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Sit
comfortably in your chair. Back straight, feet planted squarely on the
floor. Rest your hands in your lap. Close your eyes. Visualize the air
going all the way down to your stomach (into your diaphragm). Your stomach
should expand. Visualize the air going all the way back up and out. Your
stomach should deflate. You should breathe in through your nose, out
through your nose. This type of breathing can be done anywhere. It
produces 2 results:
1. It helps a person
to focus, to calm jittery nerves. Breathe in… hold it…in a little
more…out…Once you do this type of breathing for awhile, you can concentrate
on your poem, on your speech, whatever.
2. It helps to open
up your voice. You are able to dip down into your voice and produce deeper
sounds. It contributes to voice projection.
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When we
are nervous, many of us talk fast. When we talk fast, we typically take
breath from our throat rather than our diaphragm. When we breathe this way,
we do not have enough breath for more than a few words at a time. Slow
down.
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When we
speak quickly, the pitch of our voice often is higher also. This is again
due to improper breathing. Slow down.
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When we
speak quickly, we tend not to articulate. Slow down.
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Remember
posture – slumping or hunching causes us to breathe from the throat.
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Pencil
drill – read a poem while you have a pencil in your mouth.
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Be aware
of choppiness in our speech, unnecessary pauses or stumbles. Sometimes it
helps to try to read ahead (if using paper)…just a couple words or so. If
you do stumble, ignore it and move on. Don’t try to back up and correct.
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Watch
out for singsonginess or a monotone voice. If you are reading off the page,
mark the words that should be emphasized. Use symbols to remember
to pause, to remind yourself to speak softly, to shout, etc.
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For
practice - Don’t be too quiet or too loud. If you tend to be loud, practice
in a whisper. If you tend to be too quiet, shout it out in practice.
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Practice!
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Have
fun!