Your voice is a powerful instrument. But how can you get the best out of it? This is a Voice is a practical toolkit of step-by-step vocal exercises to help speakers and singers of all abilities transform the quality of their voice. Using advice from expert vocal coaches, you'll learn: - Breathing exercises and vocal warm-ups - How to pace and project your voice- Techniques for speaking with confidence- How to sing jazz, pop, opera - and even try beatboxing - with style Whether you're a member of a choir or a professional singer, preparing for a big presentation or planning a wedding speech, This is a Voice will give you the skills to make yourself heard. With a foreword by Cerys Matthews.

A New York Times bestselling writer explores what our unique sonic signature reveals about our species, our culture, and each one of us. Finally, a vital topic that has never had its own book gets its due. There’s no shortage of books about public speaking or language or song. But until now, there has been no book about the miracle that underlies them all—the human voice itself. And there are few writers who could take on this surprisingly vast topic with more artistry and expertise than John Colapinto. Beginning with the novel—and compelling—argument that our ability to speak is what made us the planet’s dominant species, he guides us from the voice’s beginnings in lungfish millions of years ago to its culmination in the talent of Pavoratti, Martin Luther King Jr., and Beyoncé—and each of us, every day. Along the way, he shows us why the voice is the most efficient, effective means of communication ever devised: it works in all directions, in all weathers, even in the dark, and it can be calibrated to reach one other person or thousands. He reveals why speech is the single most complex and intricate activity humans can perform. He travels up the Amazon to meet the Piraha, a reclusive tribe whose singular language, more musical than any other, can help us hear how melodic principles underpin every word we utter. He heads up to Harvard to see how professional voices are helped and healed, and he ventures out on the campaign trail to see how demagogues wield their voices as weapons. As far-reaching as this book is, much of the delight of reading it lies in how intimate it feels. Everything Colapinto tells us can be tested by our own lungs and mouths and ears and brains. He shows us that, for those who pay attention, the voice is an eloquent means of communicating not only what the speaker means, but also their mood, sexual preference, age, income, even psychological and physical illness. It overstates the case only slightly to say that anyone who talks, or sings, or listens will find a rich trove of thrills in This Is the Voice.

A practical toolkit to help singers and speakers of all abilities transform the quality of their voice.With its own cadence, tone and rhythm, your voice is as unique as a fingerprint, and conveys even more meaning than the words you say. But your voice can also get in the way: we find ourselves mumbling when we want to sound confident, squeaky when we want to be taken seriously, and off-key on those crucial high notes at choir or karaoke.This is a Voice is a practical system of step-by-step vocal warm ups and exercises, each one illustrated with striking graphic design. By following these simple techniques, anyone can gain more control over their voice - whether to project confidence and be more persuasive at work, or just to sing in tune. Divided into sections including speeches, using your voice in the workplace, singing and opera, the book includes guidance on things like breathing and posture, as well as tricks to combat issues such as groggy morning voice or nerves. There are even sections on ventriloquism and beatboxing! This book is both an unusual gift and an essential toolkit to help you transform the way you sound.

Written to save careers one voice at a time through scientifically proven methods and advice, this resource teaches people how to protect and improve one of their most valuable assets: their speaking voice. Simple explanations of vocal anatomy and up-to-date instruction for vocal injury prevention are accompanied by illustrations, photographs, and FAQs. An audio CD of easy-to-follow vocal-strengthening exercises--including Hum and Chew, Puppy Dog Whimper, Sirens, Lip Trills, and Tongue Twisters--is also included, along with information on breathing basics, vocal-cord vibration, and working with students who have medical complications such as asthma, acid reflux, or anxiety.

Written by two specialist speech and language therapists, this book explains how voice and communication therapy can help transgender and non-binary people to find their authentic voice. It gives a thorough account of the process, from understanding the vocal mechanism through to assimilating new vocal skills and new vocal identity into everyday situations, and includes exercises to change pitch, resonance and intonation. Each chapter features insider accounts from trans and gender diverse individuals who have explored or are exploring voice and communication related to their gender expression, describing key aspects of their experience of creating and maintaining a voice that feels true to them. This guide is an essential, comprehensive source for trans and non-binary individuals who are interested in working towards achieving a different, more authentic voice, and will be a valuable resource for speech and language therapists/pathologists, voice coaches and healthcare professionals.

Finding your voice can be used as a resource by actors at all levels, form students and young professionals to established and experienced actors. Drama teachers in schools and committed amateur actors who want to increase their vocal skills and understanding will also find it invaluable.