In our daily lives, we love to listen to people who when they speak, we can assume absolute authority. They resonate – it holds our attention and they get listened to. We feel that we are “in good hands.”
Know that an authentic, resonant voice is possible in you.
Mark Rylance is one of the finest actors of our time. Listen to Mark Rylance’s voice in a recent interview with Charlie Rose and now you can say you know what a resonant voice sounds like. You will love it’s tone, timber and fullest resonance – like a bass drum. It’s a voice that speaks of his credibility to who he is and what he does.
In our workplace, we want to speak to our credibility of what we do and offer. We are diligent, reliable and trustworthy. But if we don’t show it, they don’t know it. Our voice and physical expression is that showing.
Here’s how to work toward resonance. An actor the caliber of Mark Rylance works on this every day. And what he does is removes tension in his body. Try this exercise.
- Imagine when you take an inhale of a deep breath from low in your abdomen that the breath is entering through your “Third Eye” – the place between your eyebrows.
- Again, using your imagination, when you exhale, direct your breath through your scalp, next breath – your forehead – next breath- your eyes, then the cheeks, mouth, jaw, neck, shoulders – yes, keep going breath by breath to every body part. You get it.
- Keep breathing through any part of your body that is holding tension. In those particularly difficult areas, you may need repeat until tension is released.
- When you have removed tension, make a sigh. Imagine you are moving the inhale from your feet up through your breathing passages. Sigh.
- Now make the sigh an audible “Huh”. Practice and you will hear the difference. Compare your resonance with Mark Rylance’s resonance. What fun to have a this standard to work toward.*
Not only does it sound amazing, it feels really good.
* This exercise is credited to George Morrison, an acclaimed acting teacher, coach and director
