Don't cry - Shout

Many women from all walks of life and at various stages in their lives find themselves unable to speak out because of the emotional blockage that seeps into their voice. They cry when they want to shout or at least to argue a point.

Our workshop will help deliver more than an ability to shout though. Few of us really want to do that a lot. But we don't want to feel silenced and through some simple breathing and relaxing, some vocal release using our major secret - the straw and a bit of mental gymnastics we hope we have a great bonding, freeing, noisy fest at these workshops.

I include details below. 

DONT CRY – SHOUT!

November Promotional Price: £30 for 3 hours of fantastic training!

A workshop for women who want to be heard.
This workshop has been designed for women who find themselves in tears when they should be angry; for women who have been told they become shrill when they try to put a point across and for women who feel they have lost access to a normal range of vocal responses.

Dates:

Friday 9^th November 9.30am to 12.30pm
Friday 16th November 10am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm 2012
Venue: St Bride Foundation Fleet Street. 
To book: www.resonancevoice.com/shout.html

An experiential 3 hour workshop in a supportive environment

Do you want to express yourself strongly without getting the sound stuck in your throat?
Do you want to be angry without crying every time?
Do you need to be heard literally and metaphorically – at work and at home?
Do you take up the vocal and physical space that is yours?

Come and learn how to release emotion through your voice safely. In truth shouting never does and never should win arguments but it is a great thing to find total release in your voice. Release depends on many physical factors that can be easily taught. It also depends on you allowing yourself to express thoughts and feelings that you may have suppressed over time because you have been repeatedly told they are inappropriate.

You will learn

     Breath control to fuel your thoughts and your voice.
     Posture and alignment so you look as though you mean business.
     How to vocally release – shout, call, chant
     The power of silence and neutrality and how it can assist you.

Book today:
Email admin@resonancevoice.com
Call: 02085092767

By Paypal www.resonancevoice.com/shout.html

META Conference

META is a cross government fast track programme  - The Minority Ethnic Talent Association headed by Claudette Sutton. Resonance VT have been lucky enough to be associated with META for the past three years and this year had the opportunity to help facilitate the induction day of the 2012/3 intake of  excellent candidates.

We followed this with a Broadening The Spectrum of Leadership: Voice Impact workshop at the following days Annual Conference on October 11 held at the Treasury which was a heady and most fulfilling day. The keynote speakers were interesting and often inspiring with different takes on diversity and leadership within government and industry. They included

• Sir Bob Kerslake – Head of the Home Civil Service & Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government
• Don Robert – Global CEO of Experian Group PLC
• Irfan Siddiq – Head of the Arab Partnership Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Spencer Dale – Chief Economist, The Bank of England
• Chris Grant – 14a Conversations

The overwhelming impression that came from the day was how seriously diversity is now being taken and the huge steps that behemoths like the Bank of England are taking to ensure they become representative.

I particularly liked a story that we were related about a major CEO advertising to graduates with 2.2 or 3rds who may have over indulged in socialising at University. Write to me the CEO said if you have done something amazing with your life since. He got a reply ' Are you serious? I partied too much and got a 3rd but have a successful company yet my dream is to work for your organisation'. This person was interviewed successfully as a result of his letter and today has achieved his dream! 

Finalist 2012 Waltham Forest Small Business Competition

I am very pleased to announce that Resonance Voice Training is a finalist in the 2012 Waltham Forest Small Business Competition. This has been an excellent exercise for us as it makes us evaluate what we are doing well and what needs attention. We would love to have more local business and hope that this will bring us to the attention of the council and other local organisations who we hope would benefit from our work.

Authenticity

How do we sound or remain authentic when we are 'telling our story' in interviews? Repetition of anything builds in smoothness of delivery but often with loss of connectivity to the message, if delivered by rote. In our workshops we are very interested in clients maintaining authenticity. How else are we to build trust and rapport in our relationships? My maternal Grandmother approved of my father because of his 'open' face as she felt this reflected his nature. To some extent it did but we can't entirely rely on looks however much we want to. The voice itself is also a great provider of clues. The authentic voice is connected to the body of the person using it. When we release someone vocally we often see a very different person, someone somehow completed. Breath is vital to this process. If a voice is breathy you are diminished; if too quiet you are diminished and if unclear or rushed it is again you who are diminished by it. Your voice at it's most open and free can only be authentic. Assisted by an open body and stance you both sound and look secure. You have to practise to ensure this becomes a default attitude.

Martha Carney - @BBCRadio4 - Women's Hour

Half an ear in and out of this programme today but I was a litttle concerned that Martha seemed to deride one of the contributors for her 'love and nurturing' comment. This women was evidently a little stuck for words and she was saying that women in the construction industry can try to behave like men to get on and there was no need. They should not lose their ability to nurture. She nearly got there because she did talk about male and female, jin and yang. I think what she meant to express was that we do not have to become more aggressive, overly direct or unemotional simply because some of us work in a male dominated environment. It is possible to maintain femininity (not girlishness or flirtyness but female attributes) whilst still having gravitas. I relate this to authenticity. If we are true to our core selves then our behaviours become authentic and as long as we are displaying valuable traits then they can be valued acordingly.

Some thoughts on charisma and presence and public speaking.

In a workshop recently  the question of personal presence and charisma  arose. We were talking about being ‘centred’ and how actors use this as a term to denote readiness for ‘action’.  Being centred is also taught in any martial arts training.  Your centre, as a place for balance, means your centre of gravity is located around the navel. There is a very nice exercise that allows you to discover your physical centre simply by thinking low in the body. When doing this you gain stability with flexibility.

But does a centred person have more charisma? I have always believed that your charisma/presence is something we all have and that as an adult you opt to ‘give’ away. I sometimes use the analogy of a there never being a baby that does not invite being looked at, albeit in an involuntary way. This has led to challenges from parents who say of course some babies have more personality than others and this may well be true. When centred you have to be in good alignment (babies always are) – so your spine is fully flexed, lengthening you in the neck and small of back. Your shoulders are also dropped and wide. You are strong and vulnerable. You can catch but you can also throw – a punch or a ball.

Centred is often sexy. It has a ‘look at me’ quality and sexy is usually also a mixture of strength and vulnerability. When public speaking you have chosen to be looked at.  Often people don’t feel they have made the choice. In fact they have by dint of being in the job they do.  Once you overcome the denial and accept the responsibilty of being in the spotlight it becomes easier. Once you choose to be seen you are already developing your presence. Of course some people take longer to find or exploit what is natural but I am sure we all have it.

Wedding Fair Season

Wedding Fair Season - London and Birmingham. And I have missed out again. My timing this year has been terrible!

However I have had a couple of clients who came first to the Professional Speaking Open Courses at Vestry House Museum, E17 and then followed up with a few individual sessions so they could shine at their respective engagements in their particular roles. And it worked!

Preparation is very definitely the key when making a speech at a wedding. That and not getting drunk before you make it of course. Alcohol really does lead to disaster. Best men who have had one too many are prone to make bad jokes, spoil the punchlines, and upset relatives. First it will be the mother of the bride, then the grandparents, and then anyone else who appears in the stories. 

If you can hold off till a bit later on, having honed and practised your speech, you will make everyone happy and your star will shine. Remember you have to pause to breathe so you have to punctuate and, if at all possible given your nerves, do smile. Everyone will feel glad not to be you and glad you are enjoying yourself.

If you have something coming up and want help I do have a course in London on the 21st October.  See www.resonancevoice.com/opencourses


Louise