Treat your voice with respect!

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Think about it; if you are playing a violin, or a flute, or even the kettle drums, you warm up your instrument before a concert. Maybe you'll play a couple of practice notes or run through a couple of scales? And yet, when speaking in public, the majority of people walk on to the platform and expect their voice to be in full working order. Wrong.. wrong.. wrong.

So what do you do to warm up?

1: Go somewhere quiet and (if you are self conscious as most of us are) somewhere private.

2: Shake out your legs, your arms, your shoulders and finally your head. Don't hold back! Get rid of all the tension.

3: Take a few deep breaths making sure that you are breathing from the diaphragm (hold your hand on your tummy to ensure that this is happening)

4: Release your breath slowly whilst running through the vowels. Open your mouth as widely as possibly and really stretch out your face. Repeat this a few times.

5: Read the first few lines of your speech or poem. Over exagerate.

You are all set. Stride on to the platform and amaze your audience!

Jessica

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