Listen to Your Voice

I was in a mobile phone store this week (do we really have to say “mobile” anymore?) and happened to mention to the sales clerk that I was an actress.  He told me he was very interested in getting into acting as well and said, “So, what does it take?  Do you just need to know someone?” 

Ah, the age of instant gratification.

I guess it helps if you happen to be good friends with, or related to, someone already well-known in the business.  But that just opens a door; you still have to be able to deliver a credible performance.  That takes training, desire, intense focus, a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of practice. 

Practice that’s ongoing, even with something as simple as speaking.  One of the things I had to overcome in starting out was getting used to the sound of my own voice.  (You laugh?) People seldom pay attention to their own voice in speaking to others and we certainly don’t think about projecting our voice and the emphasis we put on words when we speak.  As a result, when we’re put on the spot in an audition or performance we end up sounding like we’re “acting” instead of that naturalness we’re trying to achieve. 

Drama coaches often tell you to listen to how other people talk, and there’s value in that in developing a character.  But the first step in acting is really listening to yourself and then developing ways to “warm up” your voice before performing so that your pipes are clear and your diction is what you want it to be. 

You can do voice exercises,  of course, but something I’ve found useful and do on a regular basis is simply to do a dramatic reading of the morning newspaper.  It’s readily at hand.  It’s a “cold read” every day, so I don’t get tired of the text.  I can pick it up and walk around with it.  I can practice projecting my voice while I’m reading and try emphasizing different words.  I can practice looking up from the page, which helps during auditions. 

I also try being more animated, not only in how I say the words but in how I behave when I say them.  The interesting result is that I’m becoming naturally more animated when making general conversation and – I hope – a more engaging person.  Less English/German, more French/Italian.  And that’s helping my overall performance.  

Last week I had a very small role (very small) in a commercial produced by Weaselworks, a New York-based production company.  Very nice people and real pros.  The day I was on set went like clockwork and the footage looked terrific.  This week I’m doing voiceover work for conference videos and a VO audition for a national commercial.   But the week feels slow. 

I want things to move fast.  I must be channeling spring.