Articulate: Pressure

Does this sound familiar?

You start a sentence with plenty of volume and presence only to lose momentum, volume, and pitch by the end. This is an indication of inconsistent air flow. If you also end up feeling more percussive in the beginning of the sentence, you may be over-pressurizing your air.

Why does it matter? Well, not only is it bad for your vocal folds in the long term; it also impacts your authority in the room.

Today, I want you to check in on your airflow. You will need to get a straw and place it into whatever beverage you have handy, but not too deep. Next, speak a sustained /u/ into the straw with a good seal around your lips. If you have bubbles jumping out of the glass or even in a "rolling boil" you are definitely using too much air pressure. Try to continue the flow of air while reducing the bubbles to an active simmer.

Once you are a pro at flow in the liquid medium, try it in the open air.

Creating a balanced onset of sound and an efficient flow of air will do a lot of the latent quality of your voice in space.