***Stop Shouting -- Learn the Power of Projection

Does this sound like you? You spend a few hours at a football game and find you have no voice afterwards. Or perhaps you are coaching your kid’s soccer team and, after an hour of practice, you have a sore throat. Or maybe you have been providing some training sessions and your voice is hoarse by the end of the day.

All three of the above situations are called vocal abuse. While this abuse is often the result of excessive shouting or yelling, it can also occur if you are using your voice extensively over a period of several hours as in teaching or coaching. In some cases the abuse is temporary; however, over a period of time, many people will experience permanent vocal abuse.

The vocal folds (cords) are a delicate organ, as individual to you as are your fingerprints. Some people can misuse the voice on a daily basis and never notice any voice problems; others cannot. If you suffer from chronic hoarseness, sore throats or even loss of voice by the end of the day, you need to end the abuse because it is not going to improve until you change the manner in which you are powering your sound.

Unless there are psychological or physiological problems causing these voice disorders; i.e. spasmodic dysphonia or the use of some prescriptive medications like antihistamines, the only other reason for the hoarseness or loss of voice is due to voice misplacement.

When I work on volume in my voice training program, I teach my clients how to increase their volume without shouting. It is called projection and it is only possible if you use your chest as your primary amplifier or sounding board.

The problem for most people is that when they try to increase their volume, they push their sound from the throat, the mouth cavity, and/or the nose. What results is a loud, hurtful sound that is higher in pitch than normal.

True projection, on the other hand, involves powering the voice from the chest cavity, thereby reducing the wear and tear on the vocal folds.

The beauty of projection is that it is not only easier on your voice box, but it is definitely more pleasant on your listeners’ ears. James Earl Jones has a very large voice. Were he to speak with great volume while standing next to you, the sound would not hurt your ears. The reason is because he projects a resonant voice. On the other hand, were Fran Drescher to match his volume while standing in close proximity, the sound would be painful to your ear drums!

Another marvelous benefit of projecting your voice is that it conserves your energy. While excessive shouting or yelling tires your body, projection takes much less effort and you will find that you will have more energy by the end of the day.

Imagine being able to increase your volume without shouting and, in the process, discovering a richer, warmer, resonant speaking voice that sounds mature – not too old, not too young – ageless.

Isn’t it time you stopped the shouting and learned the power of projection?