.webp){kind=logo}
Perform: Connect IRL
.webp)
When you are working on improving your speech or singing most of the work happens in private.
Hours upon hours can be spent on disrupting a stubborn habit or learning how to craft this or that phrase, just so. You are usually moving towards a goal. A meeting, presentation, audition, concert, whathaveyou that is the end result you are chasing.
What if today you slowed it down and took a deeper dive into your process?
No matter what your current state of preparation. No matter whether it is "ready" or not, I want you to perform your presentation, song, or speech for a one or two trusted friends. To show them your work in progress, not for their feedback but for their connection.
Here is a key point: Instruct them that you would like to show them what you are working on but aren't ready for opinions. Get their consent on this point. Let them know you just need a friend to perform to and then give them your complete attention. Enjoy the act of just sharing your effort with a human being and watching them receive it. And don't forget to thank them, listening without giving your opinion can be hard.
Gina Razón is the principal voice specialist at GROW Voice LLC, a full-service voice and speech studio in Boston’s Back Bay. She has over 16 years of experience both as a teacher of voice and speech, and a voraciously curious voice user. Gina has worked professionally as a classical singer for over a decade and more recently as a professional public speaker. For more information on the studio or to book Gina visit www.growvoice.com.
Sign up for the GROW Voice newsletter to receive updates on new blog posts, upcoming workshops, and voice training resources delivered directly to your inbox.
Related posts
What Happens in Vagus Part 2: Five Ways to Find Your Vocal Sweet Spot
This follow-up post delivers five evidence-based techniques for balancing your nervous system before, during, and after high-stakes speaking situations. Learn quick regulation methods like the Physiological Sigh (30 seconds) and Micro-Orienting (15 seconds) for in-the-moment reset, plus foundational practices like Coherent Breathing and the Voo Sound for vocal-specific nervous system preparation. Based on research from Stephen Porges, Peter Levine, and Bessel van der Kolk, these tools help speakers achieve "calm intensity" - the optimal state of high arousal matched with high regulation for dynamic, engaging performance.
When Voices Disappear: The True Cost of Silencing Ourselves in Collaboration
In "When Voices Disappear: The True Cost of Silencing Ourselves in Collaboration," I examine how we often diminish our voices in collaborative settings, believing we're serving the team when we're actually limiting everyone's potential. Inspired by a revealing moment on Project Runway, this post challenges the false binary between harmony and discord, offering a more powerful alternative: bringing our full "voltage" while remaining curious about others. Learn a simple five-step practice to maintain your authentic voice in your next collaborative project.
