Year THREE of short daily episodes to improve the quality of your speaking voice.
Through these around-5-minute episodes, you can build your confidence and competence with advice on breathing and reading, inflection and projection, the roles played by better scripting and better sitting, mic techniques and voice care tips... with exercises and anecdotes from a career spent in TV and radio studios. If you're wondering about how to start a podcast, or have had one for a while - download every episode!
And as themes develop over the weeks (that is, they are not random topics day-by-day), this is a free, course to help you GET A BETTER BROADCAST, PODCAST AND VOICE OVER VOICE.
Look out for more details of the book during 2024.
Contacts: https://linktr.ee/Peter_Stewart
Audio recording script and show notes (c) 2021, 2022, 2023 Peter Stewart
Peter has been around voice and audio all his working life and has trained hundreds of broadcasters in all styles of radio from pop music stations such as Capital FM and BBC Radio 1, the classical music station BBC Radio 3 and regional BBC stations. He’s trained news presenters on regional TV, the BBC News Channel and on flagship programmes such as the BBC’s Panorama.
He has written a number of books on audio and video presentation and production (see contacts clink above) and presented hundreds of radio shows (you may have heard him on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, Virgin Radio or Kiss, as well as BBC regional radio) with various formats. He has read tens of thousands of news bulletins and hosted 3,000+ podcast episodes.
The podcast title refers to those who may wish to change their speaking voice in some way. It is not a suggestion that anyone should, or be pressured into needing to. We love accents and dialects, and are well aware that how we speak changes over time. The key is: is your voice successfully communicating your message, so it is being understood (and potentially being acted upon) by your target audience?
This podcast is London-based and examples are spoken in the RP (Received Pronunciation) / standard-English / BBC English pronunciation, although invariably applicable to other languages, accents and dialects.
The 'Peter Stewart' show is perhaps of great interest to those in broadcast voice overs, the broadcast voice, how to start a voice podcast, broadcasting voice training, your speaking voice, breathing technique, and conversational speaking. You may also find it useful if you are searching for information on voice coaching, voice training, voice overs, podcasting, broadcasting, presenting, being a voice over actor and newsreading, audio branding, public speaking, the recorded voice, vocal tips, performance, vocal health education, vocal technique and voice over training.
Music credits: all Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5025-beauty-flow
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2023 / 9 / 261000 - The End2023.09.27 - 1000 - The EndThanks for the loan of your ears, for one-thousand consecutive daily episodes. All of my contacts are here: https://linktr.ee/Peter_Stewart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...
- 2023 / 9 / 250999 – The Diction-ary of Voice – V and W2023.09.26 – 0999 – The Diction-ary of Voice – V and W**VVerbal tic – the repeated use of words or phrases such as “like” or “y’know what I mean?”Velum – the soft palate at the back of the roof of the mouth....
- 2023 / 9 / 240998 – The Diction-ary of Voice – T2023.09.25 – 0998 – The Diction-ary of Voice – T**TTag (or ‘slogan’) – the branding phrase at the end of a commercial Take (as in ‘go for a take’) – a recording. Also see ‘pickup’Take a level (or ‘take a bit...
- 2023 / 9 / 230997 – The Diction-ary of Voice – S2023.09.24 – 0997 – The Diction-ary of Voice – S**SScratch Track - a temporary recording that is a ‘place-holder’ for the final voice-over. Not ‘broadcast quality’ it is used to help producers feel the pacing...
- 2023 / 9 / 220996 – The Diction-ary of Voice – R – Part 22023.09.23 – 0996 – The Diction-ary of Voice – R – Part 2Riding the gain (or ‘riding the mic’ or ‘riding the levels’) – the constant adjustment of the input levels as the sound unexpectedly (and often...
- 2023 / 9 / 210995 – The Diction-ary of Voice – R – Part 12023.09.22 – 0995 – The Diction-ary of Voice – R – Part 1**RRate – the speed of someone speaking or readingRate – the amount paid to a voice-over for a day, hour or scriptRaw audio - unprocessed recorded...
- 2023 / 9 / 200994 – The Diction-ary of Voice – P2023.09.21 – 0994 – The Diction-ary of Voice – P Polyp - usually unilateral (one vocal fold) mass that grows off the surface. Can be hemorrhagic (filled with blood) or not, and’s usually due to voice...
- 2023 / 9 / 190993 – The Diction-ary of Voice – P - Part 22023.09.20 – 0993 – The Diction-ary of Voice – P - Part 2 Pharynx – the area between the larynx and the nasal cavitiesPhonation – the process of making sounds into words, which articulation turns into...
- 2023 / 9 / 180992 – The Diction-ary of Voice – N and P2023.09.19 – 0992 – The Diction-ary of Voice – N and P **NName check – saying your name on airNarrative non-fiction – a true-story podcastNarrative voice - the voice you use for the...
- 2023 / 9 / 170991 – The Diction-ary of Voice – M2023.09.18 – 0991 – The Diction-ary of Voice – M Marking copy – different markings on a script (underlinings, arrows, circles) to show which words require different voice presentations such as...
- 2023 / 9 / 160990 – The Diction-ary of Voice – L2023.09.17 – 0990 – The Diction-ary of Voice – L **LLabiodental – very few sounds use the sound created when the upper teeth rest on the lower lip, but say ‘very’ and ‘few’ and you will hear twoLapel (or...
- 2023 / 9 / 150989 – The Diction-ary of Voice – I2023.09.16 – 0989 – The Diction-ary of Voice – I **IImpromptu (or ‘ad libbed’) – a comment made ‘off the cuff’ without a script or prior rehearsalInflection – the lifting or lowering of the pitch of an...
- 2023 / 9 / 140988 – The Diction-ary of Voice – H2023.09.15 – 0988 – The Diction-ary of Voice – H**HHaemorrhage (‘vocal cord bruise’, ‘hematoma’) - a collection of blood in the vocal fold that develops after considerable voice use and leads to severe...
- 2023 / 9 / 130987 – The Diction-ary of Voice – G2023.09.14 – 0987 – The Diction-ary of Voice – GGlottal – a softer ‘coughing’ sound when used in speech, often when used instead of proper pronunciation in words such as ‘hot’ or ‘water’ when the tongue has...
- 2023 / 9 / 120986 – The Diction-ary of Voice – F2023.09.13 – 0986 – The Diction-ary of Voice – F **FFade (in, out, up, down, under) - to gradually adjust the volume of sound from low to high or high to lowFader – an audio channel’s level...
- 2023 / 9 / 110985 – The Diction-ary of Voice – E2023.09.12 – 0985 – The Diction-ary of Voice – EEllipsis – the marking on a script (‘…’) usually indicating that a pause is requiredEmphasis list - if an author wants to stress a point, they an emphasis list...
- 2023 / 9 / 100984 – The Diction-ary of Voice – D Part 22023.09.11 – 0984 – The Diction-ary of Voice – D Part 2Dry audio – a voice recording without any music underneath (which would be a ‘mixed’ recording)Dry mouth – literally having little saliva in one’s mouth,...
- 2023 / 9 / 90983 – The Diction-ary of Voice - D Part 12023.09.10 – 0983 – The Diction-ary of Voice - D Part 1 DAW - Short for ‘Digital Audio Workstation’ (or ‘Workspace’), said variously D.A.W and DAW (as in ‘door’). The software you use to record,...
- 2023 / 9 / 80982 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 42023.09.09 – 0982 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 4 Cue – the instruction to a presenter to start talking or performing. This could be verbal or by a light or a audio ‘cue tone’Cue – the short script...
- 2023 / 9 / 70981 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 32023.09.08 – 0981 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 3Conversational read (sometimes ‘transparent read’) – when a script doesn’t sound as though it is being read, so, using an authentic, friendly or...
- 2023 / 9 / 60980 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 22023.09.07 – 0980 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 2 Clipped – when a recorded signal has gone past the 0db threshold (or any other maximum recording level set by the engineer) and the computer...
- 2023 / 9 / 50979 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 12023.09.06 – 0979 – The Diction-ary of Voice - C Part 1 **CCadence - rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or word (see: ‘inflection’) Camera panic – anxiety about being in a video affecting someone’s...
- 2023 / 9 / 40978 – The Diction-ary of Voice - B Part 22023.09.05 – 0978 – The Diction-ary of Voice - B Part 2 Binaural – a type of recording and/or processing that allows a 3D sound space to be conveyed over headphonesBit depth – refers to...
- 2023 / 9 / 30977 – The Diction-ary of Voice - B Part 12023.09.04 – 0977 – The Diction-ary of Voice - B Part 1**BB2B / B2C – different marketing or advertising models. ‘B2B’ stands for 'business to business', that is, an advert for a product or service services...
- 2023 / 9 / 20976 – The Diction-ary of Voice - A Part 22023.09.03 – 0976 – The Diction-ary of Voice - A Part 2 Alveolus – the area just behind your upper teeth and where your tongue darts to in the final sound of the word ‘sin’Ambience (‘ambient noise’,...
- 2023 / 9 / 10975 – The Diction-ary of Voice - A Part 12023.09.02 – 0975 – The Diction-ary of Voice - A Part 1The Diction-ary of Voice ON GOOD SPEAKING TERMS **AAbdomen – your stomach area that moves out as you breath in, as the diaphragm lowers to allow the...
- 2023 / 8 / 310974 – Whispering Voice2023.09.01 – 0974 – A Whispering VoiceWhispering voiceSymptom: Speaking very softlyPrescription: Don’t. A whisper needs vocal fold tension, with the sound produced in a small gap between them. Instead talk in...
- 2023 / 8 / 300973 – The Whining Voice2023.08.31 – 0973 – The Whining Voice Whining voiceSymptom: As you might expect, this sound is related to the ‘unnatural pitch’ described above. It too is a higher-pitched voice, with the added issue of...
- 2023 / 8 / 290972 – ‘Vocal Fry’ Voice2023.08.30 – 0972 – ‘Vocal Fry’ Voice‘Vocal fry’ voice[1],[2]Symptom: We have covered this in some depth previously, especially in episode 38: the low, glottal, creaky, choppy, breathy delivery often...
- 2023 / 8 / 280971 – Valley Speak2023.08.29 – 0971 – Valley SpeakValley speak (short for ‘Valley Girl-speak’)[1]’[2]Symptom: This is a combination of several vocal features (nasality, uptalk, fast-paced run-on sentences, breathiness and...
- 2023 / 8 / 270970 - Uptalk2023.08.28 – 0970 - UptalkUptalk[1]Symptom: Most sentences end on a lower inflection than how they start, to give a signal that the end of the thought has been reached. Apart from sentences which end...
- 2023 / 8 / 260969 - The Unnaturally Pitched Voice2023.08.27 – 0969 - Unnaturally pitched voiceUnnaturally pitched voiceSymptom: This is similar to the ‘mono-tone’ (but where that is usually a lower pitch, this problem is usually one of being too...
- 2023 / 8 / 250968 – The ‘Tired’ Voice2023.08.26 – 0968 – The ‘Tired’ Voice Tired voiceSymptom: You sound dull, flat and a little ‘slurry’ as your tongue has trouble forming words.Prescription:...
- 2023 / 8 / 240967 - The ‘Throwaway’ Delivery2023.08.25 – 0967 - The ‘Throwaway’ Delivery ‘Throwaway’ deliverySymptom: When your voice trails off on the last word or two of a sentence. This makes them sound unimportant and sometime unintelligible...
- 2023 / 8 / 230966 - Throat Clearing2023.08.24 – 0966 - Throat Clearing Throat clearingSymptom: Throat clearing can become a habit. The slightest tickle and you may cough, but this irritates the vocal folds even more and makes them more...
- 2023 / 8 / 220965 – The ‘Thin’ Voice2023.08.23 – 0965 – The ‘Thin’ VoiceThin voiceSymptom: A voice which is weak, with a lack of air, energy and resonance. It may lack authority.Prescription: · It...
- 2023 / 8 / 210964 - Stumbling2023.08.22 – 0964 - StumblingStumblingSymptom: Verbal mistakes in adlibbed conversations or more likely, when reading as script: restarting words, mispronunciations, mis-intonations, repeated corrections and...
- 2023 / 8 / 200963 - Stammering –2023.08.21 – 0963 - Stammering –Stammering – also called ‘stuttering’Symptom: Stammering is when someone:· repeats sounds or syllables – for example, saying...
- 2023 / 8 / 190962 - 'Sloppy' Speech2023.08.20 – 0962 - 'Sloppy' SpeechSloppy speechSymptom: Good diction doesn’t (usually) matter (!). As I have said several times in different ways (such as in epsiode 263), what’s important is whether your...
- 2023 / 8 / 180961 – The ‘Sing Song’ Delivery2023.08.19 – 0961 – The ‘Sing Song’ DeliverySing Song DeliverySymptom: This presentation or reading style is characterised by an artificial, repetitive pattern of a gradual rise in pitch for the first part of...
- 2023 / 8 / 170960 – The ‘Sibilant’ Voice2023.08.18 – 0960 – The ‘Sibilant’ VoiceSibilant voiceSymptom: When a voice is perceived to have excessive ‘s’ sounds it may be because the microphone is picking up and exaggerating that particular...
- 2023 / 8 / 160959 - The 'Script-reading' Voice2023.08.17 – 0959 - The 'Script-reading' VoiceScript-reading voiceSymptom: When you sound as though you are reading words rather than communicating or telling a story. When you sound wooden, bored, flat...
- 2023 / 8 / 150958 – The ‘Quiet’ Voice2023.08.16 – 0958 – The ‘Quiet’ VoiceQuiet voiceSymptom: I once worked with two people in the same office who spoke very quietly. Neither of them seemed concerned or embarrassed when their colleagues...
- 2023 / 8 / 140957 - Popping on the Mic2023.08.15 – 0957 - Popping on the MicPopping on the micSymptom: Some letters are pronounced by the lips temporarily stopping and then releasing a flow of air from your mouth. That means that when you say...
- 2023 / 8 / 130956 – The ‘Plonking’ Speech Pattern2023.08.14 – 0956 – The ‘Plonking’ Speech Pattern Plonking speech pattern Symptom: This is when a reader doesn’t know which word to highlight in their intonation, so they do it either randomly or, like a...
- 2023 / 8 / 120955 – Noisy Breathing2023.08.13 – 0955 – Noisy Breathing Noisy breathingSymptom: Your in-breath is clearly heard on the recording, sometimes as a suck (occasionally this comes with a lip-smack as well), or a wheeze. This is...
- 2023 / 8 / 110954 – The ‘Nervous’ Voice2023.08.12 – 0954 – The ‘Nervous’ VoiceNervous voiceSymptom: These may include a higher-pitched, fluttering voice, quickly-snatched breaths, little variation in intonation and regular...
- 2023 / 8 / 100953 – The 'Nasal' Voice2023.08.11 – 0953 – The 'Nasal' VoiceNasal voice Symptom: This is when ‘too much’ sounded-air goes through the nasal cavity where the resonance of sound is changed (a ‘bunged up’ voice is one that doesn’t...
- 2023 / 8 / 90952 – The ‘Monotonous’ Voice2023.08.10 – 0952 – The ‘Monotonous’ VoiceMonotonous voiceSymptom: Spoken tonal delivery which has little variation, with a perception of a single (or ‘mono’) tone. Such a delivery gives the impression that...
- 2023 / 8 / 80951 – The ‘Hoarse, Husky or Croaky’ Voice2023.08.09 – 0951 – The ‘Hoarse, Husky or Croaky’ VoiceHoarse, husky or croaky voiceSymptom: A raw, scratchy voice (not necessarily low in pitch) which may signify overuse (such as shouting or talking...