Private voice study
The foundation of voice is breath. Breath can be influenced by many things – by how we stand and carry ourselves, by muscular habits (such as a clenched jaw), by impulse, by emotion. By paying attention to our alignment and releasing unnecessary muscular tension, we can expand our breath. By expanding our breath, we can expand our voices. By expanding our voices, we can begin to learn that speaking is a full-body experience. Voice starts at our centers and resonates outward like the rays of the sun. I will create an individualized plan for you, based on your goals and needs.
private speech study
A supported and expressive voice is only useful if you can be understood. Speech is how we use our muscles of articulation to form vowels and consonants – and there are as many different ways to form each one as there are regions in any country. If you have a strong regional sound, it may not always serve you on stage, on the screen, in the conference room, or at the podium. Learning a more linguistically detailed speech pattern may help you book a job or get a new client. I will create an individualized plan for you, based on your goals and needs.
private accent & dialect study
Need to learn an accent for an audition or a role? It’s as easy as learning a new move for your tongue, lips, jaw, and soft palate. I will provide you with audio samples of native speakers, written materials that include descriptions of oral posture, characteristic sounds, and melody & rhythm, and key practice words and phrases.
private text & language study
Speaking text is communicating thought. When we have to speak someone else’s thoughts, it can get difficult. For instance, we may not think in iambic pentameter, yet Shakespeare wrote all of his plays in iambic pentameter. How can we train our body and mind to think in that way so that we aren’t simply making sound when we speak his characters’ thoughts? How can we really talk to someone else on stage? The word “inspiration” both refers to the birth of an idea and to the in-taking of breath. By marrying those two things in the text, we can make our own thought processes sync with that of the author. I will create an individualized plan for you, based on your goals and needs.
A supported, expressive, and clear voice leads to effective communication. Part of effective communication is ensuring that your audience gets what you give them. Work on breath, voice, speech, and connecting to your audience – large or small – can help ensure that. We can explore ways to make you less nervous in front of large groups, louder, more dynamic, and more specific as a speaker.
I am available for on-site and remote voice and dialect coaching for theater, TV, and film projects. I will do my own original research and work with the creative team to serve the vision of the project.
original accent breakdowns
Original Accent Breakdowns, including suggested primary sources, are also available for purchase by contacting me. Available breakdowns are:
Afrikaans Accent | Alabama Accent | Atlanta Accent | Australian Accent | Baltimore Accent | Bronx Accent | Brooklyn Accent | Cantonese Accent | Cockney Accent | Czech Accent | Danish Accent | Donegal Irish Accent | Dublin Irish Accent | Egyptian Arabic Accent | Estuary English Accent | Fens Accent | French Accent | German Accent | Hindi Accent | Iraqi Arabic Accent | Israeli Hebrew Accent | Italian Accent | Laramie WY Accent | Long Island Accent | Louisville KY Accent | Memphis TN Accent | Mexican Accent | Minnesota Accent | Mississippi Accent | New Orleans Accents | Norfolk British Accent | Pakistani Urdu Accent | Puerto Rican Accent | Queens Accent | Romanian Accent | RP Accent | Russian Accent | Scottish Accent | Senegalese Accent | Somali Accent | South Boston Accent | Spanish Accent | Staten Island Accent | Swahili Accent | Texas Accent | Ukrainian Accent | Welsh Accent | Western Irish Accent | Yiddish Accent
I’m pleased to announce that I’m co-teaching a speech workshop with fellow KTS Teacher Jeremy Sortore this summer in Singapore.
Experiencing Speech: Part One is a 3-day workshop that provides an introduction to Knight-Thompson Speechwork and covers vocal anatomy, the physicality of speech actions, practice of all the sounds in human language, and vocal tract posture. It will prepare the participants for part two of Experiencing Speech, which includes detailed phonetic transcription and the skills of adjusting linguistic detail in speech.
Experiencing Speech: Part One will happen in Singapore August 9-11 and is one of the prerequisites for the KTS Teacher Certification. This workshop will follow close on the heels of the annual Voice and Speech Trainers Association conference, so, if you’re planning to attend the conference, we invite you to stay a few days more to play with us!
Registration is open! More info is here.