Women Fry, Men Braise
If young women are adopting the Vocal Fry then men could be said to be adopting the Vocal Braise.
The Vocal Fry imitates the popping and sizzling of bacon while the Braise imitates the long, slow form of cooking.
Alec Baldwin and Will Arnett in a Braise off
The habit of speaking in low, husky tones, as if everything is a secret or profound or must not be repeated outside the conference room. Barring medical issues that could generate this tone, such as cancer of the throat, chemotherapy that leaves the vocal cords raw, or those nasty benign vocal nodes, the hushed male gravel is as detrimental to long-term vocal health as the Vocal Fry.
Similar to the female celebrities who model the Vocal Fry, there are male celebrities who model this vocal tone; Clint Eastwood, Will Arnett, Alec Baldwin, are just a few celebrities who live in this range. Clint Eastwood braised his way through Million Dollar Baby a few years back. I’d say it was a character choice, but the fact is, Eastwood’s voice is carrying the burden of years of professional whispering.
Will Arnett and Alec Baldwin are another pair who choose to whisper their way through their respective shows; when Arnett guest stars on 30 Rock it becomes something of a Whisper Off, with both men acting through their whispering. (Here’s a video Read more…
You want Surgery with that Fry?
Bad vocal habits can lead to long-term damage
According to reports, Grammy-nominated singer Adele is heading for basic vocal training at a medical vocal clinic in Seoul. She recently had surgery to remove benign polyps on her vocal cords – benign polyps that are the result of vocal abuse.
She isn’t the first and she won’t be the last.
There is a disturbing trend into today’s music world (well, there are several distrubing trends, but I’m not here to talk about the Beiberization of American pop music). I’m referring to Steve Tyler, Keith Urban, John Mayer and Adele – just to name a few performers who have undergone vocal surgery for the purpose of removing benign vocal nodes and repairing vocal cords.
Vocal nodes or polyps often develop as a result of poor or destructive vocal habits – improper use of breath, pushing the voice too hard or too low, fatigue and overuse are just a few of the things that can cause damage to the voice. There is one unhealthy trend however, that stands out – speaking in a “vocal fry.”
In vocal sense, the fry zone is the lower end of the register, where, as breath runs out, the voice starts sounding crackly or raspy. It’s also referred to as a “Glottal Fry.”
There has been a lot of speculation about the reasons behind this trend; many current female celebrities speak in the Vocal Fry range – Kim Kardashian, Ke$ha, Lauren Conrad, Lindsay Lohan – you can read more about it here, as well as hear some examples. (Or, if PopSugar isn’t your preferred source for news, you can read about it here ) This trend has actually been prevalent for a bit now, with Brittany Spears being one of the first of many young pop singers to employ it on a regular basis.
The Vocal Fry, when used frequently, is more than a good way to ruin your vocal cords, it’s also a great way to deflect credibility and send a signal that you are not to be taken seriously. We all use vocal fry occasionally but generally don’t make a habit of it. The Fry can drain words and thoughts of any vitality and weight. It’s a vocal ‘shrug of the shoulders’, if you will, and the newest way for women to express their opinion without being threatening. It has replaced “Valley Girl” (Ending every statement as if it were a question?) as the vocal trend du jour.
While the young women employing this effect may not require vocal surgery down the line, the Vocal Fry can still be damaging. As with any habit, overcoming it when you do want to be taken seriously or want your opinion heard – such as in the workplace or a relationship – will be difficult. These same women will begin to complain about not being taken seriously, being passed over for promotions or hitting the glass ceiling. Your voice is very much a part of how people percieve you.
How can you help your daughter avoid the Fry?
If you have a teen-age girl in your home the best thing you can do as a parent is demonstrate a strong, healthy voice. Your voice is part of the vocal environment your child is growing up in. Set an example of speaking in an appropriate manner in different situations.
Encourage your child to speak with their full voice. If you yourself have a habit of speaking in the Fry zone, be aware of it and began to change your vocal habits. Speak with a well supported voice, using your breath and the full range of the voice. Most likely, as you begin to speak in a stronger, more healthful manner you will notice a change in how people treat and preceive you. You may even get that promotion you’re after!
And don’t worry men – you’re not off the hook. Next week we take a look at Professional Whisperer, Alec Baldwin!
I think I agree with you…
I read this post at Harvard Business Review and couldn’t agree more. There are all types of impediments to modern communication, despite the plethora of tools ostensibly designed to facilitate communication.
To the author’s list I would add:
The Mumbler – Folks who mumble along expecting the listener to decipher directives.
Mouth Guards - Those who choose to hold a pencil, a hand or whatever is in arm’s length over or near the mouth in such a way that it muffles the words as they come out.
Also, any of the following (as seen on Seinfeld): The Low Talker (similar to the Mumbler), the Close Talker, the Loud Talker, The High Talker (not a loud talker but rather one generally a man – who has a high register leading to confusion regarding gender on the phone.)
What’s your Vocal Pet Peeve? Who do you have trouble understanding? Leave a comment below and let us commiserate with you!
Fear not!
Managing the Anxiety that comes with Public Speaking
It’s an oft quoted fact that more people have a fear of public speaking than of death or spiders. Which means, as a trainer from the Leader’s Institute pointed out in a presentation I attended recently, when it comes to funerals more people would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy!
Anxiety symptoms run the gamut from sweaty palms and knots in the stomach to the fear of being boring. Extreme fear of public speaking, known as Glossophobia, can and should be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy. But for the millions of others who suffer from more mild anxiety, here are a few tips to help you manage that fear and have a successful speaking engagement.
1. Ask questions. As the speaker you have the right and responsibility to understand the event. Ask the event organizer who will be in attendence and what the goal of the event is. Other details to know are how many people will be attending, what sort of room the event will be in and what sort of A/V capabilities will be available (and if so – who is responsible for running any A/V). Knowing what sort of situation you are walking into will help alleviate the anxiety that comes with the unknown.
2. Be prepared to do without your PowerPoint. Adding PowerPoint or other A/V always ups the anxiety quotient for fear that something may go wrong with the technology. To prevent such worries from increasing your stress, have a printed copy of the PowerPoint with you and practice the presentation a few times without the PowerPoint. If something does go wrong, you’ll be prepared.
3. Change the Chatter. Many people who suffer from Speaking Anxiety are feeding themselves negative self-messaging along the lines of “I’m going to be terrible” “No one is going to listen to me” “Everyone will know how nervous I am.” I do a simple exercise with my clients who send themselves this mental noise – I have them write down a positive reinforcement for every negative message. Professional athletes envision themselves crossing the finish line or shooting the game winning shot – why not visualize yourself succeeding too!
4. Remember the Audience is on YOUR side. Know who really doesn’t like to see a speaker fail – the audience. More often than not, the audience is on your side and is rooting for you. We understand that most people are not professional speakers and we don’t expect them tobe. We do expect you to be enthusiastic about your topic and we expect to hear you. Other than that, we’re pretty much happy that it’s not us up there!
5. Practice, practice, practice! If anxiety about public speaking is something you want to put to rest once and for all, then try some aversion therapy. Ask to speak to small groups – whether they are industry, volunteer, networking or church groups – most are always looking for folks willing to share their expertise and experience. Joining a group like Toastmasters is also an excellent way to hone your skill as a public speaker in a safe and encouraging environment.
Speaking in public establishes you as authority in your field. It’s a simple way to gain credibility and visibility for your company and to highlight your position within your company. Not everyone is destined to be a magnificent public speaker, but everyone has the right to be heard.
Related Blogs:
Classical Theatre for a modern Businessperson
The Changeling by Savage Rose Classical Theatre
Currently I’m in rehearsal for the classical theatre show, The Changeling (with Savage Rose Classical Theatre – more about that here).
Doing a classical show with its unfamiliar language and dense verse, is a challenge.
In order to tell the story to a modern audience, there is a strong focus on clarity of movement, intention and language; movement needs to be clean, direct and minimal so as not to confuse the audience or distract from the language or story. Language must be used appropriately – neither underseverving the words or overworking them. Intention must be used to color the different moments, to bring tone and color to the language so as to make the story more clear and concise.
Being in rehearsal is rejuvenating – it reaffirms my commitment to my clients and my coaching. These ideas; cleanliness in movement, strength in intention and appropriate use of language aren’t ideas restricted to an actor’s stage. They hold up just as well in a president’s boardroom, an entrepreneur’s investor meeting or a teacher’s classroom.
Strip away the things that distract – unnecessary movement or wandering, ineffective vocal habits, sloppy Powerpoint slides or muddy objectives – in order to allow you and your content stand out. Your outcomes will be better for it!
Change the Chatter
When I ask clients to imagine preparing to speak to a gathering —regardless of size—or to relate their thoughts about speaking in public, I hear comments like:
Positive Thinking before a presentation
“It makes my stomach hurt”
“It’s terrifying”
“It makes me want to crawl in a hole”
“Just thinking about it makes me want to throw-up”
“Who wants to listen to me? I’m boring.”
Pretty strong reactions!
And a perfect time to employ the power of positive thinking. Read more…
Make the Slide Show the Sideshow!
At the end of September, I delivered a keynote address on Storytelling for a statewide conference of a large non-profit. I arrived the day before, (I was also doing a workshop the afternoon before) and was able to catch some of that day’s keynote presentation.
I was disturbed by what I saw.
No, no, it wasn’t the speaker. Read more…
Memorization: The Bad Seed?
Somewhere along the way, memorization has gotten a bad rap. We’ve all seen the wooden presentation of a speaker who has ‘memorized’ their material. Said speaker stands stock-still, white-knuckling not only the podium but also the words they stayed up till the wee hours the night before frantically trying to commit them to memory.
Memorized speeches are not inherently bad, but they are often badly delivered.
The Pledge of Allegiance comes to mind. Most of us have that passage memorized. And most of the time, when we say it, we are simply saying the words without connecting those words to any emotion or thought. Yet recall the first time you said the pledge in the days after 9/11. Or think of immigrants pledging for the first time as citizens – that passage takes on a new life. The words mean something.
Too often memorization lacks the meaning behind the words. It is the meaning that makes a speech take flight. Meaning will effect your voice, your rhythm, your tone, your pace, your physicality. Read more…
So then Hamlet says to Ricky Bobby….
Talledega Nights: The Story of Ricky Bobby.
It’s one of my favorite Will Ferrell comedies. And, it just so happens, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s race car driving character, deals with a problem that plagues many speakers and those asked to give presentations:
He doesn’t know what to do with his hands while speaking. Read more…
Untether Yourself!
The other day I was at a leadership seminar. The speaker is a seasoned trainer and veteran speaker. The room was small; a restaurant dining room. This is a six-month series I have signed up for, though I missed the first installment due to a previously scheduled engagement.
Apparently, at the first session some of the participants had trouble hearing the speaker so this time he decided to use a hand held mic – and not a cordless one. He also had a PowerPoint – and not the ceiling mounted kind either – but one that sat on a rolling cart in the middle of the room.
He was literaly boxed in, held by outside forces – the mic and the PowerPoint set up – to a small corner of the room. He was constantly fiddling with the cord as he talked, trying to keep from being entangled and tripped by it. He was distracted from what he was saying, not connecting with the audience, completely absorbed by these physical issues.
Untether Yourself!
Then the microphone started buzzing and crackling. Read more…
