This is a Voice: 99 exercises to train, project and harness the power of your voice

by Jeremy Fisher, Gillyanne Kayes

To accompany the exhibition of the same name, This is a Voice explores the elusive nature of the human voice, with an introduction by Steven Connor and a foreword by Cerys Matthews.

Your voice is a powerful instrument, as individual as a fingerprint. You use it every single day, but do you know how to look after it? Or to get the best out of it?

This is a Voice is a practical toolkit of step-by-step vocal exercises to help speakers and singers of all abilities transform the quality of their voice. Bursting with advice from expert vocal coaches, it covers everything from warm ups, breathing, pacing and projection to techniques for speaking with confidence and singing jazz, pop, opera – even beatboxing – with style. Whether you’re a member of a choir or a professional singer, preparing for a big presentation or planning a wedding speech, This is a Voice will ensure that you make yourself heard.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2016

Reviews

[Emma Parnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! As someone with little knowledge on this topic, the introduction on how your voice works- explaining the ‘vocal mechanism’ and even the proper stance- was very beneficial to me. It felt like I was starting at the beginning and it was written in an easily understood way, as was the exercises! They explained what you should feel being targeted when doing certain exercises/warmups, and they were very accurate.

[Carla Kipp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Great little book. Highly colorful and entertaining read. It was recommended by an author I follow, and I was genuinely surprised how helpful it turned out to be. I have a very weak voice and was looking for something to help strengthen it. This book delivers all the information and more you need to understand how your vocalization works. Fantastic exercises allow you to put the knowledge you just gleaned to work! Great for public speakers, all *casters (pod, shout, etc), performers (especially singers and actors) and anyone who does voice work. As the book says - your voice is a powerful instrument so learn how to get the best out of it!

[Nikolay Korablev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like a nice thorough framework to build upon! If, just like me,

1) you have somewhat underdeveloped proprioception
2) you hate being told things like "strive for a dome-like feeling in your head while singing" or "your voice is lacking support"

then you might like this book. It's rich in simple sensory clues, and you could use the ideas in there as starting points for your own vocal exploration.

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully insightful, engaging, funny, and well-informed.

[Sophia Patsalides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of useful and analytical explanations. A very handy and holistic guide for any singer or voice teacher to have in their collection to come back to and reference when needed!