some people have a love of words I have
a love of the sound of words it may have
started with Rupert bear all those
wonderful rhyming couplets hi there what
are you looking at calls
Algie eager for a chat what do you have
to eat first thing asks Rupert without
answering why gooey flakes his tongue
replies try winky bikies Rupert cries
you get fine picture cards with those
look birds and some spare cards he shows
and then listening to my dad tell my
sister and I a bedtime story they’re on
the bottom bunk head on the pillow
covers pulled up snug and warm I was
transported into New Worlds I’d hear
about a boy and his grandpa with a
golden ticket off to mr. Wonka’s
chocolate factory or the daring deeds of
small furry hobbits long before Andy
Serkis ever became the voice of Gollum
my dad had brought the Smeagol to life
in my imagination with his long essays
as he talked about pockets ease and
faith and my precious now I have the
absolute pleasure of reading to the
children in my life and watching a
stasis tear up at me with eyes like
saucers as the words I read danced
through their minds and explode like
fireworks and I’ve taken this passion
into my working life as a voice-over
artist voicing the words of others and
as a tone of voice consultant talking to
people about talking to people so I’d
like to spend a little time with you
today exploring this wonderful
instrument that we have and the
beautiful sounds we can make with it
follow me if you will down the rabbit
hole into the amazing world of tone of
voice how it all begins why it matters
and what you can do to get the most from
yours once upon a time there was you at
the very beginning of your life you
started hearing in the womb and as low
notes travel better through fluid you’re
more exposed to the bass sounds in music
and the vowels in your mother’s voice
rather than the consonants two to four
months after you’re born and you begin
to react to different tones you may cry
if you hear something loud or harsh or
gargle with delight if you hear
something that soothes or pleases you
and then there’s smiling people often
smile at you and you smile right back
you begin to experiment with your vocal
folds combining consonants and vowels
mama dada at the front of the mouth and
kakakaka back at the mouth a study
carried out by Cardiff University’s
School of Psychology found that babies
between the ages of 14 and 18 months
reacted in the same way to the words
whoops and there whether those words
were said in English or Greek because
the babies were responding to tone clues
not to the words themselves so we start
to pick up on tone clues very early on
in our lives and work out whether our
significant others are happy or sad
angry or anxious we quickly learn the
difference between no and no it’s part
of our survival instinct tone is how we
judge intention as a listener and how we
communicate meaning as a speaker a team
at Glasgow University did a piece of
research into first impressions when we
hear a new voice now for this they use
just the word hello a word that has no
real meaning and sometimes lasts less
than a second and what they found is
from just this one word 320 people could
pretty consistently
pick out personality attributes in the
speaker’s voice things like likability
dominance trustworthiness talk about you
had me at hello
so why can we do that well their theory
was that it’s about approach or
avoidance we want to work out very early
on in an interaction with someone new
whether we feel safe and trust that
person so we use tone as a marker
because of that tone affects our
relationship with every new person that
we meet an advert on TV recently began
with the words will meet nearly 80,000
people in our lives very generalized but
even so imagine if that were true and
you had the power to influence how those
80,000 people react to and respond to
you so how do you do that well firstly
by building awareness sharpen up your
noticing skills because the clues are
right in front of you when you speak are
people engaged and present or are they
fidgety distracted closed off the clues
are there in body language in facial
expressions in nonverbal cues like
saying or tutting secondly make friends
with your voice love it
nurture it practice with it like you
would a cherished musical instrument a
Stradivarius or Fender Stratocaster
interestingly we gauge music and tone in
the same part of our brain the right
hemisphere Dale Purves a research
professor at Duke Institute for brain
sciences has said musical tonality
conveys emotion
by imitating the tonality of speech
music imitates tone so right in here you
have a chart-topping band or symphony
orchestra capable of emitting sounds
that will change the mood of the people
listening
just like your favorite music can who
here likes the sound of their voice put
up your hand if you are happy and
content with your unique sound so few of
us are it’s like our sound is so
personal and so revealing that suddenly
we become embarrassed and self-critical
but also we hear our voices very
differently to how everyone else does
because we hear it internally and
externally internally sound bouncing off
our bones and resonating inside and then
the external element – so then when we
only hear the external element it’s on a
voicemail or a recording suddenly we
sound higher and weaker than we expected
as part of making friends with your
voice I have to admit that most of us
are terrified of public speaking now
there is a name for this phobia does
anyone know it it’s glossophobia the
fear of public speaking or of speaking
in general some studies show that in a
lineup of the usual suspects so things
like darkness flying insects lifts we
fear public speaking more than we do
which puts me in mind of a kind of Eddie
Izzard comedy skit no sir public
speaking or death oh I’ll take death
please very well yes it is but how you
sound is too important to only be left
for those moments of public speaking
when you’re doing a speech at a wedding
or a presentation at work
it affects teachers and kids and how we
learn job interviews and whether you’re
the chosen candidate dating and whether
you create that spark it influences our
relationship with friends and strangers
and colleagues and loved ones and
children so here are four ways to
improve your tone and strengthen your
relationships with those eighty thousand
people that you may impact in ways great
or small number one is breath if you
don’t breathe
you will die I have that on good
authority but seriously all of this
stems from breath voice is audible air
so as with most things the quality of
what you put in affects the quality of
what you get out so whether it’s
noticing it gently controlling it
breathing more deeply or using rhythmic
or regulated breathing to calm and
soothe yourself you will find that
breathing pops up just about everywhere
when you delve more deeply into speech
tone good communication confidence
relaxation mindfulness yoga sport and
fitness mental agility focus awareness
it’s the key to life but it’s also the
key to stamina and energy and power and
who doesn’t want some of that it’s a
combination of control and release
control starting to notice where and how
you’re breathing and then release
because your best tones come
when you just let go if there’s a muscle
that will send to you and bring you
strength it is your diaphragm if you’re
not sure where that is pop your hand on
your belly and make the noise as if to
clear your throat it’s the muscle that
moves to accommodate that throat
clearing but in the words of Madame de
marte from la liaison Tantra verse one
does not applaud the tenor for clearing
his throat so I invite you to look into
what this muscle can do for you it may
be the single most powerful thing you do
to relieve stress and anxiety and bring
you calm and clarity you will not
believe how many books and online videos
there are out there about breathing
something which up until now you
probably took for granted as for the
this is the sound that embodies humour
and empathy and compassion and
friendliness it is a feel-good feast of
a tone it’s the sound of welcome of
acceptance of affability of fondness and
love and it lights up both the speaker
and the listener how do you show what so
others can hear it you simply smile
either inwardly or outwardly
when you smile you lift the cheekbones
the soft palate everything opens up the
eyes the face the throat and the sound
that comes out is golden and glorious
try it now
turn to the people next to you and with
just the people next to you not the
whole theater once will bring you
connection it is the tone that keeps on
giving because smiling and laughter are
contagious so you shine and feel more
positive and then the people around you
do too warmth is the string section of
your vocal Orchestra your heart voice
the next tone to master is passion
speaking with expression and energy and
variety passion is in the richness of
words sometimes we extend vowels sounds
perfect
o rageous freezing-cold try it for me
now I’ll say 1 2 3 go
and then I’d like you to say the word
Wow with all of the passion that you can
passion is in pace sometimes we speed up
with excitement or enthusiasm like the
quickening of your heartbeat and
sometimes we slow down in or just to
take it all in passion is in good use of
emphasis because you want to take the
audience on that journey with you so we
vocally highlight new information or
important information passion is in
expression bringing across the meaning
of words as you say them linger sizzle
harsh passion is in changes of pitch so
using all of those different notes in
your instrument a good way to practice
is by humming up and down your vocal
range so maybe when you’re on your own
in the shower or in the car you can do
this
[Music]
hmm and explore all of your wonderful
high notes and low notes and everything
in between and build up your resonance
passion is in the voice of everyone who
sees wonder in the world and dwells in
possibility and wants to share it with
others it is the full orchestra of tones
vibrant and exhilarating and the last
tome to master is confidence you’re
centered tone of conviction and self
belief knowing you have the right to
speak and be heard it is your gut voice
supported by breath it comes from deep
within it is the brass section of your
vocal Orchestra sometimes serious
sometimes bold sometimes heroic
confidence comes through in relaxed
lower tones when we’re nervous we tend
to breed up here the voice thins and the
pitch rises so it helps to bring focus
lower down sometimes by pressing the
heels of your hands together as you
speak and listen for those relaxed lower
tones confidence is in a measured pace
don’t rush or feel the need to get it
over with
confidence is in pauses breathe give
yourself time and space to speak and
finally confidence is in posture
shoulders down everything loose and free
okay let’s try it I’ll say 1 2 3 go
and then I’d like you to say the word
yes with all of the bold powerful
confidence that you can and punch the
air as you say it
be careful of everyone else one two
three go thank you
confidence is authentic and rousing and
you get it by practice because it’s hard
to fake so you have to face your fears
rattle on the bars of that glossophobia
with that in mind I’ll leave you as I
started with rhyme not from Rupert bear
this time but the wonderful words of
poet John Cooper Clarke on tone trousers
and the vocal powerhouse that is Tom
Jones back in town in a black
rolls-royce the funky honky housewives
choice in one fact he can rejoice his
trousers don’t affect his voice thank you
a love of the sound of words it may have
started with Rupert bear all those
wonderful rhyming couplets hi there what
are you looking at calls
Algie eager for a chat what do you have
to eat first thing asks Rupert without
answering why gooey flakes his tongue
replies try winky bikies Rupert cries
you get fine picture cards with those
look birds and some spare cards he shows
and then listening to my dad tell my
sister and I a bedtime story they’re on
the bottom bunk head on the pillow
covers pulled up snug and warm I was
transported into New Worlds I’d hear
about a boy and his grandpa with a
golden ticket off to mr. Wonka’s
chocolate factory or the daring deeds of
small furry hobbits long before Andy
Serkis ever became the voice of Gollum
my dad had brought the Smeagol to life
in my imagination with his long essays
as he talked about pockets ease and
faith and my precious now I have the
absolute pleasure of reading to the
children in my life and watching a
stasis tear up at me with eyes like
saucers as the words I read danced
through their minds and explode like
fireworks and I’ve taken this passion
into my working life as a voice-over
artist voicing the words of others and
as a tone of voice consultant talking to
people about talking to people so I’d
like to spend a little time with you
today exploring this wonderful
instrument that we have and the
beautiful sounds we can make with it
follow me if you will down the rabbit
hole into the amazing world of tone of
voice how it all begins why it matters
and what you can do to get the most from
yours once upon a time there was you at
the very beginning of your life you
started hearing in the womb and as low
notes travel better through fluid you’re
more exposed to the bass sounds in music
and the vowels in your mother’s voice
rather than the consonants two to four
months after you’re born and you begin
to react to different tones you may cry
if you hear something loud or harsh or
gargle with delight if you hear
something that soothes or pleases you
and then there’s smiling people often
smile at you and you smile right back
you begin to experiment with your vocal
folds combining consonants and vowels
mama dada at the front of the mouth and
kakakaka back at the mouth a study
carried out by Cardiff University’s
School of Psychology found that babies
between the ages of 14 and 18 months
reacted in the same way to the words
whoops and there whether those words
were said in English or Greek because
the babies were responding to tone clues
not to the words themselves so we start
to pick up on tone clues very early on
in our lives and work out whether our
significant others are happy or sad
angry or anxious we quickly learn the
difference between no and no it’s part
of our survival instinct tone is how we
judge intention as a listener and how we
communicate meaning as a speaker a team
at Glasgow University did a piece of
research into first impressions when we
hear a new voice now for this they use
just the word hello a word that has no
real meaning and sometimes lasts less
than a second and what they found is
from just this one word 320 people could
pretty consistently
pick out personality attributes in the
speaker’s voice things like likability
dominance trustworthiness talk about you
had me at hello
so why can we do that well their theory
was that it’s about approach or
avoidance we want to work out very early
on in an interaction with someone new
whether we feel safe and trust that
person so we use tone as a marker
because of that tone affects our
relationship with every new person that
we meet an advert on TV recently began
with the words will meet nearly 80,000
people in our lives very generalized but
even so imagine if that were true and
you had the power to influence how those
80,000 people react to and respond to
you so how do you do that well firstly
by building awareness sharpen up your
noticing skills because the clues are
right in front of you when you speak are
people engaged and present or are they
fidgety distracted closed off the clues
are there in body language in facial
expressions in nonverbal cues like
saying or tutting secondly make friends
with your voice love it
nurture it practice with it like you
would a cherished musical instrument a
Stradivarius or Fender Stratocaster
interestingly we gauge music and tone in
the same part of our brain the right
hemisphere Dale Purves a research
professor at Duke Institute for brain
sciences has said musical tonality
conveys emotion
by imitating the tonality of speech
music imitates tone so right in here you
have a chart-topping band or symphony
orchestra capable of emitting sounds
that will change the mood of the people
listening
just like your favorite music can who
here likes the sound of their voice put
up your hand if you are happy and
content with your unique sound so few of
us are it’s like our sound is so
personal and so revealing that suddenly
we become embarrassed and self-critical
but also we hear our voices very
differently to how everyone else does
because we hear it internally and
externally internally sound bouncing off
our bones and resonating inside and then
the external element – so then when we
only hear the external element it’s on a
voicemail or a recording suddenly we
sound higher and weaker than we expected
as part of making friends with your
voice I have to admit that most of us
are terrified of public speaking now
there is a name for this phobia does
anyone know it it’s glossophobia the
fear of public speaking or of speaking
in general some studies show that in a
lineup of the usual suspects so things
like darkness flying insects lifts we
fear public speaking more than we do
which puts me in mind of a kind of Eddie
Izzard comedy skit no sir public
speaking or death oh I’ll take death
please very well yes it is but how you
sound is too important to only be left
for those moments of public speaking
when you’re doing a speech at a wedding
or a presentation at work
it affects teachers and kids and how we
learn job interviews and whether you’re
the chosen candidate dating and whether
you create that spark it influences our
relationship with friends and strangers
and colleagues and loved ones and
children so here are four ways to
improve your tone and strengthen your
relationships with those eighty thousand
people that you may impact in ways great
or small number one is breath if you
don’t breathe
you will die I have that on good
authority but seriously all of this
stems from breath voice is audible air
so as with most things the quality of
what you put in affects the quality of
what you get out so whether it’s
noticing it gently controlling it
breathing more deeply or using rhythmic
or regulated breathing to calm and
soothe yourself you will find that
breathing pops up just about everywhere
when you delve more deeply into speech
tone good communication confidence
relaxation mindfulness yoga sport and
fitness mental agility focus awareness
it’s the key to life but it’s also the
key to stamina and energy and power and
who doesn’t want some of that it’s a
combination of control and release
control starting to notice where and how
you’re breathing and then release
because your best tones come
when you just let go if there’s a muscle
that will send to you and bring you
strength it is your diaphragm if you’re
not sure where that is pop your hand on
your belly and make the noise as if to
clear your throat it’s the muscle that
moves to accommodate that throat
clearing but in the words of Madame de
marte from la liaison Tantra verse one
does not applaud the tenor for clearing
his throat so I invite you to look into
what this muscle can do for you it may
be the single most powerful thing you do
to relieve stress and anxiety and bring
you calm and clarity you will not
believe how many books and online videos
there are out there about breathing
something which up until now you
probably took for granted as for the
this is the sound that embodies humour
and empathy and compassion and
friendliness it is a feel-good feast of
a tone it’s the sound of welcome of
acceptance of affability of fondness and
love and it lights up both the speaker
and the listener how do you show what so
others can hear it you simply smile
either inwardly or outwardly
when you smile you lift the cheekbones
the soft palate everything opens up the
eyes the face the throat and the sound
that comes out is golden and glorious
try it now
turn to the people next to you and with
just the people next to you not the
whole theater once will bring you
connection it is the tone that keeps on
giving because smiling and laughter are
contagious so you shine and feel more
positive and then the people around you
do too warmth is the string section of
your vocal Orchestra your heart voice
the next tone to master is passion
speaking with expression and energy and
variety passion is in the richness of
words sometimes we extend vowels sounds
perfect
o rageous freezing-cold try it for me
now I’ll say 1 2 3 go
and then I’d like you to say the word
Wow with all of the passion that you can
passion is in pace sometimes we speed up
with excitement or enthusiasm like the
quickening of your heartbeat and
sometimes we slow down in or just to
take it all in passion is in good use of
emphasis because you want to take the
audience on that journey with you so we
vocally highlight new information or
important information passion is in
expression bringing across the meaning
of words as you say them linger sizzle
harsh passion is in changes of pitch so
using all of those different notes in
your instrument a good way to practice
is by humming up and down your vocal
range so maybe when you’re on your own
in the shower or in the car you can do
this
[Music]
hmm and explore all of your wonderful
high notes and low notes and everything
in between and build up your resonance
passion is in the voice of everyone who
sees wonder in the world and dwells in
possibility and wants to share it with
others it is the full orchestra of tones
vibrant and exhilarating and the last
tome to master is confidence you’re
centered tone of conviction and self
belief knowing you have the right to
speak and be heard it is your gut voice
supported by breath it comes from deep
within it is the brass section of your
vocal Orchestra sometimes serious
sometimes bold sometimes heroic
confidence comes through in relaxed
lower tones when we’re nervous we tend
to breed up here the voice thins and the
pitch rises so it helps to bring focus
lower down sometimes by pressing the
heels of your hands together as you
speak and listen for those relaxed lower
tones confidence is in a measured pace
don’t rush or feel the need to get it
over with
confidence is in pauses breathe give
yourself time and space to speak and
finally confidence is in posture
shoulders down everything loose and free
okay let’s try it I’ll say 1 2 3 go
and then I’d like you to say the word
yes with all of the bold powerful
confidence that you can and punch the
air as you say it
be careful of everyone else one two
three go thank you
confidence is authentic and rousing and
you get it by practice because it’s hard
to fake so you have to face your fears
rattle on the bars of that glossophobia
with that in mind I’ll leave you as I
started with rhyme not from Rupert bear
this time but the wonderful words of
poet John Cooper Clarke on tone trousers
and the vocal powerhouse that is Tom
Jones back in town in a black
rolls-royce the funky honky housewives
choice in one fact he can rejoice his
trousers don’t affect his voice thank you
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