From the age of fourteen I struggled with stage fright, and since then I have come a long way in learning to deal with this. I started with attempts to control my nerves and excessive focus on vocal technique. But eventually, I learned that body awareness, accepting my emotions and allowing myself a personal development process was what I needed to move forward. Thanks to like-minded people, vocal students and coaching clients, I learned that my situation was not unique. In fact, many others seem to be struggling with the same problems I had at the time.
Now I’m excited to share the knowledge I gained in the field of vocal developement this book. In Part 1, I explain my own experiences with my voice and those of my clients within two theoretical frameworks I work with: the polyvagal theory and the theory of positive disintegration.
The polyvagal theory answers questions such as: why do we speed up our speech or speak higher pitched when we are nervous? And why does it sometimes seem like we have no control over this? If your body experiences even the slightest sense of unsafety, your voice reveals this. Even if you don’t consciously feel unsafe. It turns out that your voice is about so much more than coming across as engaging, decisive and convincing. It is the key to intimate, genuine connection with your fellow humans. And this connection with others, in turn, is the key to your sense of safety.
Positive disintegration is about personal development and the inner conflicts it sometimes evokes. Allow me to illustrate this shortly with Kim, one of the people I coached. When she openly expressed her values, she felt vulnerable and insecure, and her voice became soft and weak. She worried about what others would think of her. This fear of judgment from others was a blockage that kept her from expressing what was really important to her. When we first identified this, Kim thought she was afraid that others would not think she was good enough. But we soon found out she thought she was not good enough herself.
In Part 2 of the book, I offer down-to-earth, practical exercises to empower and to embody your voice. All exercises also contribute to your personal development. These include breathing exercises and introspection exercises to regulate emotions, and exercises for body awareness. You’ll also learn to consciously identify and observe your thoughts and feelings, allowing your voice to funtion less on autopilot. This will help you to step back from your thoughts, and be more present in the here and now. If you think less while you speak, your voice will immediately sound more powerful!
Voice is available as paperback and eBook from 17 October 2022 in the European Union, and from 3 November 2022 worldwide. You can already put in presale orders at online shops like Amazon and Barnes & Noble:
The Netherlands and Belgium
USA at Barnes & Noble
USA at Amazon
Mexico
Germany
Spain
France
If you’re not in one of the countries above, just go to your local Amazon website and search for the title plus my name.