BeSpoke Speaks

Curious about how I coach the American accent? Have a listen to this episode, which is an interview and mini accent-coaching session with Alistair Nwachukwu. Alistair is a UK-based actor and a recent LAMDA graduate who has been working with me on voice, acting and accents privately for some time. In this episode, we talk about his process for learning the American accent. Themes that come up are: learning an accent is like learning a dance. You have to learn the steps first. We talk through what those steps are Alistair talks about his process for approaching accents, which includes getting curious about environment, cultural context, phonetics and physicality The intersections between accent work, character work and voice workI coach Alistair through the physicality of the accent to find more accuracy using his understanding of anatomy and character. the importance of vocal intention to finding the resonance of the accentHave a listen and see what you think! In addition to in-person coaching, I also have a digital American accent course that's specifically designed for UK-based actors (which also comes with a live coaching component). It covers all of the material Alistair and I discuss and allows you to learn the accent in your own time. You can find out more about it at:voiceandaccentcoaching.thinkific.com Or on the course packs page of: voicewhatmatters.com. 

In case you haven't noticed, I have recently released my first online video course, The General American Accent Course Pack for Brits. In this episode, I talk about the inspiration behind the making of this course and what the course entails. Designed to be like a digital book/online course/ accent coach in your pocket, the course has over 3 hours of content and is broken down into 59 (short and easily digestible) videos that cover everything you need to know to authentically own a General American accent in your own voice, which you can watch in your own time, at your own pace. You also get a LIVE 30-minute coaching session via Zoom with me upon completion of the course. It's specifically designed for UK-based actors and coaches who work with UK-based actors. As an American accent coach who spent almost a decade living in London, a huge portion of my portfolio in both my drama school work and private coaching business has been coaching this accent to UK-based actors, and along the way, I have learned the typical pitfalls they can fall into. This course is the culmination of that experience. But why an online video course instead of a live virtual or in-person class? In this podcast, I talk about what inspired this course: namely-- my own personal love for online education, which allows me to learn at my own pace. I discovered this love while I was pregnant during lockdown and I took this amazing birthing class online that was a series of videos which I could watch over and over again. In the midst of taking that course, it suddenly occurred to me: this is a perfect format for accent training! Listen to the episode to hear more about my story and the course. If you'd like to purchase the course, go to voiceandaccentcoaching.thinkific.com or to the "Course Packs" page of my website at voicewhatmatters.com. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at christine@voicewhatmatters.com. 

This episode is part of a series where I talk with actors I've worked with about how they incorporate voice work into their craft. Georgina Onuorah is a London-based actress, singer and dancer. Her professional debut was playing Alice Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington at the National Theatre and she is currently the alternate Cinderella in the West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella . She graduated from ArtsEd in 2020, where I was one of her voice and speech teachers. During our conversation, Georgina had some profound insights about how voice work has helped her find her authentic center as a performing artist. Themes that come up in the conversation are: How voice work and warming up can give you something positive to focus on in the moment before an audition and help you present yourself more confidently in moments that matter— like introducing yourself in an audition Georgina's definition of voice work: a kind of centering— a centering in yourself so that you can fully bring yourself to the table. This includes a physical centering, a vocal centering and a feeling of centeredness in the psyche. The difference between how Georgina feels about voice work now vs. what she thought it was going to be in her first voice class. There is a misconception about voice work (even among some voice teachers!) that it's about “correcting” your voice or the way you speak. Now Georgina feels it's much more about truly discovering your authentic self through your voice and even your vocal history. How spoken voice work and singing voice work interlinkGeorgina's experience working on the Olivier at the National Theatre in London— an infamously difficult stage to work on vocally working with micsthe value of using text work on songs rather than focusing solely on sounding good the balancing act of the musical theatre performer between three disciplines and how voice work can compliment and work with those disciplines because breath is the unifying factor in eachGeorgina's voice warm up and how it adapts to her day to day needs before a showThis one is a super interesting episode for professional actors, musical theatre performers and enthusiasts, actors in training, or anyone who is interested in what the craft of acting is all about. 

This episode is part of a series where I talk with actors I've worked with about their voices and how they incorporate voice work into their craft. In this episode, I talk with Sam Buchanan.  Sam is a 23-year old actor from Kent, England. He graduated from ArtsEd's BA Acting program in 2019, which is where we met. I was one of Sam's voice teachers there. He has appeared on “EastEnders”, is currently shooting a new global thriller for Amazon called “The Power” and a new BBC3 series called “SuperHoe”, written by and starring Nicole Lecky.Sam and I had a rich conversation about his evolving relationship with voice work and how it's impacted his craft on both stage and screen. Themes that come up are:— what voice work is vs. what it isn't. Spoiler alert: it's not about being loud and sounding posh. Sam talks about his process in drama school training—- realizing that voice work made the difference between feeling panicked and self-conscious and allowing him to be present, grounded, responsive and emotionally available in the moment. However, it takes awhile of being in the process to get to that place. —Sam talks about embodied voice work allowing an actor to have intimate moments (like a love scene on a park bench) on the Olivier stage but be heard in the last row. — we talk about the difference in voice work between stage and screen: how an adjustment of intention is required and how important voice work is for staying present, connected and emotionally available on screen.— Sam talks us through a typical body and voice warm up he does before a show and the importance of having a warm up that's responsive to what you need on any given day. He talks about how his priorities shift when he's warming up for screen.— the value of a cool down that allows you to come back to yourself after a show or a shoot— Sam offers his advice to current and incoming drama school students: stay open to learning, trust the process and find ways to shift your attention off of yourself and onto receiving. This one is a super interesting episode for professional actors, actors in training, or anyone who is interested in what the craft of acting is all about. 

This episode is part of a series where I talk with actors I've worked with about how they incorporate voice work into their craft. In this episode, I talk with @willedgerton. Will is an actor originally from Wigan, who trained at ArtsEducational Schools London. He is currently in rehearsals to make his professional debut playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at the Globe this summer, directed by Ola Ince. Will and I start by talking about his experience with adapting vocally to working in a large outdoor theatre space where you have to compete with the elements and random surprises, like helicopters overhead or a pigeon landing on stage. This evolved into a rich discussion of how voice and text work have helped Will find presence, confidence and a deep listening to to his character's experience from a compassionate lens. Themes that come up from our conversation are:— Why, when rehearsing and performing outdoors, it's not so useful to think about volume and what you can do instead to stay safe vocally while being true to your character's experience— How important acknowledging your environment is as part of your performance and how that can help you develop a greater sense of ease, of listening and embracing the present moment that makes it easier to sustain the athletic vocal work that outdoor performance requires (Will tells a great story about working with a pigeon that landed on stage)— What does it mean to be “in character”? We talk about how this idea can sometimes cause actors to get more tense and held and less present with what's actually happening. We also talk about the difference between character tensions and actor tensions. — Demystifying the note to “drop the breath”—Will defines two pillars for how voice and text work are a key way into character: the voice work gives you a receptivity to the text and to the present moment. The text work  gives you a sense of the rhythm of how the character breathes and speaks, which helps you experience how the character feels. This one is a super interesting episode for professional actors, actors in training, or anyone who is interested in what the craft of acting is all about. 

On the podcast, I've been doing a series on the ‘authentic’ voice— what does it mean to have an authentic voice? How do you find it? Where I’ve landed so far is that being an authentic communicator is not so much about a certain type of sound but about a feeling— how does it feel to you when you are communicating? Connected to your experience? Connected to the experience of who you’re talking to?This can be extremely difficult, because society doesn’t exactly help us to be this kind of communicator. In this episode, I talk about how a voice coach can help you find your authentic voice. Here’s a hint: it doesn’t start with me, or any voice coach, telling you what your authentic voice is or what it should sound like. But if finding your authentic voice is about how you feel when you’re communicating, then a voice coach can help you access the tools to connect to that feeling. In the episode we talk about what those tools are and how they can help. Let me know what you think. What does authenticity mean to you? Has it changed or grown since listening to this series?

The authentic voice: how would you define it? This is the tiny, not at all philosophical topic I tackle in Season 3, Episode 4 of "Voice what Matters: the Podcast": ‘The Authentic Voice: Part 2’. In Part 1, I talked about what the word ‘authenticity’ means and what issues that throws up about how to find your own authentic voice. In this episode, I look at some useful and not useful questions to ask yourself if you are curious about communicating authentically.The big theme that comes up is— it’s not about how you sound— it’s about how you feel. And your experience of how your listener feels. In part 3, I’ll explore how a voice coach can help you find your authentic voice. Stay tuned. Let me know what you think. What does authenticity mean to you? Has it changed or grown since listening to this series?

This is the first episode under the new 'Voice what Matters' title and, to celebrate, I've picked a juicy topic:Authenticity. It’s definitely a buzzword these days. Everyone is talking about authenticity. It’s something we value in our friends, our partners, our leaders and ourselves. And it comes up a lot in voice coaching— clients often want to find their authentic voice. But what exactly does that mean? This is the first episode in a 3-part series where I look at this topic. In this episode I explore the conversation around the authentic voice—what is it?I talk about the dictionary definition of ‘authentic’, and what questions that brings up from a communication perspective: What does authenticity sound like? And how do we know?  Can it change based on context? We often speak differently professionally than we do personally. Does that mean we are being inauthentic? To what extent is it ‘cultural’? And Who gets to decide— the speaker or the listener? both?I talk about how your authentic voice relates to finding your authentic self, and why it’s not as simple as— if you have to think about it or rehearse it, it’s not authentic. For many of us, because of how we were raised, finding our authentic voices (and selves) takes practice. Let me know what you think. What does authenticity mean to you?

This is a brief episode to let you know that this will be the last episode under the ‘BeSpoke Speaks’ title. If you are a regular listener or subscriber, don’t fret. All of the old content will still be there, but everything is getting a shiny new name and logo. This is part of an evolution on my part. I am launching a new voice and communication coaching website and business, and I would like all of the content to have the same brand. So for those of you who have been listening for awhile, thank you so much for your support. Lindsay and I have loved working on this project together and we have learned so much (and podcasting has changed so much!) along the way. I am still dedicated to using the podcast format as a way of making voice and communication training accessible, and I really look forward to continuing the mission through this new business. The new business and website will launch at the end of March, which means that all of the old bespoke episodes will have new episode and art work around that time. In April, look out for new episodes under the new name. If you want more regular updates on the launching process, the easiest way to get them is by following me on instagram @christinemottramvoice. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I have also created a YouTube channel. If you just can’t get enough of me and would like to see me as well as hear me, head over to my channel, www.youtube.com/user/clmottram. If you like what you see, consider subscribing. Your support with this project helps me continue to offer accessible voice coaching, so thank you!

This episode offers a warm up specifically for people who regularly speak publicly through technology, particularly podcasters. It’s a follow-up from a previous episode, ‘Vocal Consideration for Podcasters’, where I spoke with Ryan O’Shea, LA-based voice coach and podcaster, about what is helpful and not so helpful for podcasters to think about vocally. Where we landed in that episode is that the trap of podcasting is trying to listen to the way you sound and emulate a certain sound. Your audience will respond much more to you if you shift your focus to how you want your audience to feel, and then warm up your instrument so that you can connect to that feeling within yourself. Ryan joins us again in this episode to co-lead you through a warm up that will help you do that. The warm up includes: a warm up for the articulators- some physical release and connection to the body and breathing- some orientation - some priming and imaging work to connect to your own feelings and how you want your audience to feelmarrying the image work and your intention to communicate with the physical sensation of sending your sound to the micFind out more about Ryan at www.voiceandspeechwithryan.com. Let us know what you think!

What do podcasters need to think about in terms of their voices? In this episode, ‘Voice for Podcasters: Conversation with Ryan O’Shea’, I talk to my good friend, fellow voice coach and podcaster, Ryan, about the vocal issues that the medium of podcasts presents, and how podcasters can address them. Ryan O’Shea is a voice, accent and public speaking coach based in LA. She also has a podcast called “Speaking of…conversations on voice, speech & identity with Ryan O’Shea” which delves into fascinating conversations around voice and identity.The difficulty with podcasting is you can get really hung up on how you sound, especially if you’re doing it by yourself and don’t have an element of social engagement. Getting hung up on how you sound isn’t so useful, because you can’t listen to yourself and communicate from a connected place at the same time. Listeners can tell when a voice sounds clear and beautiful but disengaged, because they disengage. Ryan gives some useful tips from her own podcasting process and voice warm ups around how to reframe this issue, including: — warming up your body and voice so that you feel at ease. If you feel at ease, a byproduct will be that your voice will sound at ease— shifting your focus away from how you sound and instead on to connecting to what matters to you, and how you want your audience to feel. If you can feel the way you want your audience to feel, your audience are more likely to have the same experience.We talk about these tips and how they relate to podcasters specifically but honestly, they are useful for any performance medium. Find out more about Ryan at www.voiceandspeechwithryan.com.

Happy New Year! More than ever before, you might be feeling like you need a refresher as we say ‘bye’ to 2020 and try to embrace 2021. We have reason to be hopeful that we will be back communicating in person regularly soon, but because we are starting off 2021 largely virtual, this first episode of Season 3 has got your back. This warm up is designed to help you release and prepare the body, breath and voice for virtual communication.Long periods of virtual communication can lead to a lot of tension in the body and voice, because sitting all day and talking into a computer is not how our bodies were meant to communicate— it can lead to hunched shoulders, tight neck, tight bellies, squeezed throats. it’s important to remember that even when we are communicating virtually, communication is still a full body action. the more at ease you are, the stronger and more at ease your voice is and the easier it is to communicate. We’ve talked through tips that can help in a previous episode— ‘Cause we are living in a virtual world’. Feel free to reference that. This warm up is a practical sequence that will complement those tips.

Hi Friends, This episode is a guided warm up that explores mindfulness, releasing physical tensions and connecting to your breath and voice. This warm up came out of our 3 last episodes, where we’ve been talking about what mindfulness, breathing and extraneous physical tensions have to do with the voice. Those episodes were the what and why, and this warm up explores the how: how can a practice that includes mindfulness, letting go of extraneous physical tension, and connecting to your breath help your voice feel more powerful and connected? We don’t do a lot of resonance, range or articulation work in this warm up, as it’s more about initial vocal connection from a mindful place of ease, so if you’re wanting more of that post-warm up, feel free to continue on from where we leave off, because the warm up here will set you up nicely for that work. If you’re lost as to what to do, check out some of our other warm ups.For this warm up, wear some comfy clothing and have a space on the floor you can lie down (and a mat if you like). Give yourself some privacy so you can make sound confidently. The exercises in this warm up are inspired by Organic Intelligence® and Fitzmaurice Voicework®. Let us know how it goes! Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hi Friends, How does excess physical tension in the body impact the voice? Or, in other words: What’s the relationship between the tension you have going on in your body and the sound of your voice? Your voice gets made in your body, thanks to your breath. How you’re using your body impacts how easily you’re breathing, which impacts how easily you’re speaking. Having some tension in the body is necessary for you to be upright and moving around in the world, but we’re talking about excess tension— tension you don’t need and that’s just making your life and your job (whatever it is in the moment at hand) harder than it needs to be. If you’ve got excess tension anywhere in the body, it’s going to impact how you’re breathing, as well as how you sound. A tense body= a tense sounding voice. This is why we can tell someone is tense just by listening to them! In this episode, We explore:a tensing vs. releasing body scan to explore the relationship between tension and breathingexercises to explore extreme tension in the body and how it affects the way you soundexercises to explore low-level tension in the body and how it affects the way you soundThe good news is: there are a lot of exercises you can do to relieve excess tension in your body— even starting with mindfulness exercises that make you feel more relaxed (remember that connection between mindfulness and voicing we talked about a few episode back?). AND— these exercises feel good! So you’ll want to do them often. There are many warm ups on this podcast that help you relieve excess tensions, so start by culling through old episodes. We will also be creating more!Happy voicing! Christine & Lindsay ps. If you’re curious about a more thorough anatomical explanation of how the voice works, listen to our 'Breath Support Part 1' and 'Breath Support Part 2' episodes.

Hey Friends, This episode addresses the question: What is the link between voice coaching and mindfulness? Have you ever heard of that word-- mindfulness? We bet you have— mindfulness is pretty hot right now, and has been for awhile. Mindfulness, boiled down to its essence, is being in the here and now. There are many strategies and practices for becoming more mindful, and they are all grouped into this movement called “Mindfulness”. So why would that be relevant at all in voice and communication coaching?Themes that come up in the episode are: the link between typical issues we work on with clients and mindfulness. the effect mindfulness has on the body, breath and voicea chance to practice a mindfulness exercise and notice how it affects you how much easier working on body language, breathing and vocal communication are when you start from a place of mindfulness We’re so used to thinking about the mind as something separate from the rest of the body, but as research is showing more and more, there is no mind-body split. We are one organism. This is why we at BeSpoke Communication believe in a holistic approach to communication training that includes mind/body/breath/voice. Because if you are feeling more present and at ease, what a great place to communicate from! You can find tons of warm ups and practices on this podcast that include mindfulness and you can also contact us if you'd like more personal training. We’d love to answer more questions about this if you have them. And we’d love to hear how you find mindfulness to be helpful generally and also in your communication, or if it’s something you struggle with, tell us why and maybe we can create some content that helps address those struggles.Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hey friends, This podcast episode is dedicated to answering the question: Why do we talk about breathing in voice coaching? This question came up with a private client who came to Christine to work on strengthening his voice, because he often feels sore after a day of talking at work. The short answer? The breath is the power source for the voice. Without breath, there is no voice. This episode looks at: the relationship between breathing and speakingthe difference between breathing normally just to survive vs. breathing to speakhow the way you’re breathing for survival can have an impact on the way you breathe to speak— either empowering or disempowering your voice an exercise to help you feel the relationship between breathing normally and breathing to speak There’s no reason that your throat needs to get sore from speaking. It’s possible, as long as you’re not speaking for prolonged periods of time in loud environments, to speak all day long without hurting yourself. If you are feeling sore a lot from talking, it likely has something to do with the way you’re breathing. This is where voice training can be helpful! Check out the resources available through this podcast and also don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like some more personal voice coaching. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Are you finding yourself on Zoom a lot lately? We are living through some interesting times. For the last few weeks, a third of the world’s population has been on lockdown as the world battles the Covid-19 Pandemic. For many of us, this has meant completely changing the way we regularly communicate both professionally and personally, because we can’t socialize with people outside of our homes. So we’re having to bridge the gap by communicating virtually— through platforms like Zoom, or Microsoft Teams, or Skype or FaceTime—- platforms where we can still see each other and in some cases even meet in groups. All of this virtual communication brings up some interesting new communication challenges, including:Physical Tension: because we are moving a lot less potentially in life but definitely when we are spending our days sitting and communicating on screens, you might be noticing more physical tension in your body as you communicate. Restricted Breathing: This physical tension or destabilization might be restricting your breathing, making it harder to feel at ease and to speak from a supported, empowered place. Pushing Vocally: Because we’re not getting the same kind of verbal/physical cues from our audiences that are letting us know we are being clear or that they are on the same page, we might feel the need to overcompensate by pushing physically and vocally This episode looks at some of these challenges and gives you some tips for how to handle them. The big takeaway is— don’t let communicating to a screen lull you into a false sense of security or divorce you further from your body as you communicate. Your body language, breathing and voice are even more important to pay attention to now than ever. It’s all about adjusting your awareness of how you’re communicating physically and vocally to this new medium. Warming up your body and your voice regularly is crucial, especially if you’re spending the majority of the rest of your day sitting down. We have a lot of warm ups on our website and podcast that you can look into to help you. Tips covered in this episode will help you think about:— your body language and being physically grounded, at ease and ready to communicate— breathing deeply and easily — supporting your voice — structuring your content to help you build a stronger relationship with your audienceWe are not sure at this point how much longer social distancing is going to go on, but the cues we’re getting so far suggest that we could be communicating virtually for awhile yet. So as you navigate this new medium, we’d love to hear from you about the challenges you’re facing and how this episode is helping you or raising new questions. Take good care, stay safe and healthy!

Hey Friends, In this episode, we explore deeper sociological issues around masculinity, and how trying to sound masculine might be impacting and even impeding your vocal expression. The pressures men face to have a deep, masculine-sounding voice are real, and often, our male clients, to get what they think is that sound, end up pressing their voices down in a way that makes their voices sound monotone, mumbly and trapped. This is a pressure that faces both men and women because a deeper, more ‘masculine’ sound is also associated with more gravitas and authority, so women also try to emulate this sound, and often in the same way, by pressing their voices down. The issue with this pressing down strategy is it lowers your voice pitch potentially beyond where your voice wants to sit naturally, so you’re having to suppress not just your voice but maybe also your feelings so that your voice doesn’t move. There is nothing wrong with wanting a more masculine sound in your voice, but there are healthier ways to find it. Themes that come up are: 1. the difference between a lower pitch and a deeper resonance, and how to find both vocally 2. Exploring the idea that maybe there are ways to be a man in a more empowered way? That involves putting yourself out there more vocally, being more honest about who you are, and in doing so letting more of your body resonate, so you can find that deeper resonance? 3. Can this be true for women too who are wanting to access their deeper sound? 4. Simple exercises you can do to feel the difference between pitch and resonance This masculinity issue can come up in a variety of performance and public speaking contexts, as well as personal communication contexts. We’re especially curious to hear from the men listening what questions this sparks for you and how this issue affects you. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hey Friends, In this episode, we discuss the importance of creating regular rituals for yourself that help you feel more at ease generally, so that you can be more at ease in and ready for important communication events, like meetings, presentations, auditions, performances, etc. Rituals, whether physical, vocal, mental or some combination of all three, can help you start a communication event mindfully, because they allow you to take ownership over your own presence and how you are feeling before you start. These rituals can be something that are regular or something you do right before you communicate. They can last as long as they need to for you and that can change depending on the day and the circumstance. We'll talk you through:- strategies for creating rituals- ideas for a 1-hour ritual that includes a physical, vocal and mental component- ideas for a 20-minute ritual that includes a physical, vocal and mental component- ideas for a 5-minute ritual that includes a physical, vocal and mental componentWe'll also discuss how to maintain the benefits of the ritual as you move through your day. When you are more at ease, you are a better communicator. Whatever ritual you develop, let it be one that helps you find more ease. Do show up for your ritual often to get the full benefits of it, but don't get discouraged or give up if sometimes you don't show up-- it's about finding that balance where you show up regularly, but also where the ritual is there to serve you-- you are not there to serve the ritual. We'd love to hear from you about how you're going to take this advice forward, or what rituals you already have in place that you love. What rituals do you want to develop? How can we help? Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hi Friends, This episode is Part 3 of our 3-part series, 'Staying Present in Unprecedented Times,' designed to support you through this crazy new world of isolation and uncertainty as we navigate the health crisis that is Covid-19. In Part 1, we took you through a mindfulness practice called Orientation to help you connect to the present moment through your senses. In Part 2, we combined Orientation with a body scan to help you feel more embodied as you orient to the present moment. In this episode, we dive deeper into both Orientation and the body scan practice so that you can connect on a physical level towards what is enjoyable about the present moment. This practice helps you not only come into the here and now in an embodied way, but strategically focus your perception on what you're enjoying about the here and now-- an invaluable skill in any time in life, but particularly right now, when you might be dealing with an unusual level of uncertainty, discomfort and anxiety. Orienting towards what's pleasant can help you communicate more from a place of connection, ease and even enjoyment, rather than anxiety, panic or stress. This practice is inspired by Organic Intelligence(r), which you can find out more about on www.organicintelligence.org, and Fitzmaurice Voicework(r), which you can find out more about at www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org. Please let us know how you get on with this practice, what questions it brings up for you, and what other kind of support you would like as we navigate these current times. Please also share this episode with anyone you think could use the support. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hi Friends, This is part 2 of our 3 part series, 'Staying Present in Unprecedented Times', designed to support you through this crazy new world of isolation and uncertainty as we navigate the health crisis that is Covid-19. In Part 1, we took you through a mindfulness practice called Orientation to help you connect to the present moment through your senses. In this episode, we will practice orientation again, and then move into an oriented body scan so you can start to feel more connected to your body in the present moment, then we end with orientation from a more embodied place. This practice is useful if you find that your thoughts and feelings are consistently spiraling towards worries and anxieties that are not currently happening in the present moment, or if your awareness of the present moment is trending towards the negative. This sequence will help you find more ease in the present moment by helping you connect to the neutral reality of the here and now, and maybe even to what's pleasant about the here and now-- so that if and when you need to communicate, it's from a place of ease and connection rather than panic and anxiety. This practice is inspired by Organic Intelligence(r), which you can find out more about on www.organicintelligence.org, and Fitzmaurice Voicework(r), which you can find out more about at www.fitzmauriceinstitute.org. Please let us know how you get on with this practice, what questions it brings up for you, and what other kind of support you would like as we navigate these current times. Please also share this episode with anyone you think could use the support. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hi Friends, There's no doubt about it-- these are some unprecedented times. At the time we are publishing this episode, the UK and much of Europe are on lockdown-- we don't know how long it's going to go on and how much our world is going to change by the time we get through the health crisis caused by Covid-19. If you're like us, you may be finding yourself particularly isolated and anxious these days. We created a three-part series to help you stay present and find some ease in these crazy times. This episode is the first part, and will take you through a practice called 'Orientation', which is essentially connecting to the environment you're in through your five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste-- so that you can connect to the neutral reality of the here and now, and maybe even what's pleasant about the here and now. This practice is especially useful if you find that your thoughts and feelings are consistently spiraling towards fear/worry/anxiety about the future, or even if your focus in the present moment is consistently getting drawn towards 'what's wrong' with the present moment. Orientation can help you come back to other aspects of the reality of here and now-- from what's okay to even what's pleasant-- so that it's easier for you to access the full range of your experience. This helps ensure that, as and when you need to communicate, you can communicate from a place of connection and ease. Orientation is a useful practice for any time in life, but particularly right now. Orientation is something we do naturally, but the wording of this practice is inspired by a body of work called Organic Intelligence(r). To learn more about Organic Intelligence, you can listen to our previous podcast episode, 'How to Become More Present: Conversation with Craig Deuchar' and/or at www.organicintelligence.org. Please let us know how you get on with this practice, what questions it brings up for you, and if you have other ideas around how we can support you at this time. Please also share this episode with anyone you feel could use this support. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hey Friends, Are you looking to become more present in your communication, or just in general? In this episode, Christine talks with her dear friend and colleague Craig Deuchar about a body of work called Organic Intelligence(r), and why it can be a useful practice to help you become more present generally and in your communication. Christine started working with Craig on an OI practice almost two years ago, and it has completely transformed the way she approaches communication training. Organic Intelligence is a mindfulness and compassion based clinical approach designed to alleviate the symptoms of stress, anxiety and trauma and help people live more present and vibrant lives. Christine talked to Craig about why, as a practice, it can help people become more present communicators. Themes that come up are: - how OI can help alleviate the stress and anxiety that often comes with public speaking and performance by helping you take your attention off of "what's wrong" - An explanation of how Fight/Flight/Freeze states can take over in communication situations, and how a practice called Orientation can help you not only reconnect to yourself and your environment, but even find more enjoyment and curiosity in your communication - how OI is different from (and yet complementary to) other mindfulness based approaches and public speaking training/actor training approachesYou can find out more about Organic Intelligence at www.organicintelligence.org. Craig is a voice, presence and OI coach and does some corporate communication work. He works with the nervous system to help people get more regulated on a biological level and how that manifests into their lives in a positive way, whether through an OI session or a voice session or an acting session. Find out more about him at www.craigdcoaching.co.uk. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hey Friends, This episode is a follow-up from "Listen Up", which came out a few weeks ago. In that episode, embodied living coach Nathalie-Joel Smith and Christine talked about the important role that listening plays in communication, and why it can be so hard to do. In this episode, Nathalie guides you through an embodied listening sequence so that you can actually practice listening, which you can use as a warm up and as a standalone practice in honing your ability to be more present in your own body and surroundings. The invitation in this sequence is to start by listening to what’s going on with ourselves— getting better and better at it so that we can also extend that attention to others. There will be some movement so wear comfortable clothing. There will also be an opportunity to lie down we’ll lie down so you might like to have a blanket or a mat to be more comfortable. We recorded this at rush hour so there are quite a few trains going through the episode. You can use them as a way of listening to sounds that are going on outside of you and the space you’re in, which you'll be invited to do during the sequence. You can find out more about Nathalie at www.nathaliejoelsmith.co.uk. She's on Facebook and instagram @the_creative_body. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hey Friends, Are you an actor who is working or who has an interest in working in Film/TV? If so, this episode is geared for you. In this episode, Christine interviews her dear friend and colleague Mark Street about the importance of actors applying their voice work to any work they do on camera. Mark is a filmmaker and Screen Acting Tutor at ArtsEd in London, and in his work he identifies several regular pitfalls that actors fall into vocally when working onscreen, including: dropping the voice down and not having intention. This sometimes comes from relying too much on a microphone, and sometimes it happens because actors confuse sounding "natural" or "real" with sounding under-energized and uncommittedColoring the voice without any intention behind it. This often happens because actors aren't thinking through the thoughts they're speaking out loud. Mark talks about the importance of intention and thought to on-camera acting work, and how crucial the voice and body are to communicating with intention. Themes that come up are: The uselessness of focusing on sounding "natural" or "real". Instead, it's more helpful for actors to focus on what they want from who they are talking to Defining "The Victory Statement"-- a visual actors can give themselves to know if they are getting what they want from the other person Defining the "Real Space" that actors have to consider when working on camera and how to play it vocally The importance of actors having a rehearsal system for themselves before they go onset that includes working the scene vocally and physically, as film/tv schedules offer very little onset rehearsal time The importance of breathing to Intention in acting, as well as to keeping the actor grounded in high-pressure film environments There is not a lot of information out there about how to apply voice work to film/tv work, so if you are a Film/TV actor or someone who speaks regularly on camera, this episode is a good starting point for how to consider your voice when working. Let us know what questions this brings up for you!For more about Mark Street: Mark trained as an actor before directing and writing plays on the London fringe circuit. He was a co-founder of 104 Theatre Company with which he won the Edinburgh Fringe First Award for a devised piece entitled ‘See Base Of Can’.He then started his own production company ‘From The Streets Productions’ with his wife and Producer Jane Street. Together they began working on short film projects alongside their theatre work. Mark's first film went on to showcase at London’s Raindance Film Festival and his second ‘The Noisy Neighbour’ a horror based on Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Tell-Tale Heart’ began its festival run at ‘The Commonwealth Film Festival’. Mark has gone on to have a successful career directing for both stage and screen collaborating with a wealth of talented writers, editors, animators and producers.Mark is currently developing his next feature having just finished his feature-length documentary entitled ‘The Space: Theatre of Survival’ – about a young group of writers, directors, actors and artists that used their work to challenge the racist government in Apartheid South Africa during the 1970s. The film is currently touring the festival circuit with distribution later in the year. Mark also enjoys teaching screen acting at Arts Ed where he is the Senior Screen Acting Tutor.Film Website: www.thespacetheatre.comPersonal Web: www.markstreetfilm.comTwitter: @markstreetfilmInstagram: markstreetfilmFacebook: www.facebook.com/Mark.Street.Films/

Hey Friends! This week's episode is of the future! Not really because we recorded back in January but the focus of our discussion and tips is voice and tech. We discuss the potential barriers of technology to effective communication and offer tips and tricks to turn it to your advantage. Whether you're submitting audition videos, live streaming meetings or events in your job, or---I don't know---podcasting at home, this is for you!We also cover working with tech in live situations, so discussing different types of microphones, including a side story about discovering what AV teams refer to as "the Madonna Mic," and really emphasising the importance of asking for what you prefer or need in a situation where tech is required to support your voice!So get ready to embrace your status as tech lay person, lean into the importance of doing sound checks before you record or launch your live stream, and embrace the reach that technology allows us to have. As always, we're keen to hear your questions and comments so please contact us however you see fit. You can find this episode in podcast form on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast and the majority of alternative platforms. Please subscribe and review if you're enjoying our content!Until next time. Remember, the future is now! ; )Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

Hey Friends! We're dipping our toes into a big conversation this week, talking about something that we've both experienced and are frequently asked about by family and friends...JAW TENSION! Whether it's situational, emotional, grinding teeth, alignment issues, athletic activity, the jaw is an interesting reflection of how we manage all kinds of stresses. This episode is a general conversation about where it comes from and dealing with the discomfort of jaw pain. It also offers a couple exercises you can do anytime, anywhere. We also take a moment to celebrate our fantastic technological advancements for 2020, which will hopefully mean better and better audio quality for you. But back to the jaw, there are numerous resources you can look into to help manage tension and pain. Healthline offers a useful article that outlines different conditions in case you're concerned what you're feeling goes beyond day to day stress. If you are a nighttime teeth grinder this one has some good prevention tips.The conversation and these starting exercises has made us realise we want to follow up with discussions about the tongue and the sneaky ways the tongue and jaw can create insidious little exchanges of tension. Our plan is to provide you with strategies for release and to keep tightness and pain at bay so if you notice anything and want to ask a question or make a comment, please do! We would love incorporate your thoughts into upcoming episodes.In the meantime, be kind to yourself and your jaw. Take that extra moment in the shower or before bed to check in and give it a little massage, and try to check your frustration when pain/tension appears. It's just another way our fight or flight instincts kick in to try and protect us by bracing. Let yourself know it's ok, and hopefully that will encourage the discomfort to recede. Don't be afraid of the lessons your jaw has for you!As always we'll encourage you to subscribe and review the podcast wherever you might choose to listen. Take good care, Christine & Lindsay

This is an extra special episode because it features an interview with Christine’s husband, Emanuel Adam. Through his job, Emanuel regularly does radio and TV interviews with the likes of BBC, CNN and NPR, and he and Christine talk here about advice he has as someone who has had very little media training on how to approach these high-pressure interview situations. His advice is great for these specialized situations but also holds for any public speaking event.The big theme that comes up in the episode for both TV and Radio is the importance of having a preparation process that includes preparing mentally, physically, vocally and even emotionally, as these are high-pressure situations that can often be stressful. Emanuel often gets called for an interview with very little notice— even so— he stands by his preparation routine, adjusting it as he needs to the time he has available. His prep routine includes: Research: getting knowledgeable about the most up-to-date content and the importance of researching from the interviewer’s perspective— thinking through ahead of time about what questions might be askedNotes: Creating bullet-point notes for himself that he can refer to during interviewsSetting up an environment he feels at ease in for the interview: he talks through different ways he does this for radio vs. TV Practicing out loud: Taking the time to practice answering potential questions out loud, so that he can practice articulating his research in his spoken voice, and so that he can practice speaking more slowly, which is so key generally for radio and TV interviews, especially when you’re feeling nervous Managing Nerves: Getting grounded in his body and breathing to help him manage his nerves As a communication coach (and as his wife!), Christine was very impressed with Emanuel’s prep routine. People often underestimate the amount of prep time it requires to feel at ease in public speaking situations, or mistakenly think that preparing will make them feel and look less spontaneous and authentic. It’s actually the opposite! The more prepared you are, the more your personality can shine in an interview situation, because it’s a lot less likely that you will get caught off guard or panic. Have a listen to his process and let us know what you think. To find out more about Emanuel: Emanuel leads the UK operation for BritishAmerican Business, a large transatlantic trade and business association dedicated to grow the transatlantic economic corridor. Having spent almost his entire career in trade, Emanuel serves as one of BAB’s main spokespeople, representing the organisation’s member companies on relevant business issues. In this function, Emanuel appears regularly on local and international media outlets in both the UK and the US. He covers issues ranging from international trade, tax, investment, immigration, often around major Government visits. Or in his words: “Whenever a US President decides to visit the UK; I get a call”.

In this episode, Christine interviews her dear friend and colleague, Nathalie Joel-Smith, about the importance of embodied listening in communication. The importance of listening can sometimes get overlooked in communication coaching, both for actors and public speakers, even though it really is the vital component to connection within communication. Nathalie and Christine discuss what listening really is, why it can be hard to listen, and tools we can develop to listen better. Themes that come up are: Defining “Listening in” and “Listening out”: listening is a sensorial experience that involves tuning into our surroundings and who we’re talking to through our senses, as well as tuning into our internal experience through our sensations, emotions and thoughtsThe importance of breathing to listeningDefining “Bodyfulness”— a term that encompasses mindfulness and includes the rest of the body’s experience. Nathalie mentions a great resource, a book called Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment, and Waking up to this Life by Christine Caldwell A discussion about the nervous system states of Fight/Flight/Freeze/Fawn and how they can impact our communication, particularly our ability to listen, when they become habitual states instead of important survival signals The vulnerability that listening requires, which is why it can be so hard (and yet so rewarding!) to do Nathalie is a movement teacher, embodiment coach and performing artist. She does workshops and has online courses and coaching for embodied living, which is to do with how we navigate life challenges, desires and emotions with presence and compassion. Her background is in performing arts— she trained in Musical Theatre at ArtsEd. You can find out more about her at www.nathaliejoelsmith.co.uk and follow her on Instagram and Facebook @the_creative_body. This episode will shortly have a follow-up episode where Nathalie guides us through an embodied listening warm up. Stay tuned!

This episode is a practical sequence to warm you up mentally, physically and vocally for social situations. Inspiration for this sequence came from an earlier episode, Episode 1 of Season 2, ‘Voice Work for Social Situations’ where we answered a question from a listener about why it can be hard to apply voice technique to social situations. This is a practical sequence that addresses the solutions we talked about in that episode. This sequence is for you if:you ever experience anxiety in social situations. This is designed to help ground you so that you can find more enjoyment in your social experienceYou ever struggle with being heard in social contexts. If you find yourself mumbling, speaking too fast or struggling in loud environments The sequence includes exercises that will: help you feel more grounded and at ease in your environment and in your body help you breathe better help you speak more clearly while still feeing authentic, especially in louder environments It’s designed to do before you go into a social situation, and at the end of the episode Christine gives you things to think about when you’re in the social context, so that you can apply the tools you learn in the sequence directly to the situation. While this is a great warm up for social situations, public speaking and acting are also social situations, so feel free to also use this as a warm up for any context where you want to communicate with more ease. Special reference is made to a body of work called Organic Intelligence, which is where the orientation exercises come from. You can find out more about OI at www.organicintelligence.org. We hope this warm up makes communicating in social situations more enjoyable for you! Let us know how it goes.

In this episode, our dear friend Lindsay Carretero, a Voice Coach from Jupiter, Florida, offers an amazing voice and body warm up for kids or for those of us who are kids at heart. It's structured so that voice teachers and coaches working with kids can literally plug in a device in the classroom and play the sequence, or kids can practice the sequence at home in their own time. There is some partner work involved, so feel free to do this sequence with a friend. Enjoy and if you have any questions, email us at bespoke.comcontact@gmail.com!

In this episode, Christine talks to friend and colleague Janette Smith. Janette is a freelance director and actor trainer, and has a lot of interesting thoughts about what she's looking for from actors vocally. This episode is especially relevant for actors who are in training or who are thinking about training, but is also useful for all professionals! Themes that come up are: - actors need to know their instruments: how to use them and what their limits are. - There is nothing worse for the audience than hearing actors hurting themselves. Audiences don’t like watching someone hurt themselves-- it takes them out of the story. - The difference between ease and relaxation. - Actors need to be more aware of how much an audience listens-- that they absorb sounds of words as well as meaning, and that listening to live actors means audiences can feel, as well as hear their voices. - Actors have to be multi-skilled. This job takes a lot of craft. - Directors have to work in a very different way with unskilled actors than trained actors who understand their body and voice. We'd love to hear thoughts and questions that this conversation brings up for you. Email us at bespoke.comcontact@gmail.com.

In this podcast episode, Christine talks to her friend and teaching colleague at ArtsEd, Dan Bird. Dan is an acting teacher and director, and has some really useful thoughts for actors about what he's looking for vocally from performers when he's directing. The big theme that emerges is the importance of vocal color and a sense of play with pitch range variety, so that the voice is responsive from moment to moment to what's happening in the text. Here are other themes that come up: The connection between differentiation of thought and the voice organically changing The usefulness of GibberishThe importance of listening Learning your lines around the events that happen in the scene The usefulness of playing around with pitch for the sake of it How not useful it is to focus on how you're feeling as the character, which sometimes creates a vocal "tone", and some alternative issues to focus on instead Voice work is not about the voice sounding beautiful, but about it being connected to the performer's experience Let us know what you think about our conversations and/or ask questions that came up for you by emailing us at bespoke.comcontact@gmail.com.

In this episode, we discuss some helpful alternatives to throat clearing, which, in this cold and flu season, can really get in the way of your presentation or performance. Whether it be mucous or a dry throat, the need to throat-clear can create anxiety in public speaking situations. The good news is, there are some things you can do to prevent the situation and also things you can do in the moment to help ease the mucous/dryness. Themes that come up are: Drinking Water ahead of time Avoiding coffee/tea/dairy right before you're going to speak Breathing and Grounding yourself to help manage any nerves that are causing your need to clear your throat Shifting the focus to the outside environment (to avoid hyper-focusing on the croak) Voice Warm-ups before the communication context to help you clear any phlegm We'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this question and our answers to it. you can email us at bespoke.comcontact@gmail.com.

This is our first podcast episode in our new format, where Lindsay and I discuss a question from YOU, our listeners. The question we talked about in this episode is: It’s strange- when performing I find speech easier and more controlled but in social settings I often find myself stumbling over my words or find it difficult to make my words clear. However if I try and use the techniques I use to speak clearly on stage in social settings I find it comes across as wrong for the situation. How can I combat this without over-effort?This is such a great question and definitely resonated with us. Communicating in social situations can be tricky-- it can be hard to be ourselves sometimes! We talk through where this issue has come up for us, and some ideas for what to do when you're finding it hard to articulate yourself in social situations. Themes that come up are: Rather than focusing your attention so much inward on how you're talking as you're talking, bring your attention back out into your environment. How can you get more curious about your environment and who you're talking to? How can that shift of attention help re-ground you into the present moment? The usefulness of thinking about breathing to people as you speak. When you feel you're over-efforting, ask yourself, how can I do less? As you start to do less, you may begin to see more, feel more relaxed, and breathe more easily. The difference between technique and working really hard. We'd be curious to hear what you think about our responses, and if you have some thoughts on your own on this question! Feel free to email us at bespoke.comcontact@gmail.com.

This is a 5-minute vocal warm up that’s designed for you to do right before you walk into your audition or presentation. The idea with this is that you’ve done a longer warm up at home, but then you’ve traveled to your audition/presentation, and you need something to get your voice and body back in gear.

If you know you have a tough talk coming up, this episode is a sequence that is designed to help you get physically, vocally and emotionally prepared for it. You can do this before the difficult conversation, or just do it and use the principles of it the next time a tough talk comes up.

This episode is all about using voice work to help you find a sense of focus and concentration. A little-known side affect of the body work that comes along with working on the voice is that it’s great to help you tune in and gain a sense of focus and concentration. This sequence is useful if you are embarking on a new project, a new school year, a new job, or looking to renew your sense of focus towards your existing ventures. It gets your body releasing and breathing, builds your proprioception (your body’s sense of itself) and in so doing, helps quiet the mind.

Thinking about how you use your eyes (and how you see the world) is an easy way to check in with your alignment and your perspective. Being in your alignment is key to finding groundedness, presence, and grace. It also makes breathing easier, which makes speaking easier. This will be an especially useful sequence for you if you tend to get rigid when finding your alignment, or if you tend to hyper-focus with your vision.

We have many sequences on previous podcast episodes that help you warm up and prepare ahead of a performance or a presentation, but what about that moment right before you get up to speak? That moment, while you are waiting, is often nerve-wracking. This is a short sequence that coaches you through where to place your focus in that moment before, allowing you to stay present, rather than in another world thinking about how nervous you are. You can listen to it ahead of time and then keep the sequence in mind whenever you are in ‘the moment before’. The sequence is very simple but very effective!

This Wonder Woman-inspired episode is designed to help you communicate to yourself and to others in a strong, supported way. There’s a story behind this post. While Christine was traveling back to the States for a visit, she decided to finally watch ‘Wonder Woman.’ She was on a plane and, thankfully, she had the whole row to herself, because she had about three uncontrollable sobbing fits while watching this movie. We are not exaggerating. She was hiding my head behind my pillow as tears streamed down my face and my body was shaking with tears. It was dramatic.She cried the first time because it was such a relief and a joy to watch women warrior training sequences and see women’s bodies being so empowered. She cried the second and 3rd times because I realized the main character, Wonder Woman, had no shame. What must it be like to have no shame about yourself whatsoever, about your body, your power, your sexuality, your intelligence, because no one ever taught you to feel it or tried to make you feel it? She was crying at the beauty and possibility of that idea. It was a deep couple of hours.That is exactly what we want to spread in our voice and communication coaching– teaching people how to embody and express their ideas, passions, thoughts and emotions compassionately and with no shame. This warm up is designed to help you do just that. You do not have to be a woman to do it– just a human being who is interested in finding your full communication potential, including tackling the way you communicate with yourself. You’ll work on physical presence, energy, breath, supporting your voice, empowering your self-talk, and practice speaking about your passions/beliefs/curiosities. All in one 20-minute sequence!

This episode is a sequence to help you support your voice when you’re working on camera or when you are using a microphone. Microphones only amplify what’s already there, so this sequence helps ensure you’re still supporting and directing your sound in a way that allows you to be heard. It’s great for actors and public speakers.

This is the sequel to our episode from a couple of weeks ago about Voice for Camera. The first sequence focused on your vocal power, and this one focuses more on your speech clarity. Both are important to being understood. This is a great sequence if you work on camera or you are using microphones at live “performance” events (whether that be acting or giving presentations).

If you have ever been told that you don’t sound authoritative enough, or that you aren’t grounded enough, then the sequence in this episode is for you. This week, we explore finding an authoritative sound that feels authentic to you and helps you connect on a deeper level to what you are saying. It’s good for public speakers who want to convey their message with credibility and for actors (or anyone!) who feel like their emotions cause them to constrict and lose their ground.

This episode is a gentle rib opening sequence that will help you breathe more easily. This is great if you find deep breathing difficult or if you find you often hold your ribs in place and they don’t seem to move with ease. Having easy rib movement is key to a powerful voice. So get something comfortable to lie on and grab some pillows– you definitely want to be comfy for this gentle sequence.Happy breathing!

Did you know that teachers make up over half of the population that has to take sick leave for voice rest in the UK? We don’t want that to happen to you. So teachers, let’s be mindful about how you’re taking care of your voice. This episode is designed especially with you in mind, teachers, but it’s also useful for anyone looking for a good daily voice warm up.

Ever wondered how you can have a more powerful, authentic, connected voice? This episode is a class that teaches you about how the voice works, and the muscle you can learn how to engage to connect to your voice on a deeper level. This is part 1 of 2. Enjoy!

This is the second part of our Breath Support series, where you can learn how to connect to your voice on a deeper level. This episode is more like a class. It teaches you about the importance of literally being inspired in your communication. Inspiration has to do with thoughts but it also has to do with breathing in. Learn how to breathe in effectively to connect to your thoughts and communicate them with authenticity!

Learn how to find your alignment! Finding your alignment is about stacking the bones of your body from the crown of your head to your toes. It all starts with the feet. Finding this alignment allows you to stand with grace and move with ease. It’s a timeless posture that will keep you more comfortable and allow you to breathe more easily when you stand up. Easier breathing means easier speaking. It can be used as a prelude to a vocal warm up or as a way of checking in right before you begin to speak in any communication context.

Are you applying for a new job? This week’s audio guide is a sequence to get you physically and vocally grounded and present for your next job interview. This sequence is great to do before any communication event where the stakes are high and/or you are feeling some nerves– interviews, auditions, annual reviews, presentations, performances, etc. Let us know how it goes (we especially want to hear if you got that job!) and please share this with anyone you feel might benefit from this. Good luck on that interview!