“The voice, our daily tool”

 It is so familiar to us and accompanies us every day, and yet we misunderstand it in many ways: our voice. The workshop led by voice coach Annikki SCHEU allowed participants to learn how to use this fantastic tool consciously and effectively. How to pose your voice? How to mark your presence and capture the attention of an audience?

The voice is a matter of being grounded. Therefore, we begin by taking off our shoes and it is with bare feet that we anchor ourselves in the ground to draw the strength of the Earth. We look for its center, its axis, and we connect the jaw to the feet. It is the whole body that participates in the act of speaking! This body, composed mainly of water and which resonates to diffuse the sound through all the pores of the skin. So, we practice to become aware of it and to inhabit it fully, by putting it in movement and by practicing a “body percussion” session.

To speak is to breathe. So we relax and focus on breathing in and out through various exercises. We release the tensions in the neck, the shoulders, the jaw, without forgetting the tongue. Yawning and sighing: very healthy practices to adopt on a daily basis!

Practice tongue twisters to improve articulation. Remember to always have a cork on you to practice for a few minutes before a presentation! We declaim texts and Annikki SCHEU advises, suggests and supports in order to bring out the vocal individuality of each participant.

And then, we sing: we sing “Keep breathing”, we sing the vowels, and a whole range of fruits. The vibratory rate increases, and it’s impossible not to feel good. After a day of learning, exchange and good mood, everyone comes out strengthened and enriched by this magnificent workshop.