ on your new sound and then continue to work on it the next day. Another reason the 2-day workshop is so effective is because you are among a very small group of people. If you want to attend a successful workshop for the speaking voice, you should look for one that has a maximum number of 5 or 6 people. Why are small groups better than large? One of the most important tools for voice training is to be video-recorded throughout the workshop so that you can:

• hear your original voice, known as your ‘before’ recording,
• study the progress you are making throughout the 2 days, and then
• compare your ‘after’ recording to the ‘before.’

The difficulty with large groups is that the process of playing back the material becomes unwieldy and tedious. It also means less personal attention from your coach. While private sessions are also beneficial, I have found that the small group workshop is very effective because you learn not only from your trainer but also from the other participants by listening to and hearing what they are doing. If the group session is handled correctly, it will cover voice (optimum pitch), volume, projection, and color, the latter dealing with your expressiveness in speaking. In addition, I believe that voice training workshops should include the personal introduction and the informative/persuasive presentation. It is one thing to discover your real voice by means of reading material. It is another thing to use your real voice every time you open your mouth to speak. Therefore, conversation as well as brief presentations, are wonderful exercises in order for the practice of your new sound. You do have several options when it comes to voice improvement but the 2 most effective means, by far, are video training and small group workshops.