Vocal training with Voice Coach Jamie Read

I take the presentation of my magic very seriously, but if you can’t hear what I’m saying then it can be for nothing.

Do You Hear What I’m Saying?

There are two times when you may not hear me.

The first is whilst I am performing at a function. If I’m mingling at an afternoon wedding reception then this isn’t really going to be a problem as you should be able to hear what I’m saying, and hear me in a way that is clear so trying to work out what I said doesn’t detract from the the magic. However, when the background volume increase – such as the disco at a Christmas party – ensuring that I am heard by a dozen people sat around a table can be more challenging.

It is important that my voice is heard in order to not only get attention, but to maintain the control necessary to keep everyone entertained throughout the performance. And this isn’t done by shouting, nor just “projecting my voice” – but uses a few more subtle techniques.

The second time I want to make sure you can hear me is in the future.

Let me explain. If I (or any other performer for that matter) don’t take care of my voice properly, then damage could be done which will affect my voice in the future. Now, this could be as simple as having a sore throat for a couple of days after a particularly busy and loud event, but I also regularly have bookings for one or two years in the future; and some damage can build to an extent that goes beyond a sore throat.

Seeing a Professional Vocal Coach

I had a few sessions with vocal coach Jamie Read before. The first was part of a small group session for people who speak and present in front of groups of people. I learnt a lot from this session, but being a group the techniques were more generic; therefore I booked a one-to-one session with Jamie.

Although Jamie is local to me and has a studio close to Newbury in West Berkshire, because of Covid restrictions at the time this first session was done over Zoom. Even though we weren’t in the same room Jamie could still assess how I was using my voice, explore my vocal range, and give me certain warm-ups and exercises to practice that were tailored to my voice and how I use it.

Over the last few months I had been noticing my throat had been getting a little sore – not enough to worry about or to cause issues when performing, but enough for me to be aware of it.

Booking another session with Jamie (this time in his studio) Jamie could once again assess my voice, and using fancy kit see how my voice modulates the amplitude of various frequencies; and how it changes in different situations as I perform.

Fortunately I’ve not been doing any damage to my voice (at least no permanent damage!) but said that I wasn’t using it to maximum efficiency which is causing some strain on the vocal chords in some situation. We went through some more exercises for me to do at home, and warm-ups I can do before a performance, that will help my voice.

One of the biggest take-aways is Jamie is really good at explaining just what is happening in my throat, how the voice-box works, and how everything comes together to not only affect the sound that comes out, but how it is heard in the ears of the spectators. Not only understanding this helps with the ‘why’, but also makes me more aware and conscious of what is happening, and how I can adapt it in real time to not only make myself better heard and understood in potentially noisy situations; but to ensure that no damage is being done to keep myself being heard for years into the future.

This means that you may catch me doing a few odd stretches before I start performing, or making some strange noises. Fortunately though I can do some of this in the car on the way – so it’ll just be the driver in front looking in his mirror that will see me!

As a professional vocal coach Jamie works with all sorts of people who use their voices. This includes a lot of singers (including west-end opera singers), actors, as well as professional presenters and speakers.

If using your voice to communicate to people effectively is an important part of your job (even if you don’t class yourself strictly as a performer or entertainer) then checking you are using your voice properly is a very worthy investment. This can be a one-off session, to maybe session once or twice a year (like getting your car serviced) just to make sure it’s running smoothly and if anything can be done to keep it tuned up and performing at its best.

As mentioned previously Jamie is based in West Berkshire, but also has online sessions for those that can’t easily and conveniently get to his studio.

Find out more about Jamie by visiting his website: www.jamie-read.co.uk.

Also following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thejamieread) and connect on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiereadofficial/)