Listen To Yourself!

Richard Jennings

One of the most important skills for a speaking professional or singer is listening to yourself. You are the only one who can do anything about how you sound. Be aware!

Try this: put your fingers in your ears and speak or sing. You hear a warm, fuzzy sound. That’s pretty much how we hear ourselves, mostly through the vibrations in the internal bone structure of the head that reach the inner ear.It’s not what other people hear from us.

When we hear our own recorded voice, most of us have a reaction: “Oh, that’s not my voice. My voice is much warmer and richer” (like we hear it in our own head). What we hear on the recording is pretty close to what others hear.

A person who uses their voice professionally (performing or in business) needs to be aware of what they sound like outside of their own head. You need to listen to the sound of your voice in the air, outside of your body.

Try this: On one hand, touch your index finger to your thumb, making an OK sign. This will be your target. Hold that target about two feet in front of your mouth. As you speak or sing, try to place your sound right through the hole in your target. With a little experimentation, you can do this. The human voice is one of the most flexible instruments ever. You can pinpoint where your sound is going. Place your sound right through that target. Now, LISTEN to what it sounds like out there, outside of your body.

Do this often until you are good at hearing what your voice really sounds like in the air.

The more your practice this, the better you’ll hear yourself. The goal is to be aware of your sound when it’s important. After a while, part of your brain will be making judgements on how you sound and making a real time adjustments. Using the good vocal techniques you learn in the Richard Jennings Voice Studio, you take control of your voice and know you’re sounding your very best. It’s very comforting to her your best sounds emanating from your voice. It gives you a great sense of confidence, knowing that you are presenting yourself in the strongest way possible.

Be aware, listen to yourself!