Time to breathe red word on concept clock isolated on white background
Gut check...are you breathing during the holidays?
 
Greetings from the backstage of Book-It Repertory Theater's production of Treasure Island! My pirate just met her watery grave (spoiler alert), so I have a moment to share something I've been contemplating lately.
Did you know that most humans stop breathing when we don't want to experience something? Think of the last time you almost got into a bike or car accident. Perhaps you gasped, held your breath, and braced your body for impact. Many of us go through life like this - subconsciously braced for the worst, sipping in only shallow amounts of air as we go. Shallow or halted breathing becomes most noticeable when confronted with difficult news or people, with uncertainty, and of course, when confronted with an audience!
The opposite is true as well. When we want to experience life more vividly, we literally breathe it in more deeply. Think of how your breathing changes when a delicious, long-awaited meal arrives to your table, or when someone you find incredibly attractive is near.

2017 Workshops Announced!

Here are just a few of the 2017 classes.  Check our website for the complete list of January through June workshops.
This 6 week class is great for beginners. You will learn about:  What agents and clients expect you to know; niches- including animation, commercial, and audio-books; auditioning and editing from your home studio; how to bring your text to life; demystifying demo reels; a fun and easy approach to creating character voices and the ever-changing business of voice-over.  
Students will enhance their vocal potential by moving through a series of empowering voice/mind/body exercises aimed at deepening vocal relaxation and strength. This will be a physical, full-body approach to voice, providing students with both vocal exercises and a greater understanding of physiology.  Through a mix of Fitzmaurice Voicework(c) and a variety of other approaches taught at universities across the country, this class will help students learn how to achieve greater vocal power, confidence, and ease. One hour is dedicated to strengthening the voice and another hour is filled with easy-going group singing and vocalese to improve resonance and confidence.  
Great workshop for students with some experience who want to learn more.  We will continue to work on personalization, good/thing bad/thing, lists and more techniques, but we will focus on advanced copy including long-form narration, medical narration, audiobook work, animation scenes and challenging video game characters. 
 
Article(Continued from above)

Our breathing, the foundation of our voices, can ebb and flow with certain times of the year. Whether this is a time of joy for you or a time to "batten down the hatches," breath can influence how you savor or survive the season. Please allow me to offer a few suggestions for doing both:
  • Healthy sighing: gathering up your sources of tension on the inhale, and releasing them out and away from you on the exhale. Let them go. You can do only one thing at a time, so don't worry, all those "to do's" will still be ready for you when you're ready for them.
  • Yoga: when a few healthy sighs aren't quite enough.
  • Singing: uncork your feelings and express yourself! Whether singing to the radio in your car or signing in a Christmas chorus, studies show that the healing benefits of singing are many.
  • Chanting: ...at a protest, perhaps? And you won't have to worry about singing in the right key. This tends to be an aerobic activity, so remember to support your breath with your belly muscles and drink plenty of water.
  • Improv: a lot like singing, with an added dose of play. Daring to breathe deeply, (i.e. experience deeply), while doing improv is a fantastic way for practicing courage on a profound level. And it's fun!
  • Character voices: (related to improv). Sometimes, getting a little stupid can be surprisingly healthy.
  • Dance: the more freely you breathe, the more freely you dance. What's not to love?
There are many more breath/voice related practices one can explore, course. Some of them are listed at our free resource library on the home page of our website. Whichever you choose, we wish you a happy and healthy new year. And don't forget to let your voice be heard! Yarrrr!

--Gin Hammond

Paul Meier's Dialect Book is on sale again!

Accents & Dialects for Stage and Screen

$99.95 $69.99
On sale: 30% off for the holidays, through December 31! Learn 24 accents and dialects in one product, from renowned dialect coach Paul Meier. This is Paul's top seller and the book that sets the standard for dialect/accent instruction. You get 24 accents and dialects in one great publication! Save 80% of the cost of individual accent/dialect products, yet get the same material! It includes the 370-page perfect-bound book and 12 CDs.

This is an outstanding book to help with your dialect work!! SVI highly recommends it!


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