Girls! Find your voice!

I work with a lot of girls just entering, or going through the agony of puberty. I say 'agony' because it causes so much hormonal upheaval that usually leads to a huge drop in self-confidence. When young girls come to me they usually have a difficult time 'finding their voice'. Usually, they are shy, reserved and sing and speak in an airy, small voice that lacks power and confidence; exactly mirroring how they feel about themselves. Girls, it's time to find your voice!

"There are far-ranging consequences to low self-esteem," says Lisa Machoian, a psychologist and former director of gender studies at Harvard University. Girls lose their voice and sense of who they are, and may do extreme things - develop eating disorders, abuse alcohol and drugs, cut themselves, become promiscuous.

Clinical psychologist Robin F. Goodman writes that "Girls self -esteem peaks at 9 years old, then takes a nose dive." Here are some statistics: 75 percent of 8 and 9 year olds said they liked their looks. That percentage dropped to 56 percent among girls aged 12 and 13. By age 9, 50 percent of girls say they're on a diet. That jumps to 80 percent by the eighth grade.

I've found that singing and voice lessons can renew a girl's sense of self. When she begins to 'find her voice' and release it to the world, she gains incredible confidence. I have seen my students absolutely blossom after taking lessons and developing their voice. They get in shape, their grades go up, they get involved in activities and become more social. Overall, they open up to their own power and completely transform!

My advice is to get your teen or pre-teen involved in music or singing lessons, or any activity that will empower them and make them feel that they're good at something. It will change their lives, and help them get through the teen years easily and happily. Girls! Find your voice!

Practice Imperfection!

Most singers who come to me for help have an overriding fear of something; whether they'll forget their lyrics; whether their voice will crack; that they'll sing off-pitch, and on and on. Why all this anxiety? What happened to the joyful singing experience we used to enjoy as children?

During lessons, we use the Vocal Mastery Exercises to warm up and release the voice. It's not about being perfect, in fact, I urge my clients to PRACTICE IMPERFECTION by simply accepting that the voice is a glorious instrument of incredible color and emotion, and 'perfection' is completely subjective. I would much rather hear a singer who moved me with their emotion rather than a technically perfect singer who didn't connect with me emotionally.

When you can get to a place where you stop thinking about all the bad things that might happen when you sing, you can start to focus on the emotion of the song, which is what's really important. Of course, learning proper technique is key to getting rid of 'singing anxiety' because once you've mastered your technique, it becomes natural, and you don't have to be thinking about it, you can let it go and concentrate on your message.

When you're warming up your voice, practice the imperfection of singing with joy and abandon. Get over the fear that someone will be judging you. We all carry the shame of some far-distant criticism that has shaped our distorted belief system surrounding singing. Let it go! Sing because you love it, because it's fun, because it's part of your soul that cries out to express itself! When you feel self-conscious about your voice, move through that fear and belt out a song as you celebrate your unique voice! You're human; practice imperfection!

The Rainbow Won't Wait

The work will wait while you show the child the
rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you
do the work. - unknown

Take time to be inspired by nature! Step away from your work and feed your artistic soul. You'll return to work refreshed and ready to think outside the box!

For more Viva La Voice Tips, sign up for my monthly Voicegram at vivalavoice.com!

Miss America endorsement

Like many of you, I guess I used to think that beauty pageants were hokey. Recently, though, I've seen local and state pageants in a different light.

I just acted as Pageant Advisor for the Miss Wasatch pageant, and got to see firsthand what a great learning experience it is for young women. In just a few short weeks of rigorous coaching, these girls turn into lovely, sophisticated and confident women. They learn to dress, to walk, and to present themselves with confidence and poise. They have to articulate their views and opinions in an assertive and mature way. They learn life skills that will help them tremendously in every area of their lives.

Being Miss Wasatch is an important stepping stone to become Miss Utah and eventually Miss America. No matter what you might say about these pageants, the truth is, holding any one of those titles can, and will be a life-changing event. It means exposure to the public, thinking on your feet, presenting yourself professionally, and certainly not least, it means college scholarships.

I'd urge any young woman to investigate their local pageant opportunities and take advantage of all the pageant experience has to offer. It's a great opportunity to grow and blossom. It takes work and dedication to get to the top ranks in the pageant world. Most successful contestants would probably be deemed 'over acheivers' in the most positive sense of the word.

I admire the guts it takes to enter these pageants, and salute all the young women who put themselves on the line and go out there to compete. When you see all the girls become beautiful butterflies you realize so profoundly that they are all winners, no matter their final ranking. I salute all of you contestants with 'The Queen's wave'!

Are You Speechless?

Did you know that one-quarter of the U.S. workforce considers their voices to be the primary tool of their trade, and 28 million Americans experience daily voice problems, according to Ingo R. Titze, executive director of the National Center for Voice and Speech in Denver, Colorado?

I can't stress enough that you must treat your voice with the same, or more, respect and importance than your car, cel phone, computer or high end professional wardrobe! Most of us would be lost without our computers. What would happen if you lost your voice? What if you so abused your voice that you had to stop talking for a month or more; in other words, had to have complete vocal rest? Does it make you stop and think?

More than 3 million teachers who use their voices as part of their trade are considered at higher risk for chronic vocal problems than the general population. Lawyers, broadcast journalists, actors, singers, telemarketers, clergy and even parents who constantly use and sometimes misuse their voices are at risk for painful problems that can damage the vocal cords. If left untreated, they could become serious conditions requiring surgery. Why not avoid vocal problems before they start by learning to speak correctly? A few minutes of vocal warm up in the morning can help you avoid vocal strain, and will strengthen the voice.

Professional voice training is an essential part of the business professional's tool kit. Not only will speaking correctly preserve and strengthen your voice, but you'll be more successful when your voice reflects the confident, commanding professional that you are.

If you're interested in my new CD, The Integrated Voice, Vocal Mastery Exercises, sign up for my Voicegram at vivalavoice.com and I'll send you info on the upcoming release date, along with an article on vocal health.

Audio Analgesic

Here's yet another study on the power of music to effectively reduce pain. More and more medical studies are concluding that sound and music act as an 'audio analgesic'.

A study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing involved 60 patients with chronic, non-cancer pain. Those who listened to music on headphones for an hour a day reported significantly less pain and depression and an increased sense of control.

This confirms my philosophy that music, sound and the power of the human voice act on a core biological level that bypasses our analytical, thinking brain.

If you'd like to learn more about sound healing, read my article "Sound Healing - Not Just For Britney Spears!' on my website at: vivalavoice.com

Vocal Mastery Exercise CD

This week I completed a new CD, 'The Integrated Voice - Vocal Mastery Exercises'. It's going to be a great product for speakers, singers, salespeople; really anyone who uses their voice professionally.

If you're a speaker, trainer, clergy or teacher, you need to train your voice just as singers do. I suggest at least 15 minutes a day of vocal warm ups that will help you not only build and develop your voice, but should also be done every day before you speak. Going through a series of vocal exercises daily will teach you how to use your voice correctly so that you don't strain or injury your voice. The exercises on my Vocal Mastery CD will also help you build and condition your voice as well as learning proper breathing and placement techniques.

If you'd like more information on my new Vocal Mastery CD, please sign up for my monthly Voicegram at vivalavoice.com, and I'll keep you posted about the upcoming release date!

Repetitive Voice Injury

Are you using your voice correctly? It's not only singers who develop vocal problems. More and more service personnel who use their voices all day long are suffering from a new syndrome called REPETITIVE VOICE INJURY. Folks in call centers are particularly at risk, especially when they are straining their voices by speaking incorrectly.

If you're a teacher, clergy or salesperson who's on the phone, or using your voice extensively during your work day, you could be at risk for developing this syndrome. Here are a few tips to protect and preserve your voice:

- Keep hydrated! Working in an air conditioned building can dry out your vocal chords.

- Breathe fully! Make sure that you are consciously breathing and actively supporting your voice

- Sit up straight! If you sit while you're speaking or on the phone, make sure that you 'pull up' and maintain your posture.

- Don't push! Trying to speak loudly or 'project' your voice will only lead to strain. Instead, use your breath support for vocal power.

- Use your body voice! Visualize your voice resonating in your body, not your head.

- Relax your jaw! Unclench your jaw and let it drop naturally as you speak.

- Open your mouth! You'll be surprised at how much more volume you'll get from this one simple trick.

- Take breaks! Give your voice a rest. Stop talking when you're not 'on the clock'.

- Get coaching! Most importantly, learn the basic skills that will help you to speak correctly so that you won't suffer from a strained or fatigued voice.

With just a bit of conscious effort and some basic voice coaching you'll be able to avoid Repetitive Voice Injury.

For more information on Voice Coaching and avoiding vocal injury, see my website articles at vivalavoice.com