Full Voice: The Art and Practice of Vocal Presence

by Barbara McAfee

Discover how to harness the full power of your voice to become a more effective and flexible communicator with this practical guide.Your voice says a lot about you. Based on the tone and expression of your voice alone, your listeners may make up their minds about you before they even process the meaning of your words. And if what you say is at odds with how you say it, they can miss your message altogether. As important as our voices are, few of us know how to use them to their full potential.Full Voice offers a fun, tested method to harness the power of your voice to become a more effective and flexible communicator. Barbara McAfee identifies five distinct vocal tones or qualities-earth, fire, water, metal, and air-and explains how to cultivate each voice. You'll also discover how to use your voice to convey authority, passion, compassion, and other essential leadership qualities-and how to choose the right voice to ensure your message and meaning are understood. With online practice videos and real-life stories to reinforce the message, you'll experience an authentic shift in the impact your voice has on your colleagues, friends, and family.McAfee's approach offers much more than a minor cosmetic improvement. It enables you to use your voice to support your intentions and aspirations, express who you truly are, and bring your gifts to the world. As you become more aware of your own voice, you also become a better listener, more attuned to what people are saying underneath their words. You learn to transform the ordinary act of everyday speech--the presentations you give, the meetings you lead, the stories you read your children at bedtime, even your casual conversations with friends--into works of art. You'll discover how opening your full voice opens you to untapped potential, power, and aliveness as well."Barbara's words are wise and wonderful; the tools are practical and playful. If, indeed, "voice is the muscle of the soul," Barbara offers a most pleasurable Olympic training opportunity. What a gift!" --Jayne A. Felgen, MPA, RN, president, Creative Health Care Management, and author of Leading Lasting Change"A book on voice that is more a book on the art of living through the voice. All true works of prose point back to the essential truths--to be true to ourselves, to express who we are in the world completely, and to communicate fully with others." --Joseph Bailey, psychologist and coauthor of Slowing Down to the Speed of Life

Genres: Nonfiction, Personal Development, Business, Communication, Self Help, Audiobook, Music

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2011

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of really good information in this book, and I've already begun using it with positive results. My one complaint, and the reason it didn't get 4 stars is because there was a lot of filler. Stories here and there about other people's success with the approach that offered nothing except maybe "This really does work, see?"

Worth the read, but don't bother reading every word; skip around to the important parts.

[Muriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t assume you have only one type of voice. With training, adjusting and trying different modes, we could get more control of our voices.

We aren’t born with a set type of voice, the choice of voice is unconscious, from feedback that family/friends gave when you were growing up. Certain voices were encouraged, while others were frowned upon – these feedback lead us to our voices today. OK, this reminds of Thatcher and King George VI.

Singing is apparently a bonding method with a long tradition in human history. This book helps me to understand mom’s interest in this a little better.

The exercises in this book are helpful – try these exercises alone so you are not afraid of what other people thinks (driving alone in the car). So it’s better to plan reading this book two times, the first time see if you like the idea, and if you like it the second time just focus on the exercises.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceeded my expectations in that the book offered practical advice with anecdotes and relevant practice regarding the Five Elements Framework. This mnemonic device, along with the practice and recap, makes for an engaging and effective read.

Incidentally, I was reading David Cohen's "Body Language: What You Need To Know" concurrently with this book. This pairing actually has been cognitively very satisfying for the awareness I was seeking.McAfee's effort is likely to have a much more lasting effort for me, which I reflect in the rating.

[Rob Lund · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fascinating book with many tie-ins to other systems of thought, such as self-esteem, personal achievement, corporate development, etc. But I felt like I'd just need private lessons to really apply these ideas to my own voice.

I appreciated the extracurricular advice in this book the most:
* singing in the shower
* poetry reading
* joining a choir (thanks to my wife's encouraging, this has been a hugely rewarding experience)

I've definitely observed times when my voice -- which tends to be very quiet and subdued -- is weak or constricted. I could benefit from a voice coach.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author begins by explaining the history of vocal expression. She then explains that you may feel uncomfortable when learning to express your voice, and that this is normal.

Different exercises are presented to help set your voice free. I find that once I got over the embarrassment of making the odd sounds (why when I am by myself was I embarrassed?) I found my voice changing. I have found that the “earth voice” is calming. I have used that while stuck in traffic.

She goes through the different exercises and associates them with the elements (earth, fire, water, metal, and air). I had thought that it was a program to speak better. This wasn’t what I had expected. However, I did get things out of the program. I feel that my voice is looser. I will continue the exercises and see how they work long-term.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The five elements of the voice are these with gift, source in body, character and sounds included:

Earth Authority Lower body Santa Claus Ho-ho-ho Big yawn
Fire Passion Stomach Pavarotti No I won't! Italian words (rigatoni)
Water Compassion Heart Julia Child Lullaby Siren sound
Metal Clarity Forehead Wicked witch My pretty! "I'll get you!" (Wicked witch)
Air Inspiration Crown Baby talker Baby talk Pitch your voice high and soft

SING:
Earth Summertime (Gershwin)
Fire When the Saints Go Marchin' In
Water What a Wonderful World
Metal Crazy
Air Edelweiss

RECITE POETRY.

[Carmen Tracey]

This book is too heavy for me to give it a cogent review right now; I'll probably revisit it, and the fact that it impacted me so much is a mark in its favor. I can say the audiobook's narration is strong, unsurprisingly. The author sees voice as an essential component of life and really challenges her audience to take it seriously as well.

[Mark Roossinck · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting presentation on how to maximize one's voice in order to be most effective in life. The author provided both practical and illustrative materials to get her point across. A compelling book to self-improve one's voice.

[Desiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend the audiobook (especially in the car)! Author does demonstrations of the vocal exercises which are very helpful to hear. I’ve listened to this book twice now and found it useful for improving my quiet voice and inspiring enough to consider singing lessons.

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 5 elements approach was educational. I’ve already seen results following the exercises in the book.

It is outrageously fluffy though, it’s mostly stories that don’t add much. It’s worth scanning and using as a reference but don’t waste time reading it end to end.

[Elise Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s some helpful content here. I’ve been getting hoarse after a couple hours of teaching and I think if I can tap into some of the vocal colors she describes it might help. That said, the excessive use of “literally” almost made me abandon it a couple times.

[Jonas Hallgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a bit pseudoscience but also extremely useful. It's one of those places where you completely lack any model of how to think about it, and this book provides a model. A black swan area for me before reading it at least.

[Imaduddin Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly skewed towards her own experiences and philosophy rather than exercises (we only get to exercises half way through chapter 6 in the audiobook), but a good, reflective and calming listen nonetheless.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of seeing the author speak at the ATD Conference. We all have a natural voice we gravitate to, but we can channel other voices to help send the correct message and to be heard.

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine. If you've never done any kind of vocal training before (like, if you seriously never even had to sing in school) you will find it very useful.

I enjoyed listening to it.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narration was excellent. I didn’t do the exercises. I may have gotten more out of this if I did.

[M.Marie.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice audiobook for a long road trip with the spouse. We listened at 1.4 speed since the author takes too long to finish her sentences. The dark side of excellent and perfectly emoted elocution!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn’t just about speaking or singing- it was about the 5 vocal sounds we develop and use when we are expressing ourselves, and the benefits of adding different sounds into our repertoire. It was very beautifully written, more about connecting with yourself and others than I had expected, and I ended up adoring this book.

[Matthew Wojnarowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unique presentation of using your voice as a powerful tool in various settings.

[Erin Mcleod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voice coach Barbara McAfee has developed an innovate framework for allowing readers to explore and access the full range of their speaking voices. "Earth," "fire," "metal" and "air" are, in her framework, different facets of every person's speaking voice that can be cultivated and in so doing increase vocal expressiveness, presence, economy of use and personal fulfillment.

I found McAfee's framework both accessible and essentially sound. I also appreciated the blend of creative with practical advice on care of the voice. Chapters contain exercises on how to develop our own version of each voice type, with examples of well-known personalities who embody the voice being discussed. I'm sure it wouldn't take you long to conjure up in your mind the rich cadence of a well-known voice and the powerful impact he/she has had on you. Myself, I could listen to people speak for hours. Vincent Price, Ricki Lee Jones, Leonard Cohen, Norah Jones, Janis Joplin are just a few.

I read "Full Voice" as one of several resources to help me assist individuals who have experienced vocal injuries such as vocal nodules. I found in McAfee's approach a refreshingly creative work, and one which I resonated to. Like her, I understand that the voice and the soul are closely linked, and her work found a way to honour that, rather than erase it from the equation, as so many scientific texts on the subject tend to do. I must qualify however, that this work is not aimed primarily at individuals with vocal fold injuries but rather those seeking to develop their voices, and recommend instead that professional attention be sought if you are experiencing hoarseness, voice loss, pain or other symptoms of vocal injury.

Links to breathing and voice exercises online provide additional support for a personal exploration of the full vocal range of expressiveness and contribute to the opportunity to tap into the marvellous gift we have been given. I would recommend this as an interesting and accessible resource to people interested in exploring and cultivating the power in their own voices.

[Jaymes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon my second reading of this book, I got a little more out of it and realized that reading it ten years ago did, in fact, (at least subliminally) change the way I thought about and used different elements of my voice. The author gives relatable examples of each kind of voice and helpful (even if silly or odd) ways to connect to these voices. Not only does embodying the full range of voices change the way you express yourself, but also helps invite others to their own full expression.
I appreciate that this book isn’t limited to singers or corporate-style speaking, or “how to influence people”; it really is a guidebook on how to fully claim and embody your own voice in all aspects of human relationships.

[Meagen Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Barbara McAfee's approach to the human voice and the possibilities that can be opened through vocal presence. The exercises presented are fun and easy. It has helped raise my awareness to differences in my voice and make a more conscious attempt to change my style to match the situation. The YouTube videos are a little help, but this is really just an introduction to the concept and not something that helped guide me all the way to integrating these styles into my speech in work & life. It might be more benefit to someone who is disciplined & motivated enough to create their own practice regimen, or who is using it as an accompaniment to vocal coaching.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive book on how to use your voice to its fullest in order to express your Self to your fullest. I enjoyed the different images, metaphors, and examples that McAfee used to illustrate and convey her points. I also found the exercises fun and amusing, even though I was a bit shy to try them at first. The online Youtube videos support the exercises well. The online videos also show that McAfee is a warm, intelligent, compassionate person, which are characteristics that already radiate through her writing.

Overall, a great resource for people working on issues with their voices, or those who would just like to learn more about their voices and how they work.

[Sabin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the book is marred by the assuring and concerned tone of other countless self-help authors and career coaches, the "five elements" voice framework it presents is pretty fun to follow and test.

For its 5 hours length it was mildly enjoyable. The author could have chopped 1 or 2 hours off from the end, but it was bearable.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great instructional book to learn to use your voice to express yourself more effectively. The book includes practice exercises, and a complimentary website offers more exercises on video. I highly recommend using the audibile version of the book, given the nature of the subject matter.

[Raul Duma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book in unfolding the importance of speaking your full voice; it's about a vocal presence which assume also the shadow part of yours, that increase the self conscience of everyone.

[Michelle Hermansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great instruction and assignments if you're a singer, public speaker or honing the craft of voice over. Or if you just want to work on your vocal sound in general.