Minneapolis, MN Speaking Voice Lessons

I help speakers develop powerful, authentic voices by combining knowledge of their instrument, vocal health practices and helping them develop the technique to easily sustain their sound. Together, we'll create your personalized 'toolkit' of exercises designed to promote proper posture, ease of breath support and help your voice attain the best speaking resonance.

We will learn how to add musicality to the voice, how to control dynamics and best practices for using intonation to tell the story, or give a presentation.

For 20 years I've assisted in developing singers, public speakers and voice over artists to access their authentic voice with more ease, accompanied by a personal resume spanning a lifetime of performing. My training includes 12 years of one-on-one training in apprenticeship for the field.

[Letters of recommendation from my professors & voice teachers available upon request.]

Speech lessons are beneficial for many reasons. Perhaps you are getting ready for an interview, or your voice is frequently hoarse, maybe you desire your voice to sound different or perhaps you are a voice over artist looking to add a dialect or wanting to work on inflections. Speaking voice lessons give techniques on how to properly use the voice in a healthy way on a daily basis. If you are interested in the anatomy of the voice, I am more than happy to teach you that as well.

In elementary school, I attended speech therapy because I was unable to pronounce certain sounds. Now I can. In my adult life, my friends will make fun of me for being difficult to understand. I get that way when I'm extremely comfortable and trying to talk fast. I can switch modes to an eloquent, easy-to-understand voice that I can use to address a large audience and command attention. All of this stuff is skill-based and fairly simple to learn. It all starts by being comfortable with the way your personal voice sounds, and working outward from there.

Expect to work on posture, breathing, volume, and control of vowel and consonant sounds. Oh, and we'll also read your favorite books, poems, and speeches out loud! It'll be fun, I promise.

These lessons are focused on re-awakening the student to their creative potential through authentic self-expression. Although centered around the voice, Michelle will use various techniques to help unlock any resistance or hesitation to expressing ones whole self more fully in the world. By first understanding and recognizing the voice as a vessel for creativity and authenticity, we can then cultivate habits and techniques, which allow the student to gain confidence, joy and inspiration through the expression of their authentic self. These lessons are ideal for those wishing to gain more confidence in their speaking voice, the individual looking to overcome any type of performance anxiety and/or for the student wishing to cultivate a speaking voice that more fully reflects and resonates the individual they desire to express themselves as. This can also be a wonderful opportunity for the seasoned performer to take their artistry and connection to their craft to the next level.
Lessons

The private acting lesson is designed to teach the student the tools they need to succeed as performers. Learn terminology, skills, and build confidence. Older students will focus on Audition, Scene Study, and Improvisation.

Do you talk in front of large groups? Do you speak on the phone for long periods and need to be as effective as you can without hurting the voice. Let's work on that.