Sound Like the True You

What’s the one thing that distinguishes even the most identical of twins? The sound of their speaking voices. From an early age, people feel an association between voice and identity. From flow and rhythm to the nuances of tone, pitch, and volume, every speaker has an undeniably unique voice — including you. However, not everyone jumps for joy at hearing their own voice. General speaking anxiety, combined with a lack of formal training, can contribute to vocal issues, too, such as poor pitch, low volume, or excess tension.

Voice inflection exercises offer an effective way to overcome these obstacles without losing the distinct elements that make your voice one of a kind.

Make Your Voice Stronger and Clearer

Your voice might seem like an inevitable part of you. However, with some training and time, you can actually learn how to make your voice stronger and clearer. 

Voice enhancement and projection are powerful tools for any executive. Whether you regularly give presentations to your peers or have a career-making public speaking event on the horizon, many professionals long for a smoother, clearer speaking voice. With help from a voice projection coach, you can master a poised speaking voice that showcases all you have to offer.

Yes, you can improve your voice — and it doesn’t mean sounding like a different person.

A central part of speech coaching involves improving the tone, resonance, expressiveness, volume, and clarity of one’s voice. We tailor-make a conditioning program in order to help you achieve effortless, healthy projection (without shouting!), and cultivate a voice you'll love to hear on recordings. Our approach removes tension and physical habits that are limiting and allows your most authentic, versatile voice to shine.

I don't love the sound of my speaking voice.

Many people assume their speaking voice is something they're born with and cannot change. This couldn't be further from the truth! Unlike your height, your speaking voice is actually extremely malleable. You won’t lose touch with the voice you know as “you," but you are able to enhance it. Just like you practice stretching and improving your posture in a yoga class, you can learn how to stretch and improve your vocal flexibility.

This added flexibility will give you the vocal control you need to suit any occasion. You dress differently for lounging around the house than you would for The Academy Awards. Similarly, you'll be able to employ different vocal traits if you are chatting with your friend versus giving the State of the Union address. By manipulating various facets of the vocal anatomy, you can color your voice dramatically. If you don’t like the way your voice sounds on recordings or videos, you can change it! We're here to help you uncover and craft a speaking voice you love.

Can I improve my volume and projection?

Volume and projection are among the most popular reasons that people seek speech coaching. Using established conditioning exercises, we will explore ways of healthily increasing the volume and projection of your voice. We will discover what physical, vocal, and mental obstacles you face and work to remove these limiting characteristics. This may include work on breath, resonance, space, tongue position, posture, and mental barriers.

If you ever struggle to make yourself heard — or often have people ask you to repeat yourself — speaking voice training lessons might be a particularly helpful solution. Through private or group lessons, you'll learn how to project your voice using a combination of breathing exercises, posture changes, and abdominal muscle movements:

• Breathing exercises: Breathing drives your voice and affects volume. You can master reaching a strong, clear voice when you learn how to breathe diaphragmatically, rather than taking shallow, restrictive breaths. Changing your breathing habits takes practice and guidance but is one of the most powerful ways to improve your volume and projection.
• Stay strong: Dropping your volume at the end of a sentence can change the tone of your message and lead to misunderstandings. It can also weaken the persuasive power and impact of your words. A voice projection coach can teach you effective strategies to maintain your volume and keep a strong tone throughout your presentation.
• Don't shout: Many people associate enhanced volume with a shouting match, but projecting your voice shouldn't require yelling. Through voice inflection exercises, you can learn how to maintain a strong volume without straining your vocal cords or overpowering the audience.
• Vary your volume: Varying your volume and pitch can enhance your speaking voice in several ways. Whether you're giving a presentation or simply navigating professional conversations, varied volume can help create enthusiasm, stress significance, and keep your listener engaged.

Can I learn to speak at a loud bar or restaurant without sounding like I’m shouting?

Yes! When you project in a healthy way, the tone quality of your voice won't be negatively affected. We demonstrate the appropriate physiological adjustments you need to make in order to not feel hoarse the next day!

Can I make my voice “manlier” or more “feminine”?

Absolutely! There are plenty of ways to be true to your personality while incorporating alterations that will help you achieve your desired quality.

Some people wish they carried a heavier or lighter sound, and want what would be historically described as a “masculine” or “feminine” speaking voice. We arrive at this goal by adjusting the volume, pitch, tone, and intonation patterns that contribute to a voice sounding “masculine” or “feminine.” At New York Speech Coaching, our philosophy promotes celebrating all voices and the ways that they can reflect personality - regardless of tone, gender identification, or sexual orientation. We would never suggest to a client how they “ought to” sound. Rather, if an individual comes to us seeking a quality that more accurately aligns with what they wish to project, we are happy to demonstrate the conditioning necessary to achieve their dream voice!

Can I fix the tone quality of my voice?

You may feel - or have been told by others - that your voice is too high, too low, too thin, too breathy, too weak, too nasal, etc. All of these issues have to do with the vocal anatomy alignment you have conditioned. When you hear a speaking voice you like, generally that is because the anatomy is balanced. We will provide you with exercises and other materials that will bring this balance to your voice.

The long-term effect of habitual vocal misuse can lead to vocal inefficiency. Once we identify which components of your voice need attention (e.g. breath work, fold closure, resonance, etc.), we will be able to modify the elements that make your voice less than desirable. 

When seasoning a meal, you add particular spices to flavor the dish and leave out others you don’t need. Changing the tone of your voice works the same way. You add or subtract vocal elements until you achieve a different sound. You can get this voice to be second nature through compensatory conditioning.

Can you help me with my lisp, stutter, or other speech “impediment”?

Speech "impediments," or aspects of vocal production a person may find limiting, can in many cases be corrected by implementing a simple adjustment. In our experience, there are cases in which clients had not presented with these adjustments despite at times pursuing extensive therapy in the past. This could mean adjusting the placement of the tongue, cultivating efficient breathing, or reducing tension. A number of these issues and concerns can be addressed in one session. If the concern is more severe, we can refer you to our speech-language pathologists.

Can I fix my damaged voice?

If you struggle with vocal damage or problems, please rest assured that there is hope. We have worked with many people to correct vocal problems and to rehabilitate damaged voices. We have an incredible staff of licensed speech pathologists at New York Speech Coaching. 

First, we can help you determine the severity of the problem. Then, we can evaluate if the problem is solely based on technique or whether physical damage is a contributing factor.

From here, we can create a plan to solve the problem using conditioning exercises, advice from vocal doctors, or a combination of methods. Depending on the individual circumstances, we advise some clients to see a vocal doctor; other clients may not need a doctor’s consultation.

Speaking Voice Improvement Training

Your speaking voice is one of the first things your audience will notice — even before they absorb the information you're trying to communicate. A smooth, strong, and varied speaking voice can engage your listeners and draw them toward your words. That's why the role of voice in a presentation is so important. 

However, improving your speaking voice is much more complicated than simply lowering or raising your volume. Projecting your voice without yelling takes practice and feedback from an outside perspective. Mastering the perfect cadence means finding the right rhythm — one that blends a natural pace with an interesting flow. 

Improving your speaking style also means controlling your speed and enhancing your clarity. Your message benefits from being clear and easy to understand, free of filler words that can muddle your meaning. Clarity and volume play an invaluable role in acquiring an optimal speaking voice.

Private and Group Lessons 

Improving the quality of your voice requires precise conditioning and expert guidance. To help you achieve these goals, New York Speech Coaching offers a variety of private and group lessons taught by our seasoned coaches. Whether you opt for one-on-one sessions or prefer to learn alongside a group, our experts are here to lead voice inflection exercises and offer individualized feedback.

Private classes offer several benefits, including flexible scheduling, a tailor-made curriculum, and one-on-one attention from a qualified coach. Group lessons are also advantageous for clients who wish to improve their confidence and become more comfortable speaking in front of a group of peers. You can browse our private speaking voice improvement training options or our more holistic group classes to learn more about which training style is the best fit for you.

How long will it take?

This depends on your current and desired levels of proficiency and work outside of class. Also, every person’s affinity for speech is different.

Though we will be able to give you more accurate information at the end of your first session, here is the average breakdown:

• 4-6 hours: Basic understanding of the concepts of a healthy, mature, open, efficiently-produced speaking voice. During this time, you will receive the majority of fundamental exercises that can be used toward your goals. This period is similar to your first handful of hours of personal physical training. Perhaps in your first hour at the gym, your trainer takes you through the chest and back exercises, the second arms and abs, the third legs, etc. Then, theoretically, you could take the exercises that they have demonstrated and construct your own workouts. You will likely not have the voice of your dreams in this period of time, but you will understand the fundamentals of how you can set about achieving it.
• 6-10 hours: In 6-10 hours, you'll notice a marked improvement. If you work outside of class, your voice is significantly better at this stage of training. Many people have a desired level of proficiency that can be achieved within 6-10 hours. Though your voice may not be settled in its conditioning by this point (i.e. you still have to be conscious of producing it), most can “will” the desired voice when they choose.
• 10-25 hours: This is the most common trajectory for training. You will witness a dramatic difference in versatility and control of your voice. In this amount of time, we are able to thoroughly explore preparation, pitch, volume, rate variation, and the implications of physical and practical balance.
• 25+ hours: After you’ve reached 25 hours of training, you will be in the advanced stage. Clients that take lessons for over 25 hours usually want to achieve a level of mastery and attain the ultimate in vocal technique, presentation skills, and versatility. Just like with personal training, some clients continue to come in regularly throughout their careers, as they find the work enjoyable and continually beneficial.

Is this training for business people or actors?

Both. Many of the clients we work with are in the corporate world, as having an effective voice in meetings and for presentations is a highly coveted skill. We also work with actors on voice-over, on-camera, and theatre work. We will apply the appropriate vocal and situational exercises to help you achieve goals in your respective field.

Can I improve my confidence with my voice?

Absolutely. We utilize preparation strategies, physiological habits, and a healthy psychological perspective to create and maintain confidence in any environment.

Our Team of Expert Speech Coaches

Are you trying to find a way to make your voice stronger, louder, and clearer? With the help of an experienced voice projection coach, your dream is within reach. New York Speech Coaching offers voice modulation classes designed to help professionals improve their presentation voice skills and feel comfortable on any stage. Both private one-on-one and group classes are led by our team of internationally reputed speech coaches. Each coach brings specialized training and practical experience to the table, ensuring you can experience the best results possible.

Our coaching services are highly flexible and you can build them around your schedule. Whether you're on a tight timeline before a big upcoming speech or simply have a busy schedule, we're willing to work with your timeline. We can also customize our group and private voice modulation classes to address any specific obstacles or goals you have in mind.

Book your first session online today. If you have any questions about our services, we're here to help — reach out to our team to learn more or call us at 646-535-6785.