One thing I
work on a lot with my singers and speakers is pronunciation. I remind them that even though they may feel
that they are speaking or singing clearly, usually they are not being clearly
understood.
When you take
the stage, you've got to remember that your audience has probably never heard
you before, the topic you are speaking about, or the lyrics to your songs. When you introduce yourself, most of your
audience will be hearing your name for the first time, so you want to make sure
that they understand your name and what company you are with! Don't just toss it off like it's a grocery
list, say your name as though it's very important to you, and important for the
audience to know, also!
Most singers think
that their lyrics are very clear, but it's my experience to the contrary. I rarely understand someone's lyrics. So I work with singers in opening up their
words. Not to over-pronounce and be
phony or exaggerated, but to make space inside their mouth for the words to
come out clearly. When you don't do
this, you smash your words down and they aren't understandable.
To practice, just experiment with exaggerating your lyrics or spoken word, and test it out on your friends. Ask them if you sound over the top. If so, back off a bit. But I'll bet you'll be surprised that they'll say 'I understood you fine - you weren't exaggerated at all!' What feels too open to you, is probably just about right in the real world of singing and speaking! Be confident enough in yourself to speak or sing in a way that you will be heard, and understood. Don't be afraid to pronounce your words.
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| Open up your words |
