You’ve probably heard that public speaking is the number one fear of many people, and consistently in the top three. It might not be for you, but probably is for someone you know.
For many people, public singing triples that fear. An accomplished and intelligent friend, author of several books, said to me recently, “Yikes! The thought of singing in front of anyone makes me hyperventilate.” I’m a voice teacher, and I suffer from performance anxiety when singing solo in public!
According to National Geographic, there are plenty of cultures where oral storytelling and song are a part of everyday life, like the Native American Choctow, Native Hawaiian and peoples of Western Africa, as just a few examples. Not so much in the United States where well-known public speakers have TED talks and rich and famous musicians are thought to have been “born that way,” with exceptional talent.
What a load of crap!
The vocal instrument is complicated. In a culture where singing is thought to be for the privileged few, it takes passion, study and dedication to learn to sing to the best of your ability. I learn something new each time I have a lesson with my voice teacher, Linda, the founder of Transformational Voice®.
However, vocalization should also be great fun!
Many people who need to publicly speak don’t enjoy it. Other speakers aren’t effective; the people in the audience can’t hear them, aren’t engaged, are even bored to the point of falling asleep. (I’ve been in that audience; haven’t you?!) The same is as true on Zoom now as it was when we were in conference rooms and auditoriums pre-COVID days.
Let’s avert all these problems, shall we? Let’s have fun with our voices and learn how to better use them for just $20! Saturday Voice Lab: Vocal Improv & Technique (for adult students, speakers and singers) is September 5, 10:30 – Noon, via Zoom. Register here: https://laurahandke.com/
Thanks for helping Morgan – her voice class with you has been one of her favorite activities. She is shy – and I love the way it’s giving her confidence in words. I can see it when she speaks to others or even when she has acted and made short videos. I appreciate that you are inspiring – which makes kids want to learn more. You’re fabulous! And so great with helping kids strengthen the inner voice…so they can belt the outer one! ? – Janet H
Please spread the love and pass this along to a friend!
Love Your Voice & Voice Your Love,
Laura
Lake Oswego’s Transformational Voice® Teacher (Transformational Voice® is a registered trademark of Transformational Voice® Training Institute, LLC, and Linda Brice.)
My first book on vocal training is done! What a wild ride; I’m excited for you to experience it!
Here are words of praise (all five-star reviews so far) for How Abella Found Her Voice:
It’s not just the vivid images that bring “How Abella Found Her Voice” to life. It’s the smells, tastes and sounds it conjures up in the reader’s imagination. And like any good fable, it has an important lesson—to find and use your authentic voice. Along with Abella, the reader begins to learn how. -Dorothy Rosby
I may not be a singer, but a message about finding our true authentic voice can resonate with anyone. I love how this short tale brought me in, carried me throughout each chapter, and left me remembering that when we’re guided by our heart, naturally we are lead to our inner power. -Ashley-Ann Pereira
Laura has a magical way of teaching while harnessing the power of storytelling. Not only did I learn about harnessing the power of voice, I was able to absorb the information in an entertaining and engaging way! Well done Laura! -Kwesi
Through vivid and compelling storytelling, Laura Handke makes learning fun in “How Abella Found Her Voice.” Abella’s journey is not only inspiring and educational, but also leads the reader on an adventure of self-discovery. Laura’s passion for the power of music and helping others find their authentic voice really shines in this delightful book. Thank you, Laura! -Gina Williams
Our daughter has been thriving under Laura’s instruction over the course of the past year. Our daughter has not only gained knowledge of vocal skills and improved her singing, Laura’s nurturing influence has helped her confidence and self-esteem soar. We are so grateful for Laura’s positive and caring influence and feel so glad that she is giving our daughter a gift she will carry with her for the rest of her life. -Elizabeth H.
Saturday Voice Lab: Vocal Improv & Technique (for adult students, speakers and singers) begins via Zoom September 5th! 10:30 – noon PST every other Saturday, just $20. Check the home page https://laurahandke.com/ to pay and register. This is going to be so much fun!
Your voice lessons are making a difference in my poetry readings and public speaking, my teacher. Lots of luv for ya! – Emmett
Please spread the love and pass this along to a friend!
Love Your Voice & Voice Your Love,
Laura
Lake Oswego’s Transformational Voice® Teacher (Transformational Voice® is a registered trademark of Transformational Voice® Training Institute, LLC, and Linda Brice.)
I had so much fun being interviewed by Jeanie Brosius King http://beautifulnetworkofwomen.com/ about the Four Vocal Superpowers Most Pros Don’t Know, and other fun things that popped up in the conversation, too! Take a listen and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
COMING VERY , VERY SOON!!! E-book: ‘How Abella Found Her Voice’, and ongoing Drop-In Zoom Voice Lab!!!
Key Lime Pie
Graham Cracker Crust: (for one pie plate or one 8×8 dish)
Mix 1/4 cup melted butter with 1 to 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs and 1/8 cup sugar. Press mixture into baking dish and bake at 350 just until brown, not even 15 minutes. Let cool.
Dayton Hudson Restaurants Key Lime Pie Filling:
-4 eggs
-2/3 cup fresh lime juice (two limes)
-1 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (one regular-sized can)
In blender, blend eggs; add lime juice. Add sweetened condensed milk; whip. Pour into cooled pie shell and bake at 400 for 7 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Serve with freshly whipped cream.
Homemade Vegetable Stock
Save all of your vegetable scraps in the freezer in a gallon-size sturdy freezer bag. When the bag is full, make stock! In a large soup pot, cover the scraps with water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let bubble for at least an hour. Remove from heat and let sit for several hours or overnight. Strain and store broth in the freezer – makes two 32 oz. plastic containers (like a yogurt container) of broth.
Please spread the love and pass this along to a friend!
Love Your Voice and Voice Your Love,
Laura
Lake Oswego’s Transformational Voice® Teacher (Transformational Voice® is a registered trademark of Transformational Voice® Training Institute, LLC, and Linda Brice.)
Sometimes I have a hard time not crying every day with all the murders, racism and injustice in the world. I make a point of not watching the news because it so brings me down, but there’s no way to block out what is happening in our country right now, nor would I want to.
So, here are two fun things to hopefully bring a smile to your face as they have to mine.
Fun Thing One: A new kitten. You may recall, readers, that my precious 17-year-old cat, Lady Jane, passed away mid-May. George and I were lonely without her, our house felt empty, and I asked Lady’s spirit to send the right next cat our direction. I swear I heard her say, “I’m on it, Mama!” George had the feeling that our next cat would also be black, but smaller, a kitten.
On Sunday, July 5th, we adopted Linn (she was found in West Linn, after being born to a semi-feral mother cat) from Hazel’s House (https://www.facebook.com/hazelshousepdx/), a home-based shelter in Newberg, Oregon.
We are crazy in love, and Linn (Linn-Linn, Crazy Legged Kitten, Litter Kicker, Linn Laroo, etc.) is a perfect fit for our family and home. We have no question Lady Jane was helping guide the process and we so appreciate Brittany and Kendall Hazel for the work they are doing to help stray and misplaced cats find safe, loving, forever homes. Our home is alive with kitten energy now and filled with love and joy.
Fun Thing Two: Fluvial Groove. I met my friend, singer/songwriter/keynote speaker Jamie Wyman, through an on-line coaching program. She lives in Montana; I’m in Oregon, and we met in person when Jamie was traveling through Oregon en-route to California. We had a long walk and talk together, a brief voice lesson, a glass of wine, then Jamie joined George and I for dinner. We had salads, meatloaf, fancy roasted potatoes and – hmmm, broccoli – if I remember correctly.
The vegetable doesn’t matter, though, because my memory is now challenged by something else – Jamie’s newest song! I love this song!
The fluvial grooving started when Jamie asked people on Facebook to give her words of inspiration for a new song. My contribution was “cirrus,” because I’d been out walking earlier that day and had seen a bunch of cirrus clouds. My word was probably one of the least challenging in comparison to “onomatopoeia,” “kaleidoscope,” and “kerfuffle,” but in the end Jamie decided to incorporate all of the words into Fluvial Groove. https://youtu.be/VH6XNVJ7JL8
So, George has learned the guitar part, I’m learning the vocals, and sometimes George and I sing together and harmonize. I performed the song for the first time Saturday night at the last online karaoke party with George accompanying me on guitar! Fun! Kitten Linn has attended most of our rehearsals, and she seems to love music already. And…oddly enough…Jamie’s middle name is Linn. Spelled just like that.
Purr….
Have fun today!
COMING SOON!!! E-book: ‘How Abella Found Her Voice’, On-line Class Opportunity, and ongoing Drop-In Zoom Voice Lab!!!
Your voice lessons are making a difference in my poetry readings and public speaking, my teacher. Lots of luv for ya! – Emmett
Please spread the love and pass this along to a friend!
Love Your Voice and Voice Your Love,
Laura
Lake Oswego’s Transformational Voice® Teacher (Transformational Voice® is a registered trademark of Transformational Voice® Training Institute, LLC, and Linda Brice.)
The lovely Ashley-Ann Pereira https://www.ashleyann.me/ invited me to be an author-panelist for her Author’s Circle. What is it like publishing multiple books of different genres? What are the biggest challenges and joys of being a book writer? This video of Ashley-Ann’s 43-minute interview with me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTzanfvagvk&feature=youtu.be helps answer these questions and explains how writing a book can help speakers and entrepreneurs bring their message out into the world.
Please spread the love and pass this along to a friend!
Love Your Voice and Voice Your Love,
Laura
Lake Oswego’s Transformational Voice® Teacher (Transformational Voice® is a registered trademark of Transformational Voice® Training Institute, LLC, and Linda Brice.)
I don’t know about you, but I went through a creative dry spell during much of the initial COVID-19 lockdown, and this was before the horror of racial injustice hit the news. I can’t even talk about that in this post. Just check out this guy, my dear friend: he’s helping tip the scales in the right direction. https://laurahandke.com/study-the-craft-an-interview-with-emmett-wheatfall/
I did write a new speech and got great feedback on it. Taught my voice students via Zoom and walked outside. Other than that, I spent a lot more time in the kitchen cooking and baking than I normally do.
but not yet a book about vocal technique! Ashley-Ann totally inspired me to start it. The book will accompany an online and/or virtual class, PS (for public speaking), Your Voice Could Be Better!, for those who want it – and a weekly drop-in Zoom Voice Lab.
This is the process I’m using to start my new book, and my tips to you for getting enthused and organized when your creative longings start demanding attention. Note my suggestions are tactical and use actual paper, but I’m sure you can do it digitally as well. I, personally, need to get away from electronic screens during the initial stages of a creative process. And, I always take a Godwalk outside in nature first!
Write down every single idea, as it comes to you, on an individual sticky note. Use large sticky notes of different colors. The ideas will start to show you themes, and each color can be dedicated to one of the themes. When you’re ready to organize, discard the ideas that no longer work and organize the ones that do. Stick one large easel-sized paper piece for each theme on the wall and put each related sticky note on that large paper piece for the corresponding theme.
Once you have everything organized into groups, you can transfer notes in the separate categories to one sheet for an ongoing plan, taking off notes as you complete each task. I like to put 3 (up to 5) weekly goals on my calendar each week. Make sure to include time to yourself and nurturing your inner and outer voice on your calendar as well.
What would you like most to hear about in the online/virtual classes? Would Saturdays from 10:00 am — Noon ST or Noon – 2:00 pm PST be good for the drop-in Voice Lab? Let me know! I’m enthused, excited, getting organized, and wishing you the same.
Please spread the love and pass this along to a friend!
