What I Teach
My mission is to help my clients feel connected to their voice—literally and metaphorically—so that when they speak, they’re not only heard, but felt. I teach voice, accents, public speaking, and general communication skills to people of all backgrounds, whether their goals are personal or professional. I believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion extends to voice, accent, and communication training. There’s no one “correct” way to speak, and I teach techniques of voice, speech, and nervous system support to empower people to find their unique voice and speaking styles. To learn more about the type of coaching I offer, keep reading below.
Voice
Do you have specific goals for how you’d like to sound such as adjusting your volume without strain, lowering your voice, or sounding less monotone? Maybe you like the sound of your voice overall but find that it becomes stuck with limited expressivity in certain circumstances so that it gets high or “shrill,” or your breath becomes shallow and restricted. Whatever your goals, I can help you assess why your vocal challenges are coming up, and give you tools for developing and then embodying your voice with ease.
As a Certified Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®, I'm primarily influenced by the principles and techniques of that work. However, I also incorporate other methodologies such as Organic Intelligence® that I’ve trained in that help integrate your nervous system so that we can address your instrument and experience while speaking or performing as a whole. Ultimately, my goal is to not only help you sound as good as possible, but to feel as good as possible while you’re speaking and singing.
Depending on your goals, our focus may be on developing...
....freedom and ease in your body and breath. This will be a combination of physical exercises you'll practice on your own along with in-the-moment tools of mindfulness for supporting your nervous system.
...more variety in the expression of your voice—in pitch, volume, crying, screaming, singing, and much more—without strain.
...the “support” for your voice so that you can speak for long periods of time without losing your voice, and in any sized room without being asked to "speak up."
...more ease and presence in performance, so that you feel in-flow whether you're rehearsing alone, in front of an audience or camera.
...a connection between what you are emotionally feeling and what you’re expressing, so that people don't just hear you, they believe you.
You can read more about my influences and the techniques in which I've trained here.
I offer both private and group classes around voicework. Contact me to learn more about how we might work together on your goals.
As a certified teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork, I tailor my coaching to the individual goals of each client. Depending on your needs and goals, I’ll guide you through various exercises for developing…
…greater speech clarity.
…your American accent (you may be thinking of this as "accent reduction")
…an accent in a hurry—like for an audition tomorrow.
…an accent you can really embody—like for your resume or reel.
…a system for learning any accent.
Regarding my approach to teaching accents to actors:
There's no such thing as a General accent...even people who have a "General American" or "Standard American" accent have differences in their speech (and that's a good thing!). If you’re a performer learning an accent for a particular character, I’ll help you make informed decisions about what details *your* character's accent might include. That might be a “Standard” accent—such as Received Pronunciation aka Standard British or the "So-Called-General-American" accent—because that’s what the audition calls for. Or it might likely be a curated accent designed for your specific character’s background and circumstances. In every instance, I'll teach you the features of real speakers' accents, rather than giving you general [often outdated] stereotypes.
Regarding "accent reduction":
"If you're looking for "accent-reduction," then I'll support you in learning a “So-Called-General-American” accent. I find it's more useful to think of adding to your voice and speech options by developing a new accent, rather than thinking of removing or reducing your given accent.
You can read more about my influences and the techniques in which I've trained here.
I currently offer speech and accent training via private coaching with some workshops online and in Los Angeles. To be alerted when additional (including on-line) group classes for accent coaching are announced, sign up for my mailing list.
Speech &
Accents
ON-CAMERA (AND AUDIO) PRESENCE
The camera (and microphone) doesn’t lie – however you want to be perceived on camera, you must authentically feel that way. However you want to sound on a recording, you must feel that way. In order for our audience to feel connected to what we’re saying, we need to be connected to what we’re saying. If you watch or listen to recordings of yourself and find that you sound flat or monotone, disconnected, like a “fake” version of yourself, if you’re feeling frozen during self-taping and Zoom auditions, or if you have a hard time focusing while recording so that you lose your words or ramble, these are all issues with presence and your ability to be in-flow in performance.
Chances are it’s related to some version of self-consciousness: you’re listening to yourself speak and judging how you sound, you’re trying to sound a particular way, you’re feeling nervous and trying not to feel nervous, etc. When helping performers and public speakers feel connected and confident when speaking in public or in high-stress situations such as auditions, I will work with you to develop a fluid awareness of yourself –- your thoughts, your emotions, your body, your voice, and your environment, as well as your audience, the camera, the microphone, and the room you’re in –- so that you can find an authentic flow as you speak.
Using tools from Fitzmaurice Voicework® and Organic Intelligence®, I'll help you...
...recognize what you're focusing on that might be getting in your way, and learn where you can re-direct your attention so that you can feel present and at ease when you speak.
…find an enjoyable, conversational quality to your speaking.
…learn tools for authentically connecting to your audience, even when that audience isn't literally in the room with you.
…learn tools for dealing with anxiety, overwhelm, and other forms of stress that affect your ability to be present.
...learn tools for being the best interviewer (or interviewee) you can be.
…learn best practices for recording (considering things like eye-line for when you're on camera, distance from your microphone for recording, etc.)
…learn to LOVE audio-visual mediums as a way of connecting to a broader audience.
You can read more about my influences and the techniques in which I've trained here.
I currently offer on-camera (and audio) presence training via private coaching only. To be alerted when group classes are announced, sign up for my mailing list.
There’s no one-size-fits-all programming for public speaking training; that said, most people fall into one of two categories:
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People who enjoy public speaking, but have room for improvement around their delivery. They need technical skills so that they can be more clear and dynamic in their delivery, and they may also need help finding their authentic speaking voice. (Many speakers who love public speaking often have a “public speaking voice” which sounds fake or “preachy” to their audience.)
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People who fear public speaking, so that their delivery suffers from nerves and overwhelm. Technical skills help them feel more confident, but they also need tools for finding relief from nerves so that they can better connect to their material and the audience in front of them.
I offer a holistic approach that supports all speakers regardless of their level of experience with or enjoyment of public speaking. Whether you struggle with speaking in meetings and presentations, preparing for an interview, speaking at a conference, or something in between, I can help you…
…learn tools for integrating your nerves so that you can feel ease (and maybe even enjoyment!) while in front of an audience.
…learn tools for genuinely connecting with your audience, so that they don't just hear your words, they feel your message.
…develop the ability and the ease to think on your feet and speak on the fly (for those moments when you don’t have a script).
…develop the ability to respond in a clear and concise manner (especially if you find yourself rambling or taking a long time to get to the point).
…find an enjoyable, conversational quality to your speaking.
…develop more clarity in your content so that what you're saying is as clear and impactful as possible.
...develop a system for using notes, without being glued to your screen or your notecards.
...find more vocal variety in your speaking (beyond just "slowing down").
You can read more about my influences and the techniques in which I've trained here.
You can contact me about private coaching or coaching a workshop for your organization here. To be alerted when future group classes are announced, sign up for my mailing list.
Public Speaking & Professional
Communication
Social Anxiety & General Communication
Do you find yourself overwhelmed by nerves when speaking to others? Or maybe just the thought of interacting with others conjures up feelings of anxiety? Do you find yourself feeling distracted in conversation? Or judging yourself and what you're saying or how you sound, so that you're exhausted by any sort of social or networking engagement? These challenges are exhausting and get in the way of you connecting—to friends, to partners (and potential partners), to co-workers. Conversation can feel easier—it can even feel enjoyable!—but only if we're aware of what actually helps us feel that enjoyable human connection.
Your inner world is the foundation for your outer expression. There are a lot of self-help books that will give you tips on how to talk to strangers and how to make friends and influence people. But if those tips and tricks make you feel rigid and inauthentic, they aren’t serving you. Authentic human connection comes from an authentic sense of ease, and my work will help you integrate your nervousness, your anxiety, and your overwhelm so that you feel a genuine connection and not like you’re faking it or tricking people into thinking you’re confident.
Using tools from Organic Intelligence®, I'll help you..
…develop tools for dealing with anxiety, panic-attacks, and other forms of stress.
...develop tools for building energetic bandwidth, so that conversation leaves you feeling energized rather than exhausted.
...develop tools for engaging in conversation, while feeling like yourself (versus planning or forcing conversation).
...develop skills for becoming genuinely curious about the person you're talking to.
...develop skills for listening in conversation, so that you can contribute in a way that makes your conversation partner feel heard and understood.
…learn to ENJOY conversing with strangers, loved ones, and everyone in between.