Vocal Presence Workshop 2014

The morning of the Vocal Presence workshop started off well with the aroma of muffins and coffee filling the room.  This was definitely a great start to energize our minds and bodies for the workshop led by Dawn McCaugherty, a Professor theatre at the U of C Fine Arts department.  There were a total of eleven eager HPI students interested in learning what it truly means to have “vocal presence”. 

Dawn led us through a series of exercises beginning with teaching us to stay grounded on our feet so we could stand upright with straight postures and shoulders relaxed.  We proceeded with a few stretches combined with slow deep breaths, in and out.  It felt very much like a relaxing yoga session and I learned that a key component to a strong voice is breathing.  The workshop started to get even more interesting when we made silly noises in order to practice speaking from the front of our mouths rather than from our throats.  This means we use the lips, tongue, and jaw to speak.  The second half of the workshop was really putting to test our ability to discuss our research in 3 minutes, similar to the 3-minute thesis competition held annually at the U of C.  It was interesting to watch everyone’s unique way of presenting. 

For me personally, I enjoy attending workshops on how to prepare presentations, but what is more useful is getting constructive feedback for your own presentation. Dawn gave one-on-one feedback to each student on how to improve on their presentation skills.  She provided some suggestions on how we can structure our talk by changing the tone, pace, or volume of our voice.  I encourage everyone to do these simple vocal exercises as it can be done while waiting for the bus, driving in the car, or in front of a mirror.  Dawn also pointed out that even taking a few steps to make use of the huge space at the front of the room while presenting can make your presentation more lively and engaging. 

Learning to develop a strong vocal presence is like playing a musical instrument – you can only get better with practice.  I will definitely try to take the skills that I learned at this workshop and apply it to my next presentation..