Community Chat

[brownponytail80]

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@newziesuzie wrote:

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@brownponytail80 wrote:

We had a voice thread not too long ago here where people would record their voices and post the recordings for all of us to hear.  It was interesting to hear what everyone sounds like!

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I wonder if most of us would sound the same way we pictured each other sounding.  Isn't it funny how we get ideas of what posters look or sound like from posting with them?

😊

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I was surprised by some of the voices I heard.  Everyone sounded so nice!

[sfnative]

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@Sunshine&rainbows wrote:

As singers, we direct sound up to a "sweet spot" on the soft palette in the mouth, then direct that sound up into the sinuses to resonate.  This results in a rich sound, whereas the Valley Girl sound stops dead in the sinuses/nose, because it has not had a source of resonance.

@sfnative or @CoG

How would one achieve this?

What exercise could I do to get rid of a nasal sound?

Or is there such a thing to change ones voice?

Thank you!

sunshine&rainbows

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sunshine&rainbows,

Before answering your question, I need to ask three questions:

1.  Are you from the mid-west?

2.  Are you of an age that you picked up the Valley Girl vocalization in the 1980s?

3.  Have you experienced illness that involved your tonsils, adenoids and/or have you had chronic sinus problems?

Thank you for answering these questions.  Once I have this information on board, will then be able to respond.  It's 9 p.m. Pacific Time Monday, so know you may not be able to post an answer until tomorrow.  Will look for you some time tomorrow (we have our granddaughter on Tuesdays, so will check before she arrives).

~Rebecca

[sunshine&rainbows]

@sfnative

Rebecca,

1. 1yr old to 5yr old, Jacksonville FL & Cherry Point NC

     6yr old to 13yr old Southern CA

    14yr old to 16yr old Texas

     16yr old to 22yr old Denver CO

then back to Texas, AZ, NM, Nor Cal  

2. 80s Denver and TX,

3. Still have tonsils, no chronic sinus problems. When I was young I swam a lot and and suffered ear aches, I remember mom putting ear drops in my ears frequently.

My dear mother who adopted me at birth was born and raised in San Francisco and all of her family is from CA, my father was from Chicago, my step dad since 6 yrs old was from San Antonio, TX he did talk like a Texan.

Not sure what a Valley Girl is, I was a daddy's girl and a tomboy and cowgirl.

It is 7pm here mon night.

Have a wonderful time with your family and thank you so much!

I will hear from you at your convenience.

Take care of your self so you can take care of others.

[sfnative]

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@Sunshine&rainbows wrote:

@sfnative

Rebecca,

1. 1yr old to 5yr old, Jacksonville FL & Cherry Point NC

     6yr old to 13yr old Southern CA

    14yr old to 16yr old Texas

     16yr old to 22yr old Denver CO

then back to Texas, AZ, NM, Nor Cal  

2. 80s Denver and TX,

3. Still have tonsils, no chronic sinus problems. When I was young I swam a lot and and suffered ear aches, I remember mom putting ear drops in my ears frequently.

My dear mother who adopted me at birth was born and raised in San Francisco and all of her family is from CA, my father was from Chicago, my step dad since 6 yrs old was from San Antonio, TX he did talk like a Texan.

Not sure what a Valley Girl is, I was a daddy's girl and a tomboy and cowgirl.

It is 7pm here mon night.

Have a wonderful time with your family and thank you so much!

I will hear from you at your convenience.

Take care of your self so you can take care of others.

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Hi sunshine&rainbows,

I just opened up your response and have a little time before our granddaugher arrives, so am going to be thinking out loud, after making a request.  Sunshine: because I'm unable to work with you 1-on-1, nor can I even experience your voice, I'm going to be making some generalized conclusions.  After I've made these, I'll be suggesting vocalizations for you to practice.  For this you will need a portable tape recorder (I know, you don't see them around much any more, but they can be found and are not expensive at all) or a digital recorder (more complicated to operate and difficult to get back to a point in your recording that's needed).  The second thing you'll need is either a long bamboo kabob skewer or something like a long popcicle stick onto which you will tape a feather.  Now don't laugh!  This feather must not be too stiff nor too floppy.  It should basically  stand up on its own, but have some slump to it.  I imagine that these days one could go into a craft store like Michael's and find such a feather. 

The goal here will be to provide you with an exercise which encourages you to direct the flow of air, when speaking, out of your mouth versus up and through the nose.  When done correctly, at the proper distance, and with dynamic use of the diaphragm, the feather will move.

I need to sign off now, but need to know if you're interested in moving forward.  My GD is due in 10 minutes and we will not be done with her until 8 tonight, so will return here later.

Take care.  See you later.  ~Rebecca

[misspammie]

my son works for a TV station and has had 'voice coaches' when he started.  I must admit, before the coaching,,,,he was 'sing-songy',,don't tell him I said that!  voices do make a difference,,,just think of Al Greene, Lou Rawls,    but it's to each their own,,,,,Percy Sledge!

[sunshine&rainbows]

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@sfnative wrote:

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@Sunshine&rainbows wrote:

@sfnative

Rebecca,

1. 1yr old to 5yr old, Jacksonville FL & Cherry Point NC

     6yr old to 13yr old Southern CA

    14yr old to 16yr old Texas

     16yr old to 22yr old Denver CO

then back to Texas, AZ, NM, Nor Cal  

2. 80s Denver and TX,

3. Still have tonsils, no chronic sinus problems. When I was young I swam a lot and and suffered ear aches, I remember mom putting ear drops in my ears frequently.

My dear mother who adopted me at birth was born and raised in San Francisco and all of her family is from CA, my father was from Chicago, my step dad since 6 yrs old was from San Antonio, TX he did talk like a Texan.

Not sure what a Valley Girl is, I was a daddy's girl and a tomboy and cowgirl.

It is 7pm here mon night.

Have a wonderful time with your family and thank you so much!

I will hear from you at your convenience.

Take care of your self so you can take care of others.

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Hi sunshine&rainbows,

I just opened up your response and have a little time before our granddaugher arrives, so am going to be thinking out loud, after making a request.  Sunshine: because I'm unable to work with you 1-on-1, nor can I even experience your voice, I'm going to be making some generalized conclusions.  After I've made these, I'll be suggesting vocalizations for you to practice.  For this you will need a portable tape recorder (I know, you don't see them around much any more, but they can be found and are not expensive at all) or a digital recorder (more complicated to operate and difficult to get back to a point in your recording that's needed).  The second thing you'll need is either a long bamboo kabob skewer or something like a long popcicle stick onto which you will tape a feather.  Now don't laugh!  This feather must not be too stiff nor too floppy.  It should basically  stand up on its own, but have some slump to it.  I imagine that these days one could go into a craft store like Michael's and find such a feather. 

The goal here will be to provide you with an exercise which encourages you to direct the flow of air, when speaking, out of your mouth versus up and through the nose.  When done correctly, at the proper distance, and with dynamic use of the diaphragm, the feather will move.

I need to sign off now, but need to know if you're interested in moving forward.  My GD is due in 10 minutes and we will not be done with her until 8 tonight, so will return here later.

Take care.  See you later.  ~Rebecca

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@sfnative

Good morning Rebecca,

Slept in until 8am.

I thought this might help us, when my dear mother was released from the hospital on hospice, we were staying at my sons house, I sleep next to her on the living room couch, she had her hospital bed.

My son would wake up every two hours to check on us, one night he told me you and grandma were talking to each other, you both were snoring so loud.

As time went on one night he came down as usual to check on us and said mom you and grandma scared me last night, I had to put me ear next to you to make sure you were still breathing, your mouth was open, he suggested I take a sleep study test. Even after I flew back home my husband will get frighten because I will be sound asleep, he wanted to make sure I was still breathing, mouth wide open again. I feel like I have a deep voice? If you want you could call and listen to my voice mail or I could leave you a message too? Of course would not put  #s out for all to see. Not sure how we would do this in private even giving you my email for all not to see? H'm.

I have a cassette player, I will have to wait until my husband gets home, it is in his closet somewhere. (I don't go through his stuff)

I have feathers, some cheap earrings from Longs Drug store they are 5in long and about 1 in wide, I also have some feathers from my dream catchers that are smaller and softer around 3 to 4 in long and eagle feathers (found on the ground), and hawk feathers. I have some chop sticks.

 I am ready to move forward with much anticipation!

You are so kind.

At your convenience I will hear from you later,

Take care ~ Dorothy

My husband calls me Sunshine, so does everyone else here on the island!

[hckynutjohn]

Hey QVC team.

Is it against Community Standards to leave a way for those that wish, to record their voice using "Vocaroo",and post it? Are URL links against the Standards now, didn't use to be?

Now I left pictures of myself and that is very identifiable. Wouldn't think a voice would be a big deal unless someone rambles on like I do in many of my posts and uses up a lot of bandwidth resources.

What say you?

[sailor_moon]

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@sfnative wrote:

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@sailor moon wrote:

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@sfnative wrote:

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@Puzzle Piece wrote:

I certainly believe that a voice can draw one in or repel you.  Why are so many women especially - nasal in their speech.  Don't they have others tell them to work on it?  Just as bad are those that have high excitable voices and use them though there isn't anything to be excited about. 

I know that voices must be important in attracting others - look at how many males use phone s*x and want to hear a certain voice speak to them. 

Even babies react to certain voices.  It is something important it would help a number in the media and celebs to attend classes in improvement of how they come across. 

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I know exactly what you're taking about!

As an avocation, I've been a vocalist for most of my life.  Part of that experience has included being a vocal coach and working with women who have experienced laryngeal injury during surgery (usually caused by an incorrectly inserted endotracheal tube).

That said, we, a vocal coaches, experienced a new challenge in the 80s with the "Valley Girl" manner of speech, which rolled over into singing - that being the placement of sound.  Most of us direct sound up and out of the larynx, then through and out of the mouth.  Part of the Valley Girl "sound" was to direct sound past the mouth and up into the sinuses.

As singers, we direct sound up to a "sweet spot" on the soft palette in the mouth, then direct that sound up into the sinuses to resonate.  This results in a rich sound, whereas the Valley Girl sound stops dead in the sinuses/nose, because it has not had a source of resonance.

Hope this had made some sense.

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@sfnative,

I was wondering, with you being a former vocal coach, what are your thoughts on creaking aka vocal fry?

I find it irritating, for some reason. 

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sailor moon,

Apologies for taking so long to get back to you: my laptop is experiencing problems when I type, so had to get DH involved in it today.

Discountng those born with a creaky voice, and I've known a few, most of these cases can be explained in terms of overuse or trauma that was never treated or treated incorrectly.  A great majority of these folks my have nodes of their vocal folds.  Removal of a node or nodes may improve the quality of speech.  However, most folks are disinclined to seek treatment because: (1) their insurance won't pay for it; or, (2) they're afraid of the procdure (not enough information on board).

Hope this helps.

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No apologies necessary, I read and post sporadically so sometimes it takes me a few days before I get back to any particular thread.

Thank you for the explanation about nodes  on the vocal folds, but the vocal fry I am referring to is an adopted speech pattern, that some women use ( Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears are two examples).

Every word in a sentence is spoken in the person's normal register, except at the last word, which is spoken in lower more whiny tone. 

[CoG]

Please Google vocal fry = creaking = laryngealization = glottal fry = pulse phonation.  Our friend is absolutely correct.  It's an affectation.  A deliberate approximation of the arytenoid cartilages to cause vibration of the vocal cords at 20 - 50 pulses per minute.  

These ladies have set themselves apart alright, decreased their market value  ,